The Covenant Eyes Podcast

From Porn to Preaching the Gospel, With Special Guest Pastor Joshua Broome

April 22, 2022 Karen Potter, MA Ed., Brandon Clark, Joshua Broome from Covenant Eyes Season 1 Episode 226
The Covenant Eyes Podcast
From Porn to Preaching the Gospel, With Special Guest Pastor Joshua Broome
Show Notes Transcript

From Porn to Preaching the Gospel, With Special Guest Joshua Broome

In six years, Joshua Broome became one of the most successful porn stars, appearing in more than 1,000 adult films and being nominated for and winning best male performer. Yet, while he was at the pinnacle of success in the porn industry, all the money and fame only illuminated the emptiness and despair he felt. In this episode, Joshua boldly shares his story of redemption, talks about the dangers of not addressing porn in the church, and answers the question: “Does every person, even those in the industry, deserve human dignity?”

Porn, Pornography, Sex, Porn Star, Porn Industry, Porn in the Church, Christians and Porn, Christian Porn Addiction Resources, Overcoming Lust, Pastors, Accountability

More Information:

For Booking or more information:

Website: https://www.joshuabroome.me/

 Resource: https://lovealways.thinkific.com/pages/search-how-to-stop-watching-porn-for-men-women

 Social media: 

Instagram: iamjoshuabroome

https://instagram.com/iamjoshuabroome?utm_medium=copy_link

Twitter: iamjoshuabroome

https://twitter.com/iamjoshuabroome?lang=en

 

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(Promo Code: Broome30)


Bio:

Joshua Broome was one of the most successful adult film stars in the world. He obtained fame, and wealth, and traveled the world all to find out that none of those would fill the emptiness in my heart. It was Jesus alone that could fill the void. 

 He has spent the last five years doing speaking engagements at churches, various events, and on numerous media outlets telling God’s story in his life. He has overcome depression, battling thoughts of suicide and the emotional scars that come with doing 1,000+ pornographic films. 

 He has been married for five years to his wife Hope, and they have three sons. His education comes from Liberty University where he st

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Karen Potter: Hello everyone and welcome to the Covenant eyes podcast i'm your host Karen potter the director of church and ministry outreach for covenant eyes and i'm joined today by my co host brandon Clark hey brandon.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: hey Karen how you doing today.

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Karen Potter: i'm great i'm great we have an amazing show lined up for today.

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Karen Potter: super excited.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: yeah i'm so excited so I just want to give a shout out to our listeners, if this is your first time listening you picked a fantastic show.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: to join in, and if you've been listening for a while thanks again for coming back week after week because we get amazing guests like joshua broom who we're going to introduce and visit with here in just a minute.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: But I do want to say that, if this is your first time or maybe you haven't.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: subscribed yet, please do so because, like I said we release a new podcast every week so wherever you get your podcasts be sure to subscribe.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: and leave us a review the way that we get the word out about great interviews like today and interviews and resources and tools and everything to.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: To work through the battle against pornography is because of you, you being willing to leave a review you being willing to spread the word, so you know so excited to have you all with us today and we're looking forward to a great conversation Karen.

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Karen Potter: Oh, my gosh well, I just wanted to cut you off so quickly because i'm excited to introduce.

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Karen Potter: today's guest.

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Karen Potter: So joshua room is our guest, we are so honored to have you joining us today on.

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Karen Potter: We would love to just hear a little bit about your story, most people probably know who you are but for those who are just tuning in that might not be familiar with.

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Karen Potter: Your testimony your story your journey Would you mind sharing a little bit about that, so our listeners can get to know you.

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Joshua Broome: yeah absolutely I would love to and also thank you so much for for having me covenant eyes, has been a great partner.

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Joshua Broome: With me and I always always advocate for it because so many times I have the opportunity to have the conversation and it's so great to have something practical to say hey do this.

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Joshua Broome: You know any any good sermon you know it's like I want you to know something I want you to feel something now i'm going to call you to action and I love that you guys have that piece, that we can.

