121 Stories - Coming Clean And Finding Freedom
A frank discussion about addiction recovery and marriage.
JD and Deana Acres
Mar 29, 2020 5m
In this message a couple has a frank discussion about porngraphy addiction recovery. They remind us of the importance of finding support while going through this delicate time of healing. Video recorded at Grapevine, Texas.
TranscriptionmessageRegarding Grammar:
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
JD Acres: 00:00 Hello, my name is JD Acres and this is my beautiful bride Deana, and God has a story to tell through us.
JD Acres: 00:11 So I was exposed to pornography at the age of six or seven, and then not again until probably 10 or 11, and then it was a struggle throughout my life up until about a year ago. I always relied on pornography to comfort me when I was scared, or when I was sick, or just any sort of affliction, that was what I turned to. And I've realized that God is all of those things, that his word has something for all of those things. We're just excited to share our story with all of you and to just show everyone that there can be victory, but it's not a do it on your own thing, we're all here to help. This is just one thing that seems like it's really hard to come out and admit, and it was for me. Obviously it was, you know, I've been exposed to it for 30 years, and the best thing I ever did was come out with it, because I instantly felt the world lifted off of my shoulders.
Deana Acres: 01:34 When JD came to me, it was really hard because of my past, my dad was a sex addict, and I had been previously married and my ex-husband as well had a porn addiction and ended up being a sex addict as well. So when he came to me with this, it was only by the grace of God that I stayed, I did not want to go through this battle again. I stayed up many nights praying, just weeping, because I didn't want to do this, but I didn't want to leave my marriage either. God kept bringing up Mark 10:9 over and over and over again, "What God has joined together, let man not separate." As much as I wanted to separate, I knew that God had more for our story than it just to end there. At moments when I wanted to lash out at JD, God would just gentle my heart and my spirit to love him when I didn't want to.
JD Acres: 02:40 There's no greater love than confessing your wrongs and asking for forgiveness, and accepting God who is love. And so a year ago I confessed all of that, I reached out to Jordan Hill and got some mentorship through him, and I've dove into God's word. And the most important thing that I can think is that just getting it out there, no one is strong enough to do it on their own, which is what I always thought. I thought I was strong enough and I could just, I could do it on my own. I always liked to say that I was an Oak, I always wanted to be the big, strong, tall person. And I've come to realize over this past year that God is my strength, that it's only through him, that I can be that strong.
Deana Acres: 03:47 It's a beautiful picture, really, of what God can do through our sinfulness, really. I mean, just in his sinfulness, and my sinfulness with how I responded, God is able to show us just how great he is and how needed he is. And just love your husband, give him grace, and if you ever needed somebody to talk to, because you need somebody who understands, I'll always be here to listen and talk to you and walk you through it. Not as a gossip session or anything, but as a loving shoulder that can help point you the way that God has instructed me, and has pointed me, through. He's just revealed a lot of the sinfulness in both of us, but his grace through it, and it's been good.
JD Acres: 04:46 It's been amazing.
Deana Acres: 04:49 It's been amazing. I love you.
Recorded in Grapevine, Texas.
JD Acres: 00:11 So I was exposed to pornography at the age of six or seven, and then not again until probably 10 or 11, and then it was a struggle throughout my life up until about a year ago. I always relied on pornography to comfort me when I was scared, or when I was sick, or just any sort of affliction, that was what I turned to. And I've realized that God is all of those things, that his word has something for all of those things. We're just excited to share our story with all of you and to just show everyone that there can be victory, but it's not a do it on your own thing, we're all here to help. This is just one thing that seems like it's really hard to come out and admit, and it was for me. Obviously it was, you know, I've been exposed to it for 30 years, and the best thing I ever did was come out with it, because I instantly felt the world lifted off of my shoulders.
Deana Acres: 01:34 When JD came to me, it was really hard because of my past, my dad was a sex addict, and I had been previously married and my ex-husband as well had a porn addiction and ended up being a sex addict as well. So when he came to me with this, it was only by the grace of God that I stayed, I did not want to go through this battle again. I stayed up many nights praying, just weeping, because I didn't want to do this, but I didn't want to leave my marriage either. God kept bringing up Mark 10:9 over and over and over again, "What God has joined together, let man not separate." As much as I wanted to separate, I knew that God had more for our story than it just to end there. At moments when I wanted to lash out at JD, God would just gentle my heart and my spirit to love him when I didn't want to.
JD Acres: 02:40 There's no greater love than confessing your wrongs and asking for forgiveness, and accepting God who is love. And so a year ago I confessed all of that, I reached out to Jordan Hill and got some mentorship through him, and I've dove into God's word. And the most important thing that I can think is that just getting it out there, no one is strong enough to do it on their own, which is what I always thought. I thought I was strong enough and I could just, I could do it on my own. I always liked to say that I was an Oak, I always wanted to be the big, strong, tall person. And I've come to realize over this past year that God is my strength, that it's only through him, that I can be that strong.
Deana Acres: 03:47 It's a beautiful picture, really, of what God can do through our sinfulness, really. I mean, just in his sinfulness, and my sinfulness with how I responded, God is able to show us just how great he is and how needed he is. And just love your husband, give him grace, and if you ever needed somebody to talk to, because you need somebody who understands, I'll always be here to listen and talk to you and walk you through it. Not as a gossip session or anything, but as a loving shoulder that can help point you the way that God has instructed me, and has pointed me, through. He's just revealed a lot of the sinfulness in both of us, but his grace through it, and it's been good.
JD Acres: 04:46 It's been amazing.
Deana Acres: 04:49 It's been amazing. I love you.
Recorded in Grapevine, Texas.
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