Captured by a Better Vision
Living Porn-Free
Published on 17. December 2012
176 pages
978-1-84474-665-1 (ISBN)
Description
You long to be free but...
Pornography has reached epidemic proportions. And in God's eyes porn is ugly. It devalues other human beings and the good gift of sex in favour of a destructive imitation.
Tim Chester points us to something infinitely better, something that captivates without causing shame, remorse or embarrassment: the glory and beauty of Christ. We are made to be satisfied with God alone, and told to avoid the sin that hinders our relationship with him.
Tim exposes the lies and deceptions of porn, inviting us to be fully free, and showing positively and practically how this can be possible in daily life. We can be captured by a better vision.
Pornography has reached epidemic proportions. And in God's eyes porn is ugly. It devalues other human beings and the good gift of sex in favour of a destructive imitation.
Tim Chester points us to something infinitely better, something that captivates without causing shame, remorse or embarrassment: the glory and beauty of Christ. We are made to be satisfied with God alone, and told to avoid the sin that hinders our relationship with him.
Tim exposes the lies and deceptions of porn, inviting us to be fully free, and showing positively and practically how this can be possible in daily life. We can be captured by a better vision.
Reviews / Votes
Fantastic practical and realistic help... I highly commend this timely book. -- Carl Beech * General Director of Christian Vision for Men * A lifeline for those who feel trapped... A message of grace, strength and hope. -- Ian Coffey * Lecturer at Moorlands College, conference speaker and author * Will rescue many a marriage and restore many a man to a place where purity and passion coexist in biblical relationship. -- Steve Gaukroger * Clarion Trust International * Honest and hard-hitting, yet full of grace. -- Tim Rudge * UCCF * Timely and relevant. -- Nigel Pollock * TSCF, New Zealand *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Nottingham
United Kingdom
Product notice
Reflowable
ISBN-13
978-1-84474-665-1 (9781844746651)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
02/1994
Inter-Varsity Press
€13.50
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Person
Tim Chester is Director of the Porterbrook Institute and the author of a number of books, including 'Good News to the Poor' and 'You Can Change'. Along with Steve Timmis, he has written 'Total Church' and 'Everyday Church'. He is married to Helen and they live with their two daughters in Sheffield, UK.
Content
- Intro
- Captured by a Better Vision
- Contents
- Foreword
- INTRODUCTION: LET'S TALK ABOUT PORN
- One in three
- Let's talk about porn
- A warning and a reassurance
- 1. LOOKING BEYOND THE FRAME
- Five key ingredients
- Twelve reasons to give up porn
- 1 Porn wrecks your view of sex
- 2 Porn wrecks your view of women
- 3 Porn wrecks women's view of themselves
- 4 The porn industry abuses women
- 5 Porn is a sin against your wife
- 6 Porn wrecks families
- 7 Porn is enslaving
- 8 Porn erodes your character
- 9 Porn wastes your time, energy and money
- 10 Porn weakens your relationship with God
- 11 Porn weakens your service
- 12 God's wrath is against people who use porn
- Looking beyond the frame
- 2. FREED BY THE BEAUTY OF GOD
- Why do people use porn?
- The reason for porn
- Taking responsibility
- Freed by faith
- Porn is always a symptom of unbelief and idolatry
- What porn offers and how God offers more
- Hollow promises, real promises
- 1 Porn promises respect
- God is glorious - he is the one we should fear
- 2 Porn promises relationship
- God is great - he is sovereign over our relationships
- 3 Porn promises refuge
- God is great - he is sovereign over our lives
- 4 Porn promises reward
- God is good - he is our ultimate and lasting joy
- 5 Porn promises revenge
- God is gracious - he gives us more than we deserve
- 6 Porn promises redemption
- God is gracious - he is the one who atones for our sin
- The fight of faith
- Porn as self-worship
- Repentance: turning from self to worship God
- Diagnosis
- Fighting pleasure with greater pleasure
- 3. FREED BY THE GRACE OF GOD
- False hope: self-righteousness
- True hope: the mercy of God
- True hope: the cross of Christ
- You are sexually pure
- Hiding from the help we need
- The first step out of porn is a step down
- Qualified for service, fit for action
- Gutsy guilt
- Clean to be clean
- Free to be free
- Clean to be clean
- United to be united
- Holy to be holy
- Valued to be valuable
- The feast of porn and the feast of God3
- Freed by the power of God
- 4. THE FIGHT OF FAITH
- Killing porn
- The myth of sexual release
- Breaking the cycle of masturbation
- The forty-day challenge
- Avoidance
- The Joseph principle - run
- The father's wisdom - avoid
- The pastor's advice - flee
- Ten weapons in the battle with porn
- 1 The word of God
- 2 Prayer
- 3 Fasting
- 4 Communion
- 5 Worship
- 6 Thanksgiving
- 7 Community
- 8 Service
- 9 Suffering
- 10 Hope
- Comrades in the fight of faith
- Which do you value more: your holiness or your reputation?
- Telling your wife
- Helping one another change
- A culture of grace
- A culture of confrontation
- Tips for mutual accountability and an accountability group
- A lifetime of daily change
- Daily change
- Lifelong change
- 5. FREED FOR THE GLORY OF GOD
- 1 A biblical vision of beauty
- Choose to find your spouse beautiful
- Make your spouse feel beautiful
- Value inward beauty above outward beauty
- 2 A biblical vision of sexuality
- Sex is God's good creation
- Sex is an act of unification
- Sex is an act of disclosure
- Sexual icons
- 3 A biblical vision of marriage
- A picture of God's covenant love
- Marriage is a covenant of love
- Marriage is a covenant of companionship
- Marriage is a covenant of service
- 4 A biblical vision of singleness
- There are strong reasons for marriage
- There are good reasons for singleness
- 5 A biblical vision of God's glory
- Is God enough for you in your singleness?
- Is God enough for you in your marriage?
- Get a big vision
- Why is the universe so big?
- CONCLUSION: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
- Reflection questions
- A prayer of confession
- Notes
- Introduction
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
