Contact: Erika Schmit, 847-415-9334 NEWARK, Calif., March 10 /Christian Newswire/ -- Digital Praise® Inc, the leader in Christian-themed, family-friendly entertainment software and currently under pending merger agreement with Left Behind Games (OTC: LFBG), today announced it has entered into a strategic relationship with Stryper, the top-selling Christian metal band. Together, Digital Praise and Stryper intend to develop new products leveraging the band's top live performance recordings. Source: SS|PR

Contact: Karen Malec, Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer, 847-421-4000 MEDIA ADVISORY, March 10 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer announced today its opposition to the euphemistically-named Illinois bill, "Reproductive and Health Access Act," HB 6205. The women's group has published a position paper for legislators and interested citizens. "Contrary to what the bill's title says, it will significantly damage the health of women and their ch Source: Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer

Contact: Rob Gettemy, 319-431-7989 MARION, Iowa, March 10 /Christian Newswire/ -- Marion resident Rob Gettemy has announced his entry into the Republican primary for Iowa'' 2nd Congressional District. Visit to Flt 93 Memorial and 912 March Impacts decision After visiting Shanksville, PA on 9-11-09 to visit the Flight 93 memorial and Washington DC to participate in the 912 March, Rob Gettemy was "shaken to the core." To read Rob's story about these events, visit www.RobGettemy.org. Source: Gettemy for the People

Contact: Jon Hirst, The Well, 719-362-5235, jhirst@dotheword.org ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., March 10 /Christian Newswire/ -- Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA recently concluded a conference where President of Lifeway Research, Ed Stetzer, appealed to attendees to believe in church planting. Stetzer shared about the importance of church planting as being central to societal transformation and worldwide evangelization. Bob Sears, a leader within the simple church movement and an elder at The W Source: .W

Contact: Don Cooper, 949-206-0600; Fletcher Armstrong, 865-776-1312; Mark Harrington, 614-419-9000; Bill Calvin, 816-918-9873; Michael Schrimsher, 407-810-3515; all with Center For Bio-Ethical Reform  MEDIA ADVISORY, March 10 /Christian Newswire/ -- Beginning immediately, The Center For Bio-Ethical Reform will expand its operation of anti-abortion billboard trucks in the congressional districts of specially selected Members of the U.S. House of Representatives.  This ca Source: Center for Bio-Ethical Reform

Contact: Abigail Davidson, Publicist, WinePress Group, 360-802-9758, abigail@winepressgroup.com ENUMCLAW, Wash., March 10 /Christian Newswire/ -- "As those compelled to proclaim the gospel, preachers often agonize over the most effective method of writing and preaching homilies that communicate powerful messages of hope and forgiveness," says Reverend Ken Kinton in his new book "From Narrative to Homily". "If preaching in today's context is to be transformative, it must have impact and Source: WinePress Publishing Group

Tip 1: GET REAL

Recognize that sexual temptation is unavoidable in our sex-obsessed culture. Erotic images on billboards, films, television and a thousand other stimulants are bombarding you daily. Being a Christian doesn’t exempt you from temptation. The godliest of men can fall prey to it. So the first step towards maintaining sexual integrity is to get real.

Admit to yourself that sexual temptation is a problem that you have to reckon with.

Remember John’s warning: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves” (1 John 1:8).

Tip 2: GET SERIOUS

You should know by now that sexual sin ravages everyone connected with it. What you may not know is that every sexual fantasy you entertain, every flirtatious conversation you keep up, or every “second look” you indulge in is the seed for AIDS, adultery, a broken heart, and a shattered life. Get serious. If you’re entertaining lust, you’re dancing on a cliff. Take concrete action now while you can. Remember that “lust, when it is conceived, brings forth sin, and sin brings forth death” (James 1: 15).

Tip 3: GET READY

If you really believe an earthquake is coming someday, you prepare for it by developing an emergency plan. If you really believe sexual temptation is both common and can become lethal, you’ll make an “emergency plan” for it, too. Decide in advance what to do when you’re tempted: how to distract yourself, who to call, how to escape close calls.

Even St. Paul admitted: “Like an athlete I train my body to do what it should, not what it wants to do. Otherwise, I fear that I myself might be declared unfit” (1 Corinthians 9:27).

Can you really afford to do less?

Tip 4: GET CONNECTED

Sexual sin thrives in the dark. If you’re caught up in any sexual vice, one thing is certain: The secrecy surrounding your behavior is what strengthens its hold on you. However ashamed you may feel about admitting your problem to another person, the reality is this: You can’t overcome this on your own. If you could, wouldn’t you have done so by now? Take a hint from James: “Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that you might be healed” (James 5:16).

