The Covenant Eyes Podcast

Finding lasting freedom from porn in the deep, healing power of the Gospel with Noah Filipiak

February 11, 2022 Noah Filipiak, Karen Potter, Brandon Clark Season 1 Episode 217
The Covenant Eyes Podcast
Finding lasting freedom from porn in the deep, healing power of the Gospel with Noah Filipiak
Show Notes Transcript

Noah Filipiak is the founding pastor of Mosaic Church in urban Grand Rapids, MI. He is the co-founder of New Humanity, a multi-ethnic church planting network focused on urban community development. He is the author of Beyond the Battle: A man’s guide to his identity in Christ in an oversexualized world is the host of The Flip Side Podcast, blogs at noahfilipiak.com, and is on the Covenant Eyes blogging team. Noah is a graduate of Cornerstone University and Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. He and his wife Jen have three daughters. He is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @noahfilipiak.

Men can join a 7-week online group with Noah to experience how to overcome pornography, lust, and fantasy. After the 7 weeks, alumni get to join a weekly accountability Zoom session with Noah. Sign up at www.beyondthebattle.netBeyond the Battle: A man’s guide to his identity in Christ in an oversexualized world - The book includes a free 40-day devotional and free video small group curriculum.   

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Karen Potter: Welcome everyone to the Covenant eyes podcast i'm your host Karen potter with covenant eyes this podcast brings together experts from all over the globe, to talk about pornography recovery.

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Karen Potter: programs helpful resources educational content and it's all designed to help people in the church find freedom from pornography.

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Karen Potter: Our topic for today's podcast is finding lasting freedom from porn in the deep healing power of the Gospel I am joined today by my co host brandon Clark, how are you brandon.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: hey i'm doing great how about you Karen.

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Karen Potter: Oh, not too bad can't complain.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: Good you're here yeah it's great we're gonna have a blast this is gonna be so much fun we're going to talk about some very important topics, but.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: Our guest is just on fire, right now, and you know he's got a heart for serving the church and so i'm really excited to introduce Noah olivia.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: he's a founding pastor of mosaic church in urban grand rapids Michigan is a Co founder of new humanity a multi ethnic church planting network focused on urban community development.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: he's also the author of beyond the battle a book that we're going to be talking about a man's guide to his identity in Christ in an over sexualized world.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: Such an important thing i'm excited to get into that he also is the host of the flip side podcasts blogs that Noah flipping calm and is on the Covenant eyes blogging team.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: Noah is a graduate of cornerstone university and grand rapids theological seminary he and his wife Jen have three beautiful daughters and he's also on Twitter Facebook and instagram at.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: Calm no thanks so much for being on with us today brother, I have to say that, as of today, I am now a flip eponymous.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: And that may not mean much to anybody, but anybody who's ever listened to your flip side podcast would would understand and if they haven't they need to.

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Noah Filipiak: Your your next step brandon is you need to get a flip eponymous mud.

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Noah Filipiak: So that's your next the next level.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: I saw that I haven't made it through the 50th episode, where we got the five hour rant.

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Noah Filipiak: I don't like many half.

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Noah Filipiak: I don't think many have made it through that.

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Noah Filipiak: episode, but that's awesome.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: Yes, so great to have you know.

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Noah Filipiak: Thanks great to be here exciting yeah Thank you.

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Karen Potter: Know it's so good to have you we would love to just kind of dive in by having you share a little bit of your story as a pastor who has struggled with porn in the past, and maybe walk our listeners through how you found some freedom.

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Noah Filipiak: yeah absolutely and i'll try to give you the the nutshell version i've shared it longer and other spaces, I could talk for 45 minutes just on this, so I won't do that, but I will say you know if.

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Noah Filipiak: Anyone out there, struggling with porn, particularly if there's pastors listening yeah just really to find safe people that you can.

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Noah Filipiak: be honest with don't don't think you can fix it by yourself, because you can't and don't think this one will be the last one.

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Noah Filipiak: Because it won't be and, if you feel yourself starting to make compromises short, you know, maybe it's not porn yet, but you're starting to make compromises.

