Helping you grow in God's all-sufficient grace and truth
“Your testimonies also are my delight; they are my counselors.” – Psalm 119:24
One of the lesser known Jewish holidays reminds us of the big picture of God’s redemption plan. It’s called the Feast of Purim, and is inaugurated at the end of the book of Esther. Purim literally means “lots” and gets
Continue readingThis morning, I met with an engaged couple for the fourth of our eight sessions of premarital counseling. Again, I was reminded of why I switched to Rob Green’s guide, Tying the Knot: A Premarital Guide to a Strong &
Continue readingOn September 30th, my wife and I had the opportunity to be part of Disability Sunday at Kindred Community Church in Anaheim Hills, CA. Perhaps you may have use for this video in your one-another ministry to others, or in
Continue reading“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Ps. 46:10-11) Replacing anxiety
Continue readingAnd the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7) God wants us to bring everything to Him in prayer because we need the humility and dependence that prayer
Continue readingIt’s hard for me to imagine something more horrific than the sexual abuse of children. Yet every one of our churches contains precious men and women who have experienced this abuse and, therefore, are in need of our compassionate ministry
Continue reading*This is the fourth, and final, post from Counsel with Confidence by Joel James. In family counseling, you will encounter many unbiblical approaches to parenting. Some common ones to keep your eyes open for are listed below. Permissiveness. Parents who
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This week, I’ve been blogging about a new resource from Joel James entitled Counsel with Confidence. The following is drawn from the third chapter, “Sufficiency of Scripture.” A sound theology of Scripture includes a recognition of ten enduring qualities of
Continue readingAll counseling must be shaped by the following truths or it is not biblical. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the foundation of biblical change (2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 5:1; 6:16-18; 8:13). The gospel brings spiritual new birth, and it
Continue reading[Today’s post is written by Joel James, a pastor in South Africa, and is excerpted from the Introduction to a new resource, Counsel with Confidence.] Counseling Is Not a Formula There are aspects of every counseling situation that are the
Continue readingAt this week’s ACBC conference, Shepherd Press unveiled a new category in their book offerings for biblical counseling and discipleship. It’s called Counsel for the Heart. Shepherd Press publishes books for the heart. The books have to be gospel centered,
Continue readingJeremiah prophesied to the southern kingdom of Judah before and as the people were taken away to Babylon by king Nebuchadnezzar. Chapter 32 of this prophetic book, which I preached last Sunday, is the center of a three-chapter section in
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For the past week, I’ve been reflecting on the portion of Scripture where the apostle Paul lifts up certain Christians in the region of Macedonia as an example of sacrificial giving. We want you to know, brothers, about the grace
Continue reading[Note: Today’s post is from Bob Kellemen, and is the Introduction to his new daily devotional on grief.] Grief. It comes in all forms and fashions, because loss comes in all shapes and sizes. When we think of grief, our
Continue readingThe world teaches our kids that they are awesome and that they can achieve anything they want. As parents, this can seem an attractive message; we want our children to succeed, to be happy, and to have confidence. But as
Continue readingYesterday, I was honored to see “Discipling the Flock” included on The Gospel Coalition’s list of New Books You Should Know. Here’s the brief review: Church elders need focus. Their work must be shaped in every way by the priorities
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The downward spiral of sin is a consistent pattern in human beings. Therefore, we must heed the warnings of Scripture to stay close to the Lord, walk in His ways, and keep short accounts with Him. Every one of us
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Last Sunday, as we continued our From Garden to Garden sermon series, we spent our time with Solomon at the dedication of the temple in 1 Kings 8. Together, we took note of six responsibilities we must embrace in order
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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.
