Ever heard of a guy in the Bible named Perez?
Perez was an obscure character in the Old Testament. Here’s his story. A woman named Tamar seduced a fellow named Judah, who was the great-grandson of Abraham. Tamar became pregnant, and had twins nine months later, born outside of marriage. One of those twins was Perez.
Perez had a son named Hezron, who had a son named Ram, who had a son named Amminadab. Fast forward five more generations and you run into a familiar name – David. Take it from there and the lineage eventually ends with Jesus. You can read the complete list in Matthew 1.
Let’s summarize. An obscure boy named Perez was the product of an act of prostitution. But out of that lineage would come the Savior of the world.
Recovery Step: God can use your biggest mistakes to produce some of his greatest work. So go ahead. Give him a try.
Author: Mark Denison
Mark and Beth Denison, married for 36 years, launched There’s Still Hope as a national movement to call men and women into lives of sexual integrity. Their ministry offers 90-day recovery plans for addicts and one-on-one and group coaching for addicts and their spouses. TSH also produces resources for pastors and churches to confront the porn epidemic that is destroying so many lives.
Dr. Denison was a senior pastor for over 30 years, NBA chaplain, and board chairman at Houston Baptist University three times. With a Master’s Degree in Addiction Recovery, Mark is a certified PSAP and active member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.
Mark has written four books on recovery: Porn in the Pew, 365 Days to Sexual Integrity, A 90-Day Recovery Guide, and 40 Days to Porn-Free Living. His latest book, Jesus on the 12 Steps, will be released later this year.
