We know that if we do not call out to the Lord in our distress, we are left feeling distant from Him. Yet, there are seasons when our sorrow is so great that our words fail us. In these moments, we need help speaking to the Lord. Psalm 121 can help us speak to God in the midst of our distress. Continue Reading →
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As counselors, our love for Jesus moves us into the hard places of the sin and suffering of others. If we are honest, it often comes at a cost to us. To be wise stewards of ourselves and persevere ministry, we must tend to our hearts. Continue Reading →
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Every time we interact with other fallen people, we run the risk of being hurt by them. It’s a reality that none of us can escape. But when we are hurt by other believers from our church, we are often surprised and disoriented by the pain inflicted. We simply don’t expect to be hurt by members of our spiritual household in such deeply damaging ways. But it happens. In fact, this type of pain is so prevalent that a term is coined for it: church hurt. This term can encompass a wide range of wounds, from church conflicts to gossip, to institutional mistreatment, and even to the extremes of spiritual abuse. Continue Reading →
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This is an edited excerpt from Darby Strickland’s book Is It Abuse? A Biblical Guide to Identifying and Helping Victims of Domestic Abuse. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? (Matt. 7:16) Matt and Sarah routinely fought about how to spend their weekends. Sarah valued her…
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