Author Archive

Heart Strong Faith Podcast

I am so excited that HeartStrong Faith has launched a brand new podcast called, “Honest Conversations | HeartStrong Faith.” What they do is discuss difficult topics by seeing what the Bible really has to say about them.

This week, I joined Rebecca Carrell and Liz Rodriguez to share my journey of sexual healing and how to minister to those who struggle.

How to Overcome Sexual Shame |Video

How to Overcome Sexual Shame: Check out this video from my talk at the adolescent girls ministry, Four ThirTeen Youth Ministry. In this video, I briefly share my story. Then we look to Genesis to see how God created us as sexual brings and how Adam and Eve first experienced sexual shame. Lastly, we will look at three ways we can find freedom from sexual shame.

Gay Girl Good God Book Review

This book review of Gay Girl Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who God Has Always Been, by Jackie Hill Perry is written by Drey Clark. Drey serves as a student pastor at Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston Texas and is currently working on his ThM at Dallas Theological Seminary.  He also hosts the podcast “Good theological Thursday” with the goal to bring community and theology to the next generation.


In her book, Gay Girl Good God Jackie Hill Perry presents her personal story of becoming a Christian in light of her same sex attraction. As the subtitle notes, Jackie carefully walks through the story of who she is and who God has always been. Not only is this book a great resource for people who share a similar story, but it also offers several pastoral suggestions.

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Pornography and Sexual Shame (Part 2)

Pornography is a growing epidemic. 1 out of 3 visitors to adult sites are women. Joy will talk about the problems of pornography, how it impacts us, our society, and our relationships, and then provide practical ways to begin walking in freedom.

Thank you Northwest Bible Church Recovery Ministry for having me! Here is their website for more info: https://www.northwestbible.org

Women Struggle Too, From Pornography to Freedom (Part 1)

Testimony: From Pornography Addiction to Redemption God uses our pain and our past to help others. Joy Skarka Skarka has struggled with promiscuity, pornography, masturbation, and sexual shame. She will share her story, and talk about the freedom we have in Christ.

Thank you Northwest Bible Church Recovery Ministry for having me! Here is their website for more info: https://www.northwestbible.org

FREEDOM from Pornography Addiction Through The Holy Spirit

Did you know that JP Ministries offers a free 6 day Bible reading plan on the YouVersion Bible app? (Click here to start the plan.) Attached below is a sneak peak of the plan. Here is Day 2: FREEDOM Through The Holy Spirit.

Without a relationship with Jesus, freedom from addiction is practically impossible. When you become a true follower of Christ, the Holy Spirit takes root inside of you and gives you the power to become who God created you to be and break free from addiction. The Holy Spirit connects us to God in the most intimate and powerful ways possible.

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Sexual Shame Separates Us from Others | The Importance of Biblical Community

Have you wondered when sexual shame first entered the world? In this blog post we will look at the creation story and the fall to see how sexual shame entered this world. Then we will discuss how biblical community is a key factor in finding freedom from sexual shame. I pray that you will feel encouraged and challenged to enter into community and share your story with trusted and safe people.

In the Garden of Eden, God created Adam, and God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him” (Gen. 2:18). Then God created Eve. Then, God saw all that he had made, and he said that it was very good (1:31).

Adam and Eve fully knew and loved each other. They walked around naked and felt no shame. They took pleasure in one another. God blessed them and commanded them to be fruitful and increase in number (1:28). God created them to have sex, to enjoy one another’s bodies, to live naked and unashamed.

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Christian Teen Girls and Pornography: Practical Tools for Freedom

Looking for a speaker for your next youth event? Invite Joy Skarka Skarka to talk about pornography and purity with your youth group. Below is a video from a purity conference in Burleson, Texas. Joy spoke on freedom from pornography for teen girls.

To book Joy please fill out the contact form or send Joy an email ([email protected]) and she will be in touch within 24 hours.

We apologize for the video quality.

JoyPedrow.com

How to Suffer Well: Joy through the Pain

Over a year later, I still experience daily pain all over my body. Physical pain has followed me around for months like baby ducks following their mama. Pain has left me asking theological questions: How can I suffer well? How can I not give up hope for healing? I want to believe that God will use this season for his good. I want to believe that he has not forgotten about me. I want to cope and find comfort in the Creator of the universe instead of his created things like food, movies, and aspirin. But what do we do when those things are the only things that bring us a few seconds of relief?

Maybe you aren’t suffering with physical pain, but I bet you’re suffering from something. Maybe you are grieving the loss of a loved one. Maybe you’re struggling with depression. Maybe you feel stuck in addiction and chained to pornography. Maybe you are single and have sexual desires, and don’t know what to do with them. We all experience suffering. 

I surveyed my friends on social media and asked them about suffering. I asked two questions: Do you suffer well? If so, how do you suffer well? The responses flooded into my inbox and comment section. Everyone is struggling. We must get out of isolation and share our pain with those around us. Their wisdom was so encouraging to me that I wanted to share it with you. 

How do we suffer well? Let’s read their wise words:

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