Hey, everybody, welcome back to The Covenant Eyes Podcast. Karen Potter here, director of relationship marketing for Covenant Eyes and one of the hosts of The Covenant Eyes Podcast. And of course, we have Rob Stoddard back. Rob, we are glad to have you back at the podcast season for lots of years of doing this. Oh my goodness. Yeah, it goes by fast. Does it it does, it does. It reminds me of our old days doing the pastors roundtable. That's where this all started. Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. So today, you know, we're all about equipping people with tools and resources not just to, you know, overcome pornography in their life, but really to help them grow and be sanctified through the word of God. And so today's guest, I think, has a tool that's really going to help our listeners. Isn't that right? I believe so, our guest today is Eden Parker, and she's with Bibles.net, Eden. Welcome to The Covenant Eyes Podcast. Thank you. Thank you guys for having me today. I'm excited to talk to you. Yeah. Eden, could you tell us a little bit about Bibles.net and your role there and how you got started there? Yeah, absolutely. So Bibles.net is a website and it's designed for people that didn't grow up in church and don't have a Christian background who are looking for hope and searching for answers online. So we believe that so many people today are looking online for hope. Whether that's, you know, scrolling on their phone late at night, looking for answers to deep questions or questions about God. There's a lot of struggles that are on the rise, like anxiety and depression, and we just find that our world is hungering for hope and looking and places like Google to find it. And so we just had a heart to see them encounter God's Word as they go online. But there's already so many wonderful Christian resources, like Covenant Eyes being one of them, that can help direct people to God's Word. And so instead of reinventing the wheel and answering people's questions all ourselves, we try to look for just the very best biblical resources online that we can then direct people to according to their needs and questions. So our ultimate goal is to point people to God's Word, the Bible, and to help them discover that as the ultimate source of hope. Because in the Bible, we hear this story about Jesus and what he has done for us, and we ultimately find our hope in him. So our desire is that as people come to our website, they would discover the Bible and find resources to help them understand it, that they might encounter Jesus and find life and hope in him. So that's a little about what we're about. And I got started with Bibles.net. Because I was praying for a job and I had studied Christian formation in ministry and done some work in biblical studies and just really had a desire to see, people discover God's Word as their source of life and to meet Jesus and to bring the wealth of resources that we have as believers to a world that desperately in need of of hope. So, my boss, bought the website Bibles.net, kind of with this vision in mind and I was praying for work and asking the Lord what he would have me do. And, through kind of random events, connected me with my boss. And, so we have kind of embarked on trying to bring this vision to life together. So, yeah, we're based out of the Chicago area, and it's taken us about we've been working on Bibles.net for six and a half years, and it's only really been in the last year that we've begun kind of sharing it with the world, so to speak. We spent the first five, five and a half years just building up the content on the site and making sure to address all the topics that were on our heart. And so that's kind of where we are today. That's amazing. And your ministry is so needed. I mean, people are desperate online and we know they're searching because they're going to Google. So having a resource like this, a site where they can find answers to some of those things that are really pressing on their heart and they're looking for Scripture, they may not even be looking for Scripture. They're looking for answers. But Scripture is where we find all of our hope and our answers. So I love that, and I love your heart for that. So talk to us a little bit about, you know, how did you guys do you use like, research to develop the topics that you feature on your site because you really have a lot of topical research. I mean, any issue that you could think of really, you can find, a really sound biblical, page where you can find answers in Scripture and links to other resources. So talk to us a little bit about that. Yeah. So when we set out to create this site, we wanted it to be, really relevant to everyone. And so instead of creating a lot of like niche subjects, we tried to pick the ones that are most common, and we used SEO research to determine kind of what those things are. But we address things like anxiety, loneliness, depression, fear, pornography, suicide, things like that. But then we also address issues, related to a biblical worldview. So just the foundations of what the Bible teaches us about God, about people, about, salvation, about heaven and hell. And so, we found that, there are certain subjects that are more specific, like pornography, but they're really widespread in our world. And so we felt that those needed to be addressed. But as a whole, we really find that, God's word also kind of shows us our issues just as much as maybe research does. And so there are things that we know that all people struggle with, like all people have seasons of being really sad, and the Bible speaks to depression and sadness. All people deal with fear in the Bible says over 300 times, do not be afraid. And so, we try to approach the topics we choose, both with what's most important to people. According to the research we find online, but also to take into consideration what we think is important based off what we know about people and about Scripture. Everything we need in our life is covered in the Bible, and pornography is one of those, which is really surprises a lot of people on the depth of of Scripture that really talks about our sexuality and, all of those things that, wrapped up in