Men, you can make sexually sane choices! Written for Christian men struggling with any form of sexual brokenness, Sexual Sanity for Men: Re-creating Your Mind in a Crazy Culture by David White helps men understand that sexual sin starts in their minds and hearts. It shows them how knowing Christ breaks their chains, builds spiritual brotherhood, and helps them take practical steps to re-create their minds in a God-focused direction.
The Sexual Sanity for Men workbook is ideal for one-on-one mentoring, college age discipleship groups, and men's small group study and is produced by Harvest USA, a ministry bringing the truth and mercy of Jesus Christ to help men, women, and families affected by sexual struggles and sin and equip churches to minister to sexually broken people. The accompanying Leader's Guide is available in an eBook format.
"No aspect of postmodern life is more broken than our sexuality. Nothing brings more wholeness to broken sexuality than the gospel of Jesus Christ. No ministry is more helpful in applying the grace of the cross and the empty tomb to broken sexuality than Harvest USA."
Phil Ryken, DPhil, President, Wheaton College
"Harvest USA is a time-tested ministry that changes lives with the gospel. They know how to speak the truth into your life with gentleness and love. Their skills and expertise have never been more needed by the church."
Timothy Keller, DMin, Senior Pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York, NY and author of The Reason for God
"It's about time somebody said it and said it this way! This is a book that will transform a very difficult and painful subject into a walk of faith and faithfulness that will bring joy, release, and praise. Not only that, the Leader's Guide is incredibly helpful, practical, and profound. Give this (and the Leader's Guide) to every guy you know even if you have to wrap it in a plain, brown paper wrapper."
Steve Brown, Key Life radio broadcaster; author of Three Free Sins: God Isn't Mad at You
"I know of no resource that is written to help men who are struggling with sexual sin that is more soundly biblical, drenched with the gospel, and practical at the street level. I am thankful that this resource now exists and will recommend it again and again. Here is a welcome for men to come out of the hiding, to embrace that there is nothing that could be revealed about them that hasn't already been covered by the blood of Jesus, and to believe that God has given them every grace that they need to fight the battle with sexual sin."
Paul David Tripp, President, Paul Tripp Ministries; best-selling author
"'Line upon line and precept upon precept' (Isaiah 28:10, 13) is the searchingly fresh approach David White has taken in writing both the book and the accompanying leadership guide. Rather than highlighting a representative collection of truths applicable to this life-and-death struggle for sexual sanity, David White seeks to build, from foundation to roof, a theologically thorough and helpfully profound approach to this dimension of fighting the good fight in the Christian life. He has given me and, I trust, all who read and work through this material, substantive help. Thank you, David."
Joseph V. Novenson, Senior Teaching Pastor, Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church, TN
As a father of two teen sons I am deeply thankful for David White’s Sexual Sanity for Men. I have read it a few years ago, but recently worked through it again with my boys. It is biblical theology done right. It is biblical theology made practical. It is the application of God’s Word to life, specifically to our struggle as men with our sexuality and lust. One of the beauties of his book is how it is laid out. You are meant to work through it over fourteen weeks reading one short chapter a day, five days a week. And these chapters are short, on average 2-3 pages. But they are meaty. The questions, for me, were hit or miss. I honestly tended to skip over them and just go over the material directly in the chapters. Another great strength of this book is its focus on spiritual warfare. Our struggle over our sexuality is spiritual warfare. We are engaged in a fierce battle. But as White correctly understands there is a deeper issue at work behind our lust. Our sexual sin is often just a surface level idol with some other deeper idol hiding underneath. White seeks to go deeper, to dig those idols out and to replace them with the beauty, glory, and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a lot of good theology here even apart from the focus on sexual sin. It helps in dealing with all facets of sin. Unfortunately, I thought Sexual Sanity grew a bit redundant toward the end. As much as I appreciate this book I felt like it could be cut down or revised a bit. There were a few times where White says, “As I’ve said before” or “as we’ve already seen…” There’s nothing wrong with repeating key concepts. In fact, its essential, but when it happened toward the end it felt like the book wasn’t progressing forward enough. It felt like momentum was stilted. Another criticism of Sexual Sanity for Men is that it lacks on addressing some of the more practical concerns men may have in dealing with their sexual sin. White really doesn’t want to offer one-size fits all advice. I get that, but at the same time, some practical suggestions would be helpful. When do you tell your wife? Do you tell your fiancé if you are engaged? Is masturbation always wrong? How should we lock down our computers, phones, and other electronic devices? Etc. There are countless questions involved. I hope that one day a second edition will come out with an appendix of questions and answers. That would go a long way toward making this book complete. Regardless, of the above two criticisms Sexual Sanity for Men remains an incredible book. It should be on the shelf of every pastor, every counselor, and every Christian man. It should be read, meditated upon, regurgitated, and then re-read again. And to be clear, it’s not a book that should be read in isolation. While it certainly doesn’t hurt, this is a book that should be read together. I hope one day my sons will go through Sexual Sanity for Men with their sons.