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Joshua Broome: Provide to people so that they can you know live this life free of pornography, but long story really short in 2006 I moved to Los Angeles to.

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Joshua Broome: continue my pursuit of acting and modeling I started acting and modeling when I was 14 or 15 years old, I went there sign with an agent everything was going fine and then due to a.

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Joshua Broome: Lack of judgment on my part, I said yes to a conversation that landed me inside a adult film agency and.

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Joshua Broome: A talent agent said hey I can get you a job doing this film and while I know I should have said no, unfortunately I said yes and that decision.

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Joshua Broome: While, at the time I didn't think it was gonna be a big deal, it was going to be this one thing that I did that was dumb and it wouldn't impact my life whatsoever, and it did the absolute.

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Joshua Broome: Opposite it changed the trajectory of my life I lost everything that I had in that moment.

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Joshua Broome: I got fired from the agencies that i've been pursuing signing with for almost a decade I set my you know career from you know, an acting and modeling standpoint, you know, a blaze.

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Joshua Broome: I was, I was kind of seeing someone obviously that in that relationship ended and I found myself saying.

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Joshua Broome: Maybe i've you know i've messed up my life, maybe i've ruined any chance at a real future and I allowed that mistake to dictate what I did next, and what I did next was I stayed in that industry for six years and.

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Joshua Broome: I just was completely engulfed by in in over a six year period I did over 1000 movies, I was nominated for best male performer I won that.

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Joshua Broome: And it's it's ironic that I was at the pinnacle of success in that industry from the outside looking in yet when I won that award as best male performer in 2012.

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Joshua Broome: I realized that the money the fame and you know the the all the accolades that came along with that.

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Joshua Broome: I believe that that would make me happy, I believe that if I had you know if you're if you're listening to this and you're in this position.

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Joshua Broome: it's like, if I had the relationship or if I had the job or if I would get the promotion and you believe the lie that that's going to bring me happiness that's what I believed.

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Joshua Broome: And when I obtained everything that I thought would fill the void that I had in my life, it actually illuminated in amplify the despair and the depression that I had in my life.

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Joshua Broome: And that depression led me to contemplating self harm and obviously i'm here, so I didn't choose to do that, but that was that was the.

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Joshua Broome: That was the the you know the season that was into my life and I left the industry and I left the industry after six years.

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Joshua Broome: And I went on this journey of trying to run my covered up my tattoos I deleted my social media, I tried to run, but the reality was.

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Joshua Broome: There was 1000 pieces of content on the Internet that wasn't going anywhere and I from the outside looking in was one of the most well known people in that industry, so I couldn't as hard as I tried and as many times as I lied and no matter what I did I just couldn't escape it.

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Joshua Broome: And I find myself working at a gym and i'm doing Okay, you know i'm working my way up in this in this the health and fitness industry.

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Joshua Broome: And I meet a girl, and after many failed relationships and many failed, you know just even friendships because I couldn't be honest, I lacked integrity, I was ashamed.

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Joshua Broome: And I would just wouldn't I wasn't forthcoming with my past, and I was like man here's this person that's amazing and I I just can't lie to her, because she doesn't deserve to be hurt.

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Joshua Broome: So while assuming i'm going to be rejected, I share with her my past and she looks me dead in the audience like wow I didn't think you're gonna say that.

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Joshua Broome: And then she said something that changed my life, she said, I want you to know that your past that that doesn't define who you are.

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Joshua Broome: and your your greatest accomplishment that doesn't define who you are either God defines who you are.

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Joshua Broome: In that moment, I had grown up in the church I, I believe that God was real and I believe that he created everything but, for me, those those two concepts those two boxes being checked, I thought that solidified my faith.

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Joshua Broome: And what I came to know is the next question she asked well, what is your relationship with Jesus like what you know what, what is your, what is your journey been like.

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Joshua Broome: And I didn't have an answer and as as I tried to speak I couldn't because for so so many times, I tried to be the person that.

