Balancing Grace and Truth in Counseling
Jesus came “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). These two qualities must characterize all soul care. Grace without truth deceives, and truth without grace destroys. Together, they reflect the character of Christ and the heart of biblical counseling.
Pastor...
Faith That Works Through Love in Soul Care
Faith receives what grace provides and expresses itself through love. The Christian life begins by faith, continues by faith, and bears fruit through faith. As Galatians 5:6 says, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything...
Journal about your most difficult times this week
| What you were doing or supposed to be doing | Rate of difficulty, 1 being least and 5 being most | What did you think about God in relationship to what was going on |
|---|---|---|
Matthew 18:21-35
Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
- In this parable, Jesus will turn you away ...
The following list of data gathering questions can be helpful to give the biblical counselor a better understanding of the counselee’s thought processes (Proverbs 20:5). If the counselee has been taking prescription drugs, that provides a great starting point for questions.
1. What difficulties or ...
Ephesians 4:25-32
I. Falsehood vs. Truth “Be honest” – vs. 25
- We will not lie or be dishonest. Dishonesty includes:
- Outright deceit and masked deception
- Exaggeration (million times)
- Sarcasm (voice says one thing, face another)
- Failing to tell the whole truth; giving a false impression
- Goi ...
Conflict breaks out between two people
Philippians 4:1-7
Vs. 2 There is dissension between Euodia and Syntyche
Vs. 4 Told to rejoice in the Lord
- Rejoicing is a choice that one makes; the manifestation of what is going on in our minds.
- Complaining is the opposite of rejoicing.
Vs. 5 Told to...
1. Assess the status of your relationship with your teen
a. How would your teen complete this sentence:
“I know my parents love me because ________________________________”
- What evidence is there of a growing relationship?
- If there is none, find out where it stopped and what was going on in the ...
Rate yourself and your spouse on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 is low, and 5 is high) for each of the following characteristics of biblical communication. Then come together and read the Scriptures for each of the points before you compare and discuss differences in the observations you have made.
1. Adm...
