Marriage is a foundational social institution and a creation ordinance. It is a lifelong covenant relationship and is meant by God to be a blessing for mankind. What can we learn from the Bible about this important area of our lives?
Marriage is designed by God to be the most intimate of human relationships. It is a lifelong covenant of companionship. The bond is not metaphysical but covenantal. We need to invest time and effort in our marriage relationships and enjoy the blessings God has given.
God has designed marriage to be a partnership in which the wife follows her husband’s leadership. Many women suffer under the authority of sinful husbands. What if a husband won’t lead in a Christlike way? What does Peter mean by saying you should win your husband “without a word”?
Christian men are called to love their wives unconditionally, as Chris loves the church. Christlike love is not merely a feeling. It is a commitment. Christ’s love is demonstrated on the Cross. What should a husband do if his wife is hard to love? What should he do if he doesn’t have loving feelings towards his wife?
This session explores contrasting views of human nature (biblical vs. materialist) and explores a theology of pain and emotion. Medicine may be needed to control a few serious brain conditions, solve a crisis situation, or help a “stuck” counselee begin to move forward. But even those who take these medicines can learn better self control and habits of thought that will lead to greater emotional stability through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Psychotropic drugs improve feelings without changing the counselee’s basic response to circumstances. These medicines produce a mood that doesn’t match the counselee’s real-life situation. How do we think about these medicines from a Christian perspective? How can we better understand drug dependence and withdrawal?
This session explains the features of cognitive-perceptual disorders. Is there a connection between sin and sickness? Do people with brain disorders sin? Determining the boundary between physical disability and willful sin can be difficult. How can we help those with these disorders?
There are clearly special needs people in the Bible. Having a different child sometimes doesn’t feel like a blessing but God is sovereign over these difficult situations. In these cases, parents are often tempted to make excuses or be overprotecting, but they need to love the way Jesus loves. God chooses the weak, foolish, and despised and his grace is sufficient for us.