Living in the Light

Author: Dane Sorenson

In the spring of this year, I started meeting regularly with a brother from Stonebridge and this fall we added another brother. We had begun to follow the Growth Group model. The three of us meet weekly and get honest with each other about all areas of our lives. We listen, challenge, encourage, celebrate, and pray – all to help each other look more like Christ.

About the time this group started in the spring, an old battle from my past started to resurface. This is the battle against the sexual sin of pornography. It’s something I thought had been defeated. And even though there weren’t secrets in my life – this sin struggle was in the light and confessed to my wife – I needed other men to regularly walk with me through this battle.

Ephesians chapter five tells us that “…there must not even be a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” (v. 3, NIV). The word “hint” tells us that we need to be looking at everything in our lives and asking the question, “does this have any scent of sexual immorality?” Podcasts, YouTube, music, social media, thoughts, books, movies… We examine everything and ask if those things lead us closer to Christ or closer to death.  

This growth group is a place where I can live in the light, receive prayer, and celebrate victories over and freedom from unwanted sexual behaviors. These brothers that I walk with push me towards truth and hold me up when I’m tired from the fight. I have seen my heart soften and have seen an increase in my capacity and desire to take all things captive to Christ. I have seen God at work in this ministry.