Thankful to join Josh McDowell and Josh Proctor as we begin the conversation of freedom from pornography. If you are struggling with pornography, don’t remain in isolation. Contact me and together, let’s begin a journey towards healing.
Every 98 seconds, an American experiences sexual assault. Raped my freshman year of college, I joined the 321,500 victims (age 12 or older) who experience rape and sexual assault each year in the United States. As a victim of sexual abuse, I joined the many women who spoke out in the #MeToo movement.
After last October, when the #MeToo movement went viral, I posted on Facebook and Twitter. It felt empowering to think—others struggle too. This wasn’t the first time I posted online for the whole world to see about my abuse. I’m a blogger who often writes about my abuse. But for the first time, others joined me in speaking out. Friends I had known for years, speaking out for the first time. Friends I could connect with and share how Jesus had healed me from the emotional destruction of sexual abuse. However, #MeToo has created more than cathartic relief. (more…)
Looking for a new devotional for your friend or daughter? Check out a new devotional for young women by Zondervan, Adored: 365 Devotions for Young Women. I love this new devotional. It is perfect for young women in high school or college. (more…)
Experience FREEDOM from pornography today. Check out our Bible reading plan on Bible.com. This plan has over 10,000 completions. You too can become one of the over 10,000 women who have experienced freedom from addiction and shame.
As a victim of rape, I thought the rape was my fault. I did not fully understand that I was experiencing the result of sin until years later. No matter the reason for the rape, it still wounded me deeply. Because of my hurt and pain, I often wondered why God would allow His children to suffer.
During the months following my abuse, God felt closer than ever before. He never moved. When I cried out in agony, He was by my side. When I prayed with tears streaming down my cheeks, He was there. When I begged Him to take away the pain, He held my hand.
He was there.
Right beside me, holding my hand, and helping me find healing. He was there and He knew this would happen…
Click to read my whole guest post on Bible.org.
“Joy, you are so vulnerable and so brave. Thank you for sharing your story with us. I could never be as bold as you to freely talk about these issues.” – Women’s Minister
That was the response I got from a women’s minister as I talked about the growing epidemic of porn addiction for women. Throughout my talk I shared how in 5th grade a friend first introduced me to porn, opening doors of curiosity inside my 11 year old brain. Next, I shared my story of date rape, which led me to turn back to porn out of more curiosity about sex.
In my talk, I was authentic, vulnerable, and bold – characteristics missing from many women’s ministries. If we as women’s ministers are not authentic, vulnerable, and bold, then neither will our women be authentic, vulnerable, and bold. As a millennial, I look for those characteristics in a church and a women’s ministry. Are you afraid of being vulnerable, authentic, and bold with the women you are ministering to? (more…)
Pornography does not only hurt men. Porn enters into our churches and impacts men AND women. When was the last time you heard a sermon on porn in your church? If so, when was the last time you heard it preached to women?
Most female porn addicts feel alone. This could be because the church isn’t talking about it.
Instead of finding freedom, women live alone in shame and bondage. (more…)
We can either stand around and let the beliefs of culture rub off on our young people, or we can follow Jesus’ command and begin to invest in the lives of the young women in our churches and communities. Joy Skarka Ministries is passionate about discipleship, let me share with you why you should be passionate too. (more…)
For all my new readers, I wanted to share the reason why I blog. My name is Joy Skarka and I am the founder of Joy Skarka Ministries. I grew up in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, a town slightly east of Pittsburgh. In 2011, I moved to Tampa, Florida to attend the University of South Florida. My story is one of failure and redemption. (more…)
Every Christian has a powerful redemption story. God can and will use your story to bring him glory. Your story is your most powerful resource for sharing the gospel with the people around you. That is why it is so important to write your story in a way that is easy to understand and that explains the gospel. This post will help you do just that.
I’ve heard people say that their story is not powerful because nothing “bad” happened to them. I want to encourage you that every story is powerful. You went from death to life when you accepted Jesus as your Savior. When you made that decision, the power of the Holy Spirit was given to you. This is the same power that resurrected Jesus from death. Now, that power is inside of you, and because of that fact your story can change lives and bring others from death to life.
Every time we tell our stories we give honor and glory to God. Our story is the story of how God rescued us, saved us, redeemed us, and forgave us. Our story is a story of hope. It’s our first person account of how our lives have changed. And retelling of your redemption story reveals God’s character. Sharing our stories glorifies God because we are giving Him the credit and acknowledging His work in our lives.
We have to be ready to give our story at any moment. The Bible tells us – to always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have (1 Peter 3:15). How can we be prepared? We need to write out our story and practice sharing it. In the moment, it is easy to get jumbled up, flustered, distracted, and off point. This could distract, bore, or confuse the person you are trying to share the gospel with. We have powerful stories, so we want to maximize the potential and give God the glory.
To help you write your story and to prepare you to share at any time, answer the questions below. Work through each question and then combine them into your story. Add transitions so your story flows. The best stories have conflict, plot, climax, and resolution – your testimony of how Jesus changed your life is no different. (more…)