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Joshua Broome: That other person, on the other side of the table wanted to be that you know that that yet first date now when you go on a first date, more often than not you're not yourself.

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Joshua Broome: you're the you're the version of yourself that you believe the person sitting across from you want you to be and then in that moment, I heard Okay, you want me to be a Christian I got it i'm going to put on that mask.

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Joshua Broome: And then I just couldn't other any I couldn't utter another lie and i'll just like I don't know and I in in in that moment in my honesty she met me with.

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Joshua Broome: What I thought was going to be rejection, she was just like okay well here's my story i've been i've been a Christian, for you know, since I was in high school and my family's.

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Joshua Broome: Christians, and this is what my journey has been like it's been up and down, and you know this is the church that I attend and i'm not perfect by any means, but you know God to see me through a lot of things and then do you like tacos i'm like what.

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Joshua Broome: And it and you know it wasn't that hard of a pivot but I mean she shared with me your faith and there was there was never there was not one question about what I used to do.

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Joshua Broome: She just boldly that boldly proclaim like that will that might be true about you, but that's not who you are moving on and i'm very like collections for Chapter you know.

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Joshua Broome: verses five and six that we're called to be to walk with wisdom towards those who are without.

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Joshua Broome: In that our speech needs to be seasoned with salt what needs to be gracious and seasoned with salt, so that we might know how we ought to answer each person that each is so important and the way that she responded to me.

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Joshua Broome: It cultivated curiosity it broke down boundaries, and then the next the next week She invites me to church and I go and I hear this message of reconciliation that.

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Joshua Broome: I had heard a million times but it made his way to my heart and I surrendered a lifetime of shame and guilt and I gave my life to Jesus in that moment.

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Joshua Broome: And I love to celebrate you that person that invited me to church and that person that went on that walk with me we've been married for almost six years and we have three beautiful boys so that's like a really.

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Joshua Broome: So useless short snapshot of my story.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: You know joshua the title of our our time together the episode is the danger of not addressing pornography.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: yeah there's many different angles, one can go with this, but, as I was, you know preparing for this episode, and you know checking out your website and stuff I watched the video on your personal testimony.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: And one of the things that really struck me was that you really didn't have a father figure in your.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: Life and you know I that was probably part of the journey that led you to where you ended up and back again, and so I think it's very fitting to just talk a little bit about that as we talked about the danger of not addressing pornography.

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Joshua Broome: yeah and that's so important is you know, like Jesus wants to redeem and restore every aspect of humanity and that the the process that i've been on.

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Joshua Broome: It has been a process of restoration like it wasn't it wasn't yes like salvation is instantaneous for that sanctification process it's been ongoing.

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Joshua Broome: And like you mentioned as as I, as I become to know the person I actually am through knowing the one who made me.

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Joshua Broome: understanding how i'm wired allowed me to see you know in my past Why did I do some of the things I did so to speak to your point brandon.

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Joshua Broome: I have, am I in the 99th percentile when it comes to personality type as an achiever, and this can be a good thing, but if you're operating out of a lack of identity and you're trying to mask pain and you're trying to achieve.

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Joshua Broome: value your it's going to work against you so for me absolutely I grew up without a father in in it was a it was a pretty unique situation because I lived in a small town.

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Joshua Broome: My mom had me when she was 16 in my father never rejected me he was just 16 years old and in like okay well i'll pay what I need to pay but you know.

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Joshua Broome: I don't i'm not ready to be a dad yet here I am i'm here on earth, and in my I live with you know my mom and her parents, you know it's still in high school.

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Joshua Broome: But the tough thing was is I got older this town had one grocery store I would see him in it so yet I, I see this man this in close enough proximity, for us to shop, at the same grocery store.

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Joshua Broome: And he has the title of Father get he was never my dad in in that called me that caused me to you know.

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Joshua Broome: Look in look at myself it's like well what is there something wrong with me like what, why does he want me in what added to it is he gets married and has two children, and I see these children, you know.

