Men's Group Weekly
Sexual sin and addiction thrive in secrecy, isolation and shame. This destructive force gets worse – unless we reach out for help. Groups are free and confidential. There's even a private group for pastors and worship leaders. Join us in-person in the Vancouver area or on Zoom from anywhere.
What happens at men's group weekly?
Asking God to Lead Us
Filling Our Minds with God's Word
Filling Our Minds with God's Word
We know we can't do this on our own. We've tried. And failed. We start by asking the Holy Spirit to be with us as we come together.
"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Matthew 18:20
Filling Our Minds with God's Word
Filling Our Minds with God's Word
Filling Our Minds with God's Word
We used to fill our minds with garbage. Now, we fill our minds with God's word. We each recite from memory verses or entire chapters or books of the Bible that speak to us.
"I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you."
Psalm 119:11
Hearts of Gratitude
Filling Our Minds with God's Word
Hearts of Gratitude
We start with hearts of gratitude, thanking God for what's he's done for us, something in his creation, a person he's brought into our life. We also ask him to change us and pray for those we've hurt. These are short, focussed prayers everyone joins in.
"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name."
Psalm 100:4
Sharing
"RAW": Renounce, Announce, Worship
Hearts of Gratitude
Starting with the group leader, everyone takes turns sharing. We start by introducing ourselves by first name, then say whether it's been a "clean week" or not. If it has, we praise God since it's by his grace. If not, we thank the person for their honesty. We then share what helped keep us clean or what contributed to it not being a clean week and identify what we will do differently. We confess what the sin was clearly, without triggering details.
What is a "clean week"? We follow Jesus' teaching from the Sermon on the Mount:
"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
Matthew 5:27-28
So a clean week means no sexual fantasy, masturbation, lustful images, pornography, webcams, chats, premarital sexual acts, extramarital sex acts, sexual establishments, etc. Click here to read more about what it means to "look lustfully".
"RAW": Renounce, Announce, Worship
"RAW": Renounce, Announce, Worship
"RAW": Renounce, Announce, Worship
After everyone has shared, one of the group members will lead us in practising a tool we use throughout the week called "RAW". We know we'll be tempted, so the split-second an ungodly thought enters our mind, we say:
No! I Renounce that thought, in Jesus' name.
I Announce that I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord Jesus, I choose to Worship you.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
"...we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
2 Corinthians 10:5
Closing Prayer
"RAW": Renounce, Announce, Worship
"RAW": Renounce, Announce, Worship
Finally, we close with a pray for the days ahead.
What happens after the meeting? People sometimes hang out and chat, exchange contact info with each other.
Many guys attend multiple weekly groups - which we recommend, especially in the first 100 days of recovery.
Many groups also have a WhatsApp chat group for guys to stay connected and get prayer and support.
One-on-one calls with other group members on days you don't have a group is also a great idea.
"If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up."
Ecclesiastes 4:10