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Noah Filipiak: Stop and really seek help get help I just pastors are not immune to this stuff where people too.

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Noah Filipiak: And sometimes I think as pastors we have even more of a guard up, we have to act like we're perfect so when.

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Noah Filipiak: We struggle with sin we don't tell anybody about it, and then it gets worse because we didn't tell anybody about it, we didn't we didn't get any help so.

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Noah Filipiak: I just kind of give that encouragement to anyone listening and then just a little bit of my story i'm 39 So when I was in middle school is when the Internet became popular in homes, I was a Christian kid love Jesus started.

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Noah Filipiak: hit puberty kind of right as we got the Internet in the home started looking at stuff online that.

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Noah Filipiak: wasn't nudity, but it was stuff that I was certainly lusting over and I soon turned into porn.

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Noah Filipiak: As we talked about at you know, a covenant eyes the the brain needs more of stimulus in order to get the same high, and so you know I I assumed was looking at stuff that I knew.

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Noah Filipiak: was wrong, and I was addicted and I couldn't stop and and the problem was nobody in my Church was talking about it.

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Noah Filipiak: At all I went to church Sunday morning Sunday night Wednesday night every youth camp retreat never once was porn talked about, and if it was who knows, maybe I could have.

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Noah Filipiak: gotten help out of an addiction, so I love Jesus looked at porn.

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Noah Filipiak: You know all through middle school high school and into college and my Christian college studying to become a pastor and that's really when it hit me.

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Noah Filipiak: That I really need some help that these two paths, they just can't go together and so.

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Noah Filipiak: I call Chapter one of my freedom story was just talking to a trusted as an ra in my dorm I was a freshman he was a sophomore.

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Noah Filipiak: And he I just felt like I could trust him and I shared my story with them, and he shared his with me and we started some accountability soon found community we started a small group in the dorm.

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Noah Filipiak: Where we were we were talking about every day, you know with the guys that we lived with and every week in the small group and through Community and accountability.

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Noah Filipiak: found freedom from porn fast forward a few years i'm married married right out of college i'm a youth pastor and then I started a church.

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Noah Filipiak: Different than the church i'm starting now but I planted a church I pastured 13 years.

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Noah Filipiak: And the first few years of my marriage, they were challenging they were difficult they were different than what I expected.

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Noah Filipiak: And I had a lot of entitlement in my marriage and I talk a lot about that in beyond the battle, but marriage problems come and there, there comes pornography, with it, you know it was.

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Noah Filipiak: It wasn't something I wanted to get back into but it just sort of it was it was my old my brains old pattern of coping with things.

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Noah Filipiak: And again i'm a pastor now i'm a senior pastor and i'm falling back into porn and so called up my my roommate from college my best friend, we started accountability started using covenant eyes, then, and that really that began the the the current season of freedom that i'm in.

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Noah Filipiak: From porn but I will say that, though, you know I haven't looked at porn since then praise God.

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Noah Filipiak: Satan doesn't stop in his temptations, and he always is crafting new ways and it's like he knows our weaknesses and so.

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Noah Filipiak: I stay up on my accountability I stay up on using covenant eyes talk regularly with various groups of guys about this in my life, and I think you think it's really important that we we don't assume.

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Noah Filipiak: We can do this in our own strength in our own little power.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: I love that Noah and thank you for your vulnerability, first of all, you know this.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: It can't be easy sometimes to talk about as a pastor as a church leader, so thank you for being willing to step forward in that courageous newness.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: You know, one of the things that I think about as you're talking is this idea of you know that.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: it's it's an ongoing battle, you know you found freedom in college and then we get into marriage and then there's the struggles and it's something that is just.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: it's going to be around that it's a cross that we carry as men, a lot of times is lust I wonder if you can speak a little bit into that for the men listening that you know.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: Obviously, we want to find freedom, we want to break free but, but the journey is long and arduous and there's going to be ups and downs and and that's okay that's a part of the process.

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Noah Filipiak: yeah I just I think that process piece is is really important, I think.

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Noah Filipiak: When we.

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Noah Filipiak: I think different different people there's different ways that people kind of write it off, I think, for some, we go wow it's just a little bit you know it's fine i'm not going to tell anybody about it's just a little bit.

