June 2008 E-News: Why We Like Superheroes

REGISTER TODAY! 

Our next Gateway to Freedom Workshop for men is scheduled for:

• July 18-20, 2008

Learn more about Gateway to Freedom at www.gatewaymen.com.

Why We Like Superheroes

by Jonathan Daugherty

My son, Ethan (at left), loves superheroes!  His favorites include Superman, Spider-Man, and Aqua Man.  Bending the laws of physics is a regular habit of these superheroes.  They fly, shoot spider web silk out of their hands, and all other sorts of things “regular” human beings can’t do.  For little boys (and even us “big” boys) there is an attraction and even envy of these larger than life superheroes.  Why is that?

Human beings are like no other creature on planet earth.  Plants cannot think, reason, or argue.  Animals do not have a soul or the ability to operate outside of mere instinct and survivalism.  Water, rocks, and clouds can’t even move without outside forces acting upon them.  But we humans possess an “otherness” about us, a distinct characteristic that vastly separates us from all others.  This differentness can be summed up in the fact that we are the only part of creation that bears the very image of God.  Plus the fact that we are the only creatures into which “God breathed the breath of life.”  We carry in our being something of the essence of God.  Don’t ask me to fully explain this, but it is there.  And this is why I believe we are drawn to superheroes.

My son doesn’t just like superheroes, he becomes them.  Let’s say Ethan watches a movie with Superman in it.  When the movie is over he isn’t just content to talk to his sisters or to me or his mom about Superman.  No, he leaves the room for a few minutes and then returns with cape flowing behind him as he flies through the house.  He IS Superman.  The superhero characteristics which he saw displayed on the TV screen about Superman are the characteristics he wants to adopt as his own.  For Ethan, the idea of superheroism is not merely intellectual or philosophical, it’s personal.

This is how I think bearing the image of God works in our lives.  There is something inside us (the “stamp” of God Himself) that draws us to that which is beyond our natural lives, beyond what we can see or even imagine.  This pull is toward God.  Some people search for what this pull is drawing them toward and they ultimately find God through a relationship with Jesus.  Others reject or ignore this pull and spend their lives in varying degrees of dissatisfaction and hopelessness.  Regardless, the pull is still there.  But for those who do find God, something incredible happens.  God actually comes into them and resides within them through His Holy Spirit.  He awakens the human spirit, brings it to life, and empowers us to become like Him!  We get to exhibit the characteristics of the Creator, the “superhero” of our souls.

Ethan may not realize right now that his desire to become like the superheroes he watches on TV is actually a spiritual thing, a desire God planted in him the moment he was conceived.  But my hope is that over time he will follow that pull, that desire that is calling him to find God and receive the indwelling gift of His Spirit.  Because when he does he will finally be fulfilled and “being” Superman will seem unnecessary compared to his faith in the Almighty.

(But it is still fun to run around in a cape.)

Jesus in the Margins
by Rick McKinley

Jesus is our ultimate model for finding identity, acceptance, and legitimacy from the Father. As we pull back the curtain on His life, we discover that Jesus knows what it’s like to be marginalized. He understands how it feels to have society shove you to the side, to not really be accepted, and in the end to be totally rejected. He can identify with life in the margins because when God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ, He landed in the margins. On purpose. And He chose to land there because it’s in the margins that broken lives get mended, prisoners are set free, and the poor hear the Good News.

Price: $10.39 plus S&H

Click here for ordering info

Real Question:

I have a friend who has gotten help in the past for his sexual struggles, but continues to act out with himself and other women.  He has a history of depression and has stopped taking his medications.  He is getting discouraged and does not understand why he keeps going back to this junk.  How can I counsel him and does he need a 6-month in-house recovery program?

Real Answer:

I'm not sure if your friend needs a 6-month program, but it couldn't hurt to look into it.  I know of one that Pure Life Ministries does up in Kentucky (www.purelifeministries.org) and there is another one in Arizona called The Meadows (www.themeadows.org).  
 
The real issue boils down to whether he will get serious about his brokenness.  He is "dabbling" in recovery and that never produces any long-term changes.  There is one part of him that truly hates his sin and the consequences it is producing, but another part of him that fears what might happen if he ever truly let go of his lustful habits.  He must choose not only to desire freedom from the consequences of his sin, but also freedom TO a new life of purity.  No one can make this decision for him.  He must step up to manhood and decide.  I know this sounds a bit harsh, but the truth is meant to cut us at times. 
 
For the word of God [truth] is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Heb. 4:12)
 
God wants to cut away your friend's lust from being his master.  God will not alter His message of truth and hope, even if it cuts your friend to pieces.  We too must not shy away from the truth, but rather speak it boldly and in love so that the hearer may be broken over their sin and repent.  So, as his friend, I would counsel you stand firm in telling him that he must make a decision FOR purity (not merely against his lust).  Until he makes this decision and subsequently chooses to do whatever it takes to walk in purity (4 Pillars), you are no longer going to act as a mentor in his life.  If he chooses to continue in his sin after this point, you are obligated by Scripture to bring another brother or two with you to confront him again with his sinful lifestyle.  After that, if he remains unbroken, you bring him before the church.  This is essentially following the instructions in Matthew 18.
 
This is the unpleasant part of being in community.  We sometimes have to slap a brother hard across the face to awaken him to the realities of the damage his sin is causing (to himself and others; his wife, family, friends, etc.).  But such accountability is necessary.  Just remember, your role is simply to confront him with the truth.  You cannot hold yourself responsible for whatever actions he takes after that.  Pray for his brokenness.  Pray for his heart to soften.  Pray that he would have the courage to lay down his pride and let God change him from the inside out.  Then, be prepared to celebrate when he repents.

----------

Do you have a real question you need answered? If so, email it to us at questions@bebroken.com.

• Support Pure Sex Radio!  Visit our homepage to support our radio outreach.  The donate button is at the top of the page.  Simply enter whatever amount you would like to give - no gift is too small! 
  (FYI - A gift of $50-$75 covers most costs of one show per week, per station)

• June Radio Shows

  7th - What is the Big Picture? 
  14th - Married Men & Homosexuality  |  Healing Hidden Wounds with Lee Preston
  21st - Dealing with Wife Shame
  28th - Let's Talk about Temptation

• Spread the Word!  If you like what we're doing, educating people about living a life of sexual purity, then contact your local Christian talk radio station and tell them about the Pure Sex Radio broadcast.  Then, email us at tellastation@puresexradio.com and give us the call letters, city, and state of the station you contacted.  We will follow up with the station manager to see about adding our program to their schedule.

Also, email and call your friends and family to tell them about our program.  Even if they don't live in an area where we are broadcast on a traditional radio station, they can listen to the broadcast online through our FREE podcast.  Learn more about our podcast at http://www.puresexradio.com/psr/radio/podcast.shtml.

 E-mail this page
 Printer-friendly page