The fundamental assumptions that shape biblical counseling are reviewed and key elements expanded upon. Building hope in God’s promises from the earliest stages of counseling is critical. What are some ways we can seek to build hope?
This session looks at David’s catastrophic sin of adultery in 2 Sam 11:1-5. This passage shows that the Bible is honest about its heroes and serves as a warning to us against sin and presumption. How does David’s sin point us to Christ? What are some practical ways to guard ourselves from temptation?
Worry is a problem of the mind and can become life dominating. Worry, stress, and fear are closely related and often dealt with sinfully. How can we help counselees think about their lives in light of biblical truth? How might someone misunderstand or abuse God’s promises to care for them?
Trials are the ordinary experience of believers living in a fallen world. Believers in the Bible suffered great trials and we will continue to endure significant trials. Why do Christians tend to be so surprised by trials when the Bible speaks so often about them? How does God work in our trials and use them to mature us?
This session completes the Peacemaking series of the curriculum. It lays out important things to consider before attempting to confront someone’s sin and describes the peacemaking process. Church discipline is also explored along with how church structure and membership is related to peacemaking.
As Christians, we ought to do all that is in our power to pursue peace. How can we seek forgiveness biblically? How does the gospel empower us to forgive? Why is it important to go though a thorough process of confession?
Biblical peacemaking is founded on the gospel. Christ came to make peace between God and man. All conflict is the result of sin. Conflict is very dangerous but brings great opportunity: to glorify God, to be more like Christ, to serve others, and to bear witness to a watching world.
We and our counselees are responsible to exert effort towards change. Immediately after telling us to consider our identity in Christ, Paul exhorts us to take action against the lusts of the flesh. What is the proper use of biblical indicatives and imperatives? What should our motive be for obedience?
13 guidelines, provided by Timothy Keller, for godly communication, backed up by their scriptural basis, reminding of the various areas that can be worked on for improvement.
Counseling is about helping people to change. The change biblical counselors seek is unique and unbiblical approaches to change will impede spiritual growth. This session explores how change begins by understanding and applying the Gospel. Understanding our union with Christ is the key to growth in holiness.
The Bible says we are to fear God. Fear can also be an appropriate response to real potential dangers. Fear becomes sinful when we fear men more than God and we fail to trust God. What are some proper and healthy manifestations of fear? What are indications that fear has become sinful?
How is the biblical counseling approach different from all other Christian approaches? What are some key texts for defending the sufficiency of the Scriptures for counseling? IBCD’s position of biblical counseling (the Bible as the sole and sufficient authority) is outlined and its key concepts explained.
What are some common Christian approaches to counseling in our day? Why might it be useful to learn about psychology? This session explores several Christian approaches to counseling including integration and synergism.
Psychology and theology both deal with the same fundamental issues of meaning and value. Many modern approaches have unscriptural presuppositions and practices. This opening session introduces biblical counseling and the importance of approaching these issues from a Christian perspective.
The Bible is clear that spiritual warfare is real, but how are we to engage these powers? In this two part message, David Powlison sets forth a biblical demonology and explains the biblical parameters for battling the world, the flesh and the devil.
The Bible is clear that spiritual warfare is real, but how are we to engage these powers? In this two part message, David Powlison sets forth a biblical demonology and explains the biblical parameters for battling the world, the flesh and the devil.
What is depression and how are we to understand it? Many secular psychologists see mankind as merely physical and therefore tend to see depression as a physical problem with a chemical solution. Christians recognize the dual nature of mankind – body and soul. What are some important things for biblical counselors to keep in mind when handling cases of depression?
Your counseling and counselees will be enriched by being centered in a local church. This workshop shows how involvement of the local church is a crucial aspect of biblical counseling because the tasks of counseling and discipleship are given by God to the local church.
Every counseling system seeks to answer basic questions about man’s purpose and personality. This session will seek to give biblical answers to three fundamental questions: Who is man? What is wrong with Man? How do you fix man?
God is in the reconciliation business therefore we must also be. The consequences of failure to reconcile are severe but the results of true reconciliation bring peace and joy. This workshop teaches the road to reconciliation through humble confrontation and forgiveness.
Why bother with the history of the biblical counseling movement? Because the battle over the Bible still rages. This session shows how an understanding of history will help preserve and protect the biblical counseling movement from error.
It is uncomfortable but it needs to be said, the Bible talks a lot about sex, and so should the church. This session gives some helpful guidelines for how to talk with teenagers about sex and sexuality in the context of the church.
We live in a world that is confused and confusing on the issue of sexual identity. The truth is we really don’t know our true identity until we know Christ. This session discusses the need for, the components and the goodness of a biblical understanding of sexual identity
Longing to be noticed is really about your heart. Immodesty and sensuality are manifestations of sinful inner thoughts and desires. This workshop discusses how we should long to please God and be modest and discrete, and ends with practical tips on how.
We have all been created within the context of relationship: relationships with one another and relationship with God. But sin entered our world, damaging and even breaking relationships. The goal of this workshop is putting our relationships back into proper perspective.
Family and friends of a homosexual loved-one need biblical answers for how to think about and respond to this trial. This session showcases the centrality of the gospel and the sufficiency of Scripture to provide compassionate and uncompromising counsel.
Christian women know they should read their Bibles, but desire is often weak and the knowledge of how to begin is lacking. This workshop will encourage you to delve into the Scriptures through Bible reading, memorization, and suggested study methods.
Sexual predators often look upon churches as soft targets for their evil acts. This workshop teaches church leaders and parents the need to implement proven policies and practices that will help keep our children safe.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s attempt to redefine the institute of marriage has intensified the cultural chaos. This workshop will help pastors and biblical counselors understand the rapidly changing legal landscape so they can effectively minister God’s truth to a broken world.
The challenges that singles face today are not radically different from those that faced young people in the ancient world. This session discusses the counsel to the daughters of Jerusalem in the Song of Songs and how that applies today to singles who desire to wait well.
Counseling sexually abused women can seem too daunting an endeavor for everyone involved. Part 1 of this workshop unfolds a biblical description of common issues and highlights typical needs in working towards the freedom, usefulness, and joy God intends.
Adultery and abuse are unfortunately all too common in the counseling office. This session teaches how to use Biblical narratives to encourage counselees to connect their story with the larger story of God’s work in the world, to provide hope and to point them towards Christ.
Ever wonder how to respond to the hypersexualized messages our children are consuming? This workshop gives very practical applications of gospel promises and gospel warnings to our preteens and teens.
Counseling sexually abused women can seem too daunting an endeavor for everyone involved. Part 2 of this workshop offers specific resources for counseling women plagued or hindered by past sexual abuse. This session will give you some effective tools for your counseling toolbox.
There are many religious and social elements behind the current culture’s confusion about gender. This workshop gives a biblical view of gender and lays out the way out of this morass for individuals, families, churches and the culture. Implications for counseling are emphasized.
In recent years both scholarly and popular attempts to reinterpret what the Bible says about homosexuality have grown significantly. This session will help biblical counselors to understand these arguments, so that they can engage and help those who have been exposed to them.
How can we do evangelism in the context of counseling those who have suffered sexually? Counselors are needed to engage in these situations but they present dangerous pitfalls. This session discusses how true godliness is the key to avoiding the trap of sexualized relationships.
Sexual sin has a devastating impact on a marriage, but the gospel offers hope. This session showcases how God works through His Word and His Spirit to change hearts empowering repentance, forgiveness and transformation.
When husbands struggle with pornography their wives need help too. This workshop discusses giving hope and practical direction to the wife, teaching her Biblical resources that God has given to protect her and helping her take her thoughts captive.
What is love and what does love have to do with marriage? Just as no one has the power to bless and encourage you like your spouse, no one else can provoke and hurt you deeply like they can. This session explores the concepts of love and marriage as described in Song of Songs.
