MERRY CHRISTMAS!
The day that this particular episode was published is December 25h... Christmas Day!
So Tony thought there would be no better topic to reflect on for this particular episode than the birth of Christ... and the meaning of the coming of God to our world... and to our lives.
Matthew 1:23 says that the baby who was born would be called Immanuel... which means "God with us".
John 1:14 says that God became flesh... and made his dwelling among us.
Isaiah 40:3 says that a highway has been prepared that allows God to travel directly into our mess.
Luke 2:12-14 says that because of this baby... wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger... that God would bring "peace" to men on earth.
The fact that God has placed himself within our reach... through the Incarnation... makes all the difference in the world.
It inspires hope for our lives!
It creates possibility!
It means that we are no longer alone!
It means that God... and all of his resources... are now available to us!
This means our hearts... our lives... our marriages... our relationships... our priorities... our futures... and even our relationship with sex... can be completely different than ever before!
So... Make Way For God... and MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Shannon Ethridge is a million-copy best-selling author, international speaker, certified life coach, and advocate for healthy sexuality with a master’s degree in counseling and human relations from Liberty University.
Shannon speaks to high school and college students, single adults, and married couples about:
* Embracing a lifestyle of sexual integrity
* Overcoming past sexual & emotional baggage
* Cultivating genuine intimacy in marriage
* Instilling sexual values in young children
Shannon has written 22 books... including...
* Every Woman's Battle
* The Fantasy Fallacy
* The Passion Principles
* The Sexually Confident Wife
Tony had prepared an entire list of questions for Shannon in advance of this interview... but their conversation was so spontaneous that they never made it to the prepared questions.
In this episode... and the next... among other topics... Shannon shares some of her story... and talks about how the power of fantasy invites married couples into the deeper eroticism and ecstasy that God has intended for them.
Shannon currently resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
www.shannonethridge.com
Shannon Ethridge is a million-copy best-selling author, international speaker, certified life coach, and advocate for healthy sexuality with a master’s degree in counseling and human relations from Liberty University.
Shannon speaks to high school and college students, single adults, and married couples about:
* Embracing a lifestyle of sexual integrity
* Overcoming past sexual & emotional baggage
* Cultivating genuine intimacy in marriage
* Instilling sexual values in young children
Shannon has written 22 books... including...
* Every Woman's Battle
* The Fantasy Fallacy
* The Passion Principles
* The Sexually Confident Wife
Tony had prepared an entire list of questions for Shannon in advance of this interview... but their conversation was so spontaneous that they never made it to the prepared questions.
In this episode... and the next... among other topics... Shannon shares some of her story... and talks about how the power of fantasy invites married couples into the deeper eroticism and ecstasy that God has intended for them.
Shannon currently resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
www.shannonethridge.com
In the previous 3 episodes of the podcast - (episodes 146-148) - Tony interviewed Greg from Washington.
After these 3 episodes were already edited and in the process of being published... Greg contacted Tony with a concern.
He felt that he had not been clear enough with certain details of his story during the original interview... and he was concerned about this because he did not want to be dishonest... or duplicitous... in any way... and he did not want to misrepresent the truth about himself... or his walk of purity.
Greg's concern was this...
Although he did make a vow to God of sexual purity... and complete sexual abstinence... and although Greg did honor that vow for 3 entire years... he eventually came to the place before God and his own conscience... where he began allowing himself to masturbate again... on occasion... within the parameters of certain mental and spiritual limitations.
Greg wanted to bring absolute clarity to this part of his story... because he did not want to be dishonest in any way... nor cause a stumbling block to any other person by misrepresenting himself through his original interview.
For these reasons Tony decided to honor Greg's good conscience... and to present this additional aspect of Greg's story in the pursuit of absolute honesty and transparency.
Is it ever... under any circumstances... acceptable or appropriate for a Christian man to masturbate?
If a Christian man does masturbate... does that mean that he is dishonoring God with the expression of his sexual gift?
Tony speaks to these important questions... and others like them... in this spontaneous addendum to Greg's story.