As a father of two teen sons I am deeply thankful for David White’s Sexual Sanity for Men. I have read it a few years ago, but recently worked through it again with my boys. It is biblical theology done right. It is biblical theology made practical. It is the application of God’s Word to life, specifically to our struggle as men with our sexuality and lust. One of the beauties of his book is how it is laid out. You are meant to work through it over fourteen weeks reading one short chapter a day, five days a week. And these chapters are short, on average 2-3 pages. But they are meaty. The questions, for me, were hit or miss. I honestly tended to skip over them and just go over the material directly in the chapters. Another great strength of this book is its focus on spiritual warfare. Our struggle over our sexuality is spiritual warfare. We are engaged in a fierce battle. But as White correctly understands there is a deeper issue at work behind our lust. Our sexual sin is often just a surface level idol with some other deeper idol hiding underneath. White seeks to go deeper, to dig those idols out and to replace them with the beauty, glory, and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a lot of good theology here even apart from the focus on sexual sin. It helps in dealing with all facets of sin. Unfortunately, I thought Sexual Sanity grew a bit redundant toward the end. As much as I appreciate this book I felt like it could be cut down or revised a bit. There were a few times where White says, “As I’ve said before” or “as we’ve already seen…” There’s nothing wrong with repeating key concepts. In fact, its essential, but when it happened toward the end it felt like the book wasn’t progressing forward enough. It felt like momentum was stilted. Another criticism of Sexual Sanity for Men is that it lacks on addressing some of the more practical concerns men may have in dealing with their sexual sin. White really doesn’t want to offer one-size fits all advice. I get that, but at the same time, some practical suggestions would be helpful. When do you tell your wife? Do you tell your fiancé if you are engaged? Is masturbation always wrong? How should we lock down our computers, phones, and other electronic devices? Etc. There are countless questions involved. I hope that one day a second edition will come out with an appendix of questions and answers. That would go a long way toward making this book complete. Regardless, of the above two criticisms Sexual Sanity for Men remains an incredible book. It should be on the shelf of every pastor, every counselor, and every Christian man. It should be read, meditated upon, regurgitated, and then re-read again. And to be clear, it’s not a book that should be read in isolation. While it certainly doesn’t hurt, this is a book that should be read together. I hope one day my sons will go through Sexual Sanity for Men with their sons.
Would make a fine manual for a mens group. This is a gospel centered approach so it gives real hope.
Would make a fine manual for a mens group. This is a gospel centered approach so it gives real hope.
This is the best book on sexual sin I have ever read. If any man has ever struggled with sexual sin past or present; studying this resource with other men will both exposé their sin and find hope in Jesus Christ.
This is the best book on sexual sin I have ever read. If any man has ever struggled with sexual sin past or present; studying this resource with other men will both exposé their sin and find hope in Jesus Christ.
God created mankind as sexual beings – both man and women. It is through our sexuality that we are able to fulfill part of the creation mandate to “be fruitful and multiply.” If we look at human sexuality within our world today we quickly realize that our sexuality is broken and marred. It is not as it should be. Sin has marred our sexuality and we carry it wherever we go. As sexual beings we rightly long for sex but we also realize that something is wrong, very wrong. In short, because of sin we are sexually insane. There is no adult, teenager, and these days, almost no child, who has not been effected in a negative way in regards to their sexuality. From sexual abuse, unsolicited exposure to porn, to prostitution and porn addiction, every person’s sexuality has been affected by sin. We are all in some way touched by sexual sin and we are all in need of healing. One cannot get past the first book of the Bible without seeing the sexual sins of Gods people. Even king Solomon, in all his wisdom, was no match for sexual sins. New Growth Press has recently published two resources for helping people deal with their sexual brokenness. Sexual Sanity of Men: Re-Creating Your Mind In A Crazy Culture by David White and Sexual Sanity for Women: Healing From Sexual & Relational Brokenness Ed. by Ellen Dykas are two workbook/devotional style books to help walk people through their sexual issues and bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to bear on their lives. As White points out, “Sexual sin is an equal opportunity pathogen of the soul.” (SSM, p. 2) While the focus on sexual sins is more often focused on men, women struggle with it as well. Dykas writes, “Women are sexual beings just as much as men are. However, they often experience an even ‘louder silence’ regarding their sexual sin and temptation.” (SSW, p. 1) Both men and women need the gospel applied to their sexuality. These books are written more so as workbooks. Both books follow a daily pattern with a few pages of content followed by reflection questions. SSM is broken into 4 sections over fourteen weeks with devotionals for five days each week. SSW has twenty weeks of material. While a person can go through the books alone, they are really designed to be worked through in small groups. SSW is especially designed for this as each weeks session is formatted like a Bible study lesson guide. These books pull no punches in terms of their brutal honesty about the damaging effects of sexual sins, done to us and by us, on our sexuality. In the beginning of SSM White opens up with a jarring description of how sexual sin can destroy us, "Sexual sin brings desolation. It promises excitement and pleasure, but delivers discontent and insatiable craving, often bringing ruin to God’s blessings: family, friendships, vocation, and health. It leads to an insane life." (p. 8) As both books point out, sexual sins, like all sin, offer to the seeker things that it cannot deliver. There are many reasons why men and women run to sexual sins to fulfill but in the end find that they are right back where they started – wanting. But we would be remiss to think that these are just books telling us about the broken state our sexuality is in. No, these books walk the reader through the reality of their sexual insanity right into the sanity the gospel brings. SSW describes for us the hope the gospel brings to our broken sexuality, "The Christian life is compared to a marathon – it is a race finished by someone who keeps a steady pace toward the finish line. Our journey of growth as women desiring to be like Jesus in our relationships and sexuality is a lot like running a marathon. We must persevere and beware of temptations to quit or get sidetracked. We will be encouraged as we run alongside others heading toward the same finish line. We will be enabled to endure as we set our hope in Christ, fixing our desires upon him. He is with us in the journey, and he will welcome us home when the race is done!" (p. 161) Slowly and steadily the gospel will do its work in our lives in all areas including our sexuality. Sexual Sanity for Men and Sexual Sanity for Women are just the kind of books the church needs to offer to God’s people. Though not to be replaced with professional counseling for those who may need it, these books present God’s good news of the gospel to the bad news of our sexual brokenness. There is no one who these books are not for. These books are useful for anyone from the most sexually promiscuous to the prudish among God’s people. There is hope and there is healing for our sexual brokenness and these books show us the way.
