Ears Wide-Open
“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil,” says the Preacher (Ecclesiastes 5:1).
Continue readingAuthor: Paul Tautges
The 10 Most Clicked-On Posts for 2015
As another year comes to a close, please accept my thanks for being a regular (or new) reader of this blog. This year, there were over 230,000 visits to Counseling One Another. In 2016, by God’s grace, my goal is
Continue readingActively Being Still, Knowing God Is God
Psalm 46 exhorts us to “Be still and know that He is God,” but we often mistakenly equate being still with being passive. However, the opposite is true and necessary. Being still is much like waiting on the Lord; it’s
Continue readingThinking About “What Child Is This?”
The famous Christmas carol What Child Is This? was written around 1865 by the Englishman William Chatterton Dix (1837-1898). What child is this, who, laid to rest, on Mary’s lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, while shepherd’s
Continue readingThe Arm of the Lord
In our Lord’s Day services this month, we’ve been studying the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), the song Mary sang when she visited her cousin Elizabeth and the unborn John leaped for joy in the presence of the unborn Messiah. This past
Continue readingThe Self-Consuming Power of Sin
This morning, a brother in the Lord told me about this story. It is a powerful illustration of how sin will consume us if we are not vigilant to war against every form of it in our own lives. Radio
Continue readingUnraveling Two Christmas Legends
Urban Legends of the New Testament is a new book that I’ve been enjoying. Written by David Croteau, and published by B&H Publishing, the book surveys 40 of the most commonly misinterpreted passages in the New Testament. Here’s a brief
Continue reading“Comfort the Grieving” on Top 15 List
I’m humbled and grateful to God that Comfort the Grieving was selected as one of the Top 15 Biblical Counseling books published this year. Zondervan has done a wonderful job on this revised and updated edition of the original. I’m
Continue readingA Productivity Coach, Not a Guru
My dad has a saying that we six kids heard a thousand times while growing up, “There’s a place for everything, and everything should be in its place.” When he said this, it was usually in relation to the hand
Continue readingTears at Christmas
Dear grieving friend, This will be your first Christmas since your loved one passed away. It will be hard. Believe me, I know. Six years ago, today, my mom unexpectedly passed away—slipping away from us before we could say goodbye.
Continue readingSome Thoughts on Mental Suffering
Last night, a couple brothers and I were discussing the power of empathy when ministering to those who are mentally troubled, that is, the loving ministry of listening to one another and entering each other’s story with genuine compassion. When
Continue readingPlease Pray for the Biblical Counseling Coalition
Dear friend of Counseling One Another, Tonight, tomorrow, and Thursday, nearly 50 teachers, leaders, professors, and pastors will gather for the annual leadership retreat for the Biblical Counseling Coalition. The topic of discussion these three days is “Mental Health and
Continue readingWhy Churches Need to Build Up Families
One of my tasks this week is to read through the publisher’s proof of the revised and updated edition of Counseling One Another: A Theology of Inter-Personal Discipleship, which is being released in January. Below, are some thoughts on the
Continue readingNuggets of Wisdom (12/8/15)
Adele and Her Message – “Unlike the lyrics of Adele, Jesus says come to me when you are overwhelmed, struggling with burdens you cannot bear. Jesus says come to me and find rest and peace. His music does more than
Continue readingReason and Revelation
Off and on, I pick up my copy of James Boyce’s Abstract of Systematic Theology and read a chapter, which I did a couple weeks ago. James Petigru Boyce lived from 1827-1888 and was the founding president of the Southern
Continue reading40% OFF Everything from Shepherd Press
Hey everybody, Shepherd Press has 40% OFF EVERYTHING from now through Monday, November 30th. That’s a huge savings! For example, LifeLine Mini-books are only $2.39 each for paperback and $1.29 for eBook. There are 25 titles to choose from; stock
Continue readingSecurity from the Shepherd
Psalm 23 is comfort food for the weary soul. Read it, meditate on it, and rest in these simple truths. My Shepherd adequately supplies all of my needs. My Shepherd is the only sure cause of contentment. My Shepherd leads
Continue reading7 Quotes from Owen’s “The Mortification of Sin”
This morning, I pulled one of my Puritan Paperbacks off the shelf, The Mortification of Sin by John Owen, and reviewed a few chapters, focusing on sentences I had previously underlined. Here are a few that the Spirit used in
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