Note From Pastor Jonathan

Whether you’re new to Grace Church or you’ve been attending for awhile, one of the best ways to get to know other people while growing your faith is to attend one of the Adult Classes listed on today’s bulletin insert. New classes start today, so this is a great time to get involved!

Here is a sampling of comments from participants in recent classes:

“This class helped me understand the history of the Bible. It made me want to read it more.”

“I liked meeting other people who were facing the same problems. It gave me spiritual guidance during a difficult time.”

“I loved the teacher’s passion for the Lord. I have gotten to know the Lord better through this class.”

“We are brand new at Grace and just stumbled upon this class while we were waiting for our children in youth classes. It was such a blessing!”

“This class made me feel that I am really growing in God…also gave me answers about my struggles.”

“I’ve learned so much and am definitely better prepared to share my faith. My own walk has been much encouraged with this study.”

“The teacher does a thorough job of preparing for the class by doing extensive research.”

With comments like that, maybe it’s no surprise that we have about 1,000 adults who are going to classes each week here at Grace. They are a fantastic way to take the next step in our spiritual journey.

Also, let me put in a positive word for the children and youth classes every Sunday and Wednesday, too. You can check out specifics at our website, or stop by the Literature Display for brochures on your way out. The groups are kicking off in a big way this fall, and this Wednesday at 7 pm would be a super time to join in. Thinking of our youth, pray for the 300+ Jr. & Sr. Highers from Grace who are finishing up their Patmos Retreat today at Kelleys Island!

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Did you know that Hollywood makes 400 films a year…compared to the porn industry's 11,000? And that porn brings in more revenue than the NFL, NBA, and MLB combined?

People who counsel for sexual and pornography addiction note that we’ve reached the 40-year mark of pornography’s availability in our homes. Starting in the 1970s with VHS tapes, and in the 1990s with the Internet, the easy availability and exposure of pornography has influenced—and poisoned—a huge number of Americans.

Porn's usage among Christians is significant enough that a growing number of ministries are releasing materials designed to encourage purity and to help those with addictions. Michael Foust, in a recent article published by Baptist Press, lists the following resources:

1. The book "At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry" by Steven Gallagher remains a popular resource that is highly recommended by those who have struggled in this area.

2. Christian singer Clay Crosse wrote a book with his wife Renee ("I Surrender All: Rebuilding a Marriage Broken by Pornography") detailing his victory over porn addiction.

3. The ministry Freedom Begins Here (FreedomBeginsHere.org) has a "personal toolkit" for individuals as well as resources for small groups featuring Gary Smalley, Ted Cunningham and Mark and Deb Laaser.

4. The DVD titled "Somebody's Daughter" (www.somebodysdaughter.org) features gripping testimonies from four Christian men who were addicted to porn…plus the testimony from a wife.

5. Focus on the Family offers free online resources at PureIntimacy.org.

Our pastoral staff has found that many people struggling in this area are most open to finding help and accountability through online ministries that offer assistance to those with sexual addictions. Hundreds have completed the online Bible study at SettingCaptivesFree.com. You can also check ThePornEvent.com for a free 25-minute online presentation on the effects of pornography. Christian experts discuss how porn can mask other issues in our lives, how porn actually functions like a drug, and what your next step might be.

If you feel personally stuck in this trap and want to get free, let me encourage you: freedom and victory are possible! Don’t let shame hold you back from getting help. Find a Christian counselor or professional to help you start the journey (call Jamie Norton at 440.243.4885 x. 124, or North Coast Family Foundation at 440.842.6867). If you do nothing, the problem will simply continue…and likely wrap you even tighter in its grip.

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Raising children and teens in a sexually charged culture was difficult long before cell phones and the Internet came along, but when technology combined the two into one handheld device -- and added a camera -- it became, some would say, nearly impossible. Add to that the mix of social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, all of which allow instant and far-reaching communication, and the task gets even tougher.

Michael Foust, in a recent article published by Baptist Press, reports that the fourth-most searched word on the Internet for kids ages 7 and under in 2009 was "porn," according to data by OnlineFamily.Norton.com. For all kids up to age 18, sex was No. 4, porn No. 5.

Still, it's not impossible to protect kids, says Rick Schatz, president of the National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families, a Christian organization that assists parents and families in living sexually pure lives. It simply requires following some common sense steps and teaching biblical values, he says. Schatz urges parents to monitor their kids' computer usage closely.

Here are several steps you can take immediately to protect your family…and yourself (ask a more tech-savvy friend about these if you need help):

Install a filter and monitoring system on all computers in the home, such as InternetSafety.com, CovenantEyes.com (see the insert in today’s bulletin) and BSecure.com. InternetSafety and BSecure also offer filters for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Activate parental controls on any wireless router.

