Welcome to the Victory Blog

First we want to thank our wonderful congregation and the many friends of VWC in Atlanta and around the world for your interest in helping the people trying to survive the earthquake and its aftereffects in Haiti.  Your prayers and giving are making it possible for us to respond to the situation in Haiti and help restore and rebuild this country. Below is the latest update regarding our fight(s) and teams leaving to assist:

As you know, the situation on the ground in Port au Prince is dire.  Airport activity is restricted and the port is destroyed; so a continual flow of incoming aid is hindered. To make matters worse, the disorder and disorganization on the ground is negatively effecting distribution.  You have seen the pictures and video in the media so you know how the situation has been deteriorating over the last few days.  There have, however, been signs of improvement today (as far as distribution and security are concerned), so we are praying that the situation on the ground continues to head in the right direction.

Our top priorities for our trip are 1) physical relief and medical care to the people of Haiti, and 2) safety and security for our team.  We feel pretty good about the relief and medical part, and are very close to insuring the safety and security part, which has been a portion of the delay all along.  The other part of the delay has been getting clearance to land an airplane. The US Military has taken control of the airport and has highly tightened their criteria for issuing clearances to land.  Our inside sources tell us that this is a temporary development that will change soon.

For four days, we have been working the phones non-stop; and every time we would get a break through, the rules would change and we would have to start over.  The rules are still changing and so we are trying to adapt.  It makes it very difficult to organize in such a fluid and unstable environment.  But for the sake of the Haitian people, we are continuing to push on. Please continue to pray.

When we have security and clearance secured at the same time, then we will know its time to leave.  Because we were close this weekend, we decided to put out the word and start seeing who is available so we can be ready when it is time.  Yesterday, it looked like we were good for a Tuesday departure on a US Military Transport plane, but it turned out that the US government pulled the plug.  We now have a 30-seat private jet ready to depart from Atlanta later this week, all depending on clearance and security. It looks like both components are moving in the right direction, we just don’t know how fast.

Here is some information regarding the mission itself.  We will be partnering with three organizations: Medishare of Haiti, Hospitals for Humanity of Gwinnett County, and International Crisis Aid of Missouri. Our relief efforts will help to support Grace International’s operations in Haiti.

Medishare is the most respected medical relief organization in Haiti, as considered by the government of Haiti itself.  Because of this, we are close to securing a 25-man UN armed security detail at the Medishare base where we most likely will set up base operations.  It is a walled community just outside Port au Prince.

Hospitals for Humanity is a highly experienced organization in medical field hospital operations.  They just returned from a trip to Nigeria where they treated over 10,000 patients in one week.  They have a highly effective and proven medical missions model.

International Crisis Aid is a relief organization that has brought relief to the Sudan, the tsunami effected areas, Ethiopia, Afghanistan and elsewhere.  Pat Bradley, the founder, will be directing the part of our mission which will address the non-medical concerns (food, water, shelter, etc).

All organizations involved will also be assessing the situation on the ground for the purpose of developing a long term plan for helping the people of Haiti, which will provide valuable information for subsequent trips.

How many will go on the first team will depend on seat availability on the plane.  Preference will be given to those in the medical profession, translators, and those with cross-cultural relief experience.  Those not able to participate in this first trip can more than likely find a place on a subsequent trip that will not be so heavily focused on medical relief, and not have strict space limitations.

We will do everything within our power to give at least a 2 or 3 day notice before departure.  But please know that we may find ourselves in a situation where we have a small window of opportunity or a situation where we are on standby for a few days.  Some things are just out of our hands, but we believe at the right time, God will open the door for us.  As of now, we are shooting for Wednesday – but it could be later.

We are committed to sending the first team as soon as security and clearance can be secured; if it takes 3 days or if it takes three weeks.  We appreciate your prayers and your patience as we seek to navigate these very difficult waters.

For most of my early Christian life, I was trying to earn God’s approval and feel valuable, not realizing just how valuable I am to God. Yet, the truth is that He values us so highly. I want each of you to understand how God sees you as we move forward into the next year.