Pornography is not just a problem for men. This workshop majors on how to biblically counsel a woman caught up in pornography. It discusses four phases that women must work through and concludes with a review of popular resources.
How is rebellion different from weakness and what difference does that make? This session shows the need to point precious strugglers to Christ because the imputed righteousness of our great Savior provides the greatest motivation for obedience and change.
A real Adam, a real Eve and a real garden give the paradigm for godly male leadership. This workshop goes back to the beginning to point you to a Christ-like manhood, teach leadership without oppression and discuss implications for counseling.
Many believers are losing the battle to pornography because they aren’t fighting with a biblical plan. This workshop outlines a clear strategy for battling pornography with the sufficient resources found in the Person of Christ and the Word of God.
How can we try hard to obey God’s laws and still experience joy, even though we fall terribly short day after day? This session looks at many Biblical passages to understand God’s loving purpose in beginning the work of new creation in those still tied to sinful flesh.
Behind sexual sins and temptations are often subtle but distorted views of ourselves, the nature of sex, and the character of God. This workshop examines some of these lies and shows how the gospel breaks through them to reveal that the truth is better than we may think.
There are many Christians wrestling with same-sex attraction in our churches. How can we best support, encourage and help them? This session discusses some of the vital steps to helping them flourish in Christ, as well as some common mistakes to avoid.
Our culture offers a particular narrative about homosexuality, describing a move from repression to a place of flourishing by embracing a homosexual identity. This session will give a counter narrative based on 5 truths that same-sex attracted Christians need to hear.
The truest measure of a Christian and a Christian’s character is not determined by whether or not they fall but by what they do after they fall. This session explains how real confession, both to God and others, is the pathway back to joy for believers who have fallen into sin.
Disordered sexual desires are ultimately a problem of worship. We seek ultimate satisfaction from earthly things, which become our idols. This session shows how the gospel forgives our idolatries and adulteries and transforms us into worshipers whose greatest delight is in God.
Audio note: Due to some technical difficulties the first 20 minutes of this audio recording is poor quality. We are looking into ways make this content available with a better quality recording.
It is the job of pastors and teachers to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. Individual mentoring and discipleship are key. This session discusses how to address the head, heart, hands and home of newer believers as you disciple them to Christian maturity.
What’s so important about family worship? What does it involve and how can you structure it for the needs of your own family? This workshop shows how family worship is a strategic method to fulfill God’s command to instruct your children in the knowledge of Him.
You, your counseling center and your counselees will face tribulation. As cultural animosity towards Christians increases this could come in the form of legal issues. This workshop gives an overview of legal considerations pertinent to biblical counselors and counseling centers.
Are you or your counselee stuck in frustrating and sinful communication patterns? How can you honor God in your communication? This workshop teaches the Communication Skills Wheel as a method for accurate and purposeful communication that builds up both individuals.
Only the gospel transforms lives. The problem is we don’t really believe it. We must come to believe all that’s promised in the gospel and the power that’s present in the gospel. This session unpacks Matthew 5:38-48 and how the gospel enables us to love our enemies.
Perhaps more than ever before Christians need both clarity and compassion as they seek to help those struggling with homosexuality. Part 1 of this two-part workshop examines modern day issues surrounding the homosexuality debate and discusses and critiques unbiblical answers.
Perhaps more than ever before Christians need both clarity and compassion as they seek to help those struggling with homosexuality. Part 2 of this two-part workshop discusses the cause of homosexuality and gives wisdom for counseling strugglers and their families.
There will be a life-long battle over faith in Jesus versus faith in idols. An important aspect of biblical counseling is to help counselees identify and engage in the battle that is raging in their own heart. This session teaches how to draw out and address idols of the heart.
Anger is a problem both in the world and in the church. It is both deceptive and dangerous because for the angry person all anger feels righteous. This session explores the nature of righteous versus unrighteous anger and discusses the gospel truths that address the angry heart.
Can God use you to help other women? What if you don’t know what to say, have your own problems or are afraid? This workshop show’s how God’s calling to serve Him by serving others applies to ordinary Christian women who are willing to be used by Him.
Food and fitness idolatry are big issues in our culture. How can those stuck in sinful patterns change? This session discusses the unique change that is sought by Christians as they make it their aim not to please or impress people but to glorify God in their body.
Discovering and dealing with a spouse’s same-sex attraction can bring much grief and emotional devastation. But there is grace for the journey. This session discusses typical relational indicators when a spouse is hiding same-sex attraction and what to do when it comes to light.
When you’re in the performance trap you start defining yourself in terms of your own performance in the Christian life. This session will teach you to counsel in a way that helps your counselees come to depend more deeply on Christ rather than their own performance?
The focus of counseling must be to lead counselees into deeper relationship with Christ, not just to dispense biblical principles. They need to taste his goodness so that they are ruined for anything else. This session will help counselors teach their counselees to savor Christ.
Why should I be concerned about idols of the heart? Because the Bible is! This first of a two part series examines the concept of idolatry, explains how even good things can become idols and shows the devastating spiritual ramifications of harboring idols of the heart.
Idolatry is misplaced worship and it can happen to anyone. It is not so much wanting the wrong thing, but even wanting good things too much. This second of a two part series will give you clues and diagnostic questions to help you track down idols of your own heart.
Burnout in Christian ministry is incredibly common. How can you avoid it? This session unpacks four guardrails to help you keep the main thing main and serve joyfully for a lifetime.
God can make you equal to the task of helping sexual abuse survivors. This session will cover various key aspects of counseling children who have been sexually abused and encourage you to trust God for wisdom, and look to Him for the strength to help these needy little ones.
Counseling is about helping people to change, but the change we as biblical counselors seek is unique. This session shows how change that will bear God glorifying fruit requires effort on our part and is firmly rooted in the gospel.
God can make you equal to the task of helping sexual abuse survivors. This session will cover various key aspects of counseling those who have been sexually abused and encourage you to trust God for wisdom, and look to Him for the strength to help these needy people.
Those who have been through sexual assault need understanding and help. This session will give an overview of the typical phases that can be expected after a sexual assault as well as address many common beliefs that survivors struggle with and how to help and comfort them.
There are many categories of abuse and the gospel speaks truth to them all. This session will identify common temptations that abuse victims face and teach you to help them learn to combat these by looking to God and His resources.
How do we abide in Christ? What does it look like? How does it relate to maintaining a passion for him? This session examines what it means in John 15:1-11 when Jesus says that He is the vine and we are the branches.
The light of God’s face must illuminate the darkness of the hoarding heart and house. This session will teach you how to address the reality of hoarding and its problems with confidence in God, His word and His body.
You may have always expected your job as a parent to be done once your children reached adulthood but you never stop being a parent! This session discusses how to handle many of the unique challenges that arise for parents of young adult children.
You may have always expected your job as a parent to be done once your children reached adulthood but you never stop being a parent! This session discusses how to handle many of the unique challenges that arise for parents of young adult children.
The word ‘suicide’ is a dreadful expression. People wince at the sound of it and avoid using it to describe the tragic death it implies. This session takes a needed look at what suicide is and how to respond to it, as well as keys to prevention and intervention.
From a biblical perspective, any form of abuse is an assault against men and women made in God’s image, and therefore an assault against God. This session describes a variety of patterns of domestic abuse, and proper ways to respond to help both the abuser and the victim.
This session discusses the issue of “scarfing” or erotic asphyxiation. Dr. George Scipione looks at the Scriptures to define and diagnose this issue and then develop direction in overcoming it.
Desire, which the Scripture also calls lust and covetousness, is an enemy of contentment and peace. This session will give you tools for identifying and dismantling the objects of your desire that run contrary to peace.
Domination by the devil, disobedience, desire, death and demographic differences are at the root of our peace-breaking. This session shows how Christ’s cross and His Spirit address these issues as we counsel in humility, gentleness, patience and love.