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Noah Filipiak: And I, and I would just challenge at and say a little bit as too much a little bit is still training us to objectify.

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Noah Filipiak: In my case of objectifying women and it's training me to consume it's been training me to consume women.

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Noah Filipiak: it's it's we're being trained to view humans differently than then God created, I think, for others yeah we we feel like i've been doing this, a long time I got some freedom and then I crashed I fell back in I relapsed.

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Noah Filipiak: And we get tired we get tired of going back and maybe it's theological it's in, we have to be reminded that.

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Noah Filipiak: god's grace is very much sufficient he loves you just as much now in your relapse as he did when you were when you were free from this, and he just longs for you to have that abundant life than him again, you know, free from this and I think for others there's just a sense that.

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Noah Filipiak: They lose touch with that vulnerability piece, maybe in college, you had that vulnerability, maybe you had a small group in your dorm or something.

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Noah Filipiak: And now you're an adult your church, maybe you're in a men's group and it's kind of superficial and you just go well, I guess i'm on my own, and I think it's really important that we.

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Noah Filipiak: We see this as part of our discipleship that it's not just a matter of we stigmatize this and we we put it in a compartment, but this is a part of our discipleship and I just think.

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Noah Filipiak: Man for us guys, especially guys, like me, that have a history with porn we just can't put our our guard down and I don't want to put my guard down, I mean I don't want to give Satan any any any inroads into my life because I just didn't past the point of thinking.

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Noah Filipiak: That that that that's a good thing I would much rather just keep him out at all costs and all avenues and and I live free in that, and it just brings great joy.

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Karen Potter: know as a pastor I think it's quite amazing that you are able to share your story and your vulnerability with others, and there are probably pastors and leaders on this.

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Karen Potter: podcast listening today who probably want to engage and share their vulnerability, but they don't have a safe place to do that can you talk a little bit about.

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Karen Potter: Some of your small groups and would this be the right place for a pastor or church leader to go to maybe get that brotherhood and to find some of that space where they can get healing.

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Noah Filipiak: yeah.

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Karen Potter: yeah i've had a lot of pastors.

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Noah Filipiak: go through our groups are groups or seven weeks and they're on zoom that confidential and we go through beyond the battle together.

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Noah Filipiak: And then we have an alumni group that meets now on Saturday mornings, and the alumni groups free you can be in it forever and.

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Noah Filipiak: Then there's you know i'm not saying for pastors if you have an active struggle with porn that you should get up in front of your church and and talk about it.

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Noah Filipiak: You may not even be in a church leadership setting where you can share that with your your elders or your your board, and I do think it's even good to have a period of freedom.

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Noah Filipiak: before you start sharing some of those things, a period of freedom of of overcoming but you need a place where you can be real, you need a place where you can be vulnerable.

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Noah Filipiak: You need a place where you can share what's really happening without judgment and just knowing it's a safe place with others who can show you the grace of Jesus So yes.

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Noah Filipiak: yeah beyond the battle net is our groups and we're starting new groups, all the time and i'm involved in those groups, and then I lead the alumni group on Saturdays.

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Noah Filipiak: And it's been a great place for pastors and just to be a guy you know that's helpful to as a pastor to just have friends.

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Noah Filipiak: That aren't connected with your church and your leadership structure and just be a guy and and we have fun together, and you know we have real friendships and brotherhood and it's it's really been great so I absolutely invite you in to that yeah.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: You know I think that's a great point to transition to talking a little bit about your book beyond the battle you mentioned it at the beginning, the man's guide to his identity in Christ.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: In an over sexualized world, I mean there's just a lot to pack there right there and the subtitle right.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: But what there's there's a lot of books out there that talk about the battle against pornography.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: You know how to find purity and stuff what sets your book, apart from the rest, what makes that different and what makes the the small group curriculum that you go through different than all the rest.

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Noah Filipiak: yeah and I want to start by saying you know there there's a great resources out there and I think God uses different resources at different seasons in people's lives.

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Noah Filipiak: So, as I say, some of this is not to create it's not to critique or say something is bad, but I do think there's a point where.

