I’ve been asked by several people if I would please address the [current] #1 New York Times bestselling erotic fiction, Fifty Shades of Grey and it’s series of counterparts.

As someone who has not read it and as someone who has no plans to read it, it’s difficult for me to denounce an entire series of books without anything more than the understanding that it’s a sexually graphic fictional novel.

But that’s actually enough for me.

As we know here at Dirty Girls Ministries, erotic fiction or  romance novels (as many like to call them) are a gateway to other types of pornography, extramarital affairs and sexual behavior uncharacteristic of women prior to having read them.

What differs Fifty Shades of Grey from the romance novels that say… our moms read when we were kids… is that it’s packaged like Twilight and other popular books of today. You wouldn’t know it from just looking at the cover that it’s erotic material. In fact, I had no idea it was an erotic novel until I began to hear from women in my inbox about it. And this is even after I had seen it on a large display at my local Barnes & Noble.

It’s not a shirtless man with a big busted woman on the cover anymore. And it’s not a woman being seduced by the stable boy in the barn. From what I’ve researched about this series of books, the main sexual themes throughout are BDSM (bondage/discipline/sadism/masochism), control, violence, damage from childhood abuse, etc.

Why these themes have become mainstreamed enough to become the content of a bestselling novel is greatly disturbing to me. But it sums up to me that the desensitization of our culture is greater than any one of us could have imagined.

And before one argues that reading a book can’t change a person or make any difference in how a person lives their life, according to a leading fetish company, there has been an increase in their sales as a direct result of this book (article linked may be too graphic for some).

Quote from the article: “In recent weeks, we’ve received literally hundreds of calls thanks to this book… about 90% of them are middle-aged ‘soccer mom’ types who never imagined themselves calling a fetish sex toy company.”

What makes this book exactly like the romance novels of the past, is that it creates a fantasy world for women to escape into. A world that doesn’t include their husbands and one that certainly isn’t God-honoring. I don’t know about you, but my fantasies, the things I long to receive from my future husband, don’t include being violently abused and sexually humiliated.

There is nothing fun or cute about sexual violence and now that it’s becoming acceptable in the mainstream through the purchases women are making at the checkout stand (or secretly from their Amazon account), where do we go from here? It’s too terrifying to even imagine.

Above all else, guard your heart,  for everything you do flows from it.
Proverbs 4:23

Blessings,
Crystal Renaud
Founder of Dirty Girls Ministries

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For more reasons not to read Fifty Shades of Grey, read this post by Dannah Gresh.

Think about your favorite song.
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I’ll be honest with you: “Hear No Evil“ is the first of Matthew Paul Turner‘s books I’ve ever read. However, I do read his blog and have for several years. Any every once in a while, he’ll post something I actually agree with. Ha!

But “Hear No Evil“ resonated with me ways that few books ever have. And that is because it speaks about something I am greatly passionate about: MUSIC

“Good music changes me, shocks me, makes me feel uncomfortable, and drives me to think and hope and believe differently. And once in a while, it makes me cynical and sarcastic.” (page 10)

“Hear No Evil” by Matthew Paul Turner (MPT) is a satire-filled but heartfelt (beautifully) written journey of a young man’s love affair with music.

MPT grew up in a Independent Fundamental Baptist home, cut off from the world of contemporary music. His journey to musical freedom spanned years of Sandi Patty infatuation to being “called by God” to become Christian music’s Michael Jackson to ultimately discovering the freedom that genre means very little.

In fact, that God and faith can be found in virtually all music.

“…don’t you think the Holy Spirit can tell the different between a song that’s being sung to God and one that’s not?” (page 74)

Something I’ve known and believed for a very long time.

My journey with music was very different. The love of music was instilled in me by my mother from a very early age. In all tense and purposes my mother raised my brothers and I quite conservatively. But when it came to music, she lightened up.

Having grown up in the home of an abusive alcoholic father, I believe my mother turned to music as a way of escaping. Even to this day she will speak of her days in marching band… and cry tears of joy and great remembrance. Or we’ll be listening to a local 60s & 70s radio station and she’ll say, “oh I was in 3rd grade when this song came out!”

3rd grade? How on earth does she remember this? Because music took her away: to place of innocence, security and not to mention… fun.

So, even though growing up I couldn’t watch The Smurfs, trick or treat or believe in Santa Claus… I could listen to the music I wanted to listen to and she highly encouraged me to make music a big part of my life.

When I handed my life over to Christ, music became the most powerful way I connected to Him. Still is. And I truly believe that is because of the passion I had for music my whole life.

“Hear No Evil“ by Matthew Paul Turner is a quick read and is definitely worth your time.

If you are a Christian who has ever felt stifled by the music available to you… or you are a Christian musician putting on act… or a non-believer who thinks that being a Christian means trashing your iTunes collection… read this book.

