Out of Pain, God Restores (Ethan Martin)

by Ethan Martin, Intern, Exodus International

Excerpt of article: As is the case with most male homosexual strugglers, my struggle began at a young age. . . 

Although experiencing the same abuses as children, my brother and I had very different temperaments. I was a sensitive, compassionate child who often cried at the pain of others, empathizing with them. My brother was seen as stronger, had a high tolerance for pain, and rarely showed emotion. My dad wanted us to be athletic so he pushed us into sports. I grew fearful seeing his verbal torment of my brother in sports and did not want to receive a similar attack. I found myself rejecting sports, and doing things that I was naturally good at, like singing, dancing, and acting. I also rejected the idea of masculinity as portrayed by my only male role model, my father. (more…)

Oh first things first: I saw you on myspace and ur link..I’m a Christian and 23 years of age. Still in college and having sex problems. I like girls and they like me cause of course I’m handsome. But the problem is, they want the thing I biblically am not supposed to give. As a result I am questioning what the bible says on the subject. What is wrong in having sex? Why did God create women in the first place and give them those sexy body shapes? Forgive my for sounding backslidy. It’s just that I’m curious.

(more…)

From Suzie: I receive a lot of questions about waiting to have sex. I received an e-mail from a girl named Caitlin who is 14 this week asking a similar question. I’m in South Bend, Indiana today interviewing on a cool TV show called Harvest, so I’m sharing this post from last year to answer Caitlin’s questions.

~Real Question~

I know sex is wrong, but I can’t stand it everytime when my friends tell me how good and fun when they have sex with their bf and say it is very common that people have sex b4 marriage. They tell me that sex is not wrong when you do it with your loved one even b4 you are married. Is it true? J.T.

(more…)

Maddee Schrader, 16, RTF Staff writer and Suzie interview author Erynn Mangum, author of Miss Match!

Maddee: Congrats on your recent wedding! After writing so much about a single girl and her dating relationships, what is it like to be married?

Erynn: It is awesome! My husband, Jon, is my best friend – we have so much fun together. Thanks for the congrats!

Maddee: Are any of the characters in your books based on real people?

Erynn: A couple of characters are based on composites of different people I know – but there isn’t one that’s just based on one specific person.

Maddee: You say you love coffee, so what are your favorite three drinks at Starbucks?

Erynn: Oh gosh…Mocha, Caramel Frappuccino and um… oh! The Cinnamon Dolce Latte. That one is yummy. (more…)

One News Now
Rotten Fruit by Rebecca Grace, AFA Newswire (click link to read the whole article)
March, 2008

Real Question: Do Christian teens have less sex than unbelieving teens, or more? (more…)

According to our stats, a lot of people accidently find Real Teen Faith because they plug in a few keywords on Google.com to find teens and sex. They weren’t looking for a ministry that talks frankly about God and faith and real life, but porn.

Those keywords lead them here because it’s a teen site and we do talk about sex, but from a Scriptural point-of-view and we’re upfront about that. But something (or Someone) draws them to visit RTF. We’re glad that they do.

Maybe you are one of those people. Maybe you’ve snagged by the lure of Internet pornography. You hate it, but you keep doing it because it’s easy, because it makes you feel a certain way, or because it’s part of your secret life.

The truth is that any type of addiction can be overwhelming. Where do you begin if you want that part of your life to change? (more…)

This is what Lindy Keffer, reviewer, had to say in Plugged In about the movie Juno.

Excerpt: As Juno, Ellen Page is completely adorable. And wow, can the girl talk! She leads the cast through 92 minutes of rapid-fire repartee. (Think Gilmore Girls on prenatal vitamins.) Audiences have to stay on their toes to keep up, and even then, if they’re unfamiliar with what the film’s screenwriter Diablo Cody calls “teen speak,” they’re still likely to get left behind.

Speaking of teens, Juno is—if nothing else—a telling inside perspective on the new teenage sexuality (or at least the world’s version of it). All the old rules are out the window. Sex is just as likely to happen between best friends (or even near-strangers) as it is between those who are seriously dating. And having sex isn’t necessarily a precursor to the deepening of commitment. It’s just one of many complications to be factored in as teens are defining their relationships. (more…)

Ultimate Escape is a site for teens who want to be free from sexual addictions or addiction to pornography.