Biblical counselling thrives when it is placed in the context of a local church. Why? This article explains that there are five advantages to making the church the place for biblical counselling.
The Puritans can be of a great help to the biblical counsellor. This article explains how their understanding of sin and its workings and the call to fight sin in a biblical way can be of a great help in counselling.
Do you have an anger problem? This article seeks to show how can you know if you have an anger problem so that you are not the last one to know if you have it.
What does the Bible have to say about the so-called gift of singleness? Does the phrase even appear in the Bible? This article reckons with this saying, and arrives at a worthwhile conclusion.
Have you realized that your brothers and sisters in Christ are one of your heavenly treasures, already for the here and now? This article explains that reality, and how it shapes your daily life, whether that's parenting, small talk, prayer, or confessing sin.
By way of a case study, this article considers appropriate steps to minister to those who are angry at God. It considers what such anger stems from, and also how such anger bears witness that we are designed for a lasting relationship with God.
Is "I don't know" a refrain from your children in response to your questions regarding their behaviour? This article shows how parents, teachers, or other caregivers can often use this as a cue to let a child off the hook instead of calling heart motivations to task. Thus, the author suggests ways to handle this response in an effort to disciple the children God entrusts to us.
Patients in hospital face many spiritual and emotional challenges, and so pastoral counsel in such situations needs to help patients work through these. In this article, the author employs the biblical metaphor of wilderness to equip caregivers for helping patients work through these respective challenges.
Can you guess what “fast food” conversations look like? This article talks about the tendency in family life to limit conversation to what is necessary, and about the rarity of offering something that edifies. It reflects on Ephesians 4:29, calling for conversations to reflect how Christ relates to us.
This article considers the need to protect the vulnerable by reporting abuse. It gives concrete thoughts on how to respond to abuse in the church, and stresses the need for ongoing pastoral care to all impacted by it.
Is it possible to have your internet history reveal legalism in you? This article considers how we can adopt an attitude of works-righteousness in how we regard our time spent on the internet.
When you seek someone's forgiveness, what approach do you take? Do you talk far more than listen? In this article, the author suggests a different tack when seeking forgiveness.
James 1:5–7 speaks about obtaining wisdom, yet it seems to make this impossible. What exactly does James mean when he speaks of "wholeheartedness"? What is our recourse if we struggle with being double-minded? Read the article for a biblical counsellor's perspective on the matter.
So often, the letter of James is interpreted on a purely horizontal level. But the author's interpretation of a passage like James 1:19 shows that James is concerned with more than strictly person-to-person relationships. To what exactly should we be quick to listen?
What should you do when sin is once again in your sight? Confess, only to then ignore your confession? This article discusses how to move beyond patterns of denial or complacency. To that end, it considers the respective roles of grace and law in our life.
A pastor's wife feels the weight of criticism or mistreatment of her husband just as much if not more than he does. This article considers why, and several ways to respond.
This article expounds on Matthew 11:28–30, where the Lord Jesus urges us to come to him and take his yoke upon ourselves.
Your view of your heavenly Father is largely determined by your view of your earthly father. This article suggests ways to dislodge tainted understandings of the heavenly Father and replace them with a truly biblical view.
What does it really mean that, according to Paul, love "believes all things" (1 Corinthians 13:7)? Are we supposed to always believe what others, like our children, tell us? Read this article for an explanation on this verse.
Looking for clarity on the role of your conscience? Read this article to see both the blessing and limitation of your conscience.
Just what is Satan like? And how do you do battle with him? This article addresses these questions, and provides biblical, potent strategies in our spiritual warfare against Satan and his devices.
How should you answer someone who asks, "Do people who commit suicide go to heaven?"? This article offers some wise counsel on how to minister either to those whose loved one has committed suicide or to those who themselves are close to suicide.
The Bible teaches that the Lord disciplines those whom he loves. The author reflects on this truth found in Hebrews 12, with a view to explaining how sanctification comes through discipline.
What is a godly way of working through suffering? This article begins by discussing a treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, yet it goes beyond promoting certain techniques by encouraging biblical ways of examining pain and suffering.
Do you live with a lot of regret? This article shows by way of biblical examples that the kingdom of Christ is to be regret-free, on account of the mercies of Christ.
This article gives some thought to the multi-faceted nature of shame, and shows how Christ enters into the lives of the shamed.
The author reflects on the current cultural interplay between self-indulgence and self-control. He points to faith in Christ as the way to grow in self-control. Along the way he comments on Acts 24:25, where Paul discoursed on self-control, among other topics.
What exactly does "I do" at a wedding mean? Does it have anything to do with attraction? The article uses these questions to address one feature of real love, both within and outside of marriage.
