Mike Landry: Catholic speaker, writer, & music minister in Alberta, Canada HomepageMike Landry: Catholic speaker, writer, & music minister in Alberta, Canada

sexual purity

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Drinking, Partying (and more) in the Bible

Photo Credit: WikiHow
Photo Credit: WikiHow

A previous version of LIFETEEN.com featured questions and answers from the one and only Bible Geek, Mark Hart, (in a section called “Ask the Bible Geek”).  When a teen asked Mark about drinking, partying, sexuality, an temptation in the St. Paul’s letters in the New Testament, he put together a great list of passages from the New Testament to help focus us on these issues.  While there are other passages to be found, but these citations from St. Paul are a great place to start…

Q: Hey Bible Geek – thanks for all these answers here. My question is this: since it’s the year of St. Paul, me and my friends from Life Teen are trying to read more stuff he wrote. What did St. Paul say about sex, drinking, partying, temptation and everything? There’s so much stuff he wrote and we don’t know where to look? [Read more…] about Drinking, Partying (and more) in the Bible

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YouCat – The Ninth Commandment (on lust)

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.”

In addressing the Sixth Commandment, You Shall Not Commit Adultery, we looked at the idea that human beings have been made in God’s image, and capable of entering into permanent, life-giving relationships of love.  The most intimate of these we call marriage – and this is the proper and holy place for our most intimate expression of love: human sexuality.  Chastity was explained to be the virtue by which we properly integrate our sexuality – neither having sex before marriage nor cheating on one’s spouse once you are married. [Read more…] about YouCat – The Ninth Commandment (on lust)

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YouCat – The Sixth Commandment (Adultery)

“You shall not commit adultery.”

One of the amazing things that human beings are capable is of entering into a lifelong , covenantal, life sharing and life giving mission which we name marriage.  Our understanding of marriage goes right back to the beginning of the Biblical story.  If you look at the accounts of Genesis where God creates humanity, you’ll notice something incredible about the way we’re made.  Genesis 1:26-27 explains that we, as male and female human beings are created in the image of God.  Later, Genesis 2:18 introduces us to man as being alone until God creates a suitable match for him- one he is finally able to give himself to in a relationship of selfless love (that’s why they could stand together naked yet unashamed!)

What you’d see in these passages from Scripture is that God designed us for something very unique [Read more…] about YouCat – The Sixth Commandment (Adultery)

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Sexual Purity Part VI: Growing Strong through Fasting

In 2010, Bob Rice put together a list of six tips – six things you can work at – when you’re fighting the battle for sexual purity (something many of us have to do).  Bob is a former youth minister and currently a professor of Catechetics at the Franciscan University of Steubenville.  He spoke at the Holy Trinity Parish Youth Rally in 2011, and this six-part series is his advice on how to live up to God’s goal of purity.  It’s still good advice, so I want you to read it and live it. I’ve also put together some further tips meant to encourage you in the battle against porn addiction, which you can read at www.mikeisthird.com/apersonfirst.  Bob’s tips are:

This is part six of the series: “Fasting”.

This final tip is the most challenging, but the one of most effective ways to stay sexually pure:

Fast.

Yes, I’m talking about giving something up. Fasting isn’t just for Lent. In the sermon of the mount, Jesus said, “When you fast,” not “if you fast.” (Matthew 6:16) Jesus spent lots of time fasting. Don’t we want to be like Him? Fasting should be a regular part of our spiritual lives. [Read more…] about Sexual Purity Part VI: Growing Strong through Fasting

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Sexual Purity Part V: Mercy

In 2010, Bob Rice put together a list of six tips – six things you can work at – when you’re fighting the battle for sexual purity (something many of us have to do).  Bob is a former youth minister and currently a professor of Catechetics at the Franciscan University of Steubenville.  He spoke at the Holy Trinity Parish Youth Rally in 2011, and this six-part series is his advice on how to live up to God’s goal of purity.  It’s still good advice, so I want you to read it and live it. I’ve also put together some further tips meant to encourage you in the battle against porn addiction, which you can read at www.mikeisthird.com/apersonfirst.  Bob’s tips are:

This is part five of the series: “Mercy”.

“For God so loved the world that he sent his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish, but have eternal life.”

If those words sound familiar it’s because it’s John 3:16, the most popular verse in the Bible. Why is it so popular? Because it captures the Good News, the message of salvation. For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but so that through Him the world might be saved. (John 3:16-17) [Read more…] about Sexual Purity Part V: Mercy