So many things in this earth are designed to try to steal value. Abortion, abuse, abandonment and many other things contribute to people being devalued. Millions of people feel undervalued or valueless because of things like these. When people feel they have lost their value, they will lose their values. We need to know just how valuable we are. What makes us valuable? Here are some truths that we need to keep in mind whenever the devil tries to get us feeling valueless:

• We are valuable because of the price that was paid for us – Jesus’ blood shed on the cross.
• We are valuable because of the position we’re placed in – we’ve been seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. We’re all covered with a robe of righteousness – it’s Jesus’ righteousness. None of us are superior or inferior to others.
• We are valuable because of the high calling to which we have been called – every one of us have a purpose, we’ve been created to do something specific in the kingdom of God.
• We are valuable because of the potential that’s inside of us – we are like apples seeds, each of which contains the potential to become a tree full of apples, which could become an orchard and so on. We have unlimited potential.
• We are valuable because of the people we can reach – each of us are in this earth to reach others, to touch their lives and to bring them into the kingdom.

Let me encourage you to meditate on these things. Listen to or watch the message I gave this past weekend about this topic. Get it in your spirit. So many of us are missing out on the fullness of life that God intends for us to have because we have fallen prey to the enemy’s tactic of making us feel valueless. But, if we’ll get these truths fixed firmly in our hearts, the results – in our lives and in the world around us – will be amazing!

Now, as you enter into 2010, I pray that you will be blessed abundantly and come to know just how valuable you are to God!

With the start of the holiday season quickly approaching, Pastor Colleen Rouse hosted the last ChickChat of 2009 on Friday, November 20th.  “I’ve been to a few ChickChats before and they’ve been amazing.” said Alysha McCree as she strolled around the elegantly decorated Victory World Church V1 main lobby “I appreciate the opportunity to be fed by my Senior Pastor, but I really appreciate the opportunity to fellowship and share.”  At 26, Alysha knows many of her peers could use the wisdom, love and sense of camaraderie that can only come from other women.  “If they’ve come this far without having women pour into their lives, they need to be here.”

Of course, no ChickChat would be complete without the awesome work of the Victory Special Events Team lead by wonder woman Catherine Bach, and they did not disappoint!  Beautifully decorated tables offering assorted teas and beverages dotted the V1 floor creating an easy and relaxed atmosphere.  New mom Susan, attending her second ChickChat, gazed around the lobby taking it all in. “My first experience at ChickChat was good.  It gave me the opportunity to learn.” As her sister-in-law, and first time attendee, Marini, joined her, she continued, “I think it is important to get knowledge and learn how to manage life.”  Marini smiled and added, “I just wanted to come and experience it.”

As the crowd, undeterred by the chilly autumn air and threat of rain, continued to file in, Ada Lopez settled back into one of the conversation areas.   When asked why she attends ChickChat she replied “This is a time for us women to come together.  This allows us to be ministered to and grow together.  I feel great after I come.”

Once the sanctuary doors opened, the evening’s emcee, Ashley Sheering, welcomed the audience and got things off to a great start with a tee shirt toss.  Then, the Victory Praise Team took the stage and warmed the crowd up with praise and worship.  After a short video clip featuring people juggling various objects, Pastor Colleen took the stage to deliver her message entitled “From Marginal Women to Women with Margin,” and what a message it was.  Talk about timely.