Are you a caregiver for someone with chronic physical and mental problems? Are you trying to understand the changes in their personality, or how to love them in their changing circumstances? This article provides general principles for you to apply to your situation, whether that be caring for a stroke victim, an Alzheimer’s sufferer, bipolar disorder, or otherwise.
Likening it to a confrontation with someone with a loaded gun, the author suggests how to engage with and disarm an angry person in your life.
Is it possible that some sins cannot be forgiven? This article discusses the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit by looking at Matthew 12:32 within the larger context, not only of the Gospel but of Scripture as a whole.
This article speaks directly to the depressed person, and speaks openly about depression. The author gives a picture of the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual dimensions of depression, and then moves into biblical principles and strategies for change. Though a relatively short piece on the subject, the author capably handles some of its complexities, and leaves the reader with the encouragement to persevere in hope through the cross of Christ.
This article holds out hope for those addicted to pornography. Powlison explains that God can and does transform the addict's imagination and behaviour, as the individual is challenged to face his behaviour, understand the deeper struggle, and go to God for his help in the fight.
In this article, Smith explains that sexual fantasies and masturbation harm people and their ability to have healthy relationships. These escapes are ways of playing god with others. Smith shares practical ways for building a new inner world founded on Christ’s sweet love that liberates and satisfies. The counsel in this article will help those who struggle with sexual sin to grow in their ability to have loving relationships.
As the conclusion to the series, this article holds out the restoration that God in Christ can bring to relationships broken by judgmentalism. Sande gives practical insight on what personal sanctification in this matter of judging might look like. He also speaks of the "expectant charity" we can hold toward someone who has done wrong in the past, as we can expect to observe increasing evidence of God's grace in our own lives and theirs.
In this second article, Sande notes that there are limits to making charitable judgments. In such cases—where further investigation may be needed—the goal of treating the neighbour with love still remains (per the ninth commandment). To that end, the author helps us get at the root of critical judgments, alerting us to three ways we judge that are destructive and costly to relationships.
What tendencies do you have in the judgments you make about others? In this first of a three-part series, Ken Sande reflects on judging by way of passages such as Matthew 7:1–6 and 1 Corinthians 13:4–7, with a view to offering practical suggestions on how to make godly, charitable judgments about others.
In this final post on bipolar disorder, the author reviews another book on the topic, this time a personal account of living with bipolar. He goes on to discuss three common views on the use of medication, and then concludes by revisiting the case study introduced in the first part of the series.
In this second of a series on the topic of bipolar disorder, the author reviews two more books. The first is written from a cognitive-behavioral perspective, and the second addresses bipolar in children, particularly in the form of mood swings.
In this first of a series on the topic of bipolar disorder (formerly "manic depression"), the author introduces a case study, followed by a basic framework for thinking biblically about the topic and for engaging with secular perspectives on the disorder. The blog post then summarizes and interacts with the first of four secular books on bipolar disorder, identifying how we can benefit from the book and thereby help people live in dependence upon Christ.
This article discusses the reason for prayer and what that means for its role in pastoral care and counselling. It reflects on what prayer communicates about your beliefs, what you need to pray for, and how you may pray.
What do your prayer requests look like? How do they match up with the focus of Scripture's prayers? This article explains how right praying and prayer requests are good avenues to pursue in order to care well for one another.
The great concern of biblical counselling is to remake broken people into disciples of Christ. Therefore, as the article explains, this form of counselling is for everyone—both those who "need" counselling as well as those who don't think they need it.
The author highlights five advantages to having counselling carried out in the local church, over against the secular model of the office-bound counsellor.
When it comes to counselling or ministering to others, a lot of harm can be inflicted when you proof-text instead of using proof texts. The author outlines the difference, and advocates a use of Scripture that is sensitive to someone's life circumstances.
What is the godly way of receiving your cancer? The authors, each of which has personally experienced cancer, explore the discipline of regarding your illness as a gift of God for the purpose of nurturing your faith in Christ and relationship with him and others.
How do you pray when you are alone? Silently, or audibly? The author considers the designation "quiet time" in light of his study of the Psalms, and regards silent prayers as the exception in Scripture. He advocates instead for "noisy time."
Why is idolatry by far the most frequently discussed sin in the Bible? It is a problem of the heart, the chief object of God's concern since from the heart issues everything. Yet idolatry is also a social problem. This article considers the interplay between our hearts and the situation that surrounds us, and the implications this has for counselling issues.
This article is the second of two on the topic of child abuse. Here counsellor David Powlison provides some concrete suggestions for child abuse victims to consider as they desire to progress in their walk of faith. His thoughts center around prayer and possible ways of engaging with the abuser.
This article is the first of two on the topic of child abuse. Here David Powlison opens the Word of God, looking specifically the Psalms in order to bring comfort and hope to victims of child abuse.
David Powlison answers the question of whether anger is morally neutral or conditioned.
