About the Author

John D. Street (MDiv, Grand Rapids Theological Seminary; DMin, Westminster Theological Seminary) is chair of the biblical counseling graduate program at The Master's University and Seminary.

Reviews

"'Don't trust your heart; trust the truth of the Maker of your heart.' John Street capably demonstrates that he has been diligently studying the truth of the Maker of our hearts for decades. So as he leads us through the Passions of the Heart, we can have confidence that what we read will lead us to lasting hope and joy. John speaks with great wisdom and unpacks Scripture in a beautifully relevant way. I commend this excellent book to all those who struggle with stubborn sexual sins."--Amy Baker, Author; ACBC certified counselor; instructor and counselor, Faith Biblical Counseling Ministry; council member, Biblical Counseling Coalition

"'Why do I do what I do, and how can I stop it?' is a common question when it comes to sexual sin. The answer eludes us, and as a result we may be angry, confused, or hopeless. With solid exposition and practical applications, John Street provides a clear biblical answer, eliminating the confusion and giving us hope. If you want to conquer sexual sin and help others conquer it, then this book is for you."--Andrew Rogers, Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for Biblical Counseling, Boyce College; ACBC Board Member and Fellow

"Any experienced biblical counselor knows that the only way to bring about lasting change is to successfully get the counselee to clearly understand and see his own heart motivations, and then in a practical and biblical manner help him use the Scriptures to bring about lasting change. If we cannot connect the counselee with the reality of his own heart and then with God's solutions, there is little hope. In Passions of the Heart, Dr. John Street uses his superior Greek and Hebrew ability and his practical understanding of 'the mechanics of the heart' to tackle (in a simple and clear way) one of the most needy areas in biblical counseling today: that of purifying the heart in an immoral world system with the myriad of temptations that are defeating so many. He demonstrates how lust is fed, how heart idolatry is the real problem, and how the purification process happens. This material not only is comprehensive and biblical, but provides useful diagrams to help the reader picture the truth and practical solutions. Highly recommended for anyone desiring to help counselees with this present and weighty challenge."--Allen Yoder, Head, Master's of Biblical Counseling Department, SIBIMA Seminary, Fortaleza, Brazil

"Blending together his decades of comprehensive Bible knowledge and seasoned counseling wisdom, John Street lifts the hood of our hearts to show us in thorough ways how our desires--even those that are initially legitimate or nonsexual--can subtly, progressively, and devastatingly lead to innumerable forms of sexual sin."--Robert D. Jones, Biblical Counseling Professor, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; ACBC Fellow and certified biblical counselor; author, Pursuing Peace and Uprooting Anger

"Dealing with desires is a difficult challenge because they seem to come from nowhere and feel stronger than anything else. Sexual desires are no exception. People suffer from disoriented sexual desires and fall into a pattern of sexual sin. Habitual patterns lead to sexual enslavement, bringing devastating consequences. If you are struggling with sexual issues or if you help people who struggle in the sexual arena, Passions of the Heart will help you. Dr. Street presents a biblical perspective of desires applied to sexuality. God's Word is light, and Passions of the Heart can help you understand how the Scriptures shed light into the darkness of sexual sin. This book will also help you understand what the Scriptures teach about the origin of sexual struggles, what has gone wrong with our sexuality, and the hope that we have in the Redeemer of our desires. There is hope; we can be sexually pure!"--Alexandre "Sacha" Mendes, Pastor, Director for Vision and Expansion, Brazilian Association of Biblical Counselors (ACBC); ACBC certified counselor; member, Board of Directors, Biblical Counseling Coalition

"Dr. John Street has done a marvelous job in writing a book that will assist pastors and others who counsel people struggling with various forms of sexual temptation. It will also provide good homework assignments for people who are being overcome by those same forms of sexual temptation and want to find deliverance. In this volume, John walks us through a thoroughly biblical and practical description of the nature and causes of what many in our world call 'sexual addictions.' In addition, he provides an explanation of the way of deliverance from these destructive practices. I thank God for this book and will certainly use it in my counseling practice. And I will heartily recommend it to my students and others who are either counselors or counselees or who just desire a solid biblical understanding of this increasingly common problem."--Wayne Mack, Academic Head, Strengthening Ministries Training Institute; Director, Association of Certified Biblical Counselors--Africa