Many women will spend the next four weeks agonizing over decorating the house, preparing the perfect holiday meal, shopping for the perfect gifts and serving in various ministries, and will find themselves stretched to their limit.  Think about the days leading up to Thanksgiving, for instance.  Wednesday night comes, you’re making your list and checking it twice.  Turkey – check.  Recipe for Aunt Betty’s special oyster stuffing – check.  Ingredients for your very own so-good-it-will-make-Paula Deen-envious pumpkin pie – check.  Circulars for the Friday sales along with maps and store floor plans – check.  Weight Watchers membership information – check.  See what I mean?  By the time the New Year comes you could find yourself suffering from one of three maladies of the soul:

1. Performance Virus – Doing because you should
2. Perfection Infection – Doing because you can
3. Disease to Please – Doing because you must

Do you make Aunt Betty’s special oyster stuffing because you want to or because it’s a family tradition?  If it’s only because it’s a family tradition you may have Performance Virus.  Ask yourself will it really matter if the stuffing comes from a box?  Besides, do you even like oyster stuffing?  What about your pumpkin pie?  Sure you can make a great pie, but will the world stop if the pumpkin pie comes from the local grocery store?  Probably not, but if you’re convinced it will, then maybe you have Perfection Infection.  Must you get up at 3am on Friday to stand in line with a bunch of other stressed out women to fight over a toy your 4-year old won’t remember next year?  If so then you may be suffering from Disease to Please.  Could you be suffering from one or all of these maladies?  Sadly, most of us are, but there is hope.

Pastor Colleen explained that we need to examine our motives in doing for others, and we need to beware of martyrdom.  Ephesians 2:8 says: “For it is by free grace that you are saved through faith. And this is not of yourselves but it is the gift of God.”  Pastor Colleen encouraged us to embrace His unlimited love (Jeremiah 31:3) and embrace our limited abilities (Psalms 121:1).  She also reminded us that we must master the ability to live within the awareness of the Source of our empowerment.  It’s not about balance it’s about focus.

To top off the evening, we were blessed by surprise guest, Valorie Burton, author of the book “How Did I Get So Busy?” Valorie helped reinforce Pastor Colleen’s message by sharing her own insight and giving the audience something to think about when she cautioned that the enemy keeps us busy to get us off track and keep us away from God’s purpose.  A hilarious question and answer session followed, which included tips for managing your e-mail inbox, effective Blackberry use and overcoming Facebook addiction.  By the end of the evening we had learned that we must have fun, tame our tech habits and most importantly, govern our souls.

Afterwards, the “chicks” returned to the V1 lobby to gather in the candlelit conversation areas and (what else?) chat while enjoying specially brewed coffees and delectable desserts, including a tasty chocolate treat that quickly disappeared.

If you missed ChickChat this year, have no fear, the first ChickChat of 2010 is planned for February 19.  So mark your calendars and come expecting to have fun and be blessed! ~ Karla E.

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(click an image to see entire gallery of photos from this event)

The crowd was huge for 212˚ as over 500 middle and high school students filled the floor of Victory’s main sanctuary. The band started to play, and the electrifying worship, that has become so characteristic to 212˚, began. Students rushed to the front with the sort of passion that it seems only young people can bring to their pursuit of God.

The word was clear, blunt and sobering as Donny Pauling, a.k.a., Donovan Phillips, ex-porn producer, revealed the cold, harsh realities of an industry and lifestyle bound in sexual perversion. His in-your-face tone and matter-of-fact way of saying things brought an emotion that is seldom felt in a crowd full of teenagers…gravity.

His raw presentation of not only the facts, but his own brokenness, earned their respect. His transparency was admired by all as he spoke to a generation who esteem honesty as, perhaps, their greatest virtue.

As I looked across the crowd, I saw young men who I’ve walked with over the years in their struggle with pornography. Even as I think of their battle now, my heart breaks for them. After the service was over, I saw one of these young men…and in his eyes, I saw a light…I sensed in him the freedom of a man who has just heard the truth. (See John 8.32) It was the look of a man (and I think it was this way for many) who still had a disease, but had just found the cure.

I think that Porn and Pizza was the beginning of a conversation wherein many will “confess their sins that they may be healed.” It was the beginning of a journey for those whose pursuit of God will not be impeded by the “besetting sins” of this world. May they run and not grow weary; may they walk and not faint! ~ Levi C.

