Freedom Experience – Introduction
Welcome to the Freedom Experience! You have taken a critical step forward in your journey toward breaking free from pornography (or any other stubborn struggle)
Welcome to the Freedom Experience! You have taken a critical step forward in your journey toward breaking free from pornography (or any other stubborn struggle)
Do you remember learning how to ride a bike? In the beginning, you likely had training wheels which helped keep you from falling. This was
Strap yourselves in for today’s freedom reading. We are going to do some deep digging and expose the root of addiction to porn (and any
Today, let’s begin with a question that may seem simple—what exactly is freedom? If you’ve struggled with any form of bondage for any length of
If your experience was anything like mine, you were exposed to porn at a young age. I was twelve when a friend showed me a
A number of years ago, I (John) had a friend who was addicted to smoking cigarettes. Despite knowing how bad the habit was for him,
Today, let’s focus on a critical aspect of getting free and staying free from pornography—winning the war in your mind. If you have been born
Today, we are going to explore a simple truth. If you’ve struggled with porn (or anything else) for any amount of time, you identify with
Up until this point, we’ve talked a lot about the spiritual aspects of getting free. Today, let’s dive into the processes, both in our minds
Every time you have a sexual climax, whether real or through fantasy, your body releases a flood of neurotransmitters and hormones meant to reinforce the
Many people who struggle with stubborn sins believe they wouldn’t struggle if their circumstances were only different. They might reason that they struggle with porn
Today, we are going to explore the work of one of the more renowned Christian philosophers of the modern era—Dallas Willard. Later in his life,
One of the biggest struggles people face when wrestling with habitual sinful behavior is living in a cycle of defeat and failure. Today, we are
There is an old parable of a man who walks down a road and falls into a pit. The next day, he walks down the
In the thirteenth century, Saint Thomas Aquinas famously noted, “Every sinful behavior is rooted in a legitimate god-given appetite.” A bold claim, but how could
Today, let’s address a pivotal question most people have as they are struggling to get free, and it’s simply this. Why is it taking so
Today, we are going to address the subject of your core beliefs. As Christians, when we hear the word beliefs, we often associate it with
In yesterday’s lesson, we explored how getting a revelation of God’s kindness and goodness toward you is what enables you to experience the deep change
If you’ve read the New Testament, you know that grace is a key element to living the way God calls us to live. Here are
Imagine a man who goes into the doctor’s office complaining about radiating pain in his back. The pain is being caused by a herniated disc,
Today, we are going to dive into three key questions to ask yourself when you are struggling. As we’ve covered extensively in the lessons leading
When you are in a moment of temptation, it is extremely difficult to think with a long-term perspective. The potential benefits and pleasures of giving
Few people change in a straight line. Most change is messy, difficult, and plays itself out over time. So if you are frustrated that your
If you’ve ever tried to clean up your diet, you know how difficult it can be. Eating healthy is important to ward off disease, improve
If you’ve ever brought up your struggle to get free from porn in Christian circles, there’s a very strong chance the solution you were given
When it comes to love and sexuality, the one thing all humans have in common is this—we have all been wounded in this area. Most
It’s all too easy to feel down about yourself when you struggle. Looking at porn or giving into whatever temptation it is that you battle
Let’s begin today with a question—what is the key to living like Jesus? If that question sounds impossibly high-minded, it isn’t intended that way. Living
Yesterday, we dove into the “secret” power to Jesus’s life—living in connection to His Father. Then, looking at John 15, we discovered that it is
Today, we’re going to begin by making a statement that probably feels very obvious. Change is hard. It takes a lot of work—much of which,
Here we are. You’ve come to the end of your journey in the Freedom Experience. Our hope is that this has been instrumental in helping
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Over the past decade, numerous pastors and leaders from all over the world have been crying out (and even begging us) for discipleship resources in their language. This may sound extreme, but in America we have an abundance of books and resources that are available to us that are often taken for granted. In many ways, we have access to excess.
In some developing nations, people have never seen a book in their language. When leaders from these nations are given a book, they treat it as sacred gift! They even hand-write books and Bibles word for word so that they can spread this message of hope to others in their sphere of influence.
Dr. Joseph Serwadda, a leader from Uganda who oversees a group of churches that number approximately 27,000, echoes this need among pastors and leaders all over the world: “Our biggest need is not money or bigger buildings, but solid teaching. We lack literature for people to read and study on their own. The more people we have in church who are less instructed in the Word of God, the less solidity we have. Come and help us preserve the harvest. This is a Macedonian call!”
Over the years, Cubans have long suffered under the oppression of a single message: communism. Despite this challenge, Yassir is committed to sharing a new message with his people, a message of transformation that can lead to national revival.
