Our Top (and Bottom!) Five Posts from 2015

Just about every blog publishes a list of their top posts from the previous year. It’s a fun way to look back at what resonated with readers, but it also can create a false impression that every post is a hit (which is rarely the case).

So, in order to stick to my M-O of being open and transparent, I’m going to share the 5 most-read and the 5 least-read posts of 2015. Enjoy!

thumbs-upThe Top-5

5. Why Porn Addiction is Not About Fulfilling Sexual Desire: The Deepest Needs of Your Heart

“As men, we tend to believe our struggles with pornography are purely about sexual desire. If this were the case, though, my addiction would have gone away once I was married. So why is it my addiction actually became worse within marriage? Why did I repeatedly choose to reject the advances of my beautiful, attractive, and loving wife in order to get my sexual needs met through pornography?”

4. My One Thing: Michael Cusick

I asked Michael Cusick of Restoring the Soul, “What’s the one piece of advice you’d give to someone struggling with porn addiction?”

3. 5 Things Pixar’s “Inside Out” Taught Me about Addiction

“I’m convinced that “Inside Out” is more than just a cartoon—it’s one of the more important movies of our day. Even if you don’t have kids, it’s still worth the few bucks it will cost to get in the door.”

2. The “One Thing” You Need to Know to Get Free from Porn Addiction

“When it comes to finding freedom from porn addiction, we often approach it the same way. We look for an easy answer—a one-size-fits-all solution—that will work for everyone, every time, without fail. We want to know the ‘One Thing,’ but that’s typically not the way God works.”

1. To All the Men Who Just Got Outed on Ashley Madison…

“I know very personally the shame that comes from being found out, from being discovered, from coming face-to-face with the destruction your hidden life has been causing in the lives of everyone you love. But I also know that for many people, myself included, this tragedy can also be the catalyst that springboards you into a life of freedom from the things that currently enslave you.”

hqdefaultThe Bottom-5

5. What I Wish I Could Say to Morrissey

“I’ve been hooked on Morrissey since my roommate introduced me to his music back in college. As much as I love his music though, the emotional honesty he puts into his lyrics makes it hard for me to listen at times. I can’t help but hurt for him when I hear him sing about the pain and rejection that has defined his life.”

4. Are You Viewing Recovery as an All-Star Game, or T-Ball?

“When I showed up to my first recovery group, I expected it to be like the MLB All-Star game. I just knew the other guys there were going to be so far ahead of me on their journey that I wouldn’t even fit in. What I soon discovered, though, was recovery is a lot more like T-ball than the majors.”

3. Book Review: Wild at Heart

“Fast forward 10 years to the second time I picked up Wild at Heart and things were quite different. I was reading and journaling through the book as an assignment from my counselor and could not believe how different it seemed from the first time I had picked it up.”

2. If Following Jesus is about Relationship, Why does He Seem so Distant?

“It’s the same with a relationship with Jesus. You can spend time with Him in prayer. You can seek to know all about Him by reading the Bible. But if you don’t trust Him, you will never experience a true relationship with Him.”

1. Why Isn’t God Coming Through for Me?

“You can be certain, however, that God does love you—no matter how messed up you may feel—and everything He calls you to do is for your benefit. The more you trust in this truth, the more your faith will grow. Eventually, you will come to realize that you really can trust everything Jesus promises to be true—even for you—no matter how illogical or unbelievable it may seem.”

Thanks for hanging with us in 2015! Let’s do this again next year, shall we?

Merry Christmas from Belt of Truth Ministries

Friday Only: Save 50% on your entire order!

50% off at the Belt of Truth Store

Save 50% on every purchase from our store on Black Friday (November 27). There are no quantity or order limits. It’s the perfect time to give this message of freedom to friends, family, or your entire church congregation!

Simply use the code “FRIDAY” at checkout to receive your discount.


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My Interview on the Covenant Eyes Podcast

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I had the honor of being this week’s guest on the Covenant Eyes Podcast with Luke Gilkerson. We talked about a lot of topics that I think will be helpful and relevant for Belt of Truth readers:

  • Why I felt called to write a book on Porn Addiction
  • How most guys feel like they’re alone in their struggle, which is simply not true.
  • How God loves us even in the midst of our addiction and why believing that is the key to recovery.

Listen to the interview here


I also offer a coupon code (COVEYES) at the end of the interview that will get the first 100 people a free copy of 10 Lies Men Believe about Porn on my bookstore.

If you’ve got any questions or comments related to the show, just hit me up in the comments below.

Apparently I’m giving all my books away for free these days.

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I just can’t help but give my books away, which is why you can download 10 Lies Men Believe about Porn from Amazon for FREE through September 6th!

Even if pornography isn’t something you personally struggle with, I still think you’ll find many helpful concepts in this book to apply to your own personal battles. Ultimately, 10 Lies will help you discover that the message of the gospel isn’t about learning to fight better—it’s about no longer needing to fight at all.


Download your free copy now!


To All the Men Who Just Got Outed on Ashley Madison…

Ashleymadison

Ashley Madison has been hacked, but that’s not news to you. No, you’ve been watching this story unfold very closely, hoping desperately that the data wouldn’t be made public.

