Sex, Jesus, & the Conversations the Church Forgot

By Mo Isom

If you want to give the snoopy airplane passenger sitting next to you or the casual bystander walking past you a chance to throw you a double take, cause judgment or strike up an interesting discussion, then Sex, Jesus, & the Conversations the Church Forgot by Mo Isom is the book for you!

I began reading this book [in 2018] on a long travel day driving from Orlando to Atlanta to catch a flight from Atlanta back home to Phoenix. I was intrigued from the moment this book arrived in my mailbox and was hooked from the first page of the Introduction. Mo writes a compelling message based on her very personal and dark sexual testimony. Unlike the messiness that clutters her past, Mo’s words are constructed with beautiful and clean precision that shine light into the dark corners of shame, guilt and regret that many try to hide from, forget or bury deep.

Mo reminds us there is no hiding, forgetting or burying deep with God. Everything that is done in our private moments of secrecy and darkness will eventually find its way to the surface and will be exposed in the light.

“After all, we may not be able to control what we are served, but we have complete control over what we choose to eat.”

Mo Isom, Sex, Jesus, & the Conversations the Church Forgot 

There is no escaping our sex-crazed culture and its influence in all areas of our life but redemption can be found through Jesus Christ. One of the many things I enjoyed about this book was the vast amount of scripture used to support the stats, issues and stories described. Sex was God’s idea, after all, and it is His wonderful gift given to those in a heterosexual martial relationship, yet our twisted world has negatively tainted our views, priorities and expectations in regards to sex.

Mo’s personal story is a testament to the struggle many of us face whether in a different capacity or through a different avenue. Likewise, the repercussions of misinformation, ignorance, and misunderstanding (whether through the church or through the influence of culture) are something each of us can relate to. As Christians, we are long overdue to invite Jesus back into the bedroom to restore sex to its original, beautiful design. If the world puts so much focus on this topic then why are we not addressing it within the church?

“The remedy for our sexual sin problem is not behavior modification, it’s heart transformation. God, through Christ alone, is the one place we can find the power for true heart transformation in our lives. When we’re in sexual sin, it’s not enough to say that we know we need to not want to sin. We’re always going to want it. What must happen is that our want to honor God and surrender ourselves in gratitude for His incredible love for us must become greater than our want of sex outside of His design.”

Mo Isom, Sex, Jesus, & the Conversations the Church Forgot

The author is so incredibly vulnerable, raw and real in both her testimony and struggle, it would be challenging to not relate to any part of this book because at its core it addresses the depth of the many sins that plague today’s culture. Through discussions on virginity, porn, temptation, promiscuity, false sexpectations, sex in marriage and everything in between, Mo inspires the reader to discover the true meaning of sex through worship and glorifying the One who created it. If you read Sex, Jesus, & the Conversations the Church Forgot, you will walk away feeling refreshed. I know I did. As someone who battled similar sin issues in my young adulthood, it was encouraging to acknowledge I am not alone.

Whether you’re a high school student or co-ed, a married woman, recreational dater or someone who is currently single, I highly recommend you read this book. God’s grace is enough and every single one of us can be redeemed and washed cleaned. May God use your mess for His message and may each test you encounter be a part of your bigger testimony.

*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review