Sexual Detox: A Guide for Guys Who are Sick of Porn by Tim Challies (audiobook)

In Sexual Detox: A Guide for Guys Who are Sick of Porn, author and blogger Tim Challies addresses young, single men in an effort to help them discover God’s plan for sex and sexuality. He is writing to those who have grown up in a sex-saturated culture where pornography is far more accessible than it was as recently as when the 33-year-old author was growing up. Temptation is all around us and most of us have, he says, begun to give in.

Challies begins by discussing the problems that pornography causes in marriages, arguing that detoxification is necessary in order for a man to be the loving husband that God has called him to be. He then discusses the topic of breaking free from sexual sin, specifically pornography and masturbation, and addresses the most common myth about breaking free. Next, he delves into the “theology of sex” and how “self-centered sex” fails this theology. Finally, he digs into what detoxification involves and what freedom means. Each chapter ends with questions aimed at getting the reader/listener thinking about how the chapter applies in his own life.

I was impressed by this book. The author avoids being crude, a practice that is common in books on this topic, while being perfectly frank. Often books on the topic of lust are too explicit, painting pictures in a guy’s mind that do more harm than good, but he does an excellent job staying away from such talk. He also avoids giving lists of dos and don’ts, focusing more on the heart than on specific acts, which is good. Another refreshing aspect of the book is the focus on the theology of sex and how pornography and masturbation are in direct opposition to God’s plan for sex and sexuality. This ensures a proper biblical approach to breaking free.

I think that this is an excellent book for pastors to keep on hand and would recommend it to any man who is struggling in this area. It is easy to read, clear and concise, and covers both why detox is necessary and how to accomplish it.

Since I listened to the audiobook, a comment or two about the audio quality is in order. I found the recording quality to be excellent, but the narration left a lot to be desired. The book was read by the author, which I often like, but in this case I found disappointing. Challies could probably have delivered a moving talk on the topic had he not been tasked with reading the exact verbiage of the printed book, but because he was, the delivery was stiff and lacking emotion and sincerity. Narrating an audiobook must be extremely difficult and I applaud him for doing it, but the audiobook would have been greatly improved had a professional reader been hired.