True repentance is essential for God-honoring change. This session will consider the Biblical data on repentance, draw some conclusions about the significance of this data for counseling and make concrete application for assignments in counseling.
A traumatic crisis is overwhelming, life-dominating and life-changing. This session will define critical incident stress and its phases, discuss its relation to PTSD and help you to apply the Scriptures to those struggling with stress from a traumatic event.
The word ‘suicide’ is a dreadful expression. People wince at the sound of it and avoid using it to describe the tragic death it implies. This session takes a needed look at what suicide is and how to respond to it, as well as keys to prevention and intervention.
The living know they must die, but why must they die? What do people facing death fear? This session takes a comprehensive look at what the Scriptures have to say about death and discusses how to offer comfort to those for whom death is imminent.
Sin creates family strife but the gospel produces a culture of reconciliation in the home. Children will learn to respond to conflict either sinfully or in a godly way. This workshop examines 8 tools of peacemaking to help parents train young peacemakers.
Peace is something to be worked for and towards but there are a number of scenarios where this is impossible or even sinful. This session unpacks five major areas where people may be inclined to “keep the peace” when they should speak out.
Joseph’s treatment of his brothers in Genesis 45 provides an excellent model of biblical peacemaking and reconciliation. This session looks at what we can learn from Joseph’s example to help us in our own efforts toward peacemaking.
You may have always expected your job as a parent to be done once your children reached adulthood but you never stop being a parent! This session discusses how to handle many of the unique challenges that arise for parents of young adult children.
Biblical mediation skills can be applied in every life setting to help others resolve conflict. This session takes a detailed look at the primary and secondary roles of a reconciler and foundational skills needed for building a peacemaking team.
Mutual accountability and discipline are God’s gifts and blessing to the church. This session explains the process of church discipline and discusses how to build a culture that values, understands and allows for this kind of accountability.
How can you prepare people to live out the gospel in the conflicts of daily life? In these three sessions Ken Sande develops a vision for building a culture of peace in the local church. This is part 2.
How can you prepare people to live out the gospel in the conflicts of daily life? In these three sessions Ken Sande develops a vision for building a culture of peace in the local church. This is part 3.
The family is a hotbed for conflict. It is also the primary arena in which we can learn and practice peacemaking. This session focuses on making your marriage one of the safest places in the world and making peace with children.
How can you prepare people to live out the gospel in the conflicts of daily life? In these three sessions Ken Sande develops a vision for building a culture of peace in the local church. This is part 1.
Biblical counselors face different situations that call for balanced skillful finesse. Paul gives clear instruction on gentleness to all “men of God.” This session discusses the mandate in Scripture to counsel and correct with gentleness.
We must understand the antithetical states of war and peace if we are to be peacemakers. This session takes an in-depth look at characteristics of a peacemaker and characteristics of a trouble maker as described in multiple passages of Scripture.
There is a desperate need for men to live and think biblically when it comes to their sexuality. This two-part session discusses a biblical view of sexual purity for men including God’s view of sexuality, God’s view of sexual perversity and God’s view of sexual purity.
There is a desperate need for men to live and think biblically when it comes to their sexuality. This two-part session discusses a biblical view of sexual purity for men including God’s view of sexuality, God’s view of sexual perversity and God’s view of sexual purity.
The book of Job is a powerful story of human suffering within the context of both demonic and divine interventions. It should be given serious attention as we seek to help Christians persevere under suffering. Part 1 focuses on the words and actions of Job and his 3 friends.
The book of Job is a powerful story of human suffering within the context of both demonic and divine interventions. It should be given serious attention as we seek to help Christians persevere under suffering. Part 2 focuses on the words and actions of Elihu and the Lord.
The First Amendment provides important protection to biblical counselors who live in a culture where lawsuits are legion. This workshop covers general legal principles for those who are seeking to honor God by faithfully counseling from the Scriptures.
The loss of a spouse or a child is one of the most difficult trials to face in this life. This session discusses the three seasons commonly experienced by someone in the wake of this kind of crisis and how to help build hope, build perspective and bring comfort.
How is it that hope can hurt? This session presents a picture of biblical hope, explains why this hope can actually cause pain to a counselee and discusses what to do when we find that hope is hurting.
How can you help people whose anger is out of control? This session will focus on helping people distinguish between sinful and righteous anger and teaching them how to think and exercise self-control during times of provocation.
What is manipulation and how can we help those who manipulate others? This session will teach you how to help manipulators identify their sinful patterns, evaluate their thoughts and motives biblically and begin to develop the mindset of a servant.
The Bible instructs parents not to provoke their children to anger, but many parents violate this instruction without realizing it. This session explains common ways that parents provoke their children to anger and gives a suggested counseling agenda for these situations.
Some people are addicted to the approval of others. This session will give criteria to help diagnose the spiritual disorder of man pleasing and teach you how to help counselees dethrone the idol of approval.
The intense emotions following a romantic breakup can bring temptation to sin. This workshop discusses many of the common emotions provoked by the ending of a relationship and seeks to identify the heart issues and sinful patterns associated with them.
How can husbands lead if their wives don’t want to follow? In this session Lou Priolo, author of The Complete Husband, gives 8 guidelines for helping husbands understand the nature and scope of their biblical authority and how to lovingly lead a reluctant wife.
Yielding to sin means slavery to Satan and to sin. Yielding to the Savior is the only way to break the bondage. This workshop discusses who the enemy is, how he works to take people captive through sin and what weapons are available to the Christian to gain victory.
Sexual sin is one of the most common and deadly life-dominating sins. This workshop will help you to engage the heart of your counselee, exposit the word appropriately and apply it specifically as you seek to help him in his battle against sexual sin.
Suffering is a part of a sovereign saving God’s plan. This session gives an overview of suffering from God’s perspective as outlined in the book of 1 Peter. It also unpacks specific texts to use in counseling those who are facing and suffering injustice.
Do you have unanswered questions about tough issues in counseling? In this workshop ACBC fellow George Scipione holds a Q&A for any questions people may have related to biblical counseling.
How can you help a terminally ill person face death with hope in Christ? This workshop discusses the need to speak the truth in love to the terminally ill for the purpose of building them up at the very time that their body or mind is wasting away.
Crisis can be an opportunity for evangelism and discipleship. But how do we get from the presenting problem to the gospel? This session seeks to help biblical counselors work towards lasting change in their counselees by applying the whole gospel to the whole man.
Do biblical principles “work” with children on the autism spectrum? This workshop discusses special challenges that children on the autism spectrum face, gives instruction for patiently applying biblical principles and builds hope that God is at work in every circumstance.
What can we expect from medicines? Do they ever help? Medication alone does not always address the underlying emotions which trouble the mind and spirit. This session provides biblical guidance on how to balance medical intervention with biblical encouragement.
Can we minister effectively to people diagnosed with bipolar disorder and their families? This session encourages biblical counselors that they don’t have to know everything about bipolar disorder to be able to help their counselees grow in sanctification.
Why is the heart pivotal in counseling and how do you deal with the heart? This session explores descriptions of the heart in both the Old and New Testament and discusses the Biblical counselors role in addressing heart issues through the Word of God.
Addictions are a worship disorder. Will we worship our own desires or will we worship the true God? This two-part seminar, based on Welch’s book, discusses the spiritual nature of addictions and the hope that is found in the power of the gospel.
Addictions are a worship disorder. Will we worship our own desires or will we worship the true God? This two-part seminar, based on Welch’s book, discusses the spiritual nature of addictions and the hope that can be found in the power of the gospel.
Worry, anxiety and fear plague all of us at one time or another. On this side of the Fall fear seems to be etched into our nature. Yet God gives over 300 commands not to be afraid. This session examines the beautiful Words of Scripture that can bring peace to fearful people.
