Faith Forged Life with Dr. Jason Wright

Chris Franz grew up Catholic, served 12 years in the Army, and spent about ten years away from God. When his daughter came home from preschool asking questions about Jesus he couldn't answer, he and his wife Ruth found their way back to church. He was still carrying a secret that started when he was 12 years old.

In this conversation, Chris talks openly about pornography, shame, and the spring of 2024 when his marriage hit bottom and he finally reached out for help. He shares how Seven Pillars of Freedom through Pure Desire Ministries helped him deal with what was underneath the behavior, why confessing to other men mattered as much as confessing to God, and what goes through his head now when he sits across from a new guy on his first night in the group.

If you're a man carrying this secret, you are far from the only one. In a 2024 report from Barna and Pure Desire Ministries, 75% of Christian men said they view pornography at least occasionally, and 82% of Christians who struggle with it said no one is helping them.

RESOURCES

Find a Seven Pillars of Freedom group: https://puredesire.org/groups

Seven Pillars at Bethel Church, Richland, WA: https://bethelwa.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2479534

Beyond the Porn Phenomenon (Barna and Pure Desire, 2024): https://puredesire.org/beyond-porn-phenomenon

Not ready for a group yet? Pure Desire offers a free 15-minute call with someone who has been through it.

SCRIPTURE FROM THIS EPISODE

Genesis 3:8-10, 1 Kings 19:12, Proverbs 27:17, Romans 5:3-4, Romans 8:1, Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Corinthians 10:5, 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, Ephesians 5:11-13, Ephesians 6:10-18, James 5:16, 1 Peter 5:8

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@faithforgedlife

Be a guest or recommend someone: https://faithforgedlife.com/be-a-guest

Breaking Generational Bondage: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GZ3C8M7Y

Website: https://faithforgedlife.com

Instagram: @drjasonwright.ffl

Coach Lucas Zeiler trains advanced youth soccer players at MSM Performance Academy, but he says what he's really teaching is how to live, with soccer as the vehicle. He walked away from a fifth-generation family business to coach full time, and one of his first students, Brooklyn Raines, just made his debut for the U.S. men's national team.

In this conversation, Dr. Jason Wright and Coach Lucas talk about faith and futbol: how the way Paul trained Timothy looks a lot like good coaching, why a young athlete's identity can't rest on results, how fear keeps kids from playing free, and what happens when soccer quietly takes first place in a family. Lucas also explains what he calls "aggressive positivity," and tells the story of two parents who stopped scouting the bracket at a tournament, and their son scored five goals in the first game.

Questions this episode answers:

• What actually separates players who go pro from the ones who don't?
• How can you tell when soccer has taken first place in a family?
• What do parents pass on to their kids without realizing it?
• How is following Christ like athletic training, and where is it different?

Scripture from this episode: 2 Timothy 2:2, 1 Timothy 4:7-8, 1 Samuel 16:7, Matthew 6:33, Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Ephesians 6:4

Small group questions:

1. Lucas said fear of letting people down can bury a player's love for the game. Where does fear keep you from playing, or living, free?
2. Jesus said to seek His kingdom first (Matthew 6:33). Has anything, sports included, quietly taken first place in your family?
3. Lucas only saw God's confirmation of his decision to leave the family business after he made it. When have you seen God's hand in a decision only by looking back?

Coach Lucas Zeiler and MSM Performance Academy
Website: https://performanceacademy.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msm_performance_academy

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PCtbby1EadQ
Be a guest or recommend someone: https://faithforgedlife.com/be-a-guest
Breaking Generational Bondage: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GZ3C8M7Y
Website: https://faithforgedlife.com
Instagram: @drjasonwright.ffl

Dr. Jason Wright introduces the Faith Forged Life Podcast, a show of in-depth conversations with everyday believers about what God has done in their lives, along with multi-episode series with his wife, Sara. New episodes come out once or twice a month.