12 Things I Have in Common with Terry Crews

What first drew me to actor Terry Crews was when he made headlines for boldly speaking out against pornography.  He shared his own struggles with it to his fans (see video below) and it made national news.  The more I looked into his life, the more substance I found.  What I discovered was a courageous person who isn’t afraid to risk their popularity in order to stand for important truths.  I love this.  This led me to read Terry’s autobiography, Manhood.  What I discovered was the refreshing account of a real person, not a Hollywood facade.  What I found was a transparent, relatable guy that I have a lot in common with.  I highly recommend you read Manhood and I bet you’ll find the same thing.

12 Things Terry Crews and I have in Common:

1. We both wear Old Spice deodorant
2. We have both overcome addictions to pornography
3. We have both overcame marital struggles
4. We both have a ton of daughters (He has 4, I have 3)
5. We have both written books to help other men overcome pornography and marital struggles.  Terry’s.  Mine. 
6. We both played football as grown men: Terry in the NFL, me in semipro (Ok, not quiiite identical, but…)
7. We are both committed followers of Jesus Christ and not afraid to tell people about it
8. We are both from Michigan: Terry grew up in Flint, I live in Lansing
9. We both have taken stands against racial oppression and discrimination
10. We both have spoken out regarding the male mindset that led to the #metoo movement
11. We both share openly about our failures, insecurities, and depression
12. And I have to include some joke about how my biceps are the same size as Terry’s

What gets me about Terry is he has a lot more to lose than I do.  I’m a pastor and I certainly risk things when I talk about controversial topics like racial oppression and reconciliation, but I still think that to some degree, pastors are supposed to talk about these sorts of counter-cultural things.  Hollywood celebrities aren’t!  Or so it seems.  Especially topics like pornography and infidelity that are so prevalent in Hollywood.  I love seeing a guy like Terry step up to the plate big time, even it means losing fans or acting jobs.  If he lost any fans from his boldness to speak the truth, he gained one in me.

Here’s the first video in a series about Terry’s porn addiction that he posted on his Facebook page:

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Noah Filipiak

Founding Pastor at Mosaic Church

Noah is the founding pastor of Mosaic Church, a multi-ethnic church in urban Grand Rapids, MI. He is a grad of Grand Rapids Theological Seminary.
He is:
Author of Beyond the Battle: A man's guide to his identity in Christ in an oversexualized world
Host of the The Flip Side Podcast
Join an online men's small group led by Noah and team at BeyondTheBattle.net

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Latest posts by Noah Filipiak (see all)

• Ep. 109: Dr. Andrew Bauman on Guarding Against Sexism & Abuse in the Church - January 17, 2025
• Ep.108: Anonymous Venezuelan Pastor on Ministry Amidst Oppression - December 3, 2024
• Ep. 107: Mark & Beth Denison on Betrayal Trauma - November 4, 2024

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