Biblical Counseling

Biblical Counseling and The Psychologies: Review and Reflection

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Dr. Ernie Baker’s new book, Biblical Counseling and the Psychologies (Shepherd Press, 2023, 100 pages), seeks to help biblical counselors engage thoughtfully, critically, and cautiously with current trends in the biblical counseling movement, especially those that are quick to integrate with and accept—as authoritative—the secular theories that currently grip the greater culture’s imagination. This insightful resource exposes the perils and pitfalls of integration, provides a framework for assessing various methodologies, and encourages steadfastness in biblical methodology

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When Mother’s Day Is Emotional

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“Her death the dividing mark: Before and After,” writes Theo about his mother in Donna Tart’s The Goldfinch. “Things would have turned out better if she had lived. When I lost sight of her I lost sight of any landmark that might have led me someplace happier, to some more populated or congenial life.”

Life is heavy. Life is hard. Life is also incredibly busy. With the responsibilities of being a husband, the father of five, and a pastor, I don’t have much time to sit and reflect on the grief and pain within my heart. I believe this is a mercy from God because I would probably fall into despair if I spent all my time reflecting on the good old days, focusing on what I don’t have, and lamenting the death of my birth mom and my adopted mom. But I do think of them often. Whenever I fold a towel her way, make an omelet just like she taught me, wash dishes using “elbow grease,” or listen to her favorite country station, I’m reminded of Mom’s influence in my life. It’s always the little things that catch me off guard—a picture, an old friend, a familiar place.

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Identity and Mission in a Post-Christian Culture— Lessons from 1 Peter

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Having recently finished preaching 25 sermons through Peter’s first epistle in a series entitled “Exiles on Mission,” I have chronicled some of the most important lessons learned. I chose this book because I found it to be particularly relevant to our church’s situation: a new church plant in one of the most secular, unchurched, post-Christian parts of our country. Peter’s letter is like a roadmap for our journey or an instruction manual for our life that contains our marching orders. I tailored the application and implications of his letter specifically to my congregation as we are breaking into new, hard soil and establishing our culture from the ground up. The advice of Diane Chambers (from the show Cheers) to a belligerent Yankees fan in Boston is particularly relevant to our situation: “Please bear in mind, you are in an alien camp. Tact is perhaps your wisest recourse.” My simple hope is that these ordinary, timeless principles are an encouragement from one fellow, weary exile on mission to another as we find ourselves in an increasing hostile, alien camp.

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A Paradigm-Shifting Book on Productivity

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There are countless books out there on the topic of productivity—religious and secular. I have read many of them. They sit heavily marked up on my bookshelves. I have my favorites; and I refer to them often. Each one has its own distinct philosophy and presuppositions, its own unique set of values and goals, as well as its innovative purpose and plan. Whether the focus is on self-improvement, time-management, goal-setting, better efficiency, or guaranteed success, the push for productivity is most often driven by a self-focused and utilitarian ethos. But Redeeming Productivity is different.

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Comforting Resources on Grief

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Emily Dickinson once wrote, “I can wade grief, whole pools of it, I’m used to that.” On one hand, I can relate as I have been literally wading grief my entire life. I lost my birth mother at two years old and just lost my adoptive mom a year ago. It’s been a constant, lifelong journey—subconscious at times, palpable at others. Yet on the other hand, I can’t quite relate to the last part because grief is not something you get used to in this life. It is ever present—yes—but it is never normalized. Even in the ubiquity of tragedy, we wrestle and reckon with it, but never actually come to grips with it. The hurting and aching following loss will always remain in our hearts on this side of glory. Through the grieving process I’ve found comfort in Scripture and in songs, but I’ve also found it in great books.

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A Better Question for Bitter Times

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If you’ve lived long enough in the big hard world under the big hard sun, you’ve experienced the crushing pain and unbearable weight of tragedy and loss. You’ve encountered shocking sorrow—jaw-dropping, gut-wrenching, life-changing news. The phone call that leaves you breathless on your knees feeling heartbroken, forsaken, and hopeless. And when this kind of trial comes your way, you invariably ask the same line of questions—

Why?

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Lessons from a Jarring Year

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Pandemic. Revolution. Political polarization. And, oh the memes! With trace levels of dystopia, this year has been a cataclysm of catastrophe, chaos, conspiracy, and civil unrest. But aside from my unmet expectations, constant disappointments, and myriad frustrations, this year hasn’t been explicitly difficult or substantially challenging for me (some things were actually easier). However, there was this underlying uneasiness that persisted as a result of . . . well, change and abnormality.

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The Unseen Fruit of Our Labor

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Sometimes I miss being a painter and working on new construction sites. The visual and tangible results of my efforts were immediately recognizable and satisfying.

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A Seminary Student’s Journey In and Out of Depression

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The following is the story of my completely unexpected struggle with depression during my first semester of seminary and the important lessons that I learned along the way. It is much better to be overwhelmed with God than with your circumstances.

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