Look Straight Ahead:

A Call to Men for Moral Purity

People face many temptations, especially in the area of moral purity. One of the most appealing lures to the fallen flesh is sexual lust. Pornography has become increasingly brazen, readily visible to the unguarded eye of one who is not even seeking it. It has become one of the most successful weapons against the child of God. Our church families are plagued with failed marriages as the enemy has rushed in to ruin the testimony of saints. There have been casualties from among public leaders, the least to be suspected of such moral sin. This all-too-common tragedy has burdened my heart to exhort and encourage men, in particular, to echo the call of the psalmist as he stood before his Lord and cried out, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a steadfast spirit within me,” Psalm 51:10.

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Sam Thorpe, Jr. serves the Lord in an itinerant teaching ministry. He maintains a full speaking schedule among local assemblies, conferences, camps, and the multiple ministries of Word Alive Southeast. For years Sam has traveled annually to Kenya teaching the Bible among local assemblies where he has also initiated an Annual Kenya Elders Conference. Sam has authored and published over forty booklets on a wide range of Bible study lectures and guides, several of which are translated into Swahili and are now printed and distributed in Kenya. Sam plans to focus more attention to writing in the coming years. He and his wife Barbara are in happy assembly fellowship in Lincolnton, Georgia.

Here’s What People Are Saying!

“This is a scripturally-based and balanced consideration of the temptations to sexual sin in Western society. It is a book of pastoral ministry for men and its aims are: to prevent men from falling into sexual sin; to counsel those who are to some extent caught up in it; and, to counsel elders who may find themselves having to deal with it. The introduction is straight to the point and highlights this growing problem amongst believers, in particular exposure to pornography, which is clearly defined and examined. The writer argues that this is one of Satan’s main weapons today. It is true that it is almost impossible not to see something that we would rather not each day of our lives, if not through the media (the focus of the book) then in actual life. The very real dangers are sensitively discussed. The book considers various issues in the context of the family, society and the local assembly. Issues addressed include: marital infidelity; controlling the mind; the matter of one’s conscience; our insensitivity to what is actually shocking; loving one’s wife; the importance of a plurality of male leadership in a local assembly; the discipling of young men; the need for the expository teaching of scripture; the pastoral responsibility of the elders. Each issue is handled well with scripture permeating each one, much of it quoted. There is a variety of material: statistical evidence, specific, practical advice; well-chosen, real life examples, including one in detail; visual aids; and biblical study tasks.

A consideration of one chapter may indicate the character of the book. Chapter 3 is entitled ‘Love in Action’ and is subdivided into four sections: evaluate your love; steps to victory over pornography; the fruit of an undisciplined mind; where will the world take you? Section 3 contains practical suggestions for combating temptation, e.g., a card with the words of Philippians chapter 4 verse 8 and a photo of one’s family placed on one’s computer monitor. The third section has seven scripture references, all quoted, plus four interspersed paragraphs of comment. The conclusion to the chapter has a bold rectangular block with a capitalized headline, two exhortations and five scripture references to look up. This is a book to read and ponder.”

–Bryan Charles, Appledore, Devon, UK