In recent years, the types of calls that centers like Ozarks Teen Challenge receive has been shifting. Are we still getting calls about drug and alcohol addiction? Yes, but a new drug has entered the arena. And this new drug is as addictive as any other, is destroying the fabric of our ability to relate and love well, and is inciting aggressive acts of violence towards others. The worst part, this drug is free, readily available, and viewed by our culture as socially acceptable. Pornography, has become the drug of choice for many teens today. Ozarks Teen Challenge is taking a stand on the front lines to fight this new drug and its effects on our teenagers.
But how do we fight this battle? Sadly, the Church’s answer to that question has historically been to focus on the “Don’t’s.” And while the “Don’t’s” are vital, they do lack a pivotal piece of information. What is sexuality supposed to be? Instead of focusing exclusively on what our students should not be doing (which we also make clear), Ozarks Teen Challenge is striving to teach teens what sexuality is created to be. Educating them on what sexuality’s God-given purposes are, allowing them see the beauty in how God created sexuality. Giving them the whole truth.
Ozarks Teen Challenge is accomplishing this through its discipleship classes and by being the first juvenile center to utilize new curriculum regarding sexual wholeness education. In fact, the author of that new curriculum, Cindy Irwin, will be doing a conference at Ozarks Teen Challenge for our teens in April. Cindy is a licensed Marriage and Family Counselor, as well as, a Licensed Christian Sex Therapist. Cindy recently presented at Teen Challenge’s National Director’s Conference and brought a wealth of knowledge regarding sexual wholeness and Biblical teachings on sexuality.
“If we want our teens to spot a counterfeit, than we need to teach them day in and day out what the genuine looks like,” says Irwin. Educating them on what sexuality is meant to be and to fulfill within a marriage relationship, allows them to see the value in avoiding the counterfeit. In comparison, the voyeuristic counterfeit provided through pornography, is revealed as a poor replacement that is damaging and addictive.
By learning about the value of genuine, God-designed sexuality, our teens are motivated to change bad habits and learn to exercise self-control. Self-control and discipline are nearly impossible to instill until you understand the value of that which you are protecting or working to build. We protect, guard, and care for that which we value. As we teach our teens the value of God created viagra for men sexuality, we are able to enlist them in the battle against this new drug, a drug that threatens to destroy what God has intended for good.
Please join with us as we pray for healing and freedom from sexual brokenness and addiction during our upcoming on-campus conference…for our students to understand God’s truth and to begin the transition from brokenness to sexual wholeness.
If your teen is struggling with a sexual addiction, Contact Us Today to receive more information on how we might be able to help.
You may also find more content on our blog that can be helpful, like our article entitled “What is Wilderness Therapy?“