Tempted, Tested, True Notes

I am reading Tempted, Tested, True by Arnie Cole and Michael Ross, in exchange for review from Bethany House. I chose this book because I struggle with temptation. Former sex addict. Former porn addict. still struggle with masturbation. . The book deals with temptation. I skipped ahead to the sex addiction section. It mostly dealt with a man's porn addiction, but it can apply to other areas of temptation as well. I wrote some notes for anyone interested: Pages 163 to 178

• Porn is a counterfeit that can ruin our ability to experience the real thing. 
• you have to want to be free--be willing to turn away and give up the habit
• admit you can't do it alone. i needed others to pull me out of the onslaught, help me, walk with me, and hold me accountable. 
• the sex drive's powerful force must be brought under the Lord's control to become the beautiful thing God intended p. 174 
• are otherwise emotionally healthy men with a strong sex drive abnormal? absolutely, positively, NO. some may produce a little more testosterone than others, but the bottom line is--an average male has a powerful desire for sex. 
• Are men with an addiction to pronography in trouble? Absolutely, positively, YES. a man's desire for sex is not the problem--the problem is the desire's contamination or distortion. Abnormality has to do with how men seek to express this drive. what satisfies it and what doesn't it is here that something terrible happens to our sexuality. pornography distorts sex. it's addictive. it's sinful, it's deadly.

• Take the first step: admit your problem. issues with porn and addiction are always accompanied by deceit. we make wrong choices to take wrong actions, yet convince ourselves, we are not in the wrong. (Stacie has done this). When we want something bad enough, we deceive whoever we have to in order to get it. and the first person, we deceive is ourselves. i.e. I don't really have a problem or I can handle this alone. 
• Take the second step: Give God a chance. Go to Jesus. tell him your secrets, shame, and sins. reflect on any struggles and whatever has trapped you. be honest, sincere, hold nothing back. 
• take the third step: choose to live without secrets.everyone has problems. there are two types of people: those, who have problems, who are not hidden. and those who try to hide secrets. the ones with secrets can affect trust, relationships, and credibility. 
• Take the fourth step: repent. confess sin. ask God for help. stop beating yourself up. grow and change. 
• take the fifth step: get help. tell someone what you are struggling with and ask for help.