pornography. So thank you for addressing that one, because it really there's not that much biblical based, research out there on the issue of pornography. So can you tell a little bit what you what do you find with, people who can find a resource like this, a biblical approach to talking about pornography. What kinds of things are they going to get out of the Bible that they might not get from, you know, just, humanistic reading? Well, I think we don't understand the weight of what pornography and the evil that it is without the story of the Bible. So it's actually, I think, a Christian worldview that most make sense of the evil that pornography is. And, the Christian worldview is also, I think, the only means of truly freeing a person from it. And so I think I would begin with talking about how the Bible teaches us who we are as persons, and it tells us that all of us are created with an incredible amount of dignity, because we're not just a body, we're not just a mind. And our world today is really trying to push the idea on us that we are only our physical selves. Whereas the Bible paints us much more beautiful picture that we are people that are made as image bearers of God. And so we're his representatives in the world, and we're also called to reign over the world as his representatives to reign over creation. And so if you take pornography and, what it is and you and you hold it up alongside that worldview, pornography is really divorcing someone's soul from their body, and it's looking at people not as image bearers of God, but as something to be consumed. And as such, it's really an offense against God and against the beautiful creation that he's made. And so I don't think, we understand the weight of what viewing pornography really is in the mind of God and how destructive it is to our humanity and our psyche. Because if we're created to represent God to the world and image him and treat other people as though they bear that same dignity, then pornography is really an affront to that. But at the same time, the Bible says that because we're created by God, we are thus accountable to him. And just like the universe functions according to laws, God has laid forth laws for his people, and he's also given us the freedom to choose to obey him. And that is another part of the dignity that he's created us with. And so part of God's law is that we would treat other image bearers of God, with love and respect. And one of the foremost ways he teaches us to do that through the ten Commandments is that we would not commit adultery, so we would protect the sexual integrity of others. And Jesus later on in the Bible describes, adultery not merely as actually, being intimate with someone that you're not married to, but even looking at someone lustfully is is also breaking God's law. And so the reason we understand pornography to be wrong and destructive and evil is not just because it rewires your brain and it inhibits your ability to relate to other people. And it's an addiction, not just a habit. Like these are things that the world talks about and can even recognize. But ultimately, as believers with a biblical worldview, pornography is an act of blatant rebellion against God, and it's an act of, like treason against him and against his created, image bearers. And so God says that all sin is punishable by death. And that's not just, the eternal punishment that we face if we continue to live in persistent rebellion against God without turning from that sin. But sin also has effects in our own lives. It it brings on present death, the death to relationships, the death to our the well-being of our psyche. You know, the all the different effects that come from engaging in what God has commanded us not to do. And so I think the Christian worldview actually, offers the the most holistic picture of why pornography is an issue, but it also provides the greatest hope because, what God promises is that if we accept his sacrifice given to us through Jesus, on the cross, which paid the debt that our sins oh, and broke the power of sin and death in our lives. If we turn from our sin and we turn towards Jesus in faith, and we believe that his sacrifice fully paid for the sins that we've committed against God, God not only promises that he's going to, forgive us and cleanse us from our sins, but he promises us this precious gift of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit, as the Bible describes, as God Himself come to live inside of us. And, God's promise in His Word in the book of First John is that if God's seed, if His Spirit abides in us and lives in us, then sin actually loses its power. And there's no sin in our lives that can have dominion over us ever again for the duration of our lives. Like since power is broken and can therefore be conquered. And so if there's a person that is enslaved to pornography and they long to be free, their hope is that if they call on the name of the Lord and they ask him for deliverance, his promise in his word is that he will rescue them, and that he will give them the one power that is great enough to overcome the power of sin in the human heart. And that's the Holy Spirit of God. And so I think in, you know, if someone comes to our website, they may not hear all of that articulated quite so systematically. But the goal of our website is to get people to God's Word. And we know that God's Word tells this story that, offers hope. But it also, God's word is alive and powerful. It says in Hebrews 412. And so we believe that as people encounter God's Word and in pieces and in the full story, that they will encounter God Himself, and he is able to set them free, from their addictions. But if you were to just come to our website, you're not going to get a counseling session. You're not going to hear someone tell this story. But our role, we feel like is, almost like someone sitting down with a friend at a coffee shop, and we know that they might be wrestling with pornography. And we come at that from four different angles. So the first is we have a page called What Does the Bible Say about pornography? So just in general, we point you to some different resources that will help answer that question. Then