Ryan Swanson: Welcome to Satisfied, a monthly program on the Thee Generation Podcast, designed to offer practical tools based on biblical principles so that anyone can experience full purity and lead others to do the same. Hello and welcome back to the Satisfied podcast here on the Thee Generation Network. This is Ryan Swanson, and we are today wrapping up this series on twisted passions that we've been going on for some time now, several months, and this has been a focus. If you're just tuning in for the first time in this series, it's been a focus on same sex attraction and one that's been extremely helpful for me. And based on feedback, I think for many of us and we, we kind of started this with the goals at the same time, one would be to obviously help those that are struggling with SSA, but two is to help those of us who want to help those struggling but do not know how.

And I think it has done that so much for myself and others that I've heard from, is just giving us an idea, opening our eyes to the issue. Something that in previously has just been easier to pass by as yes, we know that sin. Just stop it. Just stop it. Homosexuality.

Yeah, we're no, we're against that. And so let's not do that. But we have no idea or no time really for people who are struggling, but they want to be free. And we really began the series with looking at is this sin worse than other sins is one question we addressed. Uh, and then how should we deal with this in as opposed to any other sin?

And really what we established is that the only way that we deal with and this is speaking broadly, but but the main or primary way that we deal with homosexuality in the church is just preaching against it. But we don't. It's like we don't think it's possible that people would be struggling with this and want to be free and trying everything they know how. Uh, but still not able to be freed from this. And so that's where, uh, I think the last several podcasts, um, really when we started focusing on the eunuch principle and, and, uh, the, just the, the truth there, from the, from Matthew that we looked at has been so, so helpful.

And, uh, I, I'm trusting that it's been as eye opening for, for you all as it has been for me, but in that I wanted to give an opportunity in the last podcast, the last episode that we hit was giving an opportunity for those who have struggled with same sex attraction at all. They can relate to it at all, giving an opportunity for them to share and give a testimony or a a truth from Scripture that was a help to them. And I have several of those here in front of me that I want to share with you. And I thank you for each one that wrote in and shared that, uh, which, by the way, that still will be available if someone, uh, maybe didn't catch that or wasn't able to. And we're just reminding you of that.

And I would encourage you to share that once again, you can do that on TheeGeneration.org/SSA as in same sex attraction, you can also find a link directly to that form where you can submit those. You'll find that link right in the show notes or the description of this podcast. But now jumping into these responses as we conclude this episode in series together, I want to share these with you. First of all, we had an individual write in and say this. A biblical truth that has been a huge help to me is that God made me exactly the way he made me as a daughter of God.

He did not mess up in creating me female. Sin has twisted my desires and emotions. Just letting that truth sink in has done so much for me. I have not yet experienced full victory, but I always take it to the Lord. A verse that has helped me throughout this has been Psalm seventy three twenty six which says, my flesh and my heart faileth But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

I used to try in my own strength to overcome that sin, but of course that didn't end up well. It's only through the Lord that I can have victory. Jesus was tempted as we are and always gives a way to escape so that we may be able to bear it. Well, I appreciate that. Focus on giving it to Jesus every time, just turning and cleaving to him, as we've discussed in the past, and then casting those cares on him, just continually giving it to him because he cares for us, as we're told.

But then there's also the fact that she brings out and just the the truth that Jesus. When when it seems like no one else can relate. And that seems to be one of the hardest struggles with dealing with SSA. You feel so lonely because it seems like no one else can relate. Well, Jesus somehow can, as he was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin.

Somehow, in some way, Jesus can relate to you more than anyone else around you can, and he's always there to turn to. But I also love in this next testimony how the the other side of this was brought in. And what place do the people around us have in our victory? This person says you have to find the right person to trust and confide in. You won't get out of it alone.

And there may be those you think will help, but end up not being able to also seek advice and help from those further along. As sometimes your peers don't know how to help or aren't able to. Pride has to be pushed down as it keeps you in a lonely cycle that only gets broken by humility that God can provide when you approach him humbly. Also, don't put yourself in areas where you know or suspect you will feed temptations. That is where I still have found myself get in trouble.

I appreciate the vulnerability of this person, this individual that wrote in and brought out several key and important factors there, but just showing the importance of finding the right people you can trust and confide in. No one is saying this has to be shared with everyone around you, but there are certain people that God has placed in your life that will be a help. Maybe it's people who can relate in this area. Maybe it's people that can't, but in either way, they can mentor you forward and help or be a form of accountability in your life to help in this area. I read a book in the preparation for one of the episodes in the series, and I can't even remember the title of the book right now.

But the author, who was a man who struggled with SSA previously and had been seeing victory for years and now has a degree and a ministry to others struggling with SSA. He wrote this book, and in it I remember one of the points he brought out I had not considered before, but he said, when you're someone struggling with SSA and you're trying to find victory, the easy thing to do is actually to completely avoid those of the same gender because you think they're the problem. And he said, actually, what was helpful for him is recognizing, as a man struggling with SSA, that there are men that God has placed in his life to help him and mentor him in this area. And when he realized that, it freed him up to not view people as the problem, but to be able to be grateful for the men of God that God has placed in his life, either as mentors or friends, to help encourage in this area. So it's important, as a man who may be struggling with identity because of an issue like this, for that identity to be confirmed by being around masculinity, and as a woman who's struggling with SSA and where your identity has been questioned by the lies of the devil, it's helpful for you to be around biblical femininity.