On a rainy Sunday night, it was a welcome sight indeed to see the volunteers from Victory Vida greeting concerned parents who had gathered for Porn and Parents. The Victory Vida worship team set a tone of expectation as they led the group into worship in both English and Spanish. In spite of the pouring rain, V3 was packed out with parents eager to learn what they could do to help their teens keep safe in their Internet usage.

Craig Gross began by giving some startling statistics: 65% of parents are unaware of what their children are doing online; 8 out of 10 teen boys are struggling with porn; 90% of teens are online. So what do we do? Craig summed it up in a few points:

1. Have a conversation with your teens about this issue. He recommended this link: xxxchurch.com/gethelp/parents/resources.html that can give parents the tools they need to discuss this issue with their teens,
2. Move your computer to a public area in the house. He reminded parents of their parental role in this issue – with 13 -18 year olds spending an average of 72 hours a week using some sort of technology – almost two full time jobs – parents do not want to leave their children open to harm;
3. Safeguard your computer, just as you do your television set. It is vital for everyone to have filters and software on your computer to protect your children. He mentioned both filter and accountability software that is readily available through x3watch.com.

Craig also cautioned about the dangers of unmonitored use of social media sites, pointing out that most parents would not allow their teens to travel wherever they want, whenever they want, but routinely let them do that in the online world.

Most teens do not realize the dangers that are inherent in distributing personal information online. The internet is full of online predators, and parents must ensure that they regularly check any social media accounts that their children maintain in order to keep them safe from harm.

The evening ended with an open Q & A session with Craig Gross and Pastors Dennis and Colleen, who have already navigated this world with their own teen. Then, they challenged all the parents to stand firm as they protect their children, even when their children and other parents pressure them to give in. After all, we are responsible to the Lord for them. Pastor Dennis then closed in prayer, asking for wisdom for parents and protection for our teens. ~ Pamela B.

Nearly 700 men came out on a sunny Saturday morning to enjoy a pancake breakfast and talk about a subject that could actually take away your appetite: Pornography.

As breakfast got underway, comedian David Dean lightened the mood with some good humor explaining the secret to a happy life and marriage…you have to giggle…a lot…at yourself. In the midst of the humor, he brought a good message: Your giggle, the joy in your heart, could be your greatest testimony.

Next, Craig Gross, Pastor and Founder of XXXchurch.com, a.k.a. “the porn pastor,” told the story behind XXXchurch.com. It started because he wanted to create a safe place online where people could get the truth about porn and get help.

Then, Gross continued by candidly speaking about the issue of pornography and sexual addiction. He said, “What you’re looking at online will eventually take you offline. You can never get enough.” He exposed the lie that no one is really hurt by porn. “The truth,” he said, “is that there are people that are hurt by this stuff – the consumers, their wives and families and the models and producers as well.”

Gross said, “This issue is very progressive. Once you get into it, you keep having to get a little more, and soon, that’s not enough, and you have to go deeper and deeper to get the same thrill. Unfortunately, most of the time people with this issue don’t even want to get help, at least not until they’ve hit rock bottom. Pornography is a very selfish thing; it pleases no one but self.”

Closing out his segment, Gross listed six ways to ruin your life:

1. Fight temptation with willpower – we’re men, aren’t we?!
2. Believe this lie: “just a little porn is okay.” “It’s just______.” “porn training wheels” You can’t delete the images from your mind. It’s progressive, you’ll want more and more.
3. Spend more time online and less time in God’s Word.
4. Wing it when it comes to your integrity. “Looking once means I’m alive; looking twice means I’ve dissed my wife.” We’ve got to address our issues before they take us out.
5. Go solo. Joining up with others, opening up don’t come naturally to guys. Never met anyone who’s gotten over a problem with porn by themselves. Use X3watch.
6. Believe this lie: “If you fail, just give up.”