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Noah Filipiak: Where we know pornography is.

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Noah Filipiak: wrong and we don't need another sermon or book that tells us it's wrong or even scripture that says it's wrong, you know don't do it.

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Noah Filipiak: For many guys I know my story in women as well they're struggling with poor and it's it's you know you get to a point where you go.

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Noah Filipiak: Okay, I know what's wrong and if I could stop I share what I tell you I don't want this by just keep going back to it, I keep going back to it, and so I had to ask God and i'll talk a lot and beyond the battle.

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Noah Filipiak: About porn and other sexual temptations as well they're all kind of in the same boat and I had to go to God and say.

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Noah Filipiak: Why am I drawn to porn Why am I drawn to women, I was very, very tempted at the time.

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Noah Filipiak: In my marriage with leaving my marriage and tempted with you know promiscuous sex and and and living that lifestyle and just having to ask God what is that deeper hunger.

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Noah Filipiak: Within me and and where I found that the last thing that true this this path of freedom was getting to a point where I could identify my deeper.

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Noah Filipiak: desire, the desire beneath the desire and it really was a desire it was an identity issue and that's where that the subtitle of identity in Christ comes in, I.

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Noah Filipiak: Might my deeper hunger was thinking that these women, whether on the screen or in real life that they could give me a sense of value they could give me they could affirm me they could approve of me.

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Noah Filipiak: And they they could give me that that feeling and I think that that's really what we're after and romantic relationships, I think we look to our marriages in a similar way to you know that that phrase that.

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Noah Filipiak: You know this person completes me or something, and so we look to our spouse to complete us and the fact is only Jesus can complete you, and so my marriage was falling apart because I was looking to my wife to complete me I was also objectifying her case I never was taught not to.

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Noah Filipiak: And, but I was looking so, then I she couldn't complete me, so I my my mind body soul went to porn to complete me, and so I think that's really what's unique about beyond the battle is is we.

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Noah Filipiak: We put up our defenses you know we do accountability, we talk about a we highly we require covenant eyes, as part of our our seven week group.

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Noah Filipiak: And those things are really, really important, and we really need those things, but we also have to be doing the work in our heart, and so, how do we satisfy.

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Noah Filipiak: The hunger we're going to take porn away and i'm telling you the answers, not your spouse, the, and that is something I will critique about a lot of resources out there it's not stop looking at porn look at your wife.

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Noah Filipiak: stop looking at poor and go have sex with your wife there's a lot of damage that comes from that and and even in that mindset, the answer is Jesus, the answer is.

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Noah Filipiak: In the Gospel that our heavenly Father the Holy god of the universe loves you so much as his son, as his daughter you're you're a Co heir with Christ when he looks at you.

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Noah Filipiak: he sees you as holy without blemish free from accusation and and he loves you he the love you're looking for and porn.

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Noah Filipiak: You already have in Jesus, and so what we do is go on a path of trying to figure out how to teach guys who experienced that so beyond the battles a 40 day devotional.

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Noah Filipiak: Just baked into the book and then there's the seven week small group curriculum, which you can do with me or you can do it on your own.

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Noah Filipiak: It comes with the book it's free and there's videos that go along with it it's it's really figuring out.

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Noah Filipiak: We have a wealth of love in the Gospel already and that truly is all we need, and when that satisfies my inner craving.

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Noah Filipiak: My desire for porn actually goes away, or at least it lessons, or at least you get on a path where you go.

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Noah Filipiak: i'm desiring porn less now than I did, six months ago i'm desiring pouring a lot less now than I did six years ago, and that is that's true freedom when that desire starts to dissipate because it's been replaced by something better, and something real.

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Karen Potter: Noah you mentioned in your book that individuals can actually use the book in small group, and it can be done in the local church or.

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Noah Filipiak: Is that correct, they can form their own small groups and work through the book together as a like a men's group kind of activity yeah so the book is really meant to be.

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Noah Filipiak: You know, turn key.

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Noah Filipiak: All you need is the book you don't have to buy anything else there's qr codes in the book or you can just go click on the website and all the videos are right there so.

