WHY WE EXIST

The DVD Conquer Series: The Battle Plan for Purity uses this preamble: “Join 1 million men in over 80 countries who are learning to live free of porn through the proven strategies and practical tools taught in the Conquer Series. Now in two action packed 5-week volumes, each containing Biblical teaching to help men walk in freedom.’. Conquer Series: Battle Plan for Sexual Purity. Gives you real,proven strategies for freedom. You will explore strongholds that keep men in bondage, examine the neurochemistry of addiction, discover the weapons and strategies of God, investigate proven strategies to prevent relapse, and study practical daily techniques to remain free. The Conquer Series, unrivaled in its scope and authority, is a life-changing, 5-week discipleship study that lays out the battle plan for purity. This bundle includes the Conquer Series Volume 2 DVD set, hosted by former U.S. Marine fighter pilot and senior pastor, Dr. Ted Roberts, along with the comprehensive Conquer Series Volume 2 Study.

We see in the frustration and despair of people suffering addictions to pornography and other seemingly uncontrollable sexual behaviors, the opportunity to share with them a path to freedom guided by God himself, in concert with others on the path to sexual integrity.

HOW WE GAIN FREEDOM

The foundation upon which the Livingston County My House, is primarily built on is prayer and a deep dependence on God. We will use proven spiritual programs such as the following to help us achieve this:

Ignatian – 11 Rules of Spiritual Discernment’.Section

The following is an explanation of how an adapted formof the ‘Ignatian 11-Rules of Spiritual Discernment’compliments and can be a helpful addition to our recovery toolbox.The founder of Alcoholics Anonymous Bill Wilson calls the 12-Steps of Alcoholics Anonymousa ‘spiritual program’ and in his spiritual walk, Wilson was greatly influenced by a Priest, Fr. Edward Dowling. In a letter to Dowling’s sister on June 1, 1961, Bill says of Dowling; “In my book he (Fr. Dowling) is a saint, and a most colorful one too. His benefactions to me are among my brightest memories”. In a letter five years later, he wrote,“He (Dowling) was made of the stuff of Saints … In a very real sense, he was my spiritual advisor, just as he was for many hundreds in A.A.”.

So, what was the spiritual program that Dowling practiced, which Wilson found attractive?In a letter to Dowling from May 29, 1952, Wilson askedfor a copy of the Ignatius ‘Spiritual Exercises’. After reading about them, Bill wrote Dowling on July 17, 1952; “Please have my immense thanks for the volume on the Ignatian Exercises. I am already into it, and what an adventure it is! … I had never seen anything of the ‘Exercises’ at all. Consequently, I am astonished and not a little awed by what comes into sight.” It was this Spiritual Program written in the 16th centuryby Ignatius of Loyola, that Bill was praising. In the ‘The Spiritual Exercises’ Ignatius lists the attributes and elements of the spiritual life, the battle between the positive, which calls us to humility and service of others, and the negative which fosters pride and a me first attitude.

Many today ask; What is a ‘Spiritual Life?”Thoughts are diverse and use of the Adapted Ignatian Rules of Spiritual Discernment has no argument concerning the definition of spiritual life, noris itpresented, as the only spiritual program of merit. That said, this adaptation of the Rules of Spiritual Discernment can be an aid in treading the 12-Step path. We’ve done this because, what is true, is true, is true.If a practice has been proven valuable for centuries and has been recognized as applicable by people from different cultures and times, (like Ignatius and Bill W.) then it should be helpful for us as well.

Conquer Series - The Battle Plan For Purity

For our purposes in the following adaption of the Rules of Spiritual Discernment we are using the word Observation rather than rule, and the terms‘Positive Spirit’, and ‘Negative Spirit,’ to personify spiritual movements. Movements which influence our hearts and affects our emotions in response to life’s challenges. Truth is a cornerstone of the 12-Steps. Bill Wilson wrote in the A.A. Grapevine magazine“truth makes us free…it cuts the shackles which once bound us…it banishes fear and isolation.” Truth is also the foundation of the teaching of Jesus, who said “Know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

The following are:

SpiritualObservations Which Support the 12-Step Spiritual Walk

Observation 1.) In addiction, the Evil One focuses on the pleasures of our
destructive behaviors, and God, pricks our consciences and focuses on the
addiction’s pain.
Observation 2.) When in addiction’s pain we cry for help and Evil declares, “You
know you can’t live without me!!!” God though, hears our cry , and gives,
courage, consolation. and hope.
Observation 3.) The Soul is consoled that God is doing for it what it could not do
for itself. Overwhelmed by God’s love, it begins to walk a spiritual path it had not
known before.
Observation 4.) After a period of consolation, desolation comes. Hope and
consolation disappear, and the Evil One whispers, “Turn back to the pleasures
of your addictions.”
Observation 5.) By God’s grace, oppose the Evil One’s suggestions, and He
weakens and flees. If we turn to our self-resolve, we will fail, and the Evil Spirit
will grow fiercer.
Observation 6.) The Evil One wants its’ suggestions and our failings kept secret,
knowing he cannot succeed if they are brought to the light with others.
Observation 7.) When in desolation, never change your spiritual walk. Pray and
meditate more. Meet desolation with God’s grace. Talk to your sponsor and
other supports.
Observation 8.) In Desolation, be patient and know that consolation will soon
return, continue to resist.
Observation 9.) Three causes for desolation: 1.) Sloth in spiritual practices. 2.)
God testing, bringing us to dependence on Him. 3.) So, we know consolation as
is His gift, not our effort.
Observation 10.) In times of consolation, plan how you will face the desolation
which will surely follow. Then, in that desolation, know that, “This desolation too
shall pass.”
Observation 11.) Receive consolations humbly, remembering that perseverance
against the Evil One in former desolations was not accomplished by our resolve,
but by God’s grace.

Conqueror Series The Battle Plan For Purity

12-Step Spiritual program used by many addiction recovery groups.

My House Men’s Group also uses the 12-Steps used by many people in recovery. They have been slightly adapted to address our addiction. We find these suggested steps from this spiritual program to be incredibly supportive as we walk the Gospel path with God and others.
1.) – We admitted that we were powerless over lust – that our lives had become unmanageable.
2.) – Came to believe that God could restore us to sanity.
3.) – Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God.
4.) – Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5.) – Admitted to God, to ourselves and another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6.) – Were entirely reading to have God remove all these defects of character.
7.) – Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8.) – Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
9.) – Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or
others.
10.) – Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11.) – Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only
for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12.) - Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other
sexaholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

The Conquer Video Series – The Battle Plan for Purity, and ‘The Seven Pillars of Freedom’ Workbook.Section

The My House Livingston County Men’s Group uses the Conquer Series of Videos, Journaling and Workbooks to aid in our recovery. They provide the foundation for what we do in our meetings and what we do during each week to stay on target toward freedom from our sexual addiction in our daily life.

Conquer Series The Battle Plan For Purity Dvd

The 6 – DISC Collection is for any man who has ever struggled with sexual addictions of any kind. The video series is wide in scope backed by many authorities in sexual addiction. It offers men proven
principles and practical tools to break free of sexual addiction. The series is hosted by Dr. Ted Roberts, who has over 30 years’ experience helping men to overcome addiction to pornography and other sexual addictions.

We also use a Study Guide and a Journal that helps us to daily spend time actively pursuing healing from our addiction. The theme of the Workbook is ‘Try Smarter, Not Harder’. The Study Guide is designed to get the best out of the Conquer video series and has a five-week plan to help apply the principles and strategies that are presented in each of the six videos. It gives us a process that we can work long after going through the series the first time.

The Conquer Series Journal helps us implement what we are learning through the DVD and Study Guide. It is jamb-packed with weekly exercises and daily Bible passages for ten weeks, The Journal is a great tool to help us grow and become free of our addiction.

Conquer Series The Battle Plan For Purity For Women

Opportunity for prayer with people trained in healing prayer.Section

Our experience has shown that being prayed with by others who have been trained in prayer for inner healing is a helpful aid to healing. Not only from the effects of our sexual addiction, but also for healing the root causes of the emotional and spiritual pains and injuries we have suffered in the past. Pain and injuries for which we use our sexual addictions to escape. It does not matter if they were our
own fault or were done to us by others. We also recommend enlisting the aid of a Professional Counselor to gain insight into the root causes of the emotion pain and suffering we experience.

WHO WE SERVE

We serve others like ourselves who keep repeating, repenting and repeating over and over again sexual activities which go against our desire to act in a moral integrity which lives up to our hopes for sexual purity.