Next up, Donny Pauling, a.k.a. Donovan Phillips, ex-porn producer, shared this powerful

testimony:

Raised a pastor’s son, he grew to hate the people in the churches, which were very legalistic. It seemed like everything was wrong. From his perspective, God wasn’t fun and kept people from having fun. People in church were hypocrites. Then, he met a “real” Christian girl and started pretending in order to keep their relationship going. He became the very thing he had grown to hate: a hypocrite.

Pauling started producing porn secretly after he got married, doing it behind his wife’s back for three years, making tons of money. Eventually, he ended up cheating on her and when he confessed to her all that he was doing, it effectively ended their marriage.

He said, “I watched the light go out of a whole lot of [girls’] eyes right before me.” The models’ lives usually fell apart. Even free sites contribute to the trail of broken lives. “Still, I proudly told former church “friends” that I was a porn producer,” he said, “defending myself by saying that if there was no demand, there would be no supply.”

Over time, however, hearing story after story of people’s lives being destroyed and broken, it started to get to him. Then he saw the xxxchurch.com booth at a porn convention. As he began interacting with Craig Gross and his team, Pauling saw them showing unconditional love to himself and others. And this blew away his paradigm. He could no longer justify his hatred of Christians.  His heart started softening. He even started praying. When offered an amazing contract by Playboy, he gave thanks to God, and then immediately knew how petty it was. He started trying to bargain with God, but then he knew his porn career was over; that he couldn’t do it anymore. He hadn’t yet given his life to God, but he just  couldn’t pick up his camera. A few months later, he realized he needed to start trusting God, and gave his life to Christ.

Although they had gotten divorced, Pauling had continued to support his ex-wife. While he had been producing the porn, he was living lavishly and hadn’t saved any of the money. So when he quit, he lost pretty much everything. He was completely blown away with gratitude and humility that during this time, the xxxchurch people started supporting him, and his wife’s bills never went unpaid. After a period of detox, his ex-wife began to share with him how God helped her through the pain.

Now Pauling has started a new business, and his ex-wife actually works for him, and sometimes they talk of reconciliation. He continues to receive letters of support and encouragement through the xxxchurch.com site, as well as from others seeking his help. He also regularly gets letters from some of his former models whose lives are still being ruined by their past. He read one of these by a former photo-only model. The pictures that he had take in the past are still haunting and destroying her life. She was desperate and there isn’t really anything he can do. He stated this poignant truth, “Nobody in the [porn] business ends up being grateful for being involved.”

Pauling closed with this exhortation: “If you’re struggling with porn, know that God has a purpose for your life. After He gets you free, He’ll use you to minister in others’ lives. Come clean to God so He can come along side of you. If God can get me free, He can get you free. No one is hopeless!”

Pastor Dennis concluded the morning saying, “This has been one of the major issues that I’ve seen men have to deal with over the years that I’ve been a pastor – sexual bondage was a huge issue in my life when I came to the Lord. We need to have accountability in our lives. Accountability is being regularly answerable about the issues in your life to someone who is qualified to help you. Every guy needs to have at least one or two guys that they’re accountable to – guys who will ask the hard questions. Porn is no respecter of persons – it doesn’t matter who you are – it is taking people down from every walk of life. I want to challenge every one of you guys to get an accountability partner if you don’t already have one. We’ll only be accountable to the degree we want to be accountable. If you want to be free you’ve got to be truly accountable. No one can go it alone. God wants to set captives free and deliver us from demonic strongholds. He wants to set our lives on a course of purity!”

A few years ago, the group Rascal Flatts had a huge hit with a song called Life is a Highway. Maybe you’ve heard it – the chorus goes: “Life is a highway; I want to ride it all night long…” The highway of life is an amazing journey, but it can be dangerous, and if we’re not paying attention, we’ll wind up in places we never planned on visiting: Exit 15 – Sex addiction, Exit 23 – Porn addiction.

If you attend Victory World Church then you are well aware that Pastors Dennis and Colleen are not afraid to hit the highway and get into an occasional collision; and on Friday, September 18th, that is exactly what happened when the church and pornography collided in an event called Porn and Pastries.