we have a page called is pornography really that bad? Because a lot of people don't understand that it's not a permissible pastime. It is really an evil that causes, pain and destruction to you and those around you. And it's an affront against God. But then number three, we address the question can forgive me for watching porn. So we know that there are people that are understand that this is something that's wrong and they really feel deep conviction, but they don't know how to be free. So we want to address that question and let them know that there is hope, and that God does forget that when we turn to God and repent, it's that he fully gets us and he actually begins the process of cleansing us from our sin. And then finally we have a page called How to Deal, How to Overcome Pornography Addiction, I think. And, that page is all about providing tools and resources that can actually help you take steps in faith towards obeying the Lord and killing this sin in your life. So that takes the form of articles on our website and books. We have podcast episodes. So our goal is to kind of, you know, when someone comes to our site, it's like we're sitting across the table at coffee with them and we say, this resource has been really helpful to us, and we think that it will not only share with you biblical truth, but it will apply truth to your thoughts on this subject. And that kind of, coffee table interaction can take the form of sharing songs with them through the playlist that we provide, or sharing or pointing them to specific scripture to read. But the whole goal is to point them to Scripture. Because we ultimately believe that the things that we want to be accomplished in the hearts of people that come to our sight, and that the thing that God's Spirit has to do. That's amazing and I love how committed you are to providing people with pointing them towards Scripture, and then answering those tough questions that are lingering in their hearts. Because ultimately, you know, pornography certainly is a trespass against God. And that sin, when we do it, you know, we feel terrible. Our bodies are designed in such a way that, you know, you view pornography, you get a dopamine rush, and then you crash. And because it's a super dopamine release, you feel way worse after you view pornography. And that's really the prick of the Holy Spirit. And so providing these, you know, answers to their tough questions, pointing them to the Scripture and helping to refine and shape, how they view pornography and how they view others, I think is so important. Why is it so valuable for people as they're seeking answers to tough questions like pornography, anxiety, depression, those types of things? Why is it so important that Christians have a voice out in culture, and are present in places like on your site and other places? That's a great question. I think it's important because through the Bible, God is calling out to us. So we and your ministry understand the Bible to be what it says it is, which is the Word of God. And, there are so many voices calling out to us in culture that cater to what we want to hear and that caters to our sinful nature. And yet God is constantly calling out to us in His word, and he's calling us to himself into a living, lovely, joyous relationship with him that's cemented through our faith in Christ and without Christians in the world. Re heralding what God has already said, people might never hear that voice calling out to them in Scripture. And so a, example of this that I love to point to on the topic of sexual sin is in the book of Proverbs. And in Proverbs seven, you hear the story of this young man who's walking at the wrong place at the wrong time, and he's called out to by a, prostitute. And she promises him all of these things, and he ends up, calling her temptation. And then it says in Proverbs that those who enter her chambers go down to the house of death and her slain. There are a mighty throng. And so you have this image of sin is always calling out to us. And, it's always beckoning us with promises of life, and its promises are lies. And in the world many of those lies, are being presented to us through social media, through, yeah, our world is at large, opposed to God. And so we hear those voices. But then in the very next chapter in Proverbs eight, you hear the word does not wisdom call. And it talks about later on in Proverbs, wisdom and God's Word. It's like this woman that spread a feast and invited us into her house to eat and truly find life there. And so, I think that's kind of a parable for the presence of God's Word in the world that God, through the Bible, is always calling out to us and offering us life. And it's really against our nature to choose that. But one of the ways that he has chosen to bring life to the world is to send out his people, and he's given us the commission. At the end of Matthew, he said, go into all of the world and make disciples, teaching them everything that I've commanded. And so God, through his people and through us, going into the world and having a voice in our culture that, that echoes and parrots what the Word of God says is an extension of Jesus love to the world and of him pursuing us and drawing out of sin and drawing us into true life. Eden, you mentioned that, you have a playlist, I think, that is available through Spotify. Can you explain how that relationship there works and how that, what you're delivering there through Spotify? So we have a Spotify account that is called Bibles.net And any page that we created on the website, whether that's God or, how did how to deal with pornography. Or. YouTube that we've created a playlist to go with that page. And that was kind of begun because, people engage with content in all sorts of ways. We all learn differently. And the wealth of Christian content that we have that has been inspired by God's Word takes a lot of different media forms. So we've got podcasts like this one. We've got Bibles, there are books that have been written, but music is another way that we can actually receive God's Word. And in fact, in the book of Ephesians, I believe it is God actually encourages us to engage with His Word through song. So he