Biblical Counseling
10 Resources for Counseling Marriage Conflict
Prepare and Enrich Prepare and Enrich is a tool that was designed by Dr. David Olsen to help evaluate the health of a couple’s relationship. This tool can be used for premarital and marriage relationships. It is something that a counselor would administer and facilitate for the couple, allowing them to see what is happening behind the scenes in their...
Biblical Counseling After Suicide or Suicidal Thoughts
Suicide is one of the most difficult types of suffering and pain we can experience. Counseling those who are in the wake of a tragic loss, or those who are contemplating taking their own life, requires deep biblical wisdom. The Bible has hope and help to guide us. The Association of Certified Biblical Counselors has given me permission to share...
Summary of the Seven Keys to “Strategic Pastoral Counseling” by David Benner
Counseling within the church context is full of challenges. Knowing what to offer it to your congregation and the boundaries that should exist within your counseling ministry are not intuitive. I have learned this the hard way, over the last nine years, as I have established two different biblical counseling ministry from the ground up. We have made our...
Taking a PAUSE to Pursue Peace
When it comes to describing the current state of our world, peaceful is not the word most people would use to characterize culture. God calls us to a kind of peace that doesn’t mean living in the absence of conflict. Instead, He gives us a roadmap for navigating the struggles and disagreements that come when sinful people engage with one another, inevitably leading to broken relationships. Here is a way to take PAUSE to pursue peace.
Understanding Inspiration, Inerrancy, and Authority of Scripture
What is the inspiration, inerrancy, and authority of Scripture and how do they work together to help us? As the ultimate standard for life and living, there will never be any facts or findings that can contradict it. Because of the inerrancy of Scripture, we can hold it as the total truth and standard for all ethical, social, spiritual, and life science issues.
I Want to Punch God.
Life is not fair. God is always fair. Shelly (name changed) is a woman who has had a very hard life. The things she has told me in our counseling sessions are enough to make me depressed. I’ve told her time and again, “I wish there was a ‘reset’ button I could push for you. Life has been so hard...
Bible Verses for the Depressed
Though it is not something I am proud of, I have to admit that the last few days have been some of the hardest days I’ve had in a long time. The number of sermons yet to be prepared and preached were overwhelming to me. I was burdened by the responsibilities of the church. The shambles my personal life...
7 Items for a Pastoral Care Team Meeting Agenda
Every week I sit with our Care and Counseling Team to review the current people we are caring for. This is not always a short meeting. On any given week we may have as many as 60 active cases to review. A "case" is someone that we we are currently engaging in biblical counseling or are caring for in...
You Can Cry On Me. Your Tears Are Warm.
Loss hurts no matter when it comes. Even necessary endings have a way of hurting – though we knew that or they had to go. As a biblical counselor, tears are a regular part of my day. When people come in my office and feel the freedom to cry, I am honored. I don’t take it for granted when someone...
The High Calling of Caring
I recently looked up the word, “Shepherd” in the dictionary. This is what I found: shepherd |ˈ sh epərd| |ˈʃɛpərd| |ˈʃɛpəd| noun A person who tends and rears sheep. Figurative a member of the clergy who provides spiritual care and guidance for a congregation. The task we are called to as pastors and elders is not a simple one. Anytime one person is...
Top 10 Internet Resources for Depression
Biblical Counseling Coalition – Depression Articles This site has an excellent list of articles, audio and video resources on the topic of depression. There are several different biblical counselors that wrote these articles, giving a variety of perspective and expertise. Tools and steps are included to help the counselor know where to start and how to set realistic goals for...
Six Strategies for Developing a Caring Relationship with My Counselee
The Bible is the source by which I provide all biblical counseling. It is not just a filter by which I pass all my theories and thoughts. Rather, the truth I impart comes solely from Scripture, and in doing so, I will provide biblical and practical care for my counselees. The following are six biblical strategies to develop a...