Statistics show that 20% of Christian women are addicted to pornography, and with 50% of Christian men also addicted, there are a lot of Christian women who are impacted by pornography. Because most churches have been reluctant to discuss the topic of pornography, these women have suffered through the pain and shame of porn addiction alone and in silence. That is until Porn and Pastries.

Seven years ago, Pastor Craig Gross founded XXXChurch.com to help people struggling with porn addiction. In 2006, he began Porn and Pancakes, which gives men the opportunity to come together and discuss porn over a pancake breakfast. Seeing the need to offer the same support and outreach to women, Porn and Pastries was created. Christian women discussing pornography? Can you imagine? No way; that will never happen! Well, it did happen and we had the awesome opportunity to host over 900 women who came out to learn about the devastating effects of pornography on individuals and families.  Even the Atlanta Journal Constitution and the Associated Press took note.

Tammy Smart, a member of Victory, came out to learn about porn addiction “I’m always looking to learn something new. This is a great opportunity to learn about something we don’t discuss and be able to get Godly truth.” As the women sat at tables set up on the floor of the main sanctuary, enjoying pastries and parfaits served by Catherine Bachman’s Hospitality Dream Team, music and laughter filled the room. “Esto es muy importante debido a la libertad que tenemos que escuchar y hablar la verdad,” responded Vianey Cortez, when asked about the importance of the evening. (Translation: This is very important because of the freedom we have to hear and speak the truth.) Her friends Patricia and Rosanna agreed, “It will be a great opportunity to hear this kind of truth uncovered. People will be delivered and set free.”

As more women filtered in, the Hospitality Team – outfitted in safari hats – deftly maneuvered through the crowd, providing coffee and ensuring empty pastry plates were quickly replenished, while Summer Bowie welcomed the crowd and opened the evening in prayer. Although the prospect of hearing frank talk about pornography made some a little uneasy, there was an overwhelming sense that the discussion was needed. “I invited several people,” said Betsy Wolf as she settled into her seat, “Some declined because they are not married. But this is not just for married women. This will give us the opportunity to guard against it and get knowledge to help others.”

After praise and worship led by Heather Mangum and an interpretive dance routine, Pastor Colleen took the stage and told the audience that they were “courageous” and “a catalyst for change”. “Tonight we’re going to hear truth!” she declared to a thunderous round of applause. As the crowd settled down, Pastor Colleen introduced Craig Gross. A hush fell over the sanctuary as he explained why he founded XXXChurch.com and how pornography can start off seemingly innocent and without warning become a dangerous, often destructive addiction. He warned about the dangers of the Internet and the need for monitoring and accountability for children and adults when online.

While Craig’s message was powerful and disturbing, Michele Truax’s personal story of the devastating impact her husband’s pornography addiction had on their marriage struck a nerve. Michele shared that she, like many women, was aware of her husband’s issues with pornography prior to their marriage, but thought they would go away after marriage. “It’s important as women to know who we are in Christ. Not the superficial image.” She explained to the crowd. While her husband’s addiction to porn left Michele feeling like she was nothing and filled with hurt, bitterness and anger, Michele stressed the importance of forgiveness. “Stay close to the Godly people in your life,” Michele advised, “and serve. Serving gets you out of yourself.”

Just when the crowd thought they had heard all they needed to know about pornography, author Shelly R. Warren took the stage and completely mesmerized the crowd with her personal story of being addicted to pornography and sex. Unabashedly and unflinchingly she discussed the allure of porn and the impact her sexual promiscuity had on her mind, body and soul. Shelly explained that porn was a gateway and illustrated the dangers of allowing gateways into our souls by reading 1 Timothy 4. Shelly’s story was not warm and fuzzy, and definitely not something you would expect to hear in church; and while Shelly’s disarming charm and wit brought a lightness and sense of humor that allowed the audience to laugh, it was clear – porn, no matter how harmless it may seem, is dangerous and destructive. “Low self-esteem,” Shelly explained, “is the biggest problem. We need to see our value.” Shelly punctuated this by reading Matthew 7:6.

