Today I headed over to beautiful Oakmont Park at the border of Redlands and Yucaipa. Just a couple miles off the freeway, allow yourself to be transported into a quiet canyon with scenic lookouts. Jacinto Loop is about a three mile hike. While a lot of the country is hunkered down in sub zero temperatures, here in Southern California we are enjoying highs in the upper 60s and low 70s. A great day to head outside and explore! Here are some highlights…
Yesterday, I came across a recent article by Donald Whitney called “31 Questions to Ask for a More Christ-Centered 2024.” Is it too late to make a New Year’s Resolution?
I love lists like this, and though it’s unlikely I’ll get all the way through a list of this size, these questions offer food for thought and great conversation starters. A few of the questions include:
We live in a day and age that lacks reflection. Part of it is simply how busy, distracted, and media-dependent we’ve become. People are self-conscious, but I don’t know that we’re good at getting below the surface. Questions like this help us slow down and ponder the deeper things of life.
Something I’m doing personally to improve my prayer life is writing more in my prayer journal and updating the list of people active in all my ministries (Ministerial Staff, Bible Study Community, Welcome Team, BSC Directors) so I can more consistently remember to pray for specific people.
To see Dr. Whitney’s full set of questions, click here. What is one area you’d like to grow in 2024?
Have you ever waited a long time for God to reveal his will? The more intently you wait, the longer it can seem. As the old saying goes, “a watched pot never boils.” Noah, a man of great faith, was also familiar with waiting.
During Noah’s flood, it rained non-stop for at least “forty days and forty nights” (Genesis 7:12). But the flood was far from over at 40 days. Did you know that Noah and his family were actually onboard the ark for over a year? In Genesis 8, Noah conducts experiments as he waits for the waters to recede and dry land to appear. In this passage, we learn…
Here’s a link to the audio recording:
And here’s a copy of the weekly handout:
Thanks for listening. For a complete list of my Bible studies and sermons, please visit my Teaching Page.
I took my first biblical counseling class at The Master’s College under Dr. Wayne Mack some 25 years ago, have attended other counseling courses and seminars, and have been involved in pastoral counseling for almost twenty years now.
I’ve had the privilege of seeing marriages restored, addictions broken, and relationships healed. I’ve witnessed major breakthroughs, tough setbacks, waterfalls of tears, and sighs of relief. I’ve rejoiced with those who rejoiced, wept with those who wept, grieved over loss, exposed sin, exalted Christ, and pursued holiness. What a blessing to be an instrument in the Redeemer’s hands. And God wants to use you too! We are always in need of more counselors and disciple-makers. Just be prepared for a messy process.
Ministry is messy because relationships are messy. Never is this more evident than in the counseling room. When Paul spoke of “teaching in public and from house to house” (Acts 20:20), I think he had in mind the ideas of preaching and counseling. Some ministry is public. Other ministry is more private. All is to be biblical, and all is important.
As I mentioned last Friday, I recently taught a class called “Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands” based on the excellent study by Paul Tripp and Timothy Lane. I taught the material years ago at Crossview and it was a joy to go back through it again with a class here at Immanuel. I found it a great refresher course, yet brimming with fresh insights. If you’re interested in growing as a counselor or just being a better friend, consider listening to these lessons on your own. I’ve provided links to all the blog posts, audio recordings, and handouts below:
Week 1 – Do We Really Need Help?
(blog post | audio recording | handout)
Week 2 – The Heart is the Target
(blog post | audio recording | handout)
Week 3 – Understanding Your Heart Struggle
(blog post | audio recording | handout)
Week 4 – Following the Wonderful Counselor
(blog post | audio recording | handout)
Week 5 – Love I: Building Relationships in Which God’s Work Will Thrive
(blog post | audio recording | handout)
Week 6 – Love II: Building Relationships in Which God’s Work Will Thrive
(blog post | audio recording | handout)
Week 7 – Know I: Getting to Know People; Discovering Where Change is Needed (blog post | audio recording | handout)
Week 8 – Know II: Getting to Know People; Discovering Where Change is Needed (audio recording | handout)
Weeks 9 & 10 – Speak: Speaking the Truth in Love
(These sessions were condensed into one. There was no recording because we had a shorter teaching time and watched two videos on a single night)
Week 11 – Do Part I: Applying Change to Everyday Life
(blog post | audio recording | handout)
Week 12 – Do Part II: Applying Change to Everyday Life
(blog post | audio recording | handout)
In case it’s helpful, here are all handouts in a single PDF file:
Our class met for 90 minutes each week. For me, the right weekly format was to welcome everyone, have a time of prayer, teach a lecture and/or facilitate discussion of key highlights of the study guide, watch the instructional video, then have a few final minutes of closing discussion as time allowed. If you decide to host a class or would like more info, leave a comment below!
Many counseling and recovery programs stress the importance of accountability partners.
Heath Lambert, in his excellent book Finally Free, says, “If you are caught in a sin, you need to be restored by someone who lives by the Spirit. We are not designed to pull our way out of our spiritual ruts in our own strength. We need the help of other Christians. You will never be free from pornography until you acknowledge that in order to change you need the help of God through brothers and sisters in Christ” (p. 46).
This is true not only of pornography, but any other besetting sin including drunkenness, drug addiction, losing your temper, gambling, compulsive spending, cutting, worrying, discouraging thoughts, etc. We need others to help us, pray with us, hear our confessions, and ask us hard questions. But what exactly do these relationships look like?
One list of accountability questions right for any occasion can be found in Donald Whitney’s book, Simplify Your Spiritual Life. Here’s a sampling…
Randy Alcorn, in his Purity Principle, gives some pointed questions related to sexual purity…
Last fall, I taught a series on Wednesday night called “Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands,” which dealt with a variety of counseling issues to help us grow in our walk with God and be used by him to serve others. In our final session, we discussed accountability. In this lesson, we shared…
Here’s the audio recording of my lesson:
And here’s a copy of the handout:
Thanks for listening. This is the final week in a 12-week biblical counseling class called “Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands.” For a complete list of sermons and Bible studies, please see my Teaching Page.
(This article contains Amazon affiliate links, which means by clicking through the link, a small percentage of any purchases will help me buy future books. Thanks for your support.)
Pinch Of Clay 