You may not have seen the Nightline segment that featured a group of women sitting in a circle discussing the reasons they read and watch mommy porn.  They laughed and smiled as though they were a Sunday School class, completely unaware of the damage they are doing to themselves, their homes, their marriages, and their children.

Jay Dennis, senior pastor of First Baptist Church at the Mall, Lakeland, Florida, describes pornography as the bubonic plague of the contemporary church. Pornography is a hidden sickness that reveals itself long after the damage is done. Jay’s God-inspired concern has strengthened him to openly address the issue of pornography with his congregation. He has moved beyond embarassment in an effort to protect, to save, to redeem, and to restore the men, women, and young people in his church who face the temptations of pornography every day.

Jay recently wrote one of the best blog posts about this issue that I’ve seen. I asked to share it here. We will will be joining with Jay to publish a series of resources for the church to use with men who want to stay free of porn or want to be freed of porn. Be watching for the study for men, the book for wives, the DVD for small groups, and other excellent materials coming out in summer of 2013.

Please forward, tweet, facebook, this post. Women you love may be quietly trapped in a choice that has the potential to tear their lives apart.

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 50 Reasons Christian Women Shouldn’t Read “Fifty Shades of Grey”

by Jay Dennis

Yesterday, I delivered the message, “Your Marriage: Black, White and Grey Shades- 50 Reasons Christian Women Shouldn’t Read Fifty Shades of Grey.

Here are the 50 reasons. You can watch or listen to the full message, too.