"Dr. John Street is a masterly exegete of both Scripture and the human heart. In Passions of the Heart, he skillfully and succinctly shows how the Word of God is sufficiently helpful to those enslaved to sexual sin. While it speaks directly to the enslaved, it is also an encompassing guide for the counselor walking beside them. I will definitely be using this invaluable and practical resource in biblical counseling."--Jenn Chen, Adjunct Professor for Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling, The Master's University; former Clinical Instructor, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA; ACBC certified biblical counselor

"Dr. John Street is an experienced biblical counselor and a leader in the biblical counseling movement. As such, he believes that the Bible is sufficient in addressing every counseling issue and superior to every other system in diagnosing problems, understanding people, and providing clear, life-transforming answers. In this book, Dr. Street takes the Scripture and does that very thing, tackling the nearly impossible problem of bondage to sexual sin. But he rightly understands that the problem is the heart, not merely the Internet and a culture steeped in sensuality. In Passions of the Heart, you will find the Bible's superior analysis of how lust works in the inner man to produce sexual bondage and the Savior's liberating answers that must be found there. Read and profit from this book, and learn the workings of your own heart."--Tim Pasma, ACBC Board Member and Fellow; Pastor, LaRue Baptist Church, LaRue, Ohio

"Dr. Street has written a solid, pastoral, helpful word. He is clear, Christ-centered, and completely biblical. You will be helped by reading and working through this volume. While Street centers on sexual issues, the truths expounded, explained, and applied can help anyone with any enslavement to any sin. Get the book; wrestle through it; give it away! May the King use it to make Jesus Christ the passion of our hearts."--George C. Scipione, Adjunct Professor, The Biblical Counseling Institute, Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary; ACBC Board Member and Fellow

"In a society that is practically enslaved to sexual expression, Passions of the Heart is vital work for the student, the counselor, or any other reader seeking biblical means to help those trapped in sexual sin. It has theological depth, exegetical insight, practical applications, effective illustrations, and wise counsel that will benefit its readers and those who apply its principles. John Street's extensive counseling and pastoral experience are evident throughout and complemented by a foundational desire to help people change for their own benefit and God's glory."--Carl A. Hargrove, Dean of Students and Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministries, The Master's Seminary; Associate Pastor, Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California

"In my many years of counseling, I have noted that sexual sins are the most difficult to overcome. I am thankful for this work, Passions of the Heart, written by John Street. The book is not necessarily a 'how-to, ' even though there are many biblical helps, but it is a 'how come?' Dr. Street gets to the real issue of why people are enslaved to sexual sin: the heart. He has given us an outstanding work on the depravity of man's heart, which produces anger, self-pity, discontent, and fear--often leading to sexual (and other) sin. I was moved to think about my own heart and the need to make sure that I have rooted out all idolatry. I pray that this work aids many counselors in helping those enslaved to sexual passions, and I pray that it helps many men and women to overcome sexual sin."--Susan Heck, ACBC certified counselor; author and speaker

"It is always a pleasure to read the work of a soul doctor who knows the ailment he is treating. As a precise surgeon of both Scripture and the soul, John uses biblical truth to cut deep, revealing the true nature of sexual sin. I finished the book praising God that a powerful Savior can liberate his people from sexual enslavement. May the Lord use this volume widely to help those in bondage by the power of the truths of Scripture."--Ernie Baker, Pastor of Counseling, First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, Florida; ACBC Fellow; Professor of Biblical Counseling, The Master's University

"John Street has written a carefully researched and helpful book for both men and women who struggle with sexual sin. Passions of the Heart will be a helpful tool for biblical counselors dedicated to helping counselees recognize their heart motivations. Diagrams drive the truth home."--Caroline Newheiser, Assistant Coordinator of Women's Counseling at RTS, Charlotte; ACBC certified counselor; conference speaker