What flame can ignite motivation, what fuel can sustain hope that overpowers the pain of change? This session examines the powerful role of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone as the impetus for radical life change.
Parents are looking for a formula that guarantees their kids will turn out right. Is there anything that can ensure successful parenting? This two-part series examines pros and cons of common parenting formulas and emphasizes the need of God’s grace for both parents and children.
Parents are looking for a formula that guarantees their kids will turn out right. Is there anything that can ensure successful parenting? This two-part series examines pros and cons of common parenting formulas and emphasizes the need of God’s grace for both parents and children
How can parents prevent their kids from getting out of control? What should they do if their children rebel? What about children that are incorrigible? This session unpacks principles from Scripture to answer these questions.
Is it ever legitimate to blame misbehavior on the brain? The Bible teaches that we are embodied souls with hearts that can be sinful or obedient and bodies that can be strong or weak. This session seeks to distinguish genuine brain disorders from problems rooted in the heart.
Peer pressure, co-dependency, the fear of man: how can someone escape being overly concerned about what others think? This session shows how knowing the holiness of God and learning to fear Him is the only cure for the situations when people seem big and God seems small.
Have you been blessed with a “different” child? In this session Dr. Laura Hendrickson shares her own experiences as a mother of a “different” child, discusses typical challenges and temptations and reminds us of the sufficient grace God gives in situations of weakness.
The attitudes and actions of a transformed heart flow out of a life transformed by the Holy Spirit. This 3-part series covers what to teach your counselees regarding loving God and others, discusses biblical principles and provides practical application.
The attitudes and actions of a transformed heart flow out of a life transformed by the Holy Spirit. This 3-part series covers what to teach your counselees regarding loving God and others, discusses biblical principles and provides practical application.
What is a biblical understanding of forgiveness and how do I apply those concepts to my situation? This three part series clears up common misconceptions about forgiveness and stresses the importance of understanding and practicing a true biblical forgiveness.
What is a biblical understanding of forgiveness and how do I apply those concepts to my situation? This three part series clears up common misconceptions about forgiveness and stresses the importance of understanding and practicing a true biblical forgiveness.
Dealing with blended family conflicts in counseling requires real biblical wisdom and discernment. This two-part series discusses typical problems faced by step-families and gives hope and help for all parties involved.
Dealing with blended family conflicts in counseling requires real biblical wisdom and discernment. This two-part series discusses typical problems faced by step-families and gives hope and help for all parties involved
What is a biblical understanding of forgiveness and how do I apply those concepts to my situation? This three part series clears up common misconceptions about forgiveness and stresses the importance of understanding and practicing a true biblical forgiveness.
The attitudes and actions of a transformed heart flow out of a life transformed by the Holy Spirit. This 3-part series covers what to teach your counselees regarding loving God and others, discusses biblical principles and provides practical application.
Emotional pain can be an opportunity when it calls attention to the fact that something is amiss with our hearts. This session explores several diagnostic questions to help determine the root cause of depression and anxiety and point us toward repentance and faith.
Hormones from things like PMS, Pregnancy and Menopause can leave women feeling like they are on a mood-swing merry-go-round. This session discusses how women can learn to manage their emotions during these challenging times in a way that honors God.
God’s design is for marriage to be a lifelong covenant of companionship between one man and one woman but many marriages fall short of this ideal. This session seeks to offer wisdom to counselors working tough questions about separation, divorce and remarriage.
What is the best approach to finding a marriage partner? What is the nature and purpose of courtship? What if I am single and lonely? This session answers many questions for those who are considering marriage or want to know how to prepare for marriage in the future.
Is ADHD a disease or an important difference? This session defines ADHD, explores various contributing factors and offers hope and help from the Scriptures for families struggling with raising a hyperactive child.
How do we counsel individuals with OCD? What role does a disordered brain have in this process? How does knowing about pathology help the struggler? This session explores questions about OCD through the lens of Scripture.
Many counselees are living with a prior psychological diagnosis. How can we help them with compassion and humility? This session will help you learn to speak biblically to heart and life issues of counselees regardless of diagnosis.
Is mental illness due to sin or disease? This session discusses the controversy on this topic, discusses biblical definitions of illness and sin and offers suggestions for how to be helpful in the midst of the controversy.
Sometime after saying I do, most people begin to realize they have married a sinner. This session will discuss how an honest examination of our own sin will help us to come alongside our spouse as a fellow sinner rather than stand over them as judge.
Sometime after saying I do, most people begin to realize they have married a sinner. This session will discuss how meditation on God’s rich mercy towards us when we were dead in our transgressions and sins will empower us to extend mercy to a sinful spouse.
How do you respond when you face incomplete goals or unfulfilled dreams in your life? How can you say with Paul that you have “learned in whatever situation … to be content?” This session will teach us to pursue contentment through Christ who strengthens us.
Few things in life display our own shortcomings and weaknesses as much as the endeavor of parenting. This session will discuss how these weaknesses point up our own need for the gospel and drive us to dependence on God as we parent our children.
Legalism is an ever present danger in Christ’s church and in counseling in particular. This two-part session will help us to understand it so that we will be able to detect, avoid and counter it whenever we see it in ourselves and our associates.
Legalism is an ever present danger in Christ’s church and in counseling in particular. This two-part session will help us to understand it so that we will be able to detect, avoid and counter it whenever we see it in ourselves and our associates.
When we have a distorted view of reality, we suffer as a result. This session will unpack five truths that will help you develop a proper view of your reality in Christ as it is described in the doctrine of justification by faith.
The amazing grace of God as expressed through the good news of the gospel has a profound impact on all of life. This session is one man’s testimony of the impact of God’s surprising grace on his family and his church.
Many christian men feel overwhelmed by failure in their role as a father. This session will seek to encourage dads with the grace God has for them and help them get a vision of the amazing opportunity they have to teach their children about His grace.
“Hospitality fleshes out love in a uniquely personal and sacrificial way.” This session will explore the command to all believers to show hospitality, examine several examples from the Scriptures and discuss how it opens up opportunities to share the gospel.
Which is more important, the local church or the family? This session discuss the relationship between the God-ordained institutions of the nuclear family and the local church, the responsibilities of each, and how they should operate in relation to one another.
What is family worship, why does it matter and how do we do it? This session will examine a brief history of family worship, encourage you with a look at its effects on the family, the church and the world, and give you some practical steps for instituting a family worship time.
God’s revelation in Scripture is complete. While every believer is called to seek God’s revealed moral will, some go beyond this and claim that God speaks to them. How does God guide us today? How are we to understand his will for our lives?
The goal of parenting is to make your children ready to live wisely on their own. Parents must recognize that their relationship with their adult child is very different from what it was when the child was small. One of the biggest mistakes made by Christian parents is to treat young adults as if they were still small children. How can parents foster healthy relationships with their adult children and pursue peace?
What should parents do when their children rebel? Christian parents must be aware of two extremes: giving up too soon because of personal hurt feelings, anger and bitterness … and tolerating and enabling sin. How can we beware of not being manipulated and becoming enablers of their sinful lifestyle?
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.
Those advocating formulas often assume a form of “parental determinism” – the (unbiblical) belief that how well you follow their formula determines how your kids turn out. Parents who depend on these can tend toward pharisaical pride, as if we can save our kids by our good works. Parenting is not about following an extra-biblical man-made formula; it is about the gospel.
Parents often look for a formula which will guarantee that their kids will turn out right. Many “Christian” approaches to parenting are legalistic. It is very important to distinguish between what Scripture commands versus one of many possible ways to fulfill our responsibilities to God. Some make their particular methodology “law”, while failing to acknowledge that other approaches are equally valid ways to fulfill biblical commands.
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?
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 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.
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?
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”?
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.
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?