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Joshua Broome: A lot lot younger than me, but I see them growing up, I see them happy, I see them, you know I see him and his wife at sporting events, and it hurt because I was like what you know I didn't have a dad I no point in my life that I ever have anyone outside of my grandfather.

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Joshua Broome: That was a male role model in any capacity so i'm just speak to that absolutely yes it's like man I I didn't know how to be a man.

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Joshua Broome: So it's like how do I appropriate myself in this world if i'm lacking an identity.

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Joshua Broome: There is no true foundation that's that's laid by anything i'm not Jesus, and not even you know, a man speaking into my life saying hey this is how you should live.

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Joshua Broome: These are you know these are important things to know i'm just kind of figuring it out on the fly and it caused me to live my life.

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Joshua Broome: See you know searching for approval, you know I had to be the best at scholastic's I had to be the best at sports I had I had to get the girl that no one else could you know in in that those conquests were momentary you know.

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Joshua Broome: band aids that cover the wound that was in my heart, but to speak even deeper to your point where I truly found freedom from that later on in life, like in Christian counseling praise God that I finally you know, had the humility to go to.

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Joshua Broome: I felt so much freedom in you know, extending I it seemed to forgiveness to him, like early on, when I gave my life to Jesus but later on in my life as as i've matured.

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Joshua Broome: I saw that I justified things that i've done in my life and I justify them because I blamed him I blamed the lack of having a father and I justified the.

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Joshua Broome: Decisions that I made and then, when I was in when I was in the place from you know, a just a just a mature place where I could say Jesus, you know what.

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Joshua Broome: I sinned against you upon my own volition, it was my fault I knowing we made those decisions, yes, shame and guilt in the lack of having a father, where.

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Joshua Broome: You know that that wasn't real mental and emotional trauma but.

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Joshua Broome: God loves you enough to give you free will and I freely chose to make those mistakes and I lay them at your feet in there, so much freedom.

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Joshua Broome: That came from that in the end that's why I want to share my story so boldly and so clearly and just explore different nuances of it because there's so many levels of that.

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Joshua Broome: that so many people experience, where that trauma dictates the decisions you make on a daily basis in an end it gives you a blurred you know.

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Joshua Broome: A blurred version of the reality or the you know the future that you could have because I was you know thinking well I can't I can't accomplish this or I shouldn't strive to do that because.

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Joshua Broome: i'm not good enough and it was still something even as a Christian, I was struggling with in like that was the moment for me that I really had a lot of breakthrough.

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Karen Potter: wow so good and there's probably so many listeners that can really relate to that I know a lot of people that you know we all that have struggled with any type of sexual addiction or pornography use or you know any of that we really we all have that family of origin story and those.

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Karen Potter: Things that impacted us and.

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Karen Potter: So I think you bring up some really good points there that we do have to look to those to kind of understand why we are the way we are and I love.

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Karen Potter: That you've been on how do you because you talk a lot about your story and your sit you share it so freely to help others find that freedom, how do you do that Weiss well still guarding your heart and, as you go around talking about the store in the journey that you're on.

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Joshua Broome: yeah I mean you're you're only as free as you're honest, so I I surround myself with people who will both encouraged me but also give me critical feedback because it I find for me.

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Joshua Broome: If if I find myself in a place where I run from tough feedback or criticism or if if people are.

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Joshua Broome: If someone asked me hey josh how are you doing if it's someone that I love and trust in i'm not quick to say because.

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Joshua Broome: We all have something going on all the time, yet our pride tells us suppress it i'm good i'm Okay, but but Jesus is calling us into something different it's like.

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Joshua Broome: So, like iron sharpens iron it's like man you it takes two to tango right, so you got like God wants to use people in your life to allow them into your circle, so that.

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Joshua Broome: You can experience freedom through compression through like hey i'm struggling with this or I messed up the other day so i've always had a mentor.

