Helping you grow in God's all-sufficient grace and truth
“Your testimonies also are my delight; they are my counselors.” – Psalm 119:24
“I’m not a counselor; I’m a pastor who counsels his people.” That’s how I usually describe my ministry. My passion is to help individuals come to know Christ and walk with Him in the power of the Spirit. This extends
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Since becoming a Christian in 1984, I’ve been deeply instructed and shaped by the Bible teaching of Jerry Bridges. The first of his books to impact me was The Pursuit of Holiness, which laid a foundation for understanding my role
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As a trainer of men and women who aim to be certified in biblical counseling, I require my students to read two extra books and write a review of each. One of these books is A Biblical Counseling Process: Guidance
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In our church, we are working through Ezra and Nehemiah’s books. In both books, we see the presence of opposition to God’s work and those who participate in it. This reminds us of an easily forgotten truth: Wherever God is
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Scripture is the inspired Word of God and the ultimate authority for what we believe (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:16–21). However, though I was raised in the Roman Catholic Church, I never opened a Bible until I
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When we read the history of Jesus’s crucifixion, we may easily skim over a man named Barabbas. But we shouldn’t overlook him—because, in many ways, we are all Barabbas. Barabbas was a rebel. And so are we.Isaiah 53:6 says, “All
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Yesterday, our church continued our study of Ezra and Nehemiah in a series titled Repent, Restore, Rebuild. After reflecting on Ezra’s prayer of confession for the returning exiles (Ezra 9:5-15), I led our congregation in a similar prayer. Two members
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For the past few years, I have been augmenting my morning Bible time by reading daily devotionals. This year it is Holiness Day by Day, which comprises 365 brief excerpts from the writings of one of my spiritual mentors, Jerry
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For the past decade, the biblical counseling world has been working to produce insightful resources to address the epidemic of domestic abuse, which is more prevalent in Christian homes and churches than we realize. Therefore, I am excited about a
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“No matter how biblical your perspective, there will be times when grief knocks you off your feet. Take heart; your Good Shepherd is beside you in that shadowy valley until it ends—and one day it will end.” So writes Randy
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“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:30) A yoke is a bar that joins two animals together to haul a load. It makes their work easier because their burden is now shared. When we answer
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If the need to be saved from our sins is our biggest problem in life (and it is!), then it is good that you want to be 100% certain that this problem is 100% solved. The problem of sin and
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In the early months of 1984, the Holy Spirit caused me to be born again in Christ through a home Bible study in the Gospel of John. In some ways, it’s hard to believe four decades have passed. In other
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Depression, or deep discouragement of the soul, has been part of the human experience since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Whether it is related to bodily disease, grief from a loss, a conscience bothered by sin,
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[Originally posted November 3, 2015] I’m thankful for my father and mother who set an example of faithful citizenship. From my earliest days, I remember Mom and Dad going to the local town hall to vote. Back then I didn’t
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Last year, Lou Priolo, a gracious friend and mentor went to be with the Lord. Afterward, I pulled some of his books off my shelf and was reminded of how the Spirit used him to counsel me. One book, in
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Last week, I finished reading Dale Johnson’s book The Church as a Culture of Care. I was blessed and encouraged by his call to return soul care to the body life of the church. So, I thought I’d share some
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I didn’t expect to experience postpartum depression after the birth of our third child. Having been through the newborn phase twice before, I wondered why this time was so much harder for me than the others. Disappointment and discouragement seemed
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By God’s grace, I’m a husband, dad, grandpa, and pastor at Cornerstone Community Church in Mayfield Hts, OH. I love Christ because He first loved me.
