This is episode 287 of The Power of Purity Podcast... and it's the FINAL EPISODE.
Hey guys... In this episode I (Tony) share what's going on in my heart... my life... and my situation that has led me to record the FINAL EPISODE of the podcast at this time.
If you've been following this podcast... I feel that I owe you an explanation... and I owe you complete honesty and transparency.
You've let me into your heart and life... you've listened to me... and you've allowed me to be part of your journey.
Thank you so much for this privilege... and it's something that I hold as sacred.
I pray the podcast has been a blessing and an encouragement to you... and I pray it will continue to be a resource for you into the future... as you continue to move forward on your journey of purity.
It has been my honor to be on this journey with you... and to serve you through this podcast.
Please pray for me... as I continue to pray for you.
Stay in the battle guys... it's worth it!
1 Some time later God tested He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Genesis 22:1-2
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 16:24-25
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:7-14
For I know the plansI have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
he Kingdom of God is upside down… inside out… backwards… and paradoxical!
In the first part of this episode Tony shares a letter from a listener… and announces that the LIVE Pathway to Purity Intensive Workshop is officially scheduled for next month!
Tony then shares an amazing and mysterious principal of God’s upside down Kingdom… the reality that GOD’S STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN OUR WEAKNESS!
If you are struggling with your sexual gift in any way…
If you are struggling with internet pornography…
If you are acting out in violation of your confession of faith and your very own conscience…
If you are being controlled by sex instead of controlling sex…
There are two different ways to try to deal with this challenge:
(1) GET STRONGER (Let’s see how far this gets you!)
(2) GET WEAKER
The way of God… and the way of His Kingdom is this…
GOD’S STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN OUR WEAKNESS!
8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. II Corinthians 12:8-10
In this episode Tony shares about the fact that he is presently being chastened by God.
Did you know that God "spanks" his kids?
Sometimes when there's something in our heart and life that shouldn't be there...
When there's something in our heart and life that's "ugly"...
When there's something that we refuse to look at or deal with...
God finally says... "That's enough!"
The Lord isn't going to look the other way forever... and he's not going to let something remain that's not supposed to be there.
When God "spanks" us... it's not because he hates us.
It's not because he's mad at us.
It's not because he wants to hurt us.
IT'S BECAUSE HE LOVES US... and he want's his very best for us.
It's because he's about the business of conforming us more an more to the image of his Son... Jesus.
In this episode Tony talks about what it's like to be "spanked" by God... and he has a prayer request!
Hebrews 12:5-13
Jeremiah 28:11-12
Lamentations 3:1-33
John 15:1-2
Take heart... for whom the loves... he chastens!
Tony & Sheri have been married for 37 years... and they are a living miracle... because they went to hell and back in the early years of their marriage!
Over these years Tony & Sheri have been in and out of therapy together many different times... and the single longest period of therapy lasted for over 6 years straight.
At this time Tony & Sheri are back in therapy again... as they seek to continue working on their marriage to make it stronger... and better... and healthier than it's ever been before.
Tony believes it's a very good thing for therapists to go to therapy!
During the course of the most recent work they've been doing together... one of Sheri's complaints is that Tony doesn't listen very good... and that Tony has a tendency to "listen to respond" instead of "listening to understand".
As a result of this... Tony wrote a pledge to Sheri which he titled...
Tony's Listening & Validation Pledge To Sheri
In this series of episodes... Tony talks about this pledge... and what he's been learning about listening and validation.
By the way... this topic is directly related to healthy sexuality in marriage... and if you listen to this series you'll discover some important insights that help us understand why better listening and better validation lead to to better sex!