One of the great benefits of the counseling process is that it allows us to reflect on our experiences. Within the context of a loving and caring environment and the opportunity for back-and-forth conversation, counselees are able to honestly assess how they have navigated some of life’s challenges. Continue Reading →
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Disagreements across a movement as broad as the Biblical Counseling Movement (BCM) are inevitable—and can even be helpful. The value of a coalition is the combination of shared theological commitments amid diverse perspectives. This can be a great aid to constructive discussion and robust debate, helping us all think through issues more clearly. This means good disagreements help us mature—as individuals and even as a movement. Continue Reading →
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Many of us have heard of the prosperity gospel—a dangerous and false teaching that maintains God provides material prosperity for those who have faith. A true sign of genuine faith, prosperity teachers falsely claim, is health and wealth. This grievous teaching is wreaking havoc around the world, especially where I live in South Africa. Thankfully, faithful Bible teachers and excellent organizations like The Gospel Coalition Africa have opposed this false teaching. I do wonder, however, if there is a slightly more subtle emotion-focused version of this distorted teaching. While many evangelicals would easily denounce the health-and-wealth prosperity gospel, I think there would be less clarity around what I’ll describe as the “emotional prosperity gospel.” Continue Reading →
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In a previous post, we considered the virtue of diligence. The book of Proverbs teaches that diligence is essential if we are to live productively. In this post, we will consider two additional virtues that should be added to diligence to enrich and sustain our productivity: prudence and perseverance. Continue Reading →
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One of the topics that sometimes comes up in pastoral care (as well as in our personal lives) is productivity. It’s certainly something that we see mentioned frequently in our culture, with bestselling books, podcasts, and TED talks geared toward helping people become more productive. Continue Reading →
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