Gospel Living

I have something a little different today.  With summer upon us, we have the opportunity to have fun in the water. Unfortunately, it's also a time of struggle for both men and women. In this seven-and-a-half-minute podcast, Dr. Heath Lambert addresses practical steps we can take in this battle. Podcast/Article: TIL 104 : Purity At The Pool  URL: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/324968235-acbc-2-til-104-purity-at-the-pool.mp3  Description: TIL 104 : Purity At The Pool by Association of Certified Biblical Counselors  This content comes from: Truth in Love  URL: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:142426663/sounds.rss

As Baptist Press reported earlier this year, "[C] hurches that host wedding ceremonies or other events for traditional couples should examine their bylaws and shield themselves from the impact of possible litigation, says an attorney who specializes in religious liberty issues ." This is on my mind as our church plant begins the process of drafting our constitution and bylaws, but it should also be on yours. BP continues: A number of situations could place churches in legal trouble, such as congregations who would:  -- allow a traditional couple but not a same-sex couple to use their facility for a wedding ceremony.  -- allow a traditional couple but not a same-sex couple to take part in a marriage class or retreat.  -- terminate an employee involved in a same-sex wedding.  Bylaw language defining marriage in the biblical sense doesn't mean a church won't face a suit or a complaint, but it does mean the church would be in a much better situation legally, ...

One of the worst blights besmirching American pulpits is the online degree.  With that in mind, biblically sound institutions indeed post free resources featuring theological heavy-weights who love the Lord.  Thus, many Christian leaders lacking the ability to attend a quality seminary scour the web for the good, hoping to gain the knowledge they need for daily ministry. Maybe that describes you, and perhaps you missed something really good.  No, it's not an e-ordination, but it will build your ability in and love for the Bible.  Seminary professor Nathan Busenitz announced the launch of this goldmine of online training that is indeed free: Earlier this month, The Master’s Seminary launched its Theological Resource Center (TRC) — an online hub for ministry-training resources. Because many pastors around the world will never be able to attend seminary in the United States, the TRC extends the resources of TMS and its partner ministries t...

The Domain of Truth completed its week-long series on biblical counseling and the Christian's concern of psychology.  I recommend it, especially if you are unfamiliar with the differences between "Christian counseling" and the more biblical brand, or if you trust life's problems to the hands of a certified psychologist or psychiatrist. Choose Biblical Counseling Not Psychology: Part 1 Choose Biblical Counseling Not Psychology: Part 2 Depression Poem Pre-courtship Counseling: Seven Relationship Questions Courses: Pastoral Counseling Course by Dr. Stuart Scott Marriage and Family Counseling Course at The Master’s Seminary by John Street Westminster Theological Seminary’s Professors on Biblical Counseling Book Reviews: Review: One Nation Under Therapy by Christina Hoff Sommers, Sally L. Satel Review: Freud by R.J. Rushdoony Book Review of “Out of the Blues: Dealing with the Blues of Depression & Loneliness” by Wayne Mack I lift up my eye...

Historically, pastors exercised a special responsibility in the care of people's souls.  In the past century, though, these leaders have increasingly trusted "trained" practitioners to deal with difficult issues within the Christian community such as depression and broken marriages.  Yet, any spiritual person wielding the Word of God can pierce through these troubles and get to the heart of the matter. Carey Hardy gave a helpful session at the 2013 Shepherds' Conference in this regard.  Listen as he explains the core of biblical counseling: MP3 Download .

The gospel of Christ provides the only substantive hope for victims of sexual abuse: <center><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/61888061" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></center> How can pastors and biblical counselors lead people from the fog of confusion and shame?   The 2013 Respond Conference is a free one-day conference that teaches us how to open the appropriate scriptures and provide hope for hurting souls.  Another promo: <center><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/62349377" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe><center>

ecause Scripture is infallible or without error in any of its teachings, the Bible is trustworthy . Related is Scripture's inerrancy, it's ability to express facts without error.  What makes Scripture so reliable?  The Apostles rest our assurance on the fact that “no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation” or understanding or even desire, “but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pt 1:20–21). Perhaps you have wondered, and now you understand why we call the Bible “Holy.”  It originates in the mind of a Holy God.  It exalts itself beyond any human invention. The Bible will not deceive or fail its faithful readers. Scripture calls its believers to typify reverence afforded it by the noble Bereans: a diligence to compare all truth to God’s revelation (Acts 17:11). We can and should test all things by Scripture (I Thes 5:21). We must not reason according to the wisdo...

Fox News, Glenn Beck, and the RNC are not our friends.  The issues in America cannot be fixed by pundits, politicians, or the ballot box. Watch as Todd Friel adjusts our Christian worldview:

If you are in need of biblical counseling in general, I recommend using the search tool on the NANC website:   http://www.nanc.org/Find-a-Counselor.aspx If you are in conflict and seeking counsel, visit NANC or PeaceMaker Ministries : Certified Christian Conciliators Certified Christian Conciliators for Marriages   Mediation/Arbitration

From Rick Thomas: Life Lesson 1  -  Your starting point will determine how you end. Start here: your parents are not perfect . Life Lesson 2  -   Life is not fair – get used to it! Life Lesson  3  -   The world doesn’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself. Life Lesson  4  -   If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. Life Lesson  5  -   Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity. Life Lesson  6  -   If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them. Life Lesson  7  -  Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you...

What is the real divorce rate among Christians?  Consider this from the Aquilla Report (HT: American Vision ) and a recommendation at the bottom: Professor Bradley Wright, a sociologist at the University of Connecticut, explains from his analysis of people who identify as Christians but rarely attend church, that 60 percent of these have been divorced. Of those who attend church regularly, 38 percent have been divorced. "Christians divorce at roughly the same rate as the world." It's one of the most quoted stats by Christian leaders today. And it's perhaps one of the most inaccurate. Based on the best data available, the divorce rate among Christians is significantly lower than the general population. Here's the truth.... Many people who seriously practice a traditional religious faith -- be it Christian or other -- have a divorce rate markedly lower than the general population. The factor making the most difference is religious commitment and practice. Couple...

This is Bill Shannon's Shepherds' Conference message on counseling people with (so-called) addictions and enslaving sins (1hr 7min): Freedom Bound Bill Shannon Mar 9, 2012 Ministry:  Shepherds' Conference Media Type: Audio Download Download as: mp3 audio Counseling those with life-dominating sins

To read The Journal of Biblical Counseling , visit  http://www.ccef.org/JBC Current Issue (as of this posting): Volume 26 | Number 1 Featured Articles JBC: Renewing Our Mission (From the Editor's Desk) By:  David Powlison Read Online  |  Download Article In the opening editorial, “JBC: Renewing our Mission,” Senior Editor David Powlison reintroduces the Journal of Biblical Counseling  after its four year hiatus. Powlison offers a fruitful way to frame what readers will encounter in the  Journal  by sharing why we are doing what we do, our core commitments, and what we aim to accomplish. Page count: 9 Listening to Prozac . . . and to the Scriptures: A Primer on Psychoactive Medications By:  Mike Emlet Read Online  |  Download Article Michael Emlet’s “Listening to Prozac…and to the Scriptures” updates the answer to a perennial question. What is the re...