By the end of the night, the message was clear – keep your eyes on the road and steer clear of those seemingly innocent exits on your journey down the highway of life. ~ Karla E.

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16 NIV).

Do you have a dirty little secret? Are you bound by an addiction to pornography? If so, confess your sin to God and to someone else and be FREE already! Why stay captive to sin any longer? Why let the enemy control your life another day?

A great place to start your confession and begin down the road to recovery is xxxchurch.com. Craig Gross, founder and leader of xxxchurch.com (based out of Las Vegas – Sin City) was our guest speaker during our weekend services on 9-19-09 and 9-20-09. Craig joined Victory World Church for our fourth session in our series on sex entitled “Elephant in the Pew”. And not only was an elephant in the pew, but a disciple of Christ was in the pulpit – filled with boldness, power, and anointing from the Holy Spirit! Craig shared with Victory a powerful message about the destructive power of pornography – a message that is long overdue for the church community. It’s time we face the issues that are affecting the church head on, and Craig’s message did just that. We confronted pornography and EXPOSED it for what it is – - SIN, DEATH, and DESTRUCTION.

The issue of Internet pornography addiction is put best as written on the xxxchurch.com website: If you sent a bottle of vodka to every home in America every week for a year, you would no doubt have a whole wave of alcoholics. The Internet has created a wave of pornography addicts with its pervasive porn delivery mechanism.

Craig, a former youth pastor, emphasized the importance of confessing our sins to God, confessing our sins to one another, repenting, and asking for God’s help. xxxchurch.com is a place where you can go to confess your sin and set up accountability for your Internet usage. Free software called X3watch is available for download at xxxchurch.com. An upgraded version called X3watch PRO can be purchased for $19.00. These programs ask you for the email addresses of up to three accountability partners. When you go to any adult Internet site, your designated accountability partners are notified by email with a listing of the sites you visited. If you disable X3watch, your accountability partners are notified as well. Basically, if you surf the net for Internet pornography, you will be EXPOSED! Craig also encouraged us to call or meet with our accountability partners on a regular basis, as the X3 accountability program is only one aspect of the accountability process. We need to stay away from isolation and have relationships with others whom we can talk to and who will hold us accountable for any sinful behavior.

Friends, let’s not keep making the same mistakes. “As a dog eats its own vomit, so fools recycle silliness” (Proverbs 26:11 The Message). Let’s do what we gotta do to keep ourselves a Holy vessel for the Lord. For some of us, this will mean downgrading cell phones to non-web phones, canceling cable and Internet subscriptions, avoiding roads where pornographic material is sold, and choosing to trash the sales flyers and magazines that feature underwear models. Whatever it takes, just do it. Be bold and do it today.

It is obvious that Mr. Craig Gross has answered the call to serve the Lord. To date, Craig has been to 35 pornography conventions in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and beyond. And just what kind of people has Craig found at these conventions? Human beings, that’s who. It all started in January of 2002 when Craig rented his first booth at a pornography convention for $5000 dollars (thanks to his American Express card). Craig’s message at these conventions is “Jesus Loves Porn Stars”. And Craig is so sure about this message that he has Bibles made with covers that say just that (pic of bible). As you might imagine, persuading publishers to put a cover like this on the Bible is not always easy, yet the bold message on the cover is nothing but the TRUTH. “Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him.”If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you” (John 8:31-32 The Message).

Something that came as a shock to some was that 3000-5000 bibles are handed out (for free) at each pornography convention that XXXchurch attends. Craig understands the fundamental truth of the word of God: It has the power to CHANGE PEOPLE! As a result of the positive reception that Craig has received at pornography conventions (yes, I said positive), he was invited to a pornography convention geared specifically towards homosexual pornography – and invited back! XXXchurch will also have a booth at the Atlanta Gay Pride festival in October – handing out free bibles.