says, oh, it's Colossians one For Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, through songs, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And music is such a powerful tool. And so there's lots of music. I can think of a couple songs by like Christian rap artists that have kind of, sung through what it's like to feel the pull of temptation and to Christ instead, we have songs that just like celebrate who Jesus is and like, remind us that the life that he gives is so much better than the life that's it offers. And so we've just found that one way that we can minister God's Word to people through song. And so I think it also provides a great kind of supplemental resource where people could be on our website. But then, if they are driving in their car on their way home from work and they've been thinking about this subject, they can put it on a playlist that will sing to them. Truth inspired by the Word of God that relates to their, their kind of crisis. And so that's kind of yeah. I love that. I think that's great to incorporate the different mediums that people, you know, are using nowadays. And I love that, you know, really it is our call to go out and to disciple to the world. And, you know, using platforms like podcasts and your website or the Covenant Eyes, you know, our ministry outreach teams and different ways of reaching people. It comes in all different shapes and sizes. So we all have a job to do and a role to play. And I think this is really incredible. So, you know, if a listener is interested in checking you guys out and learning more about the ministry and even just researching topics so that maybe, maybe they're just new to the faith, or maybe they're they stumbled on this podcast by accident. Where would you direct them to go? And how do they get started? What's a good place for them? Yeah. Good question. So, we titled our ministry Bibles.net in the hopes that people would it would be easy to find. So if you just type in Bibles.net on your, into Google, it should come up for you and, Bibles.net also has a podcast so you can look up the Bibles.net podcast, on Apple and Spotify and YouTube. But when you get to our website, there's the option to sign up. And if you sign up with our website, you'll get monthly updates as to new content that you can explore on the website. You'll also, be wrapped into kind of receiving a weekly devotional for, from us, and you'll kind of just be in the loop as to new content. But if if you want to start exploring on Bible.net, we pray that that's pretty straightforward. You could either do that through the navigation, which if you click on topics, you'll see all the different types of topics that we have available. So there will be, topics related to the Bible, to a biblical worldview or to life challenges like pornography. You'll see, page for every book of the Bible if you want to explore those. But then also if you just type in whatever you're interested into our search bar that will pull up, any content on our site related to what's on your mind, and our, our website has kind of a unique structure. So if you go to the page on pornography, for example, or one of the four pages on it, what you'll find is not just one kind of one article of content. What you'll find is a kind of social media looking page that has sermons, articles, podcasts, song books, scripture verses, etc. on it. And what our search does is it actually searches every individual piece of content on every page. So that's a great way to explore what you're interested in and just type in, you know, whatever it is. Pornography, anxiety, the Book of John, God's heaven, into the search bar and Lord willing, you'll find, something that will be helpful to you. You can also follow us on social media. We have accounts on, Instagram, Facebook. We have a YouTube channel. And so you can also find us there. It's incredible. I love I was poking around just, you know, looking up topics. And I went to the page that talks about depression and, you know, just going on here, the wealth of resources that are at your fingertips, you know, as you're thinking through like depression and, and how you're feeling and, and how to deal with it also directs you to like, you know, grief, because grief could be tied into how, you know, your struggle with depression. But then you scroll down the page, and I love that there are songs in hymns that really speak to what you're experiencing. I just could see how this is so beneficial to someone. Not only are you getting the scripture, but then you go farther down and you've got, you know, an article about Charles Spurgeon and his depression that he had struggled with and just, it's amazing to me. I really think this is a great tool and resource, and not only for people that may be struggling with pornography, but we know that pornography is just a symptom. And often there are many other triggers and things that have led you to this place of using pornography. And that could be, you know, not dealing with, trauma from the past or depression and anxiety. Those things can all lead you into pornography. So I feel like there's a wealth of resources for our listeners, but they could really take a journey. Tears site and really glean a ton of great information and all centered around biblical truth. It's it's quite incredible. So thank you. That's so encouraging to hear. And yeah, we know that, ultimately, any resource that they encounter will give them a little piece of the word of God and, exposure to God's Word, is healing and life giving kind of no matter what we're going through. So. Well, Eden, that's, all the time we have today, but we wanted to thank you for joining us, and thank you for your ministry, as Karen put it. So. Well, it's there's so much richness of so much depth there. But, as you've unpacked today, God's word is powerful and we need that in our lives. So to our listeners, thanks for joining. And, certainly, please like this and, share it if you can, but please do visit this site. The links will be in the in the show notes, whether you're a pastor or a Christian, there's just a wealth of information there. So check it out. That's it for today. Thanks for joining us. Take care.