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MAY 2023
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GOD'S AMAZING GRACE . . . TO A PORN ACTOR?
A recent eye-opening podcast episode on The Spillover with Alex Clark documents the astonishing journey of a young man, Joshua Broome, both into and out of the porn industry. Joshua shares his story as an aspiring actor sliding down the slippery slope of what he thought would be a one-time deal, but instead became years of filming thousands of porn videos with female co-stars and, eventually, male co-stars as well. He also talks about the small but powerful trigger that marked the beginning of his struggle to escape, with God’s help, the trap he found himself in. The surprising tale recounts the role of an amazing woman who God uses to help Joshua permanently escape his former lifestyle, get married, and start a family. Finally, in what must really be a poke in Satan’s eye, Joshua relates how his journey has enabled him to become a pastor and establish a ministry that seeks to serve others caught in porn’s web.
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This unique story has relevance for us at Conquerors through Christ in these ways:
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- It is a firsthand account that supports the ideas upon which our core values are built. To be sure, Joshua encountered the wreckage of porn over and over even while involved in porn’s creation. Despite his firsthand observation of ruined and lost lives, Joshua remained trapped in the lies for years. As such, it is a cautionary tale regarding the power that Satan wields. Yet the role of unconditional compassion in Joshua’s escape from those lies is also clearly seen.
- The podcast is also a great reminder that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace no matter what they have done. Joshua’s story can provide hope for those continuing in their struggles to escape darkness into God’s marvelous light.
At times, the story will surprise you, confirm your suspicions, depress you, or lift you up. As Joshua describes his childhood, one starts to see the initial factors that likely contributed to his downfall. His parents were not married, and though Joshua knew who his dad was, his dad never acknowledged him. Joshua lived with his mom at his grandparents’ house. They attended church, but to Joshua it was just a box-checking exercise. As he matured and went on to high school, he discovered his charm and became sexually active. He had little difficulty in finding willing partners and, in fact, driven by a desire to be the best at what he set his mind on, sought to have sex with the most and best-looking girls.
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After graduation Joshua headed to Los Angeles to seek a conventional acting career. He started having a bit of success with some small roles and commercials. One night as he worked as a restaurant host, a group of four women came in and suggested he try his hand at adult films and gave him their agent’s number. He somewhat reluctantly set up a meeting, doubting it would lead to anything. But the agent was impressed by his youth and good looks and indicated he could make a lot of money in the business. After passing a medical test showing no sexually transmitted diseases, Joshua had to decide whether he wanted to proceed. Fatefully he decided to try it, figuring he could stop if he changed his mind.
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The director was pleased with the work he did, and the video was released almost immediately on the internet. Joshua quickly experienced some unanticipated outcomes to his actions. As an adult film actor, he was shunned by his conventional film agent and his work in that portion of the business dried up. It also didn’t take long for word of the existence of his video to reach his mother. Despite the shame, without any other acting work to fall back on, he felt there was no other path for him to pursue. So he pursued it, again seeking to be the best at his chosen “profession.”
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Joshua talks about some of the technical aspects of the filmmaking and there are some surprises. For one, apparently age contrast is a selling point and during most of his first year of filming his acting partners were women in their 50’s or even 60’s. Another was the intensity of the filming schedule, which was often 7 days per week with only a couple days off per month.
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But the saddest part of the tale is his recounting of the emotional pain and shame of being turned into an object rather than a person. The degradation keeps intensifying over time as the actors age. To land work they must be willing to forego more and more of their personal boundaries and limitations and be willing to perform actions they started out refusing to do. As a result, substance abuse is rampant, and suicide is common. Joshua said he knew personally of about 30 people that took their own lives. As we say in our “Get Real About the Wreckage” video, porn doesn’t just hurt the user, it hurts many others including the actors themselves.
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Interestingly, it was this objectification that created the opportunity for God to intervene and set Joshua on a new pathway. One day, Joshua went into his bank to deposit a paycheck. He usually used the ATM but that day it must not have been working. After completing the deposit, the teller, noting his name on the check, asked Joshua by name if there was anything else he could do for him. It had been over a year since he had heard anyone refer to him by his real name rather than his stage name. That event along with the missed death of a family member, caused Joshua to desire to quit and find a different life. He left LA and returned to his home state.
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For a time, he found work as a trainer in a health club but had difficulty because people recognized him from his videos that were still in wide circulation. Eventually he found another health club willing to hire him despite his history, which he disclosed up front. The story gets interesting when a woman catches his eye but seems immune to his charms. After several failed attempts to get her to agree to see him, she agrees to go for a run with him. Before they start their run, Joshua decides to come clean to her about his past. Their run gets preempted by a 2-hour discussion where he confesses, and she introduces him to Jesus. She shares how Jesus might be the source of peace that Joshua can’t seem to find. Before long she invites him to attend church with her, and he agrees.
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Joshua comes to know Jesus and all he has done for him. He relates that his journey into faith was a struggle and not smooth. He has had to undergo years of counseling and is still receiving it to help with the emotional wounds he still carries. But God in his goodness allowed Joshua to marry the woman who led him to Jesus and start a family. It became clear even early in his walk of faith that his unusual experiences gave him credibility and understanding among people caught in Satan’s trap of pornography. As a result, he pursued a career as a pastor and leader of a speaking ministry in which he shares his unusual story as evidence of God’s amazing grace.
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The podcast is about 90 minutes long but is worth the investment of time. Although the topic is handled discreetly, the podcast is not for young ears. I believe it is a marvelous real-life illustration of Psalm 130:
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Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.
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By CtC Team Member Dave Hochmuth
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EDITOR'S NOTE
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As you continue to bask in the afterglow of Jesus' resurrection at Easter, remember that each day is a little "resurrection" for you. The person you were yesterday is forgiven. The person who woke up this morning is a new creation in Christ. Whether you struggle with porn or love someone who does, from your friends at CTC, we pray that sticks with you this Easter season.
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SHARE YOUR STORY
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If you have it in your heart to share your experience with rejecting, resisting, and recovering from pornography and rejoicing either in your singleness or your married sex life, we want to hear from you. As we work on Recover content we would love to share experiences from people and loved ones who have been through it and the hope you can bring to those struggling to see brighter days ahead.
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FEATURED RESOURCE
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FIVE STEPS - Step 1
Get Real About The Wreckage
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If you're not sure where to start on this journey toward escaping porn, Step 1 is a pretty good place. Since its inception, CtC has promoted a 5-step process to reject the temptation to use pornography. These videos walk through the steps (get real about the wreckage, get back to God’s grace, get rid of porn, get accountable to others, get ready for battle), sharing Scripture and practical tips to make porn part of our past. Why these 5 steps? Because they work. Maybe not overnight, but over time. The videos can be used by those struggling with porn and shared by loved ones who want to help friends and family say “no” to temptation.
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Jesus,
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You promise that you will never abandon me...not in my sin, not in my pain, not in my death. Send your Holy Spirit to increase my faith in that fact. And give me opportunities to comfort and support those who need to know your presence this month.
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Amen.
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Check out our social media for more gospel encouragement.
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