Anger is a problem both in the world and in the church. Anger is very deceptive and dangerous. It is usually murderous by nature and leads to many other sins. What are some ways that people try to justify their anger? Where does anger come from? How do we go about uprooting anger from the heart?
Psychology and theology both deal with the same fundamental issues of meaning and value. Many modern approaches have unscriptural presuppositions and practices. This opening session introduces biblical counseling and the importance of approaching these issues from a Christian perspective.
What are some common Christian approaches to counseling in our day? Why might it be useful to learn about psychology? This session explores several Christian approaches to counseling including integration and synergism.
How is the biblical counseling approach different from all other Christian approaches? What are some key texts for defending the sufficiency of the Scriptures for counseling? IBCD’s position of biblical counseling (the Bible as the sole and sufficient authority) is outlined and its key concepts explained.
The fundamental assumptions that shape biblical counseling are reviewed and key elements expanded upon. Building hope in God’s promises from the earliest stages of counseling is critical. What are some ways we can seek to build hope?
This session continues exploring the key questions involved in biblical counseling. Why is investigation a crucial part of the counseling process? What is the goal of asking good questions? Why is it important to give biblical labels to our counselee’s problems? How much sin be dealt with?
Counseling is more than instruction and the greatest progress in counseling is made between sessions. What are some ways we can prepare our counselees for growth between sessions? Why is concrete homework important? This session completes outlining the key elements of biblical counseling.
Counseling is about helping people to change. The change biblical counselors seek is unique and unbiblical approaches to change will impede spiritual growth. This session explores how change begins by understanding and applying the Gospel. Understanding our union with Christ is the key to growth in holiness.
We and our counselees are responsible to exert effort towards change. Immediately after telling us to consider our identity in Christ, Paul exhorts us to take action against the lusts of the flesh. What is the proper use of biblical indicatives and imperatives? What should our motive be for obedience?
This session covers the fundamental theological concepts involved in biblical counseling. It explores the IBCD and NANC understanding of the Bible’s authority, the Trinity, anthropology, Christology, soteriology, pneumatology, and ecclesiology.
Biblical peacemaking is founded on the gospel. Christ came to make peace between God and man. All conflict is the result of sin. Conflict is very dangerous but brings great opportunity: to glorify God, to be more like Christ, to serve others, and to bear witness to a watching world.
As Christians, we ought to do all that is in our power to pursue peace. How can we seek forgiveness biblically? How does the gospel empower us to forgive? Why is it important to go though a thorough process of confession?
This session completes the Peacemaking series of the curriculum. It lays out important things to consider before attempting to confront someone’s sin and describes the peacemaking process. Church discipline is also explored along with how church structure and membership is related to peacemaking.
Trials are the ordinary experience of believers living in a fallen world. Believers in the Bible suffered great trials and we will continue to endure significant trials. Why do Christians tend to be so surprised by trials when the Bible speaks so often about them? How does God work in our trials and use them to mature us?
What is depression and how are we to understand it? Many secular psychologists see mankind as merely physical and therefore tend to see depression as a physical problem with a chemical solution. Christians recognize the dual nature of mankind – body and soul. What are some important things for biblical counselors to keep in mind when handling cases of depression?
Worry is a problem of the mind and can become life dominating. Worry, stress, and fear are closely related and often dealt with sinfully. How can we help counselees think about their lives in light of biblical truth? How might someone misunderstand or abuse God’s promises to care for them?
The Bible says we are to fear God. Fear can also be an appropriate response to real potential dangers. Fear becomes sinful when we fear men more than God and we fail to trust God. What are some proper and healthy manifestations of fear? What are indications that fear has become sinful?
This session looks at David’s catastrophic sin of adultery in 2 Sam 11:1-5. This passage shows that the Bible is honest about its heroes and serves as a warning to us against sin and presumption. How does David’s sin point us to Christ? What are some practical ways to guard ourselves from temptation?
What is the difference for an unbeliever and a believer who are confronted with temptation? How is idolatry connected with temptation? This session walks through some specific issues involved with temptation such as substance abuse. How can a drunkard or an addict find help to overcome his sin?
To what extent does our body (nature) and relationships (nurture) affect our hearts? We are embodied creatures. However, both our inner and outer person have been affected by the fall. While we reject both genetic determinism and social determinism, we recognize that the Bible teaches that both body and social environment influence the inner person.
Every family experiences communication breakdown. The key to our relationships with each other is our relationship with God (and vice versa). We need to grant forgiveness when we have been wronged. We need to learn to listen in love. Are we more concerned about being heard, or hearing?
God is the owner and source of all wealth. We need to maintain a balanced perspective on finances. Money can be good but it is also dangerous. Christians need to learn the secret of contentment as they work hard and smart to make a living. Make it your goal to be wise, not rich!
How can we make our sexual relationships in marriage all that they should be? We need to think about our marriage and sex lives through a gospel lens. Gracious sex gives to your spouse freely, just as God has given to you – treating him/her better than he/she deserves.
God designed marriage to be a lifelong covenant of companionship. Marriage is worth fighting for. Some are called by God to remain in hard marriages. Divorce (and remarriage) without biblical grounds is sinful and adulterous. This session unpacks the surrounding issues and questions about this difficult subject.
God created sex to be a blessing. It is part of God’s perfect and holy creation but is often twisted sinfully. Idolatry, more than adultery, is the key to understanding sexual sin. Even something which is good can become sinfully idolatrous when we desire it more than we desire God, are willing to sin in order to get it, or react sinfully when we don’t get what we want.
A compilation of helpful questions for use in probing the heart for places where sin might be harbored. This can be helpful in drawing out and identifying sin.
40 questions for counselors to ask when working with a counselee who struggles sexual problems. This could also be given as homework to be filled out by the counselee.
Sadly many people, even Christians, respond in destructive and sinful ways when conflict arises. This session will look at the steps of biblical conflict resolution, describe the PAUSE principle and discuss options including mediation and arbitration.
Effective counseling involves spiritual warfare. This is why it must be a matter of prayer. In this session Voddie Baucham shares some personal counseling experiences to encourage counselors to remember the importance of prayer in counseling.
For effective counseling it is absolutely necessary to help counselees to hope in God. How can we help them to have hope in times of suffering? This session will serve as a model of how to use, understand and apply wisdom from 1 Peter 1:1-2:12 in counseling.
Because sexual abuse is so prevalent women counselors need to understand how the Bible helps females who have been sexually abused. This workshop will examine the biblical way to deal with the shame and emotional pain of the victim and the role of the church in helping them.
Victims of abuse suffer greatly and need help. This session will teach you to offer compassionate biblical counsel to a victim of abuse as well as providing practical instruction on how to help the victim gain safety and deal with the abuser in a biblical way.
A weekly log for parents to record their implementation of seven elements of good parenting. Examples include praising the children and being a proper example.
A handout of Scripture passages specifically related to eight common fears with suggestions for how to overcome them.
A handout detailing 20 aspects of the self-sacrificing love described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. The negative, positive and extra aspects of such love are detailed in rich description.
A handout of questions for self-examination based on Psalm 139:23-24. Questions focus on three areas: one’s relationship with God, stewardship in life, and interactions with others.
A one-page reflection sheet that can be used in accompaniment with any reading assignment. This sheet is designed to help counselees engage with and apply the material.
A list of 15 questions for use in counseling and discipleship. These questions are helpful for anyone seeking to come alongside someone and help them articulate what is in their heart.
A simple guide to aid counselees in identifying the root issues of a particular sin and reflecting upon the fruit that sin produces in their life.
A 12-question quiz for wives to examine whether their actions communicate respect or disrespect to their husbands. Each question includes the biblical basis for self-reflection.
An 11-step guide for counselees if failure in fighting a sin occurs. This handout helps one think biblically about the sin and reminds of the grace and forgiveness of God.
