How To Counsel From Scripture

Here is a hard-hitting, honest look at biblical counseling, a small glimpse of the vast resources available in scripture. Millions of people search frantically for answers to their problems: how to relate to others, how to accept themselves, how to find meaning in life, how to know God. Who better to educate those people than a counselor well-grounded in his or her faith, a counselor who can offer meaning in life through Jesus Christ? - Back cover.

Since the beginning of the biblical counseling movement in 1970, biblical counselors have argued that counseling is a ministry of the Word, just like preaching or missions. As a ministry, counseling must be defined according to sound biblical theology rather than secular principles of psychology. For over four decades, biblical theology has been at the core of the biblical counseling movement. Leaders in biblical counseling have emphasized a commitment to teaching doctrine in their counseling courses out of the conviction that good theology leads to good counseling…and bad theology leads to bad counseling. A Theology of Biblical Counseling is a landmark new book that covers the history of the biblical counseling movement, the core convictions that underlie sound counseling, and practical wisdom for counseling today. Dr. Heath Lambert shows how biblical counseling is rooted in the Scriptures while illustrating the real challenges counselors face today through true stories from the counseling room. A substantive textbook written in accessible language, it is an ideal resource for use in training biblical counselors at colleges, seminaries, and training institutes. In each chapter, doctrine comes to life in real ministry to real people, dramatically demonstrating how theology intersects with the lives of actual counselees.

Now in its fourth edition, this classic reference book helps counselors, pastors, and individual Christians with specific personal needs find sound scriptural guidance for resolving problems and growing in faith. The updated cover and packaging will attract new buyers to this already popular reference tool.

What role does Scripture play in counseling? Today, we face a weakening of confidence in the Bible. This is just as true for the pastor offering counsel in his office as it is for the person in the pew talking with a struggling friend. We need to regain our confidence in God's living Word as sufficient to address the real-life issues we face today. Scripture and Counseling will help you understand how the Bible equips us to grow in counseling competence as we use it to tackle the complex issues of life. Divided into two sections, Part One develops a robust biblical view of Scripture’s sufficiency for "life and godliness" leading to increased confidence in God's Word. Part Two teaches how to use Scripture in the counseling process. This section demonstrates how a firm grasp of the sufficiency of Scripture leads to increased competence in the ancient art of personally ministering God's Word to others. Part of the Biblical Counseling Coalition series, Scripture and Counseling brings you the wisdom of twenty ministry leaders who write so you can have confidence that God’s Word is sufficient, necessary, and relevant to equip God’s people to address the complex issues of life in a broken world. It blends theological wisdom with practical expertise and is accessible to pastors, church leaders, counseling practitioners, and students, equipping them to minister the truth and power of God’s word in the context of biblical counseling, soul care, spiritual direction, pastoral care, and small group facilitation.

Gain a knowledge of counseling methods that are practical and consistent with Christian theological convictions. What do the Scriptures say about counseling? What is the biblical basis for using Scriptures in counseling? What does it mean to think biblically about counseling-related issues? At the root of this book is the confidence that Christ and his Word are not only sufficient for effectively handling the personal and interpersonal challenges of life but are superior to the resources found in the world. The practice of psychological counseling is a ministry and should not belong only to the realm of humanistic and secular theories of the mind. Written to pastors, elders, deacons, seminary students, and laypeople; well-known pastor John MacArthur and contributors present a system of biblical truth that brings together people, their problems, and the living God. This kind of counseling is based on the convictions that: God's Word should be our counseling authority. Counseling is a part of the basic discipling ministry of the local church. God's people can and should be trained to counsel effectively. Counseling: How to Counsel Biblically provides biblical guidelines to counsel people who are struggling. The contributors represent some of America's leading biblical teachers and counselors, including: Ken L. Sarles, David Powlison, Douglas Bookman, David B. Maddox, Robert Smith, William W. Goode, and Dennis M. Swanson.

You aren't a licensed marriage and family therapist. You didn't do a doctoral dissertation on pastoral counseling. You're simply God's person caring for God's people in the local church. And the marriages in your church need help. Many pastors feel ill-equipped to handle the challenges that arise when a couple is going through marital difficulties. They feel lost and inadequate. What do you say? What counsel do you offer? Should I say anything or just listen? Do I schedule a follow-up appointment? Do I ask questions? What questions? If you are or have been in this situation before, this book offers you a practical guide to get started with the first sessions and then offers specific guidance on nine of the most common topics that come up in marriage counseling. Author and pastor Jonathan Holmes offers a solid, biblical theology and methodology to help you navigate through the world of marriage counseling with the fundamental conviction that God's word is powerful enough to address the deepest of marital issues, and robust enough to handle whatever might come your way. In each chapter, you'll meet a new couple dealing with a different issue, much like the people in your church, office, and neighborhood. Through the book you'll also hear advice from several respected voices in the biblical counseling community. Whether you're a novice or already knowledgeable, Counsel for Couples provides theologically sound and biblically practical tools to help you as you help couples in need.

Thinning hair, failing eyesight, and arthritic hands reveal an inescapable truth: we’re only getting older. But that doesn’t mean we should simply sit back and take it easy. In Finishing Our Course with Joy, renowned theologian and author J. I. Packer challenges us to embrace old age as an opportunity for continued learning, careful planning, and heartfelt discipleship. Packer’s pastoral words and personal stories encourage us to press on toward the upward call of God with endurance and grace—that we might continue to glorify God in our aging and finish our lives with joy.

If God is All-powerful, Why Doesn’t He Eliminate My Anxiety? Instead of asking this, perhaps we should ask why God is allowing it in the first place. Join pastor and biblical counselor Josh Weidmann on a journey through Scripture and his own vulnerable stories of discovering God’s ultimate purpose in pain. The End of Anxiety is designed for individuals or small groups; each chapter begins with Scripture and finishes with practical steps you can apply for immediate relief. Your anxiety, fear, stress, and panic are not the end of you—but facing them could be the start of something great! “Read this, apply it, and find freedom from fear—forever.” Ray Johnston Senior pastor of Bayside Church in Granite Bay, California