Unfortunately for you, that was not the case. If you’re anything like the majority of men and women who just got outed in the breach, you probably have a few thoughts running through your mind right now:

  • Is my email on that list? Who am I kidding. I know it is.
  • Will my wife look for my name? Has she looked already?
  • Is there anything I can do to keep this secret hidden?

Your carefully crafted wall of deception now has this huge, gaping, obvious hole exposing the truth about you to anyone who wishes to look—and there’s absolutely nothing you can do to stop it at this point.

I know your pain.

I know your fear. 

My heart breaks for you, because I’ve been right where you are.

I know very personally the shame that comes from being found out, from being discovered, from coming face-to-face with the destruction your hidden life has been causing in the lives of everyone you love.

But I also know that for many people, myself included, this tragedy can also be the catalyst that springboards you into a life of freedom from the things that currently enslave you.

Today, this is the worst thing that has ever happened to you. But with time, if you humble yourself and learn the lessons that God has for you in this season, I am confident that you can someday look back upon this time in your life with thankfulness and praise.

My own story is far too long to fully share in a single post, as are the lessons that God taught me through my own sexual addiction, consequent exposure, and ongoing redemption. However, I would love to give you a free copy of my book, 10 Lies Men Believe about Porn, so that you may read the full account of how God worked in my life—even in the most tragic of circumstances.

Just use the coupon code “ASHMAD” on our bookstore to get a free copy today.

This is not the end of the road for you, my brother. No, this may in fact be the trailhead. Let me hand you the map that God gave me to follow through my own dark valley, and perhaps it will help you to find the deep love, acceptance, and intimacy that you were searching for on Ashley Madison.

10 Lies Men Believe about Porn Preview

“DONE.” is finally done! Download your free copy today.

Done Cover Mockup

This is it folks! My new book, DONE. 52 Amazing Things That Became True of You the Moment You Trusted Christis available now as a free download on Noisetrade:

DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY HERE

You can choose from multiple formats depending on your eReader of choice (Kindle, iPad, PDF), however, if you’re like me and you prefer a good old-fashioned paperback, you can pick up a copy of the print book on Amazon.

And be sure to hop back over to Amazon when you’re done reading DONE. to leave a review. That’s the single best thing you can do to help get this book into the hands of others who may still need to be told about the amazing things that happen to them when they trust Jesus.

Either way, I do hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it.

P.S. The book will only be free through the end of August, so be sure to download it right away!

“Who Are You?” A sermon about Your Identity in Christ

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Last Sunday I had the honor of speaking at Cornerstone Church in Eugene, Oregon. The topic was your Identity in Christ, or, more specifically, Who Does God Say You Are?

My talk closely followed the Identity Series we did here on Belt of Truth last year.

You can listen to the full message here.

If you would like to download the .mp3, right-click on the link and select “Download Linked File As.”

And the Winner Is…

Last month, I asked all of you to vote for your favorite cover design for my next book, DONE: 52 Amazing Things that Became True of You the Moment You Trusted Christ.

Much to my surprise, the results weren’t even close. What I thought would be a close race ended up looking like 2014 Seattle/Denver Super Bowl—total domination. And, just like that game, I’m happy to say that my favorite team cover won in a landslide victory.

Done Cover Mockup

As of today, I’m planning for a Saturday, August 1st release date, which means the August Belt of Truth Newsletter should have a link for your free download!

If you aren’t currently signed up to receive our newsletter, you can do that here. (All the cool kids are signed up. And you want to be one of the cool kids, right?)

Also, if you’re interested in being a part of the early review team (which means you’ll get the book even sooner), please email me and let me know so I can get you the info on that.

Thank you again to all of you who voted last month. Even if your favorite cover didn’t win, I still believe you will enjoy the book. Then again, I may be slightly biased.

Announcing my new book: “Done.” (Plus, vote for your favorite cover!)

Guess what? I wrote another book, and this one doesn’t have the word Porn emblazoned in giant red letters on the cover, so you should be way more comfortable reading it in public or giving it to your Grandmother.

Done Covers

The new book is called DONE. 52 Amazing Things that Became True of You the Moment You Trusted Christ. You can read more about it below, but first, I need your help choosing which design to use for the cover.

I’ve created three options, and I like all of them. However, I’m much more concerned with which one you like the best. So if you could take 30 seconds to vote for your favorite design, I would greatly appreciate it.

Plus, if you enter your email at the end of the survey (which is totally optional), I’ll let you know the day the book comes out this summer. You’ll want in on that for sure, because it’s going to be COMPLETELY FREE for the first 30 days only.


Vote for your favorite cover here!


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From the back cover:

Who Do You Think You Are?

If you’re anything like most people, your initial response to that question is probably your job title. After that, you may list off your age, how many kids you have, or perhaps even your hobbies. Those things may all be true about you, but they don’t define you. In order to discover the truth about who you really are, you need to ask the One who created you.

Who Does God Say You Are?

Done unpacks 52 key verses from God’s Word to help you discover His answer to the question of your identity. Each verse will help you to understand more deeply the truth of who you became the moment you trusted Christ.

You are Loved with an Everlasting Love

You Have Been Set Free from All Condemnation

You are Welcome in God’s Presence

The best part is, Done won’t give you a list of things you need to change in yourself. It will, however, help you discover the full depth of what God has already changed in you. That’s right, these changes are already done.

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature;
the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

—2 Corinthians 5:17—


Don’t forget to vote for your favorite cover!