A worksheet with a 4-step graphic organizer designed to aid counselees in reflecting on a particular problem they face, their current response to it and how to respond biblically.
An extensive assignment for family members to reflect on themselves and one another. Topics include identifying qualities and characteristics, determining patterns of conflict, and understanding communication styles.
A 7-step guide to lead counselees through the process of genuine repentance before God.
A brief article discussing several biblical principles for understanding how to think about this facet of sexuality.
An in-depth guide for examining personal expectations and desires that, when unmet, can lead to various Idols of the Heart. THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED. WHEREVER THERE ARE QUOTES THE LETTER “P” SHOWS UP INSTEAD.
A simple method for teaching how to meditate on a particular passage of Scripture using the acronym MAP. MAP stands for Meditate, Analyze and Personalize.
A 20-question quiz for parents to aid them in determining the degree to which their children may be manipulating them. This quiz is adapted from The Heart of Anger by Lou Priolo.
An 8-step guide for identifying possible logs in the eye of one who wants to help someone caught in sin. This helps establish a proper heart attitude before approaching another brother.
An adaptable journal for recording when and where events in life provoked a person to become upset or react in a sinful way, calling for reflection and proactive thinking about the event.
A worksheet providing points of reflection for thinking about sinful patterns and setting goals for new behaviors. This follows the biblical model of “putting off” and “putting on.”
A suggestive list of how pride can influence people to sin in particular instances. This list culminates in a prayer of repentance for the specific ways one has acted in pride.
A handout for understanding panic and fear attacks based on 2 Tim 1:7 and 1 John 4:18. It defines panic and fear attacks, offers clues for identifying them and explores common causes.
A simple spreadsheet with suggested categories for use in establishing a family budget. Helpful for providing guidance and establishing a wise financial plan.
14 possible homework assignments for counselees who struggle with depression. Suggestions include establishing routine, serving others and giving thanks.
A 30-question quiz requiring reflection on what it means to be an “encourager” and the extent to which one manifests those qualities in their relationships.
A handout of 13 passages of Scripture that provide hope for believers.
A 2-page handout walking through four rules for God-honoring communication. This handout is based on principles from Ephesians 4:25-32.
A list of 50 questions for husbands to ask their wives. These questions will help them grow in understanding of the woman God has given them and how they can love and serve her better.
11 possible homework assignments for counselees who struggle with issues of fear, worry, and anxiety. This list includes reading assignments, scripture memory and journaling activities.
A contract of 11 affirmations and vows to be made by a person before God and man to maintain purity when engaged with computer usage.
An outline guide for walking through a plethora of scriptures concerning communication, calling for reflection and journaling on these specific passages. THIS ONE IS WEIRD IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS NOTES THAT SHOULD GO ALONG WITH JIMS MESSAGE OR SOMETHING. MAYBE DUMP IT? ALSO TYPOS IN POINT IV
A handout contrasting characteristics children learn when the home is focused on Christ or when the home is focused on them. This handout is adapted from The Heart of Anger by Lou Priolo.
A 10 questions survey related to how children function within a particular family unit. Are parents setting a godly agenda or are children really ruling the home?
A handout outlining the purpose and procedures for Conference Table discussion. This handout is useful for counselees to review before beginning a discussion during the week.
A great assignment for improving or strengthening a marriage. Seven reflections questions for each spouse to work through and then discuss over a dinner date.
A graphic organizer depicting how thoughts and motives drive our feelings and choices resulting in the production of good or bad fruit. This handout is based on Eph 4:22-24 and Col 3:1-17
A checklist of 13 quick and easy reminders concerning the counselor’s role and objectives during a counseling session.
This worksheet highlights the characteristics of worldly sorrow in contrast to godly sorrow. Help the counselee examine his life and seek by God’s help to move from being characterized by the top part of the list (worldly sorrow) to the bottom part of the list (godly sorrow).
A graphically-driven handout to accompany biblically-based teaching from 2 Corinthians 5:9. MAYBE DUMP THIS ONE. IT DOESN’T SEEM SELF EXPLANATORY. OTHERWISE AT LEAST GIVE IT A TITLE?
9 possible homework assignments for counselees who struggle with worry. This list includes reading assignments, scripture memory and journaling activities.
A handout of practical steps to take for anyone wanting to proactively plan to avoid situations of sexual temptation while traveling without their spouse.
A survey for self-reflection on 19 characteristics of the wise person portrayed in the book of Proverbs contrasted with their negative counterparts.
A side by side journal for reflection on situations that provoked anger and the heart attitude behind someone’s response.
A handout of reading and reflection assignments for anyone seeking to rebuild their marriage after an affair. This includes specific exercises for both the offending and the offended parties.
A spreadsheet for recording activities for every hour of the week. This is a useful assignment for counselees struggling with time management, prioritizing or laziness.
A handout describing the characteristics of biblical submission: what it is not and what it is. This is adapted from The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace.
A short handout describing 7 basic principles of godly parenting. This should be used in conjunction with the Seven Steps of Parenting weekly log. TONS OF TYPOS IN 3-6
A two-page guide for counselors detailing six goals they should keep in mind as they assign homework to counselees.
A graphically driven handout to accompany biblical teaching on responding when hurt, contrasting possible natural responses with responses that rely on God’s supernatural grace.
A handout reviewing 15 ways to work toward conflict resolution This list helps to shift the focus away from what the other person ought to do and on to one’s own responsibilities.
10 basic scriptural convictions that Christian parents should instill in their children. Each conviction is given with various supporting passages that are suggested for memorization.
All people face troubles in life. The Bible is a book that is shockingly honest about these troubles. This session unpacks the reasons why biblical counseling is really the only true answer to walking with people through seasons of serious trouble.
Are ministers of the Word really equipped to counsel people with “serious” problems? Voddie Baucham discusses his journey to the conviction that the Bible is essential and sufficient for meaningful counseling.
Middle and High School presents difficult challenges for kids today. From peer pressure to issues concerning sexuality our kids are facing a fast changing world. Come and hear how living in community helps to provide the context for counseling teens.
How do we understand the dynamics of eating disorders and how do we interpret them as caused by both sin and suffering? This session wiil seek to answer these questions from a biblical perspective and discuss how the gospel offers hope and help in the midst of the struggle.
The sin of gossip is easily overlooked or minimized but affects relationships and is destructive within the church. This workshop will cover the dangers of this particular sin of the tongue and discuss examples the Bible gives as well as the hope it offers.
Biblical counseling is necessary for the church and the church is necessary for biblical counseling. This session will define what is meant by “counseling” in the context of the local church and discuss how helping hurting, needy people is at the heart of her calling.
In a world full of trouble, God is actively involved in caring for His people. He is a Shepherd who gives us rest in the midst of a World that assaults us with pain. This session unpacks the gospel hope found in Psalm 23.
Biblical counseling is really about sanctification and growth in the Christian life. How much transformation can we expect? This session will use the New Testament pattern of the already and the not yet to help frame our expectations in counseling.
The work of the Holy Spirit is the only thing that can bring about lasting and God-honoring change. As biblical counselors we are dependent upon the Spirit to work powerfully in the entire counseling situation, both through us and in the lives of our counselees.
It can be easy to say the words “I forgive you” but very difficult to extend true forgiveness to someone who has hurt us. This seminar will help equip individuals to minister to those that find themselves struggling with the forgiveness they have granted.
Psychology and theology both deal with the fundamental issues of meaning and value. Many modern approaches have unscriptural presuppositions and practices. This workshop introduces biblical counseling and the importance of approaching these issues from a Christian perspective.
How can we really have joy in the midst of trials? In this workshop we will examine how God uses losses in this life for great gain, and how that enables us to find joy in the midst of our own suffering, and to help others do the same.
