#83: Nate Larkin

As the son of a Pentecostal preacher, Nate Larkin spent his childhood in storefront missions, camp meetings, and youth rallies. But after just five years in the pastorate, Nate quit because of an addiction to pornography and commercial sex and a private despair about his moral failures and the fear of public exposure.   After years of praying, fasting, and repenting in private, Nate finally found help for his sex addiction in the authentic friendship and safety of a 12-step recovery group. The 12-step group accomplished what solitary prayer and fasting could not do. He learned that the Christian life was designed by God as a team sport!   Nearly 20 years ago Nate and a few other Christian men began meeting in groups called The Samson Society where they had a safe place to take their real selves and say real truth about things they had kept hidden. Since then more than 450 Samson Society groups have started in North America and nearly 10,000 men have participated.   One way to think about it is that “Sound of Freedom” – this summer’s hit movie about child sex trafficking – tells a story about combating the supply side of an evil, while the Samson Society deals with the demand side of the same evil in men’s hearts.    In part, the growth has been due to the leadership of Tom Moucka, who has been president of the Samson Society for the last six years.   Nate was the second speaker we had at our NCS breakfasts a dozen years ago and Tom is frequently with us at Puckett’s. Both Nate and Tom will be with us this Thursday, August 3, to share their stories and what God has been doing in their lives and through the Samson Society.