"Passions of the Heart by Dr. John Street is a masterpiece! I am not aware of a more thorough treatment of the Bible's teaching about the heart, the wellspring of life. This examination of the heart is accompanied by an insightful description of the way that sexual sin and temptation work. Street masterfully draws out the connections between the passions of the heart and all manner of struggles with sexuality. This book is an invaluable resource both for people who are carried away by sexual passions and for the counselors who endeavor to help them."--Tedd Tripp, Author; counselor; conference speaker

"Passions of the Heart is the result of extensive and careful research done by Dr. John Street in the pages of the Holy Scriptures concerning the nature, expressions, reach, and consequences of sexual sin and all its enslaving desires. In its faithful approach, the work not only exposes the problem, but also offers hope and a way to restoration for all who struggle in this area. In days of such moral permissiveness, this book is a well-timed relief for all who long to live according to the sufficient provision of God through his Word. It is a must for those involved in biblical counseling."--Jayro M. Cáceres, Senior Pastor, Igreja Batista Pedras VivasSão Paulo, Brazil; Director, NUTRABiblical Counseling and Training Center; Director, NUTRA Publishing, a ministry outreach of Igreja Batista Pedras VivasSão Paulo, Brazil

"There is nothing elementary about this book. My colleague and friend has, in heart-surgery fashion, unpacked well the many fleshly lusts and motivations behind sexual sin. The survey of diagnostic questions is itself worth the price of the book. Perhaps most distinguishing about the book are the real-life stories woven among a study that clearly rests on the Word of God as its authority."--Stuart W. Scott Professor of Biblical Counseling at The Master's University, Graduate Program

"This is an incredibly important book for biblical counseling. The mantra of biblical counseling is to watch after one's heart, and Dr. John Street has done a wonderful job in exploring the theology of the heart. This book reminded me of David's prayer in Psalm 139:23-24: 'Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!' David wanted an X-ray done on his heart so that he would be a genuine man of God. This book is a fantastic tool to make that happen. "As I was reading the book, I had to remind myself that John was speaking to the issue of sexual sin. Yet the unfolding of the truth about the heart is for any malady of the soul. This book can instruct the reader to develop good devotional and Bible-reading habits to overcome the temptations of sin in all areas of life. This book contains so many jewels for understanding the heart that reading it will be like searching for gold. The search will surely render the reader richer. This volume is for singles and married people struggling with lust. It is for parents desiring to communicate biblically about sex to their children. And it is for counselors wishing to be biblical in their approach to sinners' hearts."--Bill Shannon, Pastor of Discipleship Counseling, Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California; ACBC Fellow

"We've come to trust the biblically wise advice from Dr. Street, and in this volume he applies his confidence in the Scriptures from years of experience counseling those entangled in sexual sin. There is hope, and Street makes clear and practical the path to biblical freedom from the haunting and stern grip of sexual sin."--Dale Johnson, Associate Professor of Biblical Counseling, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; Executive Director, ACBC

"When addressing sexual sin, John Street goes beyond 'stop it' to address the sometimes hidden or surprising inward motivations that lead to unrighteous expressions of passion. He combines extensive and careful use of scriptural teaching and examples with a wide range of specific contemporary cases that reflect the experience of a seasoned counselor. He also offers practical wisdom for counselors who are trying to help counselees stuck in slavery to sexual sin. This will become an important resource that will help many to be set free to honor Christ with their sexuality."--Jim Newheiser, Director of the Christian Counseling Program and Associate Professor of Practical Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte; ACBC Board Member and Fellow

"When does a thought become sinful? Dr. John Street walks the reader through the deceitful steps along the slippery slope of enslaving sexual desires and sexual idolatry of the heart. Born out of years of the author's pastoral counseling experience built on the solid theological footings of Scripture, this work masterfully addresses the issues pertinent to men and women caught up in the sexual revolution and the resulting gender confusion. Dr. Street not only addresses the issues, but also lays out helpful steps for the counselee and the biblical counselor in purifying the heart of sexual idolatry."--David H. Zemmer, Former missionary to Brazil, 30 years; current pastor, Riley Bible Church, Terre Haute, Indiana