Depression is an extremely common counseling problem but can be one of the most difficult issues to deal with. This is a case study of a twenty-something girl who is struggling to believe the forgiveness of the gospel and is struggling with debilitating depression.
You want to be a competent counselor don’t you? Of course you do! What does the Bible have to say about what that looks like? This workshop explores the Biblical characteristics of a competent counselor as described in the Pastoral Epistles.
It is important to know Biblical principles, but knowledge in itself is not enough. You need wisdom to apply Biblical principles to real cases. This workshop examines two real, difficult cases: Militia Man and His Mad Mate; Suing Sinner and His Suffering Family.
Many passages of Scripture direct as to “what to do,” but do not give the “how to do” of biblical counseling. This two-part class teaches the Eight I’s of the biblical counseling model which provides the essential elements of counseling.
If the Holy Spirit is necessary in our counseling, what exactly is His role? What gifts does He employ? This session will briefly sketch the theological positions and identify how each position impacts our view of the Spirit’s role in counseling and the sufficiency of God’s Word.
How is the biblical counseling approach different from all other Christian approaches? In this session IBCD’s position of biblical counseling (the Bible as the sole and sufficient authority) is outlined and its key concepts explained.
How can we help adoptive families when the excitement begins to subside and the realities begin to sink in? Despair and isolation are real experiences for many. This session is not only for adoptive parents, but it is also for those who counsel adoptive parents.
Bitterness can easily take root in the heart when we’ve been hurt or offended or we believe something has happened to us that is unfair or unjust. This message will examine evidences of bitterness, ruling motives, and practical steps to rooting it out for the glory of God.
Pornography is pervasive in today’s world. It destroys marriages and leaves users with a warped view of sexuality. Sadly, many Christians are trapped by its power. This workshop will show how the grace of Jesus enables someone to break out of the deceitful web of pornography.
What is the role of the church in a biblical counseling ministry? From the Biblical mandate for ministry under the church’s authority, to the nuts and bolts of daily ministry, Darrell and Janet will share insight gleaned from 23 years in the church counseling ministry.
How do you help women who self-injure? This workshop will examine the similarities and distinctions between four very different, self-injuring women and discuss some of the Scriptures and counseling methods which will provide the greatest help for all self-injurers.
This is a Q&A Roundtable with our Keynote Speakers from the 2015 Summer Institute: Heath Lambert, Jim Newheiser, Voddie Baucham and Brian Borgman.
How should Christians think about their past? How does your answer affect the way you process life’s challenges? How does it affect the way you counsel? This two-part session will explore what God’s Word says about the importance and potential impact of events from your past.
Is suffering part of the context of your life? In this look at Psalm 28 you will learn from King David’s example how to live a life of trust. You can accept God’s plan for your life as you come to know his character and chooose to believe his promises.
Knowing what the Bible says about something is only the first step. You need wisdom to know how to apply Biblical principles to real cases. This workshop examines two real, difficult cases: From Bad to Worse and Back; Dispirited Pastor and His Disgruntled Wife.
Many passages of Scripture direct as to “what to do,” but do not give the “how to do” of biblical counseling. This two-part class teaches the Eight I’s of the biblical counseling model which provides the essential elements of counseling.
There are numerous similarities between a number of different sexual struggles, and the gospel offers hope and help in the midst of each of them. In this workshop we will focus on equipping you to minister to those who struggle in these areas.
Our teens seem totally distracted by their smart phones and video games. People of all ages are talking about how hard it is to put down their devices. This message examines how gospel promises as well as gospel threatenings can set us free of life dominating habits.
The New Testament has a shocking view of singleness. This workshop examines the blessings and challenges of a single life and gives practical suggestions for helping singles see the grace of God at work in them and through them and how the church can better minister to them.
Do you find yourself complaining about the past—wishing you could rewrite your story? In this session you will learn that complaining is a very powerful sin that tries to undo what God has done and is doing. Be encouraged! God invites you to embrace the story He is writing.
Many people have been touched by the tragedy of having a loved one take their own life. This workshop will examine how can we help those left behind deal with the emotions and the questions which come in the aftermath of suicide.
Is your past “one big lump”? Is it possible that some of us have challenges in this area in part because we have not thought as precisely and specifically as God’s Word would direct? This session will attempt to help us identify biblical categories for events from the past.
The birth and growth of the biblical counseling movement, like all movements, has many strengths and weaknesses. This message contains the professional, pastoral and personal reflections of the biblical counseling movement at 45 years.
Many people struggle with bitterness about what has happened to them in the past. Like Naomi, they may even be embittered against the Lord. How does one counsel a Naomi? This session will explore a case study of a male version of Naomi.
Often the past is an enemy stronghold in people’s lives, hindering them from service and usefulness as well as straining relationships. This session explores biblical truths that can effectively help people battle the enemy and find strength and perspective through Christ.
If God is sovereign why do certain things happen the way they do? This message from Ecclesiastes expounds the truth of God’s sovereignty, the validity of wanting to know why, and God’s remedy for His children in this life.
How do we teach counselees to seek God’s help under pressure? Jesus provides us the perfect example to follow. This session will serve as a model of how to use, understand and apply wisdom from 1 Peter 2:13-3:22.
One of the great delights in biblical counseling is the opportunity to explain the gospel to someone who has never heard. This session will discuss strategies to move from initial presentation problems to appropriate discussions about personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
How can biblical principles guide you in preparing your heart for marriage and making a wise choice in who to marry? This two-part session is perfect both for those considering a relationship and those who disciple others in relationship choices (parents, pastors, counselors).
How do we counsel people who can’t make ends meet, have lost their jobs, or are overwhelmed with debt? This session will seek to answer some of the most common questions about finances and money management from a biblical perspective.
How can biblical principles guide you in preparing your heart for marriage and making a wise choice in who to marry? This two-part session is perfect both for those considering a relationship and those who disciple others in relationship choices (parents, pastors, counselors).
The past for many women includes hard, life-changing experiences. Life in the aftermath can leave them feeling that they are less than they once were. This workshop will explore God’s purposeful and loving use of these experiences to show His power and love.
Counselors sometimes have the privilege of serving parents who have been blessed with children with special needs. This session will review a seminal passage of Scripture on this subject along with an account from the Viars’ journey with their special needs son Andrew.
Spiritual warfare is an ever-present reality for the child of God. A balanced view of spiritual warfare can help both counselors and counselees. This session will examine the truths of spiritual warfare as it applies to the various dimensions of biblical counseling.
This workshop offers practical tips for working with a counselee and their doctor as they come off an antidepressant. It also includes a section that explains the theory of chemical imbalance and why psychiatrists are now saying it is not true.
Are you aware what serial relationships can do to your chances for a permanent relationship? It is even possible to overcome your past trauma? Are feelings never to be trusted? This workshop teaches some vital concepts for enduring relationships.
Sometimes in life we face situations that seem overwhelmingly hopeless. 1 Peter 4:1-5:14 reminds us that Christians should not be surprised when they face such situations and that they can have hope because God is at work.
What wrong desires do you habitually battle? The premise of this seminar is that learning to live as a proper worshiper changes the stubborn desires of the heart. Many practical suggestions for what it means to live life worshiping properly will be given.
This is a roundtable discussion on various topics by our keynote speakers from Summer Institute 2014.
This workshop explains the physical issue of anorexia and the biblical antidote. It includes biblical principles to help your counselee renew her mind and, by God’s grace, to overcome her sinfully entrenched delusions about her weight.
Many people live with unresloved conflict. The process of reconciliation can be challenging and tumultuous. This seminar will examine how the gospel serves as the foundation for reconciliation and empowers those who are struggling to be reconciled to one another.
How do we care for others when we just don’t feel like it? This message will discuss the call for Christians to care for others, the challenges that arise in caring for others, and what we shoulld do when our emotions run contrary to this.
