Catholicity, Orthodoxy, and Lordship
Theology is intensely intimate. Michael Bird excellently summarizes theology as “speaking about God while in the very presence of God.” We have deeply engaged with the subject of our study.” a This theological intimacy builds a particular type of worshiper. This worshiper, then, is aware of the nature of his relationships and his relationality with …
My friend Dustin Messer offers a healthy way of considering Christians in need of counseling help. He says that, …instead of merely “seeing through sin lens” we should also consider a a “creational lense.” That is, instead of the first question of a person being “where are they depraved?” perhaps it should be “where are they …
So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. In Acts 8, we are reminded of the familiar story of the Ethiopian Eunuch. The wealthy …
Continue reading “How Can I Understand? Thoughts on Counseling from Acts 8”
I sat to counsel someone recently. And he stated the obvious to me: “If everyone,” he said, “really thought about it they would be sitting right here.” The truth was pure and simple. It was refreshing to hear it. We all need counseling. I need counseling. You need counseling. We may need professional counseling from …
Counseling doesn’t just inhabit clinical settings, nor is it the property of several upstart professions practicing in the wealthier countries. God’s view of counseling cuts deeper, applies wider, aims different, lasts longer, matters more. You live or die based on the counsel you listen to—and the counsel you give. Counseling is not just for those …
Theology is deeply intimate. Michael Bird excellently summarizes theology as “speaking about God while in the very presence of God. We are intimately engaged with the subject of our study.” a This theological intimacy builds a certain type of worshiper. This worshiper, then, is aware of the nature of his relationships and his relationality with …
In my earlier years (the cage stage, as one wise author puts it), I supported the NCN, which stands for No Counseling Necessary. Why don’t people just get their act together and get on with it? My senior year in high-school was filled with empty zeal. I was zealous about many things, but knew little …
Continue reading “NANC no more? The Future of Nouthetic Counseling”
I have been reading through Jay Adam’s 1975 The Use of the Scriptures in Counseling. I have interviewed him at Trinity Talk (See interviews here), and beyond that, I have also sought his counsel in a few counseling situations in my flock. In discussing a section on assurance, Adams offers a sharp critique of pastors that …
Dear friend, You asked what one feature to look for in a future husband. I have done premarital counseling sessions for over 40 couples, and in those hundreds of hours of counseling, you may be surprised by my conclusion. But before I give you what you should look for, I need to state the obvious: …
1) There are many people like David Brooks and David French who want a “conservatism of manners” and not a “conservatism based on eternal truths.” This distinction made by Al Mohler is a fine one to explain the current movement of many who were once stalwart conservative voices moving ever so slowly, or in the …