Share your favorite song below…

“Freedom is an amazing thing…”

About the Author

Matthew Paul Turner is a blogger, speaker and author of The Coffeehouse Gospel, Provocative Faith, Beatitude: Relearning Jesus, the What You Didn’t Learn from Your Parents About… series, and several other popular books. He has written for Relevant, HomeLife, Christian Single magazines and was the former editor of CCM magazine. Matthew and his wife, Jessica, live in Nashville, Tennessee. He can be found online at www.matthewpaulturner.com.

BOOK REVIEW

When I was handed “Jesus Loves You this I Know” by Craig Gross and Jason Harper for review, I was so excited to dive into it. I have been a huge fan of these guys and XXXChurch.com for a such a long time and I knew they wouldn’t hold anything back. And I was right.

“Jesus Loves You this I Know” is a refreshingly simple book but with a hugely powerful message. The message of Jesus’ love is one that breathes, no matter who you are or what you’ve done, you are loved. With the greatest of all commandments in the Bible on their side, Gross and Harper bring this “love” to a world thirsty for acceptance… through their own stories and experiences with the least of these.

I recommend this book to the porn addict, the porn star, the accountant cheating on his wife, the woman with an eating disorder, the teenage girl cutting herself, the teenage guy struggling with homosexuality and to the megachurch pastor who is losing faith. Jesus loves you and the message of this book will bring some light to the dark place you’re in right now.

Get your copy today.

Anne Jackson’s Mad Church Disease is the single, greatest book out on the market today. Okay, so like I said — this is a biased review. I can’t be unbiased. The author is my BFF after all — but I will do my best to give a fair review of her book.

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Mad Church Disease discusses the epidemic of ministry burnout in today’s contemporary church. Anne brings this touchy subject to light using real-life stories of not only tragedy, but redemption and healing for those who have been affected by this disease.

But when Anne mentioned to me that she was considering writing a book about ministry burn-out, I have to be honest and say that I didn’t think it would go anywhere. Sorry Anne. I know she had experienced burnout and I know that at times I had experienced burnout. And I had seen it all around me and seen the consequences of it (pastors having affairs, staff quitting left and right, volunteers leaving the church). But I was almost convinced it was just us. Or it was just our church. I mean, what was this thing called, “burnout?”

Were we just weak?

But soon after the launch of the Mad Church Disease anonymous surveys back in July of 2007: literally thousands of pastors, church staff, volunteers and families poured out their stories — proving without a doubt that ministry burnout was real… that it is an epidemic and that it is killing our churches.

This book NEEDED to be written and I couldn’t think of a better person to write it than Anne Jackson.

Anne writes with a passion, clever humility and tact not generally seen from “church book authors.” And remember, her story wasn’t new to me. I walked through much of her experience with her, but what I noticed is how much she didn’t make it about herself. Sure, she shares her story (even some of the ugliest parts) but what she makes very clear is that we all have a story. But each of us must take the necessary steps to evaluate our condition and get help. We’re ineffective in ministry if we’re bogged down by the disease of burnout and the consequences of it are too great to ignore.

This is a book that will no doubt inspire men and women currently serving in ministry, considering ministry and those who have left the church. God has definitely used Anne and her experiences in my life. I know the magnitude of impact this book carries. I look forward to seeing how God uses this book and Anne’s story to impact the lives of many.

I couldn’t be more proud of my friend Anne and am so excited to this book to fruition.

GET YOUR COPY NOW!!

I’ve never done this before, but I guess there is a first time for everything.

Inspired by the music during our Easter services at Westside, I now want to do an album review. Being that I sang during all 7 services held at our main campus, I grew quite familar.

Steve Fee – Burn for You

For me Steve Fee is a new even though I guess he’s been around Passion for a while and now does a lot with Student Life. Anyway, we did two songs off of his sophomore album, “Burn for You” for our Easter services. Blew me away. And were so fun to sing for our church.

1) All Because of Jesus – which was our “EASTER” song. Our opener. Buy this album if for no other reason than this song. All Because of Jesus. It an awesome opener to any worship set. Gets the crowd pumped and excited! And as one reviewer has said: “A jubilant verse, chorus, and bridge exalting Jesus as our creator, sustainer, ruler and redeemer.” What could be better?

2) Beautiful the Blood, a presentation song. A meditation on the meaning of the death of Christ for our sins. “How beautiful the blood flow, how merciful the love shown, the King of Glory poured out, victorious are we now.” The wording is a little odd to my ears at times, but it doesn’t take away from the song’s effectiveness. We used this song with some pretty powerful media graphics that really brought the song to life. Not to mention our worship team is frickin’ amazing.

Go buy it. Use these songs in your church. Play this in your car. iPod. Whatever. Seriously, true talent in an easy to carry anywhere package.

Stars: 4.5 out of 5 only because he’s not the strongest vocalist.

for those who might care:

Westside’s Easter Stats:
13 services spread over 3 area campuses

• Lenexa Campus: 7,429 people
• Speedway Campus: 895 people
• Overland Park Campus: 518 people
  (overland park opened April 1)

Total: 8,842 people

What a privilege and responsibility to share our hope with so many!