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Joshua Broome: Andrew Yates he's on staff at DCS at Dallas Dallas theological seminary he's been my mentor for over seven years he was my mentor in person.

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Joshua Broome: On for four and a half years, so he, like literally I gave I gave my life to Christ, the next week I walked into a pastor's office and i'm like hey i'm.

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Joshua Broome: Obviously i'm a little crazy because you've heard my story, you know i'm pretty I mean I would talk to a wall it's just like that that's just who I am but.

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Joshua Broome: I want to just you know, have a conversation with someone like okay let's hear it, I was like I feel like God wants me to build a boat he's like okay.

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Joshua Broome: Can you explain that I was, I feel like god's calling me to do something bigger than I can comprehend and I want to be able to do it really well and I know that's going to come through me being able to.

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Joshua Broome: understand the context of the Bible and he's like well you know what there's this guy who recently graduated from dts and he's he just moved here with his family and he's gonna be helping launch.

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Joshua Broome: A new campus here at this church and he's got a little bit of time because you know it's you know there's a transition and we're not launching that campus for a few months, he could probably spend a little bit time with you today.

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Joshua Broome: And a little did he know or a little did I know that we would spend 15 to 20 hours a week together for four and a half years, and he be the person that.

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Joshua Broome: You know, encouraged me to go back to school and I went to liberty university and studied Christian ministries and i'm pursuing a master's in theology theology now but.

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Joshua Broome: Like he, like he was the catalyst for all of that, but along the way he would both given me a kick in the tail when I needed it and he would he would always be quick to encourage me, so I would say, you need people in your life that.

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Joshua Broome: is something that talks about lots of hot conversation so honest, open and transparent, you need someone in your life that you can be weekly honest, open and transparent, and that is how I can talk about difficult things on a regular basis and guard my heart in the process.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: that's so beautiful I even see that in my own journey, you know I struggle with pornography for 16 years myself, and you know working in this working in this ministry, you see that a lot and I to I totally agree, I have an ally, I have somebody who I can turn to who I can be real with.

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Joshua Broome: Because yeah.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: You know it's kind of funny I always joke with Tony like you know people always ask you when you're walking down the street or something like that you know how you doing.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: And you say good, and I was like what would actually how would they actually respond if he said, you know i'm actually just really having a tough day like.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: It would catch people off guard, but we really need that type of relationship in our lives, you know you've seen.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: Being in the industry for six years you've seen the the manipulation you've seen the emptiness the the drug use the i'm sure suicidal thoughts in those who work in the industry.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: We know that pornography is a problem for men on a very large scale and for women at a growing level, you know if we don't as a church address the dangers of pornography, what are we running into.

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Joshua Broome: yeah I mean so as a dad is like you know I i'm quick throw dad jokes and i'm quick to throw dead references, but I it's important for me to to allow my children to do dare to do dangerous things carefully like that's the best way to learn.

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Joshua Broome: But also, as their father, I want to protect him from things that could hurt him, so I need to tell my two year old that the stove is hot.

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Joshua Broome: don't touch that and because he trusts me he doesn't know the stove is hot he's never touched it so he he trust me so john 1415 says.

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Joshua Broome: If you love me you obey my commandments it doesn't say if you love me it says, if you love me.

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Joshua Broome: tone is important if you love me you'll obey my commandments so if we love people, we need to love them enough to tell them the truth.

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Joshua Broome: And if we don't tell them the truth, if we don't talk about pornography if we don't talk about sex if we don't talk about you know how it's important for us to have.

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Joshua Broome: You know our our smart devices locked down with accountability software, whether it be covenant eyes or something else.

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Joshua Broome: What we're doing is is we're surrendering our authority if we're so if we surrender the authority of having the first word now we're playing catch up now we're playing this gang where well such and such said that.

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Joshua Broome: And we surrendered the voice of saying hey I love you enough to talk about this, even when it's difficult because a question that that I get a lot is this.