But I appreciate this individual who wrote in also giving the other side that though there are many that God has placed in our lives to help us and encourage us and be a proper friend and mentor and accountability partner at the same time, there may be others that are not helpful, and there likely are for whatever reason, uh, people that that God directs and the Holy Spirit leads you to say, you know, maybe that's not someone you should be spending extended periods of time with for whatever reason, and it may be making provision for the flesh in some way. And so at the same time, being open to God, leading you to individuals to share with and to confide in and be a help. Um, but, but also recognizing that there's some prudence needed and just be obedient each time and in each scenario, um, as the Lord leads. Now finally moving on to the last of the testimonies that I'd like to share with you. This one is from a young lady who struggled with SSA for years, then was saved, and now has been experiencing a tremendous victory.

And so she's going to now share a key part of that change in her life. She says even over the last few years, the Lord has showed me that I need to be willing to stand up for him and be willing to share my testimony with others if and when he asked me to. There was a bit of time that I was fearful of telling anyone about my past. I was scared that if any girls found out, they wouldn't trust me. And if any guys found out, no one would want to marry me.

I truly let the devil use my testimony as a form of bondage and fear of what man would say. In the summer of twenty twenty four, the Lord worked on me about being open, about the work that he has done in my life, not focusing on every little detail of the sin that I committed, but focusing on what Jesus did for me. Just as almost everyone that Jesus healed in the Gospels wanted to share what Christ had done for them. I needed to willingly share what Christ has done for me. I have no idea how God will use my testimony and what I have gone through, but the Lord has given me a deep burden for this issue, and I believe that he has called me to be a part of the fight, either in reaching homosexuals, helping young people who are struggling, helping families and parents, dealing with it, and helping churches and Christians and our responses and reactions or all of the above.

I fully surrendered to whatever the Lord would have me to do. I love ending on that note right there, because here's someone who has been through it can completely relate, but now sees their testimony not as a form of bondage any longer, as she mentions, but as an asset for the Kingdom of God. I want to share this to help others. I want to be a part of the victory of other people. I want to take back what was taken.

I want to take revenge on the enemy from what he has done to me, by combating and fighting this in other people's lives and helping other people in the same area. I love that perspective. And ultimately, that has to be our heart in every area of struggle and sin. But I love it in this area of same sex attraction that can so easily—understandably so, because of the loneliness—produce a woe is me mentality. No one understands.

No one's been through what I've been through. Look, I understand to some degree now more than ever, at least, that you certainly do go through a tremendous amount of of trauma and trial dealing with this issue. But I love reading a testimony of someone saying, you know, I recognize that this isn't about me. Sure. I found myself in this one way or the other.

I've made poor decisions, but I am choosing right now to not just turn to victory, but at the same time to be a voice and a tool in God's hand to help others with the same thing. I think if you'll trust God to give you a vision outside of yourself, not just combating all of your problems, but saying, God, I need victory because there are so many who are struggling with this and we are fed up with it. We want to serve you, and I want to be a part of that, not just for me, but in the lives of others as well. And I think you'll find living to benefit and to help others for the cause of Christ. You cannot live for others and for yourself at the same time.

You cannot yield to God's plan for your life and be defeated by the flesh at the same time. As we talked about several podcasts back in a different series, you should seek to live a life that is completely incompatible with your lust. And I think that's what we see from this young lady here. Thank you. Once again, each of those who wrote in a testimony, and if there's others that would like to share once again, TheeGeneration.org/SSA, feel free to get on and share those whenever you listen to this episode, and I'm sure I'll find a time to share those, even though we'll be on to a different series at that point.

Well, speaking of a different series, as we conclude this episode, let me just briefly mention the thrust of where I believe the Lord would have us go in the coming months for our next series. I can't tell you how many times someone still will catch me, whether it's in a church service or through an email or whatever, and they'll say, hey, what do you think about this passage on purity? And it's one that, uh, either I've never heard before or never considered seriously. There's so many passages like this that, for whatever reason, haven't made their way into a series in many cases, haven't even made their way into personal study of mine because it's easy to focus on the clear passages that are dealing with purity. And while there are so many more that I think the Lord's wanting to speak to us through these other maybe more not obscure, but less common, less discussed, um, passages on purity.

And it may not be less common or discussed in your church, but I'm specifically wanting to share ones that I haven't dealt with specifically on this podcast in our ministry, we haven't focused on. And I want this to be kind of a challenge for me to look at the the broad scope of purity dealt with in Scripture, and maybe to see some things that we've missed that God would have us to see. Um, but also for it to be a challenge on your part because there'll be opportunities for you to write in and suggest passages of your own. Let's discuss this one. Have you thought about this?

Or maybe you suggest a passage that has been a help to you, and we can dive into that on an episode here. And so we'll have an opportunity for that. And I'll discuss that more and what that will look like on the next episode as we begin that series. I'm looking forward to it. And as always, looking forward to, uh, any type of feedback and participation we can get from each of our listeners.

Well, thank you once again for joining us through the series on Twisted Passions. And thank you especially for each of those who have written in and become vulnerable with me to help me understand this issue as we've worked it through. And I trust that God will bless that element of transparency and humility that he's given you. That also was discussed in really each of the three testimonies that we shared today. And I know that whether this is something you struggle with or something those around you, God is going to use you.

And these truths we've discussed here to help you and those around you live less gratified and more satisfied with Jesus Christ. Thanks for joining us for this episode of the Thee Generation Podcast. If you've been blessed or helped in any way by this episode or any other episodes, please consider sharing what God has done in your life. Your testimony could be exactly what someone else needs to take their own step out of the boat.