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Noah Filipiak: it's free videos it's a five minute video and then questions for you to talk about with the guys in your group and then throughout the week.

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Noah Filipiak: you'll be reading the chapters and there's it's a 40 day devotional so there's a devotional for every day and then at your group time.

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Noah Filipiak: You will go through the questions together, and it builds really strong Community amongst guys, you can do it in a normal men's group it doesn't have to be a.

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Noah Filipiak: Sexual purity group that the approach of the book is look guys we all live in an over sexualized world whether you're struggling with porn or not.

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Noah Filipiak: We live in an over sexualized world and we all have identity issues we're all looking to different things to tell us were valuable to tell us about our identity, so this is a.

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Noah Filipiak: it's a great way to grow deeper just in your relationship with Jesus and then along the way let's normalize the conversation.

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Noah Filipiak: Around porn let's normalize the conversation around single guys that are really discontent in their singleness married guys that are struggling in their marriages, if we can normalize that conversation we would turn.

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Noah Filipiak: Our kind of every day week to week men's groups into real places of strength for guys that right now I think are really kind of struggling alone.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: There was something you mentioned in one of your podcast episodes it was when you were really talking about your book that was that was going to be coming out soon.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: And you talked about how the church can't talk about sex enough and I think this is kind of what you're getting at in normalizing the conversation.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: No, do you think it's not a normal part of conversation that we are not comfortable talking about our God given sexuality and the fact that we were created as beloved sons and beloved daughters.

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Noah Filipiak: yeah yeah it's wild to me when I compare the planet, I live on with Noah flip bx life.

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Noah Filipiak: And thinking, all the way back you know to middle school, I mean I remember middle school in high school, as a Christian who love Jesus and and I think that the number one thing that I struggled with was my sex drive in it for me.

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Noah Filipiak: Praise God by His grace I wasn't out having sex with women I.

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Noah Filipiak: Was saving that for marriage and that was really embedded into me, but there was no conversation about porn, and so I was just living in this cycle of shame, it was a shame cycle.

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Noah Filipiak: Of look at porn feel like trash look at porn feel like trash at it and i'll never do it again and I was doing it later that day or you know the next day and and so today of.

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Noah Filipiak: Working with guys I talked about in the book in my dorm Christian dorm.

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Noah Filipiak: We did a purity scan a small group we went through a book together, and the first thing we did is I shared my story my roommate shared his story, we were co leading the group and we just invited guys share your story, this was back in early 2000s.

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Noah Filipiak: And 19 out of 20 guys in the group Christian college shared stories about struggles with pornography so.

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Noah Filipiak: that's not a not a you know, a scientific research, study, but we got 95% of guys in a Christian dorm many studying to be pastors.

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Noah Filipiak: struggling with porn and you go to adult life and into the church and I have many pastoral friends in some because of what I do they feel safe confiding in me, but I know who are struggling with pornography.

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Noah Filipiak: And let alone this stuff we watch on TV, you know nowadays streaming whether it's netflix or HBO Max you know this stuff is they're just pumping porn into these TV shows.

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Noah Filipiak: And so there's there's all this stuff happening and in the Church.

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Noah Filipiak: I don't know there's like planet church where we just act like that stuff isn't happening to almost every single person sitting there.

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Noah Filipiak: And I just think Satan wins when that happens, I don't I don't understand it, because I talked about it at my church and so.

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Noah Filipiak: I don't, we need to be talking about it more we just, we need to realize the planet, people are living on, let alone, I mean we look at the divorce statistics we just look at all down the line, and we have to.

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Noah Filipiak: We have to do more, we have to normalize the conversation where where it's it's there's so much shame and stigma in the Church, if you want to try to get help with this, it makes you feel like you're one of those people meanwhile i'm telling you 90% of your Church is.

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Noah Filipiak: feeling the same way, and you just kind of go.

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Noah Filipiak: Okay, there are not those people there's just us people you know, can we just be real and take off the mask and and start talking about this stuff more, and I think.

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Noah Filipiak: preaching on it is really a helpful way to set that culture.