  1. You Cannot Be Pure in Heart and See God Work – Matthew 5:8
  2. You Will Not Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness – Matthew 5:6
  3. The Book Is Mental Pornography – II Corinthians 10:4-5
  4. Promotes Sex Outside of Marriage – Genesis 2:22-24, Exodus 20:14, Proverbs 5:15-20, Matthew 19:4-9, I Corinthians 6:18, I Thessalonians 4:1-5, Hebrews 13:4 Love is not the boundary for sex, marriage is.
  5. Invites Sinful Thoughts – Philippians 4:8, Ephesians 4:23
  6. Leaves God Out of Sex – Genesis 2:22-24, Proverbs 5:18
  7. Normalizes Practices in a Sexual Relationship that God’s Word Teaches Will Harm Physically and Emotionally – I Corinthians 7:1-5, Proverbs 6:27
  8. Invites Dissatisfaction with Your Marriage Partner – Proverbs 5:18
    Christian husbands need to work on the Top 5 Needs of His Wife: 1. Affection 2. Conversations (Real Communication from the Heart) 3. Honesty 4. Financial Support 5. Family Commitment (a Good Father)
    Christian wives need to work on the Top 5 Needs of Her Husband: 1. Sexual Fulfillment 2. Involvement in Your Husband’s Activities (Being interested in what Interests Him) 3. Attractiveness (Looking Your Best) 4. Domestic Support 5. Admiration (Being Proud of Him) (Willard F. Harley, His Needs/Her Needs)
  9. Gives the Impression to Young Women that this is the Norm for Sexual Relationships – I Corinthians 7:1-5
  10. Could be a Portal, a Gateway, to Other Sexual Experiences Outside of the Will of God – Romans 13:14, Ephesians 4:27
  11. Affirms Satan’s Lie: “This will spice up your marriage.” – Romans 14:19
  12. Suggests that Sex in Only a Physical Act Devoid of Intimacy and Soul Connection – Genesis 4:1
  13. Alters and Lowers God’s Standards of Marriage and Sex – I Corinthians 7:1-5
  14. Could Lead to Supporting the Sex Industry – Galatians 5:19, I Peter 4:3
  15. Promotes Men Controlling Women as Acceptable – Ephesians 5:21,25; I Peter 3:7
  16. Suggests Women are Sexual Objects – I Corinthians 7:1-5, I Thessalonians 4:4, I Peter 3:7
  17. Wouldn’t Want to be Reading the Book When Jesus Comes Back or If He was Physically Present – John 13:15, I Peter 2:21
  18. Denigrates Marriage By Reducing Sex to a Contract – Matthew 19:6, Malachi 2:14 God says marriage is a holy covenant not a contract for sex.
  19. Promotes Abuse (Physical, Verbal, and Emotional) – Colossians 3:19, I Thessalonians 4:4, Ephesians 4:32
  20. Invites Satan into Your Marriage – Ephesians 4:27
  21. Encourages You to Think about Sex as a Physical Act Only – Genesis 2:22-24, 4:1
  22. Promotes an Unreal Ideal of Sex – I Corinthians 7:5
  23. Could Lead to a Stronghold in Your Life, a Spiritual Bondage – II Corinthians 10:4-5
  24. Takes the Sacredness Out of Sex – Hebrews 13:4
  25. Could Increase the Sex Trafficking, the Human Trafficking Industry – Matthew 18:6
  26. Suggests Satisfaction in a Relationship Outside of God’s Plan – Genesis 3:1-5, Proverbs 5:19-20
  27. Gives Single Young Women the Idea this Is What a Sexual Relationship Is about and Plants the Thoughts in Young Men’s Minds to Pursue this Kind of Relationship – II Corinthians 10:4-5, Ephesians 4:23
  28. Portrays Sexual Bondage (BDSM) as Normal and Acceptable – I Corinthians 13, I Peter 3:7, I Thessalonians 4
  29. Contradicts God’s Plan for Marriage Partners Focusing on Pleasing Each Other, Not Themselves in the Physical Part of Marriage – I Corinthians 7:1-5
  30. Creates a Sinful Curiosity: a Hunger for Someone Other than Your Husband – Matthew 26:41, James 1:14
  31. Portrays No Unselfish Kindness, Tenderness, or Gentleness in a Relationship, which is Opposite of What God Commands – Ephesians 4:32
  32. Portrays Men as Domineering and Controlling, Even Superior – Ephesians 5:25-26
  33. Can Lead to Sexual Addictions-I Corinthians 6:12
  34. Creates Expectations that Are Simply Not Practical or Part of the Daily Commitment of Marriage – Hebrews 13:4-7, I Corinthians 7:1-5
  35. Presents an Unhealthy View of Sex – I Corinthians 7:1-5
  36. Could Lead to a Desire for Something Else, Something More Than What You Have with Your Husband – Proverbs 5:15
  37. Sets a Terrible, Dangerous Example to Your Daughters and Sons – Titus 2:7
  38. Denies and Defies a Woman’s Self Respect – Titus 2:7; John 4:28-29, 8:10-11
  39. Invites Sinful, Sexual Desires – I Peter 2:11
  40. Uses Language Not Consistent with One Who is Pursuing God – Ephesians 4:29
  41. Grieves and Quenches the Holy Spirit – Ephesians 4:30, I Thessalonians 5:19
  42. Leads You Away from God, Not to God and His Will – James 4:8, Galatians 5:16, I Timothy 6:11
  43. Repeats Satan’s Lie to Eve: “You will find happiness and freedom outside of God’s will.”- Genesis 3:5, John 8:44
  44. Presents a One-Sided Only View of Sex: That It Is Only to Meet the Needs of a Man – I Corinthians 7:1-5
  45. Could Take You One Step Closer to Divorce – Malachi 2:16a
  46. Fuels Temptation – I Corinthians 6:18, Matthew 26:41
  47. Leads You to Make Unrealistic Comparisons of Your Husband – Genesis 3:16
  48. Begins to Desensitize You to Activities Not within God’s Plan for Marriage and Relationships – Romans 12:1
  49. Opens the Door to Seeking Excitement outside of Your Marriage – Proverbs 5:15-18, Proverbs 7, Hosea 2
  50. Nurtures Secret Sins