Into the Light: a teaching documentary on freedom from pornography

Documentary 81 minutes / 2023 Rating: 8/10 Are you someone who doesn’t take quickly to reading? Are you looking for a more accessible resource for yourself or perhaps your study group? Look no further than Into the Light! This documentary was created for the very purpose of providing non-readers with a faithful and effective presentation of the Christian’s struggle with pornography, and the work that God does to restore them. An independent project by Jacob Valk and John-Michael Bout, this documentary is a valuable resource for Christians struggling against pornography and for those walking alongside them. Great group resource As the title suggests, this documentary aims to bring the conversation about pornography out into the open and highlight the fact that it is a very real struggle for many Christians, both men and women, young and old. The documentary is comprised of six short interviews, each with an expert in various aspects of the Bible’s teaching about sexual purity and in the fight against pornography. The interviews cover the consequences of sin, God’s design for sex, understanding our hearts, taking radical practical measures, learning to endure in the fight, and discovering true freedom in Christ. The presentations by each of the six interviewees are biblically based and provide great hope for those who may feel lost or defeated in the struggle against sexual sin. The interviews are spaced apart by five short segments that follow the story of Tim and Chelsea – a Christian couple who had their own struggle with pornography. Their story really helps to bring out the talking points that are covered in the interviews and shows how they are lived out by real Christians. They typify what is sadly very common among Christians, namely their initial misunderstanding of how destructive pornography really is and the pain that the struggle against it brings. Their story, however, is full of hope for through Christ they have found freedom from pornography and can live a new life in Him. Into the Light is about an hour and twenty minutes long but for study purposes can be watched in episode form. Since this was an entirely crowd-funded endeavor, the creators of this documentary have made it freely available at IntoTheLightDocumentary.com. On the website, under the resources tab there is an excellent leader’s guide for study groups as well as discussion questions for each of the six interviews. These two resources are of high quality as they thoroughly explore each subject and even provide sample answers and additional resources for those who want to learn more. With the aid of these helpful resources, bringing the conversation about pornography into the light can begin to happen. Caution While the documentary does an excellent job of not discussing unnecessary explicit details of sexual sin, some of the talking points do require a certain level of maturity. For teenagers and young adults this documentary is a great way to start the conversation about pornography but for those of pre-teen age it may need parental guidance. Conclusion One thing that is missing from this documentary is a breakdown of just how pervasive pornography is amongst Christians. It would have been helpful to highlight the fact that this problem is only growing and that the Church needs to be equipped to deal with this. The filmmakers of Into the Light are Reformed Baptists and the teaching and guidance that their documentary provides is scriptural and Christ-centered. To learn more about their story and purpose in making this documentary check out their appearance on the Real Talk podcast, Episode 50. To watch it for free, just pick your format below. To get access, they do ask you for your email address. 81 minute documentary Six 15-20 minute chapters Find the other resources at: IntoTheLightDocumentary.com. And watch the trailer below. ...