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Noah Filipiak: And if you're not comfortable preaching on it bring in a guest preacher bring in a guest speaker have someone in your church give a testimony.

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Noah Filipiak: But break the ice start talking about it and then give people resources, give them books covenant eyes beyond the battle etc resource it make it normal make it normal to talk about this stuff that that that's kind of my two cents of advice with that yeah.

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Karen Potter: that's great advice um no so one of the things you mentioned was you know, there are pastors and leaders that are just not comfortable talking about this, is to bring in a guest speaker is that something that you offer you seem to be an expert on the.

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Karen Potter: topic i'm wondering if you would be a great asset for us i'm.

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Noah Filipiak: Sure leaders yeah i'm very passionate, as you can see, I I am passionate about.

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Noah Filipiak: Life, this is what i'm passionate about people being free from this stuff i'm passionate about truth.

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Noah Filipiak: I just think in the Gospel we have so much it's like we're billionaires in the Gospel and we're we're all just kind of shopping at the dollar store, you know I just I mean we have so much more in Jesus then we're tapping into and.

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Noah Filipiak: You know I yeah I love speaking at churches about this stuff and I I try to cater it to the Church, you know I realized different churches at different places.

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Noah Filipiak: Some people even in having a guest preacher come and they're like what are you going to say you know, are you going to.

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Noah Filipiak: And I think we really can make Jesus central and these messages, and when I preach about this stuff I I think it's an applicable message.

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Noah Filipiak: To anybody So for me i'm looking to porn women, you know, to find this validation.

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Noah Filipiak: And and for others, maybe they're looking to money for that or maybe they're looking to their their promotion at work for that or how much stuff they own or or whatever it might be, I think, for many, it is sex.

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Noah Filipiak: porn you know in some some way, shape or form, but we all, we all need to be reminded that who we are, in Jesus is so incredible and look we're forgetful people and.

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Noah Filipiak: This goes back brand into what you asked earlier about the process I think of communion I think of when Jesus said, do this in remembrance of me and i'm always stuck on that word because it's like he knew we would forget.

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Noah Filipiak: He says do this to remember me and so that's what this is, I think we're just go hey we're just remembering Jesus we're remembering.

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Noah Filipiak: That we are sons and daughters of God, and that is the most valuable.

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Noah Filipiak: Most affirming love relationship we ever could have and then in the church Our job is to remind each other of that.

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Noah Filipiak: And so, when we do accountability it's not just hey you look at porn this week, yes, no, you know okay you shouldn't do that it's.

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Noah Filipiak: Then, reminding each other in grace of who we really are and and how how much we're really loved.

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Noah Filipiak: Already, and I need to be reminded, to that because I forget and Jesus knew I would forget, so he said, do this in remembrance of me.

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Noah Filipiak: Have a church remember Jesus in your church remember who you are in Christ in your church and that story or that that sermon I think preaches to so to all of us, and I just get the opportunity, I think, to use a more vulnerable example of how it's manifested itself, you know in my life.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: No, I, you know as you talk about how you're willing to share this message in your church for those leaders and the pastors who are listening today, what does that look like, how does it play out at your church when you're willing to take that step and share it, how do the people respond.

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Noah Filipiak: yeah so.

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Noah Filipiak: 13 years I pastor a church I planted in lansing I did young adult ministry at a large.

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Noah Filipiak: church, the last few years, and now i'm planting a church now we're in the pre launch phase.

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Noah Filipiak: So we've had once church service which is pretty exciting, it was a previous service, so I can tell you a little bit about what that was like.

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Noah Filipiak: And my 13 year stretch and lansing and as well as in our young adult ministry, but I honestly when when you share your testimony when you share your story.

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Noah Filipiak: it's a magnet for people it's a magnet for people in your church to know.

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Noah Filipiak: you're safe person to talk to, I had a guy in lansing who struggled with alcohol addiction is a guy my age.

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Noah Filipiak: And he said he he talks about this, to this day is that the first day I showed up here, you told your story about pornography addiction and I knew.

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Noah Filipiak: This was gonna be my home church, because I knew as a safe place for me to share my story and that people here were real and vulnerable and transparent.