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Joshua Broome: josh what are you going to tell your kids about your past well i'm going to tell them the truth.

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Joshua Broome: And in anything other than that would not be loving at all, and I, and I, for some reason in Westernized culture, especially.

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Joshua Broome: truth has has taken a backseat to feelings, but if we if we define love through the lens of what Jesus says love is.

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Joshua Broome: Well Jesus was willing to die, so that we could live, so we should be willing to tell people the truth, even if it hurts.

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Joshua Broome: And I mean just just to that it's like we need to talk about the dangers of pornography, because it's everywhere.

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Joshua Broome: it's everywhere and it's it's, not just on a site that you're going to it's on netflix it's on social media it's everywhere, and if we do not.

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Joshua Broome: Set people up to win if we don't love our family members and the people that we lead in any capacity, if we don't love them enough to tell them the truth and have those difficult conversations now we're going to have to be.

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Joshua Broome: Processing trauma, you know explaining will, what is this dad, why did why haven't you talked about this and I think that's important as a church, because if if the Bible is the foundation of truth.

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Joshua Broome: What we surrender it's like I i'm very visual, so I think about a pasture right, so if if our people is a are in a pasture and I surrender, you know sex and pornography if i'm not willing to go into that part of the pasture I surrender that to Satan.

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Joshua Broome: So we have to love people enough to talk about this, because what we're doing is allowed if we allow the world to define, you know things now we're going to have to be playing catch up and we don't want to do that, so the danger is if we love people, we need to tell them the truth.

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Karen Potter: sounds so good, and you know I mean the culture is already defining these things right, I mean, especially for those of us that are parents like we know that everywhere on social media, the culture is telling our kids once.

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Karen Potter: You know what what sex is all about, so we really do need to step up and take that role in the family formation.

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Karen Potter: Do you receive a lot of pushback from you know pastors or other ministry leaders, you know about preaching and teaching on this, while still having the content online do you get pushed back at all from anyone.

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Joshua Broome: yeah and I do and I, and I love to share with them.

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Joshua Broome: That maybe I know the Bible a little bit better than they do, because I get the point to like hey David was actually.

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Joshua Broome: The first documented, you know watcher of pornography David saw something he shouldn't have seen he.

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Joshua Broome: Then he looked again and then he did something he shouldn't have done instead of clearing his browser history, he killed he killed uriah.

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Joshua Broome: And he still we see this person that's redeem restored in power to be used by God and incredible way.

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Joshua Broome: Moses killed a guy Peter denied Jesus three times saw persecuted, the Church, to the point where he was ripping.

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Joshua Broome: You know, Christians, that are their homes, yet here, here we stand with the New Testament written, you know largely by him so.

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Joshua Broome: it's it's I do get pushed back, but the reality is god's position me in such a way, where I have a unique voice in that and.

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Joshua Broome: And, and I just want to use my influence to point to Jesus and I don't want to use my influence two points in my story, because my story.

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Joshua Broome: is not irrelevant, but like my story is I was really lost and really broken and I had a radical encounter with Jesus in his truth repaired restored and repurpose my life.

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Joshua Broome: I cling on to that word in second Timothy 316 is talking about all scripture is God breathed and it's good for rebuking and teaching but reprove.

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Joshua Broome: reprove means to dismantle and destroy I had to dismantle and destroy incorrect thought processes, you know in in lies in my life.

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Joshua Broome: The way that I saw myself the way I saw God in the way I saw the world so that I could build a foundation in which I could re appropriate myself into the world so.

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Joshua Broome: In that's what I hit the share with people what's like yeah I I have, I have a really good lesson of how not to live your life, how to fail miserably and to rebuild my life, based on god's truth and.

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Joshua Broome: You know so but but to your point absolutely it's like well how can you how can you do that well the Bible is the best selling book of all time and guess what.

