Welcome to the Love Where You Are podcast! 

In today’s episode I am joined with Sam Black. 

Sam Black is a renowned author and expert in the field of pornography recovery. As the Director of Recovery Education at Covenant Eyes, he brings a wealth of experience to his work, having joined the organization in 2007 after a distinguished 18-year career as an award-winning journalist. 

Sam is the author of two groundbreaking books: "The Healing Church: What Churches Get Wrong About Pornography and How to Fix It" and "The Porn Circuit: Understand Your Brain and Break Porn Habits." Sam's deep knowledge and compassionate approach have helped countless individuals and families find healing and hope.

In today’s conversation, Somer and Sam dive into the serious abyss that is pornography in our modern era. Thanks to smart phones and iPads, kids as young as seven and eight years old are being exposed to pornography and pornography today has changed too, becoming more violent and extreme. This is not an easy conversation but a critical one. As Sam explains, it’s not a matter of if your child is exposed, it’s a matter of when. 

Sam and Somer help equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to prepare your child to protect themselves and even be a light to others, and there is still hope if you feel it’s too late.  

Thank you for being here today. Now, let's dive into the conversation! 

Here is the book "The Healing Church" online resource. 

 

FAVORITE TAKE-AWAYS:

*Four Myths Parents Say to Themselves according to Sam: (Sam debunks each of these) 

-My kid is a good kid. They would never be curious. They're innocent. 

-My kid would look away! They're respectful. 

-The measures I have in place are enough. (such as occassionally looking over a child's shoulder) 

-Only boys struggle with this, not girls. 

*Turn, Run, Tell. Teach your child to turn away when they see something inappropriate, run away from the situation, and tell an adult or the parent immediately. 

*Pornography affects the heart, body, and spirit; and healing should address all of those areas. 

 

REMEMBER:

*Pornography is a real threat in all ministries: mens, womens, and childrens. Sobering statistics show that two thirds of men and one third of women in the church secretly struggle with pornography; fifty-two percent of teens are exposed to violent pornography; and the ages for exposure reach as young as eight years old. 

*This exposure and repeated pornographic viewing is happening in living rooms, at kitchen counters, and during car rides. 

*There is a ton of brain chemistry that goes into why pornography becomes so addictive, how the cycles of shame make it worse, and how trauma or family drama can influence the behavior. 

 

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Love Where You Are is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org