In his new book, “Overcoming Moral Failure: Picking up the Pieces,” Dr. Gordon S. Froese reveals his past as an adulterer, and explains how God delivered him from his life of sin.
The Moses Lake dentist was living a double life as a husband, father and lay preacher until 2004, when his extra marital affair was exposed, he said.
“Ten years later here I am,” he said, “a different man.”
The church, counseling and forgiveness helped him heal, he said, and affirmed that God can rebuild broken lives.
He said his book, published by CrossBooks, is a guide for those failing morally, or for those who know someone struggling with some sort of iniquity.
Froese, who has reconciled with his wife, Mary, said he was prompted to write about his story after speaking at a men’s retreat a few years ago.
“A guy, afterward, said he really related to what I was saying, but said once you taste it (sin), you never really get over it. That’s a bold face lie of the devil. You can get over it if you want to,” Froese said. “That was the nail that drove it home that I needed to share how you can overcome moral failure. You can pick up those pieces of a broken life and God can put them back together.”
The first step, he said, is to stop lying.
“You’ve got to embrace the truth and stop lying. It’s astounding how many different ways people behave to mask their bad behaviors,” Froese said.
Froese said he was not only lying to his family while having his affair, but also to his church, where he would regularly preach.
Mary said since her husband’s come clean, his sermons have become enriched.
“He was always a good preacher,” she said. “But now his words carry more weight, there’s more substance.”
Her message through all this, she said, is to always do the right thing – no matter how uncomfortable. She said her husband’s story is an important one for people to hear, and she’s behind him all the way.
The other lesson the Froese’s learned is the significance of making good decisions.
“Life is full of choices and what it boils down to is that we can make wrong choices that lead to the road of moral failure, or we can make the right choice and avoid it,” he said.
Retired pastor Del McKenzie mentored Froese after his affair and said he’s seen many people in similar situations, which is why he feels the book is important.
“I think one of the key strengths (of the book) is that it points people to Scripture, and Scripture, of course, points people to God,” McKenzie said.
He added that, “Overcoming Moral Failure” is a story of hope because it’s one man’s personal testimony of finding freedom from immorality.
“I think it’s helpful to people,” he said. “I think it’s a story many people, men especially, can identify with.”