Cubans, in general, have been conditioned toward communistic consumption. That’s why Yassir wants his people to embrace a new identity: a life defined by what they can give. This shift requires growth and maturity that can only come through a new perspective.
He explained, “The Cuban church is strong and filled with passion. But I believe it’s important that we shift our mentality. We need to see how the Gospel goes beyond our own needs. Ultimately, we need to take responsibility for ourselves and our nation, and not just wait for outside intervention.”
There aren’t many Christian resources in Cuba. So, Pastor Yassir’s church, along with many other churches throughout Cuba, have been profoundly impacted by the resources Messenger International has provided for them in their own language.
In our conversations with Pastor Yassir, he often cited an ancient proverb: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you’ve fed him for a lifetime. He sees MessengerX as a tool both to feed his people and teach them to fish.
It’s become evident that after many years in our ministry, the most effective way to transform a village or town is not to construct a church building. This just keeps the local leadership dependent on us.
We are much more effective if we give the indigenous leaders such as Pastor Yassir spiritual knowledge that will empower them to influence their village, town, or city. Such knowledge helps produce the faith needed to grow and sustain the work, which, if necessary, will include buildings and other resources.
Stories like Pastor Yassir’s fuel our mission, because we believe that everyone deserves to know life-transforming truth!
Before Nura became a follower of Christ, her life was a living hell.
After the death of her husband—from whom she endured many years of abuse and suffering—she became a widow with four children. In search of peace and inner healing, she sought solace in religious places and practices, which only led her deeper into depression and financial debt.
Her last resort was Jesus.
“I came to the Christian church and begged for help! I accepted Christ after I heard of the promise of peace and healing that is found in Him,” Nura wrote. “I slowly began to recover, but there was one thing hindering my healing—unforgiveness.”
Filled with regrets, Nura struggled to forgive her husband. But the grip of offense began to weaken when her pastor handed her a copy of The Bait of Satan.
“I forgave my husband after I learned how much I, too, needed forgiveness,” shared Nura. “Now I am healed, and I have peace for the first time in my life. Some even say I look ten years younger!”
Pastor Raphael was raised in Kenya, immersed in a culture of darkness. As a child, he lacked affection because his father believed that strong men don’t show love. He continually witnessed his father beat and belittle his mother. Everywhere he looked, insidious behavior was practiced toward women and infants—families were being destroyed and lives were ending before they had a chance to begin.
This was the destiny Raphael was headed toward.
But everything changed when truth entered the scene. The first area to be transformed was Raphael’s heart—which, in turn, transformed his marriage and his family. And with a strong and healthy family, his whole outlook toward life has changed.
“Through the resources of Messenger International, a relentless passion was ignited in me to see the people of my country free from lies,” shared Raphael. “I discovered my purpose to train up others and bring God’s transforming truth to remote villages.”
Raphael has trekked miles through mud and rain to reach people, often rising early and returning late. He would travel over 50 miles a day with his bicycle—but through the generosity of the MessengerX community, he was given a motorcycle, which has enabled him to double his efforts while easily transporting the resources and supplies he needs to facilitate his classes. Raphael has seen over 200 of his students graduate in the villages he serves.
“Thank you for investing in my people,” expressed Raphael. “Each day tribal warriors are transformed into children of God, marriages are infused with love, and the innocent are protected. Your generosity has given us the tools we need to rewrite our story and reclaim our humanity.”
Formerly a Muslim, Dahlia fled to Turkey after she was expelled from her Iranian school and excommunicated by her family. Her crime? Becoming a Christian.
You can now find Dahlia in a refugee camp, far from what she once called home. But despite the upheaval, she has found purpose in her pain. On a daily basis, Dahlia walks through her makeshift town and prays over the people. They have become her people—the audience of her message.
Dahlia has become a messenger, and she is often spotted lovingly serving those around her and sharing her faith with them. Despite language barriers, people are drawn to her because they see something different in her. And what’s amazing is that she’s not only reaching the people in her refugee camp, she’s also impacting those she left behind in Iran.
“I’ve had calls from Iran,” writes Dahlia. “People who mocked me because of my faith now believe in Jesus and want to know more. So, I tell them about MessengerX, which has a lot of translated discipleship resources.”
As we continue to provide people like Dahlia with life-transforming truth in their own language, we’re helping them grow in their faith and discover their purpose—and we’re equipping them to make a difference in their world.
“I am beyond thankful for all of the books that I’ve been able to read in my language, such as Driven by Eternity, translated in Farsi,” shared Dahlia. “I read them again and again. The messages keep me company in this lonely season, and they inspire me to reveal Jesus to the hurting people all around me.”