Place all computers in a public place; avoid putting computers in bedrooms. Model purity in your life.

Install/activate the parental control program on all cell phones.

Ask your children if they have sent or received "sext" messages. Sexting is the act of sending sexually explicit messages, photos or videos. A recent survey showed that 15% of 12-17-year-olds who own cell phones had received a "sext" message.

Become familiar with your kids' gaming systems and online capabilities. The Wii gaming system, for instance, can go online through a wireless router.

Join the social media sites -- such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter -- that your children belong to, and know their passwords.

Collect all cell phones at night for recharging to ensure there is no late-night talking, texting or Internet surfing.

"The only hope we have with our kids is to help them develop an inner moral compass," Schatz said. "You cannot build the impregnable bubble, folks. It doesn't work. You may think it's an impregnable bubble, but no matter what you've done in your home, you can't do it for your whole neighborhood. You can't do it for your kid's schools."

Schatz knows that many children and teens inevitably will ask their parents, "Don't you trust me?" He suggests this response: “Yes, I do trust you, but as the parent, I am not going to put you in a position of risk. I'm responsible for protecting who you are, where you go, what situation you wind up in. Therefore, I'm not going to permit you to be tempted to do bad things.”

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A few weeks ago, I received a note from someone who attends Grace. They said, “If there is ever a time when you'd like me to give a testimony about the dangers of the internet, pornography specifically, please let me know. If I could save just one parent and child the heartache that I've been through this past year, I gladly would.”

Maybe you could have written that. Here are recent, widely reported stats:

53% of Christian men consume pornography. 17% (and rapidly increasing) of all women struggle with pornography addiction. 90% of 8-16 year olds have viewed porn online (most while doing homework).

Today begins a 3-part series in this space on protecting yourself—and your family—from the poison of pornography. A new report says much of America today has a naive attitude toward Internet pornography and fails to see porn's destructive impact not only on individuals but also marriages, children and society in general.

The 53-page report, called simply, "The Social Costs of Pornography," was released by The Witherspoon Institute in Princeton, NJ, and was signed by more than 50 scholars from a wide variety of backgrounds: conservatives and liberals, Democrats and Republicans, atheists and Christians.

Porn's negative impact on marriages cannot be overstated, the report argues. It cites a Time magazine story about a meeting of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, where of the 350 attendees, 62% said the "Internet played a significant role in divorces in the past year, with excessive interest in online porn contributing to more than half of such cases." And, for those marriages that survive, porn causes the men to lose the desire to have a physical relationship with their wives, the report says.

One scientist says frequent pornography users develop "new maps" in their brains based on the pictures and videos they see. Those new maps develop a "hunger to be stimulated," so much so that the men at their computers are likes rats in a lab cage, "pressing the bar to get a shot of dopamine or its equivalent."

The report also quotes a 2009 Princeton University study that used MRI scans to study brain activity. The study showed that "after viewing pornographic images, men looked at women more as objects than as humans."

We’ll look more at this issue in this space next week, but here’s one immediate step you can take. Every home computer should have an anti-porn filter (see today’s Covenant Eyes insert). Together, let’s build the walls high against this dangerous enemy that threatens to harm us and those we love.

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A few years ago, Mary and I worked on a project that is pretty unpopular with most folks I meet…we went over our will. We wanted to make sure that when we arrive in our phenomenal new home in heaven, our earthly assets will be distributed in a way that reflects our values. Here are some suggestions on how to create a will.

1. Make a list of the people you’d like to remember and provide for in your plans, such as children, siblings, and other loved ones. Consider whom you trust to be your Executor and the guardian for your children, if that became a need.

2.Identify charitable organizations that are especially meaningful to you and that you would like to help by leaving a bequest. Make sure you have their correct names and addresses to avoid any confusion over similar sounding organizations.

3.Make a list of all of your assets and property. This includes your checking and savings accounts, CDs, stocks and bonds, retirement plans, and life insurance policies. If you own real estate, make a note of what you think is its fair market value. You can leave your loved ones and favorite organizations a specific amount of money, specific percentage of your estate, or even a specific asset.

4.Meet with an advisor. One person you might consider meeting with is Ken Furl, an area representative of the Christian & Missionary Alliance (free of charge) who has met with hundreds of people (and many at Grace) on this topic. See today’s bulletin announcement (in the next column) regarding his visit in a couple of weeks.

5.Take what you’ve prepared to an attorney (or accountant or financial planner). Be sure to bring the items you have assembled from steps 1-4. This will save time, and consequently, money. You’ll come away with a plan that reflects your directions about how your estate should be divided. In most cases, the simplest way to accomplish your goals is by having a professionally prepared will.

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Proverbs 15:22

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