Often adoption is romanticized and the challenges are minimized, leaving adoptive parents feeling guilty as they struggle with their child. This two-part message will deal with some of its common challenges and help equip counselors to minister to adoptive parents.
Christ cares for his people so much that he was made like them in every respect. He did this that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest who can help them in their temptations. We are encouraged to care for others when we see how much Christ cares for them.
Often adoption is romanticized and the challenges are minimized, leaving adoptive parents feeling guilty as they struggle with their child. This two-part message will deal with some of its common challenges and help equip counselors to minister to adoptive parents.
There is a biblical theology of the emotions which should play a critical role in much counseling. This workshop will address the subject of the emotions in the Christian life and lay the biblical-theological foundation for understanding the emotions.
To what extent to our body (nature) and relationships (nurture) affect our hearts? This session discusses how God has created humans as complex creatures that exist in a social context. Counselors must learn to care for the whole person to counsel effectively.
From the beginning we are told that God created man in His own image. What does it mean to be an image bearer of God? This workshop explores the concept of Man as the Image of God and the practical implications for the counseling process.
The Bible has a lot to say about the nature of man. This workshop explores the key components of man’s nature and the importance of balance in diagnosing and directing the counseling process so it comes to a successful conclusion.
How do you help someone who already has many labels regarding their condition? In our heavily psychologized culture it can be hard to know the accuracy of these diagnoses. This workshop aims to equip you to work with those who have diagnoses from the psychological community.
Emotions, though extremely powerful, do not need to control us. In this session we will explore Scriptural examples of how truth is used to control and even sanctify the emotions. This is the follow-up session to Does God Care About How I Feel?
Many married women feel alone and isolated from their spouse. How can we help women who find themselves in this situation? What does the Bible have to say about the intimacy we should have in marriage, and what should we do when we find our expectations are not being met?
Is your hyper thinking and wildly acting loved one a worse sinner than those calm family members; or is there something organic and biological contributing something to this? Or could it be both? This message seeks to give balanced answers to questions about ADHD.
Adultery is something that many of us will have to deal with in one way or another in the church. The gospel gives great hope in these difficult situations. The goal of this workshop is to help equip you to bring that hope to those who have felt the pain of a broken covenant.
Forgiveness can be very hard, particularly when someone has hurt us very much. This session will examine how for Christians, meditating on the way Christ has forgiven them all of their debts can and should empower them to forgive others.
Sometimes to live at peace with others we must confront them about their sin. This session will discuss how to determine if a sin must be confronted and how to go about the process in a way that seeks to gently restore a brother or sister.
Believers often function in daily life without the gospel to sustain them, growing weary and even spiritually depressed. This session will discuss the physical and spiritual symptoms, causes, and cure for depression, including the centrality of the gospel.
God calls us to peace with others, but in this life it is impossible to completely avoid conflict. This session will examine how to understand conflict from a biblical perspective and practical ways to humbly pursue peace with others when conflict does arise.
People often do not realize the weight of their words, and careless words have crushed many souls. This workshop will examine biblical categories of caring speech, and how we can help foster it in our own lives and in the lives of our counselees.
We know we are to admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted and help the weak, but how do we really do that? This session will seek to answer that question with specific counsel and instruction for three case studies: Unbending Ursula, Worrisome Wanda, and Fragile Franny.
The gospel of grace needs to be at the heart of how we understand marriage roles. Both husband and wife have a unique part to play that shows forth the relationship of Christ with his church. This session will focus on the role of the husband in marriage.
The gospel of grace needs to be at the heart of how we understand marriage roles. Both husband and wife have a unique part to play that shows forth the relationship of Christ with his church. This session will focus on the role of the wife in marriage.
Marriage requires lifelong maintenance to keep it healthy and strong. It takes a lot of effort to guard and grow your marriage but the reward is more than worth it. This session will discuss many practical ways to preserve and strengthen your marriage.
Why is it important to practice affirmation? How can this radically change our relationships for the better? This session will discuss the pervasive, universal, non-optional mechanism that God has wired into the universe.
If I praise others won’t it just make them prideful? Is there a way that praising others can actually build them up to become more Christlike? This session gives biblical warrant for God-centered praise of those who are not God.
Marriage is a stage designed to show forth the realities of the gospel. This seminar will set forth the biblical vision of marriage and give practical counsel of how we can reorient our hearts and actions so our marriages better reflect the profound realities they illustrate.
Dr. Charles Hodges, MD. examines the definition and characteristics of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, gives descriptions of the symptoms and suffering, and offers biblical hope in dealing with tramautic past experiences.
Is it okay for Christians to use pain medicine? How much is too much? How do you know if you are addicted? Dr. Charles Hodges, MD. discusses what the Bible has to say about struggling with physical pain and the use of medication to treat it.
What does the Bible have to say about sex? Through this two-part message you will learn how the grace of God in the gospel powerfully changes how we view our own sexuality and gives us the power to once again put this blessing in its proper place.
It is so much easier to be critical of others than to affirm them. Even when we want to build others up we often find ourselves tearing them down instead. This session will discuss how to help people grow in their ability to affirm others well.
What are some practical ways that you can begin to apply the principles of God-centered affirmation to your relationships? This session will help you to move beyond good intentions to actually cultivating joyful, healthy relational patterns.
Dr. Charles Hodges, MD., examines the role that hope plays in dealing with depression, the difficulty of finding an accurate diagnosis, the role sadness plays in what is often labeled depression, and how the bipolar and repression diagnoses overlap.
Dr. Charles Hodges, MD. examines the nuances of bipolar diagnoses, the key components of the current diagnostic procedure, and explores how medicine and biblical counsel play a role in helping those who struggle with bipolar disorder.
God’s sufficient word speaks to our financial issues. This session examines some common money myths and lays out a biblical view of wealth as a blessing that can also be very dangerous. This talk calls us to examine our true spiritual condition behind our financial situation.
What does grace have to do with sex? In this workshop, for women only, you will learn how the grace God has given in Christ can and should overflow into a gracious and healthy physical relationship between husband and wife.
Our sex-saturated culture has taken sexuality from a blessing given by God and made it into an idol to be worshipped and distorted. This workshop will examine the rampant destruction left in the path of pornography and the hope the gospel offers to strugglers.
How can sex be graceless? This workshop, for women only, will explore the sinful attitudes and actions that many women fall in to, that can stifle or even completely kill the physical relationship between husband and wife.
What does the Bible have to say about sex? Many people have unanswered questions about this aspect of life. In this Question and Answer session you will hear a panel of counselors discussing biblical answers to common questions Christians have about sex.
Christians need both clarity on what the Bible says about homosexuality and compassion towards those caught in this sin. This workshop will offer help and hope for those coming out of homosexuality and those seeking to minister to them.
What does the Bible have to say about sex? Through this 2-part message you will learn how the grace of God in the gospel powerfully changes how we view our own sexuality and gives us the power to once again put this blessing in its proper place.
The Bible describes both legitimate and illegitimate ways to gain wealth. This session lays forth a biblical theology of dilligent and skilled work in contrast to the sluggard’s whims. It also puts to rest some common money myths related to gaining money.
Our money is not really ours, we are stewards of what God has given us. This session lays out how a proper view of stewardship helps us honor the Lord in the way we spend money. It also gives practical steps of how to spend wisely by using a budget and controlling expenditures.
It is wise to plan for the future. This session examines biblical principles of saving for the future and how this applies to options related to anticipating expenses, obtaining insurance, investing, and making a will.
In our society it is almost taken for granted that we have to borrow for many things. This session lays out a biblical view of debt and how Christians can think through the multifaceted motivations and options with borrowing money in today’s economy.
100 foundational texts that speak to a wide-range of common counseling scenarios. These texts are organized by topic and can be quickly referenced by a counselor.