Find a trusted, mature Christian friend to confide in. Make that friend a partner in your recovery, and NEVER assume that you’ve reached a point where you no longer need accountability.

Tip 5: GET BRUTAL

I believe there’s an eleventh commandment somewhere that says “Thou Shalt Not Kid Thy Self.” If you’re serious about sexual integrity, you’ll distance yourself not only from the particular sexual sin you’re most prone to (fantasizing, pornography, affairs, prostitution) but you’ll ALSO distance yourself from any person or thing that entices you towards that sin. Sometimes, even a legitimate activity (certain movies, music or clubs, for example) may be OK for other people to indulge in, but not for you. Get brutally honest about your lifestyle: anything in it that makes you prone to sexual sin has to go.

“All things are lawful for me,” Paul said, “but not all things are edifying. I will not be brought under the power of anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12).

Tip 6: GET HELP

Sexual sins are often symptomatic of deeper emotional needs that a man is trying to satisfy in all the wrong ways. Repenting of the sin itself is a necessary first step, but recognizing the conflicts or needs that led you into that behavior may be the next step, requiring some specialized care from a Christian professional. Don’t hesitate to seek godly counsel if you’re trapped in cycles of ongoing, out-of-control behavior. The answer you need may be more than just “pray and get over it!” King David (who was no stranger to sexual sin, by the way) found refuge in Samuel’s wise mentoring (1 Samuel 19:18). If you’re willing to seek professional help for taxes, medical care or career counseling, surely you’ll be willing to do the same to maintain your sexual integrity.

Tip 7: GET COMFORTABLE

The problem of sexual temptation isn’t going anywhere. It’s been with us since time immemorial, and no doubt it will plague us until Christ comes. So get comfortable with the idea that you’ll need to manage your sexual desires throughout life, always remembering that your sexual integrity is but a part of the general life-long sanctification process all Christians go through.

“I count myself not to have attained perfection”, Paul told the Philippians. “I am still not all I should be” (Philippians 3:12-13). So learn to love the process of pressing on, not perfection.

Tip 8: GET LOVE

“I’ve been looking for love in all the wrong places,” an old song laments. The sexual sin you’re drawn towards may indeed be a cheap (though intense) substitute for love. You can repent of the sin, but not of the need the sin represents. So get love in your life: friendships, family, spouse, fellow believers. A man who truly loves, and knows he’s truly loved, is far less likely to search for what he already has in places he’ll never find it.

“Why do you spend your money on that which is not bread, or your labor on that which cannot satisfy?” Isaiah asked. (Isaiah 55:2). Learn to be intimate and authentic. It’s one of the best ways to protect your heart and your integrity.

Tip 9: GET GRACE

It isn’t the sinless man who makes it to the end; rather, it’s the man who’s learned to pick himself up after he stumbles. If your struggle seems relentless, remember this: when you commit yourself to sexual integrity, you commit yourself to a direction, not to perfection. You may stumble along the way; that’s no justification for sin, just a realistic view of life in this fallen world. What determines the success or failure of an imperfect man is his willingness to pick himself up, confess his fault, and continue in the direction he committed himself to. Remember Paul’s approach: “Forgetting those things that are behind, I press on towards the mark of the high calling” (Philippians 3:14).

Tip 10: GET A LIFE

What’s your passion? What’s your calling? How clear are your goals? And, by the way, do you have any fun? The man who doesn’t have a life—a passion, a sense of meaning, an ability to play as hard as he works—is a man with an emptiness tailor-made for sexual sin.

Life is about more than keeping yourself sexually pure, as important as purity is. It’s about knowing who and why you are, where your priorities lie, and where you’re headed. If you don’t know that much about yourself, you have some serious thinking to do.

Commit yourself to developing your life as a good steward of your gifts and opportunities, and make that the context in which you seek to maintain your sexual integrity. Sexual integrity for it’s own sake is a good thing; sexual integrity for the sake of a higher calling is better. So by all means turn from your sin. But as you do, turn towards a goal-oriented, passionate, meaningful life—that is repentance in its truest, finest sense.

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This article is by Joe Dallas, Program Director of Genesis Counseling. Joe is also the author of several books, including, The Game Plan: The Men’s 30-Day Strategy for Attaining Sexual Integrity. He is a pastoral counselor and a popular conference speaker. For over three years Joe taught and conducted the nationally recognized Every Man’s Battle conference as the originating Program Director, and from 1991 to 1993, he served as the President of Exodus International. Joe and his wife Renee reside in Orange County, California, with their two sons. © 1999 by Joe Dallas. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be duplicated in any form without express written consent from the author. www.joedallas.com

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