God created mankind as sexual beings – both man and women. It is through our sexuality that we are able to fulfill part of the creation mandate to “be fruitful and multiply.” If we look at human sexuality within our world today we quickly realize that our sexuality is broken and marred. It is not as it should be. Sin has marred our sexuality and we carry it wherever we go. As sexual beings we rightly long for sex but we also realize that something is wrong, very wrong. In short, because of sin we are sexually insane. There is no adult, teenager, and these days, almost no child, who has not been effected in a negative way in regards to their sexuality. From sexual abuse, unsolicited exposure to porn, to prostitution and porn addiction, every person’s sexuality has been affected by sin. We are all in some way touched by sexual sin and we are all in need of healing. One cannot get past the first book of the Bible without seeing the sexual sins of Gods people. Even king Solomon, in all his wisdom, was no match for sexual sins. New Growth Press has recently published two resources for helping people deal with their sexual brokenness. Sexual Sanity of Men: Re-Creating Your Mind In A Crazy Culture by David White and Sexual Sanity for Women: Healing From Sexual & Relational Brokenness Ed. by Ellen Dykas are two workbook/devotional style books to help walk people through their sexual issues and bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to bear on their lives. As White points out, “Sexual sin is an equal opportunity pathogen of the soul.” (SSM, p. 2) While the focus on sexual sins is more often focused on men, women struggle with it as well. Dykas writes, “Women are sexual beings just as much as men are. However, they often experience an even ‘louder silence’ regarding their sexual sin and temptation.” (SSW, p. 1) Both men and women need the gospel applied to their sexuality. These books are written more so as workbooks. Both books follow a daily pattern with a few pages of content followed by reflection questions. SSM is broken into 4 sections over fourteen weeks with devotionals for five days each week. SSW has twenty weeks of material. While a person can go through the books alone, they are really designed to be worked through in small groups. SSW is especially designed for this as each weeks session is formatted like a Bible study lesson guide. These books pull no punches in terms of their brutal honesty about the damaging effects of sexual sins, done to us and by us, on our sexuality. In the beginning of SSM White opens up with a jarring description of how sexual sin can destroy us, "Sexual sin brings desolation. It promises excitement and pleasure, but delivers discontent and insatiable craving, often bringing ruin to God’s blessings: family, friendships, vocation, and health. It leads to an insane life." (p. 8) As both books point out, sexual sins, like all sin, offer to the seeker things that it cannot deliver. There are many reasons why men and women run to sexual sins to fulfill but in the end find that they are right back where they started – wanting. But we would be remiss to think that these are just books telling us about the broken state our sexuality is in. No, these books walk the reader through the reality of their sexual insanity right into the sanity the gospel brings. SSW describes for us the hope the gospel brings to our broken sexuality, "The Christian life is compared to a marathon – it is a race finished by someone who keeps a steady pace toward the finish line. Our journey of growth as women desiring to be like Jesus in our relationships and sexuality is a lot like running a marathon. We must persevere and beware of temptations to quit or get sidetracked. We will be encouraged as we run alongside others heading toward the same finish line. We will be enabled to endure as we set our hope in Christ, fixing our desires upon him. He is with us in the journey, and he will welcome us home when the race is done!" (p. 161) Slowly and steadily the gospel will do its work in our lives in all areas including our sexuality. Sexual Sanity for Men and Sexual Sanity for Women are just the kind of books the church needs to offer to God’s people. Though not to be replaced with professional counseling for those who may need it, these books present God’s good news of the gospel to the bad news of our sexual brokenness. There is no one who these books are not for. These books are useful for anyone from the most sexually promiscuous to the prudish among God’s people. There is hope and there is healing for our sexual brokenness and these books show us the way.