AFA Staff

AFA Journal staff reviews movies, books and other resources

September 2004 – Well-known writers offer insights on sexual purity
Tony Evans Speaks Out on Sexual Purity by Tony Evans
With boldness and humor, a great communicator packs a lot of weight into Tony Evans Speaks Out on Sexual Purity, a 55-page booklet from Moody Press. “You can’t enjoy sex the way God intended you to enjoy it if you refuse to stay within the lines He has drawn,” writes Evans.

He draws on years of pastoring and counseling to help men understand how critical it is that they communicate with their wives about the needs both have. For example, he says a man thinks sex is physical, but a woman thinks it’s emotional. 

“When couples come in to see me and say they have a physical problem, that is rarely true,” writes Evans. “In most cases what they have is an intimacy problem, a relational problem.” 

Evans tells men, “You don’t have to be owned by your passions.” He concludes with seven practical principles. It’s a powerful little volume identifying critical principles for every man who’s serious about his relationship with the Lord. Evans is senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas, Texas, and president of The Urban Alternative ministry.
Review by Randall Murphree

Sex and the Single Person by Bob DeMoss
Bob DeMoss’ book Sex and the Single Person (Zondervan, 1995) spans generation gaps to hit single adults of all ages. He offers sound counsel both for singles who are committed to sexual purity and for those who have tried the “free sex” playground and found it more about spiritual bondage than freedom.

“All of life requires restrain,” he writes. “I’m puzzled why so few have the inner strength to exercise some small measure of discipline when it comes to their sexuality.”

Well, for those who’d like to tell him why, he has some practical and proven suggestions. He doesn’t condemn or get preachy. He just advocates a lot of common sense. He debunks such secular wisdom as the false premise that “no guy can wait until marriage, so why not just practice safe sex.”

He responds to Ann Landers’ best wisdom that “for some, abstinence is not a realistic alternative.”

His response: “Permit me a healthy gag, Ann.” He insists that singles can indeed abstain if they so desire. People do have self-control. DeMoss is practical, Scriptural and convicting.
Review by Randall Murphree

Not Even a Hint: Guarding Your Heart Against Lust by Joshua Harris
Joshua Harris, author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye and Boy Meets Girl, takes a direct and insightful look at another common issue facing males and females as they live in a sexually impure world. Harris addresses the topic of lust in his 186-page book titled, Not Even a Hint: Guarding Your Heart Against Lust (Multnomah Publishers Inc., 2003).  

“One of the things that title reminds me of is how much I need God’s help. … I can’t live a pure life before God on my own strength,” Harris said of the phrase, not even a hint, which he believes is a statement of God’s high standard for sexual purity. 

Therefore, he uses a three-step approach to directly attack sexual impurity from a Biblical viewpoint by discussing the following: 1) The Truth About Lust, 2) In the Thick of the Battle, and 3) Strategies for Long-Term Change. 

Instead of dancing around the “forbidden” topic, Harris encourages readers to develop a custom-tailored, Scripture-based plan for defeating lust. As in his other books, he uses a variety of anecdotes to relate to his readers and share in their similar struggles. Harris’ book is delicately written for both males and females.
Review by Rebecca Grace