Craig also reminded us that times have changed and the world our children are growing up in is much different than what many of us experienced in our childhood. Children can be searching the net for innocent information and come across pornographic material. Parents: WAKE UP!!

Victory thanks God for Craig’s understanding of the times we live in. People of this world are spiritually dead, bound by the chains of sin, and burning in a fiery pit on a daily basis. But thank God for laborers like Craig who are sharing the truth of Jesus Christ with the lost.

“Then He said to His disciples, The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. So pray to the Lord of the harvest to force out and thrust laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38 Amplified).

Craig’s message to Victory can be downloaded here.

To learn more about Craig, XXXchurch, and X3 watch, go to xxxchurch.com. While there, take the X3 Porno Pledge!

*Annual revenue for the pornography industry: $70 BILLION – More than ABC, CBS, and NBC combined. *Number of pornographic web pages: 400 MILLION

~Alex H.

This past weekend, I invited Ricky Chelette of Living Hope Ministries to talk about homosexuality, which has become an increasingly large Elephant in the Pew that few churches have addressed effectively until recently. I felt it was important to have someone speak who had come out of that lifestyle and now has a powerful ministry to others. I was incredibly grateful to him adn the message he brought. Apparently, so were hundreds of others based on the overwhelmingly positive response we’ve had since then.

His message was enlightening and full of hope, highlighting the amazing, transformative power of the Gospel. He opened our eyes to the ways in which same gender attraction gets a foothold in the lives of young boys, arising primarily in those who are more sensitive and who lack healthy male affirmation, attention and affection. His description of this process was easy to understand and right on, coming from both his ministry to thousands of others who have struggled in this area and his own struggles earlier in life.

There’s really no way I can do justice to his message here, other than to strongly urge you to watch this message online, even if you were there this weekend, and especially if this is an area in which you struggle. Even if this isn’t your issue, most, if not all of us, have someone in our lives that struggle in this area and would benefit from his words of wisdom, hope and life.

As I mentioned this weekend, we are in the process of starting up a ministry to deal specifically with this issue, as well as other sexual brokenness issues. You’ll be hearing more about that later. For now, we want you to know that Ricky also has a lot of other resources available, again for both men and women, at his ministry’s website: livehope.org. Know this: God’s power to transform is much greater than ANYTHING we struggle with in our live. Through the power of Christ, anyone can find freedom, wholeness and salvation!

Hosted by Brian and Natalie from the CORE 30+ Singles Ministry, the White Party was a perfect opportunity to enjoy a good time and a nice ambiance. Soft and soothing music from the pianist and base guitarist filled the room at the beginning of the evening and continued during breaks from activities throughout the party.

On the menu were gourmet swirls (Pesto Chicken and Italian Antipasto), a generous portion of strawberries, cream puffs and three different flavors of cheesecake (Turtle, White Chocolate/Raspberry and New York). The cream puffs were especially tasty!!!

The first activity for the night was Karaoke. Elicia opened up the Karaoke session by gracing the room with her beautiful rendition of “Killing Me Softly”. Following her performance was Tavon, who performed to the famous lyrical piece “Rock with You.” Next on stage was a duo, Phyllis and Kim, who sang “I Will Survive” – perhaps as an encouragement of strength through the storm. After Brian summoned his fellow men to participate and provide representation, they responded by gathering amongst themselves a group of five performers and singing “Lean on me.”  After that inspiring piece from the men, a group of five women appeared on stage to close out the Karaoke segment to “We are Family.” It was indeed a heartfelt performance that filled the entire room with smiles and echoed the truth that we are indeed a family.

CORE Pastor Stephen Baldwin blessed the night and introduced the CORE ministry to the audience. He also prayed a blessing over everyone who was in attendance.

After a bit of comedy, it was: lights, camera, action!! Time to pose for the camera on the red carpet. The night ended with a bang as party goers danced the Electric Slide, the Cha Cha Slide and the Cupid Shuffle.

(Click on any of the photos to see entire photo gallery of this event.)