A recent interaction with my son led me to reflect on the messages people receive about who they are. My son asked me why there are so many pictures of him and his sister around our house, and I gave him a simple and true answer: “Because I like seeing you.” I’m thankful he asked […]
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“Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:32–33) The very thought that depression could be present […]
The post Today: A Devotional for Depression appeared first on CCEF.
Over the past year, I have dedicated much of my ministry work to parents. I have not sought to provide guidance on how to parent but rather to bring comfort for the many distressing emotions parents experience. One of the more challenging emotions parents experience is regret. When parents struggle with regret, we review and […]
The post Regrets in Parenting and Bothering Jesus appeared first on CCEF.
I wish you could meet some of the people who work at CCEF. We are, of course, far from perfect, but we see Christ in each other, and we see evidence of the Spirit in the way the Lord forges a community among us. One place this happens is at our morning prayer meetings where […]
The post The Day God Held Lot’s Hand appeared first on CCEF.
Do you lament that moments of beauty, joy, and laughter in your life are so fleeting? It’s like one of those Instagram videos of a toddler eagerly smiling and accepting a slice of lime (“Ooh, a new food!”), which gives way to a puckered and confused expression (“Wait, what?!”). Moments of joy are too easily […]
The post Stretching Joy: 10 Ways to Notice God’s Everyday Mercies appeared first on CCEF.
Most of us would like to learn how to have better conversations with those around us. We would like the awkward conversations to be less awkward. We would like the great ones to be more frequent. For people who know Jesus Christ, we want these great conversations even more because our words are the primary […]
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People often ask me, “What is the purpose of the Biblical Counseling Coalition (BCC) Summit?” My typical response involves something like, “Why does it have to have one purpose?” While the yearly BCC Leadership Summit always serves our broader mission of building unity in biblical counseling, the particular way in which we pursue that mission changes from year to year. There are three primary emphases we have when planning our Leadership Summit each year: community building, contending, and collaborating. Each of these emphases contributes to the BCC mission in unique ways. Continue Reading →
Read MoreThe purpose of this article is not to fully explain what good counseling for OCD entails. Instead, it aims to caution against two unhelpful tactics often used by those with OCD in response to intrusive thoughts—and sometimes even encouraged by counselors. These two tactics are: (1) Avoidance and (2) Reassurance.
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When you turn 65, you get to share some stuff. Here’s some thoughts–hopefully a little wisdom–after 65 years on planet Earth.
The post Musings on My 65th Birthday appeared first on RPM Ministries.
Scripture calls us to govern our bodies as part of our sanctification, but oftentimes biblical counselors neglect the physical body while ministering to those with OCD.
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Sometimes life gets hard. We feel despondent in our suffering, uncertain of how and when it will end. It can feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel and that restoration and redemption are impossible. We see no silver lining, and no “think positive” mindset can soften the pain and confusion. […]
The post Look for the Glimmers appeared first on CCEF.
Then the Lord said to Cain… (Genesis 4:6a) The Scripture provides a wide range of case material packed with truth and meaning for counseling ministry. The story of Cain offers a prime example (Genesis 4:1-16). While we don’t have access to the details of Cain’s childhood, we can probably learn a few things from what […]
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