All Episodes

July 30, 2025 16 mins

In this deeply personal and powerful episode of Hope in the Fire, we’re tackling a topic many women silently struggle with: sex in marriage after experiencing sexual abuse.

Whether you’ve faced childhood abuse, trauma in adulthood, or carry shame from a promiscuous past, know this — you are not alone, and you are not beyond healing.

Join me as I share my own story of restoration, how trauma affected my view of intimacy, and what God’s Word says about the beauty and purpose of sexual intimacy within marriage. We’ll explore the spiritual implications of sex, how past wounds can show up in marriage, and most importantly, how God can redeem every part of your story — even the marriage bed.

 

📝 In this episode, you’ll hear:

  • Why sex outside of marriage creates spiritual and emotional baggage
  • How childhood and adult trauma can distort God’s design for intimacy
  • Biblical truths that restore hope and bring clarity
  • What 1 Corinthians 7:5 and Hebrews 13:4 teach us about intimacy and protection in marriage
  • Two journaling prompts to help you reflect, heal, and reconnect with God’s heart for intimacy

✍️ Journal Prompts:

  1. Ask God to reveal any hidden feelings you may have about sex and intimacy. Write down what you long for in your future or current marriage.
  2. Write a letter to your younger self — the version of you that was wounded. Speak truth, grace, and hope over her story.

 

📞 Ready for 1:1 support?

If this episode stirred something in your heart and you’re ready to begin your healing journey, I’d love to walk with you.

➡️ Email me today to schedule a coaching call. leslie@lesliechermak.com

 

🔗 Resources & Links:

 

💬 Share this episode with a friend who needs to know:

Your past doesn’t define your future. God restores — even this.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

The Brothers Ortiz

The Brothers Ortiz

The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.