Author: Kyle Johnston

Being a Learner in Cross-Cultural Counseling

Being a Learner in Cross-Cultural Counseling

Posted by | Nov 16, 2023 | |

A friend of mine is a pastor in Johannesburg and has done lots of thinking about cross-cultural ministry. He has a very helpful metaphor to describe our mindset when doing cross-cultural ministry. Drawing from how a driver first goes through a “learner phase” (in which they have to place a big red “L” sticker on one of the car windows), he says that when we do cross-cultural ministry, we all have to remember that we have “learner stickers” on. Even though we might have years of experience in biblical counseling, when we counsel someone from a different culture, we would be wise to slow down and consider how the cultural gap might impact our ability to understand and care for someone else. Continue Reading →

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What’s the Difference between Venting and Lamenting?

What’s the Difference between Venting and Lamenting?

Posted by | May 5, 2023 | |

Christians today are increasingly aware of the importance of emotions. This growing emotional awareness is a positive development—especially when we learn how to process those emotions with God! At the same time, and perhaps even connected to this heightened emotional awareness, there is a growing recognition of the importance of lament. But as we think through processing our emotions and practicing lament, there is an important distinction to make. That distinction is the difference between venting and lamenting. Continue Reading →

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Book Review of I Have a Psychiatric Diagnosis: What Does the Bible Say? by Ed Welch

Book Review of I Have a Psychiatric Diagnosis: What Does the Bible Say? by Ed Welch

Posted by | Apr 25, 2023 | |

It feels like there is a huge gap between our mental health challenges and our relationship with God. This gap raises all sorts of questions, such as What is the spiritual significance of our psychological struggles? and What do we do if we have been given a psychiatric diagnosis—what does the Bible have to say to us? Into this complex area, Ed Welch has written an incredibly helpful (and short!) book. In I Have a Psychiatric Diagnosis: What Does the Bible Say? Welch helps us bridge the divide between the Bible and the psychological world. Continue Reading →

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God Hears You

God Hears You

Posted by | Mar 1, 2023 | |

What makes biblical counseling so special is that having heard the specific details of someone’s life, we can take those challenges to our Heavenly Father in prayer. And we pray with confidence because we know He loves us and hears us. And because He hears us, our love for Him grows. Continue Reading →

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Book Review of Talking to Your Children about Race: A Biblical Framework for Honest Conversations by Jerome Gay Jr.

Book Review of Talking to Your Children about Race: A Biblical Framework for Honest Conversations by Jerome Gay Jr.

Posted by | Nov 29, 2022 | |

Reading the Bible with my kids is a delight. Praying with them is often fun–even if we tend to veer off course! But talking to them about difficult topics? Well, that’s very challenging. And one of the most complex realities to keep talking to our children about is race. I am the father of a biracial family, and so I am deeply invested in these sorts of conversations. But I can feel overwhelmed and discouraged to keep persevering with them. I was very interested, therefore, to have a look at Jerome Gay’s booklet, Talking to Your Children about Race: A Biblical Framework for Honest Conversations. Continue Reading →

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