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Joshua Broome: That those those are still in the scriptures you know those stories are still important but it's important for people to know like I don't want to point to my sin, I want to point to Jesus in my story allows me to do that.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: yeah, not to mention the story of the prodigal son right.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: Right yeah 13 is important, you know.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: you're dead, to me, and then he goes and squanders it and.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: yeah yeah what's his father, do you know you're dead to me know he runs to him and embrace.

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Joshua Broome: yeah and I, and I think there's a great lesson in that because people right so religious people like legalism is the other son right Why are you doing that, why are you.

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Joshua Broome: i'm you know i'm always here i'm always working what Why are you doing that for him, so no, no, no i'm you know so that's a great point.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: You know one thing that I think about too is just our identity right who we are created to be as beloved sons and beloved daughters.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: And I think you can speak to this quite well, which is why i'm bringing it up, because the idea of what i'll put it this way Pope john Paul the second talked about the problem with pornography is not that it shows too much, but that it shows too little.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: and

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: You know I think it's a beautiful statement because I think we need to recognize that, even though.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: You know these these men in these women are in the industry, it doesn't make them any less beloved daughters it doesn't make them any less beloved sons, they still have a great identity they're still valued beyond compare.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: And can you just speak a little bit to that humanity and that you know, even though they've been objectified that doesn't make them any less of who they recreated to be.

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yeah.

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Joshua Broome: I love that question so from an from an apologetic standpoint, a question that i'll ask a secular audience often is i'll ask, do you believe every person.

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Joshua Broome: deserves human dignity.

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Joshua Broome: So if you in through through you know Christian worldview is like you know does does every person have intrinsic value right.

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Joshua Broome: So so most people would say yes i've yet to meet someone, as I know, a person does not deserve to have human dignity.

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Joshua Broome: So, if that is true, when you say yes to consuming pornography, because you're treating that person as a product and you're consuming them.

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Joshua Broome: What you're saying is is there value is indicative of a product, and that person has no dignity so so that like that's what you're doing.

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Joshua Broome: Because, yes, while while we we don't want to look look past like Yes, that was a mistake on their part.

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Joshua Broome: But you have the free will to choose to look at that content or not, so I think we're very quick in this culture, you know to like even.

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Joshua Broome: It it's it's terrible like in in regards to rape culture it's like well she shouldn't award that we have this this mindset, where we play the blame game.

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Joshua Broome: it's like we don't want to take responsibility for our own actions we don't want to take responsibility for our own heart, we want, we don't want to take responsibility.

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Joshua Broome: For you know our incorrect thought processes, we want to be fickle, and that is the reality is you are saying that that person has the value of.

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Joshua Broome: Whatever else because you're willing to consume them like a product.

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Joshua Broome: So that's like that's your that's your yes, and I think like that's the point that I like to speak to it's like man like each and every person has value each and every person is important.

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Joshua Broome: Each and every person is deserving of love honor and respect and as i've gone on this journey it's so important for me to know it's like.

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Joshua Broome: Do I dislike or have any hard feelings to people in that industry, no I loved him desperately but I hate with a venom in a passion, the pornography industry.

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Karen Potter: wow, that is, that is so true and I, you know as we kind of bring this session this podcast to a close today I want to make sure that we give our listeners an opportunity.

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Karen Potter: to connect with your site and some of the work that you're doing and.

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Karen Potter: i'd love for you to talk a little bit about how people can engage with with what you're doing, and I mean you're out there you're on the front lines you are all over the place, sharing this good news of redemption So how can people connect with you.

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Joshua Broome: yeah I mean the best ways to get the best way to get in contact with me regarding you know.

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Joshua Broome: You know, having me speak somewhere anything like that there's a contact form on my website so joshua broom.me.

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Joshua Broome: All of my social media is I am joshua broom so that's my social media across the board, and as far as a resource, I had the opportunity to partner with an organization called love always Ministry.

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Joshua Broome: And we we put together video curriculum called search and it's there's curriculum for men there's curriculum for women and we go through like what what is the issue with porn.