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Noah Filipiak: And he got all that, from my story about porn which was not a struggle for him his his struggle was was with alcohol, and so I give that just as one quick example that comes to mind, of how it radically changes the culture of.

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Noah Filipiak: Your church, but it also allows you to normalize these aspects of discipleship so when you go to do discipleship and you create a manual or a curriculum or whatever it might be it's not.

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Noah Filipiak: weird that there's some there's a section in there about pornography there's a section in there about sex.

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Noah Filipiak: there's a section in there about singleness there's a section about marriage in there, that all has to do with sex and our sexuality and our sex drives and.

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Noah Filipiak: And how God made us and even some of the struggle with hey God made us, we also live in a fallen world.

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Noah Filipiak: And I think sex for singles and married folks is one of the most frustrating parts of life for many if it's not frustrating for you God bless you I mean amen you.

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Noah Filipiak: enjoy that blessing that it's not but for many, it is, and all those contexts are different in so but to normalize that within our discipleship and then to go okay we're kind of all in the same boat here, what does it look like to pick up our cross and follow Jesus together.

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Noah Filipiak: And just it's it's.

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Noah Filipiak: My prayer is that in my church plant here in grand rapids as as we do series on sex so we'll do an at least an annual series on sex and so.

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Noah Filipiak: Talking about porn talking about sexuality talking about cultural issues around sex.

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Noah Filipiak: But doing it in a way that's grace filled in a way that we lead with testimonies we lead with stories and and creating this to be a safe place and then from there.

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Noah Filipiak: yeah launch your groups launch opportunities for people to know that they're not alone because that's satan's biggest weapon is you're alone and the truth is you're not alone.

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Noah Filipiak: that's what the Church is, for I mean the Church is meant to be this place where you're not alone, and so we just need to, we need to be bold and courageous and push towards that.

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Karen Potter: wow he gave I think everyone listening today a laundry list of things that they're gonna have to take back to their home church and put into practice so as we bring this podcast to a close today Noah I want to make sure that we give.

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Noah Filipiak: really clear instructions yeah.

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Karen Potter: Whether it's men or pastors listening on next steps and how to engage with the great content and resources that you have to offer.

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Noah Filipiak: yeah my i'll just give you one and the other ones could be in the show notes, I would really encourage guys to sign up beyond the battle.net for one of our upcoming seven week groups.

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Noah Filipiak: We actually we want to make these accessible there's a fee for the group, but we have a forum for scholarships you just set tell us what you can pay it can be a very low amount and way we're gonna let you and.

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Noah Filipiak: We want to launch more of these groups, we believe that's really, really important and so go to be on the battle net don't be intimidated there's a ton of testimonies on there, you can read.

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Noah Filipiak: About guys that have done the group and I honestly I just tell guys i'd love I don't want you to be alone out there, I want you to have Community around this topic.

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Noah Filipiak: And so, if it's in one of our groups and then you're able to do the alumni group with me on Saturday mornings.

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Noah Filipiak: Then, these are some of my closest friends and that's the space, I have for that in my life and so yeah beyond the battle net it's just an open invitation.

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Noah Filipiak: To check that out and and from there, you can find out about the book, you can find out how to do the book and your church context as well it's all there but that's where you'd sign up for the online groups, and I think that's the best takeaway for next steps for listeners today.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: yeah that's excellent no, you know I love that you use the word accessible, because as we've been talking I feel like.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: Everything that you have to offer all of the content is really based on accessibility for those who are struggling so.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: Thank you so much for being on with us today, and then to those who are listening we actually are offering a free 30 day trial of covenant eyes software, if you visit our website covenant eyes calm enter promo code beyond.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: Then you can get signed up for experiencing freedom and accountability stuff that we've been talking about I mean no one knows.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: how great the accountability software is because he uses it as part of his group he mentioned this requirements so.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: I really encourage you out there, if you haven't taken that step if you haven't tried it here's a chance to give it.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: Free try for 30 days that's covenant eyes calm and then enter promo code beyond so Thank you everyone for joining us again today we're so glad to have you with us and we'll see you next time on the Covenant eyes church podcast.