Author: Jim Newheiser

Why Do Some Children Become Prodigals?

Why Do Some Children Become Prodigals?

Posted by | Jan 20, 2021 | |

Parents of prodigals spend many agonizing hours asking themselves, “Why did my child rebel? Is it because I was a bad parent? Is it because my child got in with the wrong crowd?” Sometimes we may even ask God, “Why don’t you do something to bring my child back?” The problem of wayward children is not a new one. The very first parents, Adam and Eve, had a wayward son, Cain, who turned from them and from God when he murdered his brother. In the thousands of years since then, many parents have shared in the grief that the first couple must have felt. While Scripture does not offer a formula by which you can get your prodigal back, God’s Word does explain why children turn out the way that they do. Scripture also provides hope for parents of prodigals. Continue Reading →

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Lessons Learned from a Fallen Pastor

Lessons Learned from a Fallen Pastor

Posted by | Dec 2, 2020 | |

Recently, the BCC presented a blog about “Helping Adult Victims of Clergy Abuse,” authored by Caroline Newheiser along with an anonymous victim. A fallen pastor who read Caroline’s blog contacted me and wanted to tell his story as a warning to church leaders, so we have written this blog together. I wrote the introduction and the last part, but the middle section is written by the pastor himself. His desire to address us reminded me that when King David confessed his great sins, he promised God that, when forgiven, he would “teach transgressors your ways” (Ps. 51:13), a promise which seems to have been fulfilled in Psalm 32 (see especially verse 8). Continue Reading →

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The Coronavirus, Humility, and Civil Disobedience

The Coronavirus, Humility, and Civil Disobedience

Posted by | Jul 6, 2020 | |

God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). As I have observed the discussions and debates regarding the pandemic, both in the political sphere and ecclesiastical spheres, this verse has continually been on my mind. The pandemic should make all of us much humbler for many reasons. As we sit at home, we all have been reminded that we are not in control of our plans or schedules (Prov. 16:9). In the early days of the crisis, government leaders and medical experts made bold statements, including the assertion that the coronavirus could not be transmitted through social contagion and predictions that the U.S. was not at risk. These proved to be embarrassingly wrong. As the pandemic spread, some experts made dire predictions about contagion and death rates, which appear to have been overstated. At present, there are loud voices saying that it is relatively safe to end the lockdown, and there are those who say that we must continue to apply restrictive measures for many more months until a vaccine or cure is developed (if such is even possible). Continue Reading →

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Opportunities to Learn through IBCD

Opportunities to Learn through IBCD

Posted by | May 27, 2020 | |

“One-another” care is described in depth throughout the Scriptures. To the Galatians, the Apostle Paul writes, “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2). To the Ephesians, he writes, “speak truth to one another” (Eph. 4:25). Over and over again, Christians are encouraged to love one another. Believers are faced with difficulties like anxiety, depression, conflict, and grief. While the Scriptures are clear that believers should help one another with these difficulties, it can feel like the burdens are too heavy to bear. In His providence, the Lord has provided answers and help for us in His Word. In an effort to strengthen the church in this important ministry, IBCD was founded by George Scipione as CCEF West in the early 1980s and continues to serve the church today with Jim Newheiser as the Executive Director. Continue Reading →

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Droughts Expose Our Idols

Droughts Expose Our Idols

Posted by | May 6, 2020 | |

When we lived in Southern California, we observed that the weather there tends to fluctuate between extremes. Some years the rain would be plentiful, then there would be years of drought. There’s a lake near where we lived, which during years of abundant rain would swell to the top of its banks and flow under the freeway. During years of drought, the water level would recede so much that the lake no longer made it to the freeway. When the lake was high, it would look beautiful. When the water receded, the lakebed would be exposed along with trash and debris that had accumulated there—not a pretty sight. Continue Reading →

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