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Joshua Broome: What is repentance look like you know, like just going through that systematically what does God say about sex and dignity and it's so important and.

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Joshua Broome: If there's just an overlying message that I want to convey to people it's like who is truly pure of heart, no one, no one is so don't get like don't miss the fact that purity is not you know, a.

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Joshua Broome: it's something that you keep is something that you pursue and regardless of what you've done.

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Joshua Broome: You can honor God through reclaiming purity in Jesus name, and you can walk in purity regardless of what you've done or where you've been or what you did today because Jesus will honor that and it's a process and it's hard but it's worth it.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: joshua thanks so much for being on with us we'll certainly be sure to include your website, the resources that you mentioned on the show notes, so that our listeners can be sure to check those out and find them.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: And if you are listening, thank you for tuning in because this is an important message that needs to be shared, you know what we talked about here on the podcast.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: it's difficult but as you've seen, there is a redemptive story that has to be shared and joshua.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: is being courageous in sharing that and being god's instrument and that's what we're trying to do we're trying to share these stories share the resources and tools that we need to break free of the bondage of pornography so.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: If you haven't yet please subscribe to this podcast and leave a review, so that this can continue to get out and grow and share messages like josh was.

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Karen Potter: Absolutely, and I don't know about you, but I have just walked away with so much information so many powerful things that you've said today joshua I am just honored that you took time out of your busy schedule, you have so much on your plate.

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Karen Potter: If there was one thing just one you know one action step that listeners can take today as we close up the podcast What would you call them to action to do.

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Joshua Broome: yeah I would say, if you want to change which direction that you're going, you have to take inventory of what's in your life so.

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Joshua Broome: You know who who are you following on social media take take inventory and if it's leading you in a direction that you want to go keep it if it's not get rid of it, you know what like what.

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Joshua Broome: You know what are you listening to what are you watching, in addition to that, who is speaking into your life like who is because your circle is leading you somewhere so take inventory of your life.

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Joshua Broome: Because that the small things that are pouring in you, whatever is in you will come out of you, and what you want to put in you.

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Joshua Broome: You want that to be in alignment with your values in in the direction that you want to go, so I would say that I mean I would love to.

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Joshua Broome: Like I have like a step by step process where it's like you know, like take inventory set boundaries identify triggers and then have accountability in your life, and you know in you can do that by.

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Joshua Broome: You know signing up with covenant eyes and having an accountability partner, which is incredibly important, but like like that's that's your process right, so you need to know.

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Joshua Broome: I think if I would say there's one last thing it's more important, why you say yes to what you do, then what you actually do.

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Joshua Broome: Because when you identify why you say yes.

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Joshua Broome: that that is where the solution lies the solution lies in the reason why, would you agree, why would Why would you say yes to this thing.

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Joshua Broome: That you know that you shouldn't do that you know that's harming yourself and harming those that you love, why would you say yes to it like dig that up in identify that route, and that is where that's where freedom is now.

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Karen Potter: So good I hope everyone out there is taking notes discovered the why I love that oh my gosh so powerful.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: yeah joshua thanks again for being on with us it's been a pleasure and like I said we'll share the the website will share that resource and we really just want to encourage our listeners to check it out.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: And I will say to you mentioned covenant eyes, you know, this is a great opportunity if you're struggling with pornography you're struggling to break free find that mentor find that trusted.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: friend who you can journey with who you can say more than i'm doing good you know you get you can have those conversations if you're having a tough time or you're facing temptation.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: that's really what covenant eyes accountability software is about is building that relationship finding that ally to walk with, and we do have that opportunity Karen to.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: For our listeners that if they want to try out covenant is free for 30 days all they have to do is visit our website covenant eyes calm.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: After the checkout just enter promo code free podcast all one word free podcasts and you can try it today so joshua thanks so much for being with us Karen it's been a pleasure.

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Brandon.Clark@covenanteyes.com: Visiting with you as well, and to all of you tuning in thanks so much and we'll see you next time on the Covenant eyes church podcast.