Our May 2025 mini-series on the BCC Grace and Truth blog addresses the topic of sleep and insomnia. In this first article, Betty-Anne Van Rees shares biblical wisdom for setting ourselves up for good sleep. In other contributions to the series, Caroline Newheiser offers thoughts from the Psalter regarding sleep, and Joy Forrest discusses God’s purpose in our sleeplessness. Continue Reading →
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When we see our bodies as an essential part of God’s purpose for our lives and we value what God values, we can experience a freedom we never thought possible. Holding tightly to God’s glorious purposes for our lives leads to freedom to serve and love with the body we have, no matter what it looks like. Continue Reading →
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“Jesus stood up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more'” (John 8:10-11).
This woman stood condemned. Her sin was real. Once she was cornered by the Pharisees, she knew it was all over. She knew the law, and she knew the consequences. There was no hope, no grace that was coming. All that was left was the black and white judgment of the law. As she heard the Pharisees asking Jesus what to do, she waited for her condemnation. She waited for Jesus to confirm the law. She waited for the words that would bring an end to her life. She waited, but the words didn’t come. Jesus didn’t speak but instead bent down and ran His finger through the sand (John 8:3-6). Continue Reading →
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To properly respond to our Lord’s challenging commands in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, we must understand how Matthew 1-4 portrays Him. Jesus the Lawgiver is our Savior, our Shepherd-King, and our Redeemer who can help us follow Him. Approaching the Sermon on the Mount’s imperatives from the foundation of gospel indicatives will motivate us to obey and help when we fail. Continue Reading →
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As a young boy, I can still remember learning to ride a bike without training wheels. Obviously, the most important thing is to keep your balance. Keeping your balance simply means not leaning so much to one side so that you tip over. You have to keep an eye on both sides. While still riding with training wheels, I could lean heavily to one side without any consequences. But that was no longer possible when riding a real bike; I literally had to learn to keep my balance.
This principle can be applied to our reasoning and actions in counseling. Many questions require careful consideration to avoid losing our balance. Over the years of practicing counseling, I have learned that this is a classic issue when dealing with counselees and the root of their problems. Continue Reading →
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One unexpected obstacle to fully benefiting from the counseling process is a lack of transparency. This may sound surprising, because we voluntarily choose to attend counseling with the ostensible aim of dealing with personal struggles. And yet, even in these very personal and trusted spaces, we sometimes choose to overlook or downplay important realities. We’re not always fully honest.
Why is it so difficult to be honest in counseling? What are the consequences of not being completely honest? And if transparency is crucial, how can we improve our honesty while receiving care and counsel? Continue Reading →
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As biblical counselors, we must help those we counsel to see where they wrongly place their faith, so that they will turn to Jesus instead.
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As you read the New Testament, you get the sense that Paul prayed with and for people a lot. His letters are filled with comments like, “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given to you in Christ Jesus,” (1 Cor. 1:4) and “it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and discernment” (Phil. 1:9). Jesus spent time teaching, talking, and eating with His disciples. He also prayed with and for them on many occasions, including His deeply personal prayer at the Last Supper. This pattern of intimate, personal prayer continued into the early church as His disciples practiced what they had been taught. It was a hallmark of Christianity from the time of its foundation and should be for us as well. Continue Reading →
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Is it possible for us to provide counsel to individuals that leaves out Jesus? It is important for us to evaluate how Christ-focused our counsel really is periodically. Perhaps we need to see a continuum, where “Christ is absent” is on the far left and “Christ is pre-eminent” is on the far right, then soberly try to determine where our counselees would say we are most of the time. Continue Reading →
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In 2008, two elders of Cornerstone United Reformed Church in Hudsonville, Michigan, reached out to pastor Jeff Doll with a significant concern. As they reflected upon their labors among their respective elder districts, both men felt underequipped to shepherd the souls under their care. They needed help. Dr. Doll led the two elders into the empty sanctuary to ask the Lord for wisdom in addressing this need. In that time of prayer, God planted the initial seeds of the Institute for Reformed Biblical Counseling (IRBC). Continue Reading →
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One area where we need to do more soul care work is with fathers of children with disabilities. Care is particularly critical when their child with a disability is a firstborn. To explore this gap, I’d like to share our family’s story so that counselors can better understand what a dad might experience. Hopefully, this brief exposure will help them have a deep and lasting spiritual impact on the fathers to whom they minister. Continue Reading →
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Our April 2025 mini-series on the BCC Grace and Truth blog addresses advancements in biblical counseling. In this first article, Jeremy Oliver discusses opportunities for ministering to the aging and elderly. In other contributions to the series, Dave Deuel shares about the need for ministry to fathers of children with disabilities, and Jared Poulton and Jeff Dole reflect on the creation of the Institute for Reformed Biblical Counseling. Continue Reading →
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