Speak The Truth

◎ The counselor and their counseling methods◎ How to’s ◎ the time away from the counseling room is where the majority of our method is drawn for homework. ◎ the extent of homework is contingent upon the counselee; every counselee is different therefore, the amount or frequency of any homework is based on the nature of the situation and the person working through it. ◎ ABC offers a variety of "homework helps" for counselors and their counselee’s. ◎ The heart of the matter series; practical sheet - heart log - where the counselee captures the situation, their emotions, thoughts, desires, and behaviors.  ◎ Often times, our homework given is based on reorienting someone’s way they interact with scripture. ◎ Watch out for those “Sunday School” answers, help your counselee wrestle by engaging with the scriptures in a way that incites their hearts and their situation.  Episode Resources: Christian Counseling - counseling homework helps 

Episode summary:In this episode, the hosts discuss cultivating some counseling methods with the analogy of a farmer, which as biblical counselors we're taking God's Word and sowing it with our counselee's, and the importance of being encouraged through engaging our peers with prayer, and God's Word. Episode Notes: Discussion based on Ch. 13 of Jeremy’s new book, “biblical counseling basics”As Counselor’s we’re bringing access to a  myriad of identities; we could be an ambassador for another kingdom, we could be being used as an instrument of mercy and grace. Biblical counseling is a process of learned dependency. We're farmers in those moments in counseling; it's God who brings the harvest in someone's life and how he chooses to use the seeds we plant as biblical counselors. As biblical counselors, we have something that even the most renown scholar in psychology doesn't have, we have the Holy Spirit. And he is even more committed to the people we counsel, so we don't need to be doubtful in our ability. As a farmer, we're focusing more on the scriptures than the skills.

Show Resources: Bigstuf CampSalem Heights ChurchCCEF Conferences 

Episode Notes:   A biblical anthropology rooted in the gospel completely rewires human psychology from the way we think and to our affections. In counseling, we’re not trying to better the old man, but rather, we’re trying to cultivate the new man.  Humanism’s anthropology is to try and better the old man, which cannot accomplish what it sets out to do.  Gospel driven counseling is set to cultivate the new man as described by scripture.  Loyalty war that rages within, the fight for worship. The flesh is set on worshiping creation and self, where the spirit is set on having us worship God.  The Holy Spirit is at work in us to transform our desires, and to set them upon The LORD.  The hierarchy of needs model is a passive heart approach, but a biblical model says the heart will elevate an appropriate desire to an inappropriate level rendering them even sinful.  Episode Resources: Ed Welch Paul Tripp  St. Augustin Martin Luther James K. A. Smith You Are What You Love Johnathan Edwards - The Freedom of the will Abraham Maslow - Hierarchy of needs  

Episode Notes: The Imago Dei; we are made in God’s image, and we’re to be imaging(mirroring)who God is in order to bring him glory. There is no Imago Dei in humanistic thought, it's just the id, superego, etc. that there is nothing inherently wrong with man, its just the impact and influence of his environment.  The “S” word; sin isn’t even a category in humanism.  A scenario of adultery would be blamed on something in the brain, some disorder, manic episode of bipolar, etc, but wouldn’t be looked at as sin.  In biblical counseling, we’re to go beyond just reducing sin to behaviors, but we want to acknowledge its a spiritual disease that still has influence on what we’re thinking, feeling, and ultimately act.     Jesus points out the real problem with our hearts, our propensity to try and serve two masters - we will functionally love the one and hate the other. Masters of our flesh and pursuing our desires, or pursuing God and his will.  There are huge differences between these worldview’s; even the category of forgiveness is is lost in translation. Humanism would treat forgiveness as an emotional process, not a moral command like a biblical worldview would treat forgiveness. A biblical worldview would say, forgiveness is the bases to work on my anger verses the humanistic view of process through your emotion and then forgive.   

Episode Notes: Establishing both views; secular worldview on anthropology and a biblical worldview of anthropology.  Humanism began to take an overt stance in psychology by Abraham Maslow, founder of humanistic psychology.  Humanism has man at the center of everything.  Egocentrism unfortunately has crept into the evangelical church with its ear tickling.  Symptom alleviation, better circumstances, etc.  Darwinian evolution had a huge impact on psychology.  The world started from primordial soup, and over billions of years, we evolved from fish to philosophers - being factious.  Freud - psychosexual development - all our human development has a foundation in our sexuality.  Id - darker side, tempted us, superego - our conscience, ego - the mediator  Our view of human nature drives our diagnostic framework.  Carl Rogers believed - non directional approach, given a positive direction, the client would find their potential and flourish.  Our view of human nature not only tells us what’s wrong but also provides a prescription to make things right.  Alfred Kinsey - father of propagating the sexual revolution.  Show Resources: Biblical Counseling Basics - Jeremy Lelek

Show Notes: Resisting big God theology in counseling: Is the Holy Spirit a gentlemen?  Is the Holy Spirit a gentlemen, would he ever impose himself when believers aren’t ready?  Does scripture teach this idea?  Phil. 2The New Testament, Galatians 5 for example, demonstrates that these two natures are against one another. One is of the flesh and one is of the spirit.   The flesh produces flesh, one will not come to god when they’re  ready.   Show Resources: The Cost of Discipleship - Dietrich BonhoefferChosen By God - R.C. Sproul The illusion of a gentleman god - monergism article 

Show Notes:The Holy Spirit in counseling.  How does the Holy Spirit apply what Christ accomplished? He is the one who brings change, real change. Not behavioral modification, etc.  John 14:15-17  The Spirit is the one who brings about change, His timing.  Who is the Holy Spirit He regenerates God's people(jn. 3.5; Titus 3.5) He produces conviction of sin(Jn. 16.8) He reveals truth through God’s Word(Jn. 16.13) See the rest: pg. 122 of biblical counseling basics; its roots, beliefs, and future.  The third person of the trinity, the Holy Spirit has claimed the terrain of human flourishing. Pg.122  How can we apply this to the local church?  The Holy Spirit is more committed to the process of change for an individual than we can accomplish. In other words, we don’t possess the power to make someone change, that is, and can only be accomplished by the Spirit of God.   God uses three change agents; people, circumstances, and spiritual disciplines.  Be public with our weaknesses  Show Resources Mentioned: When God Weeps - Joni Eareckson TadaJoni's talk from the 2017 Called to Counsel Conference - Video 

Show Summary:Our co-host, Jeremy launches right into a question that speaks to the tensions that exist within the christian community with psychology and theology. Eric provides a robust response that captures the reality of differing worldview’s within psychology, but  provides a persuasive wholistic response for Christians to do their research and take back psychology. Faith and science are not opposed to one another. However, psychology needs to be taken back by rendering it into biblical categories instead of humanistic categories - a must listen!  Jeremy’s question: tensions that exists within the christian community with psychology and theology? Every worldview has a view of psychology. Modern psychology was borne within the naturalistic worldview.  Modern psychology’s naturalism leaves out God (creator) Redemption ( the hope of man) we can’t self-actualize in a way that glorifies God, we’re dependent on him. It’s always going to be truncated and distorted with its conclusions.  As christians, we need to be doing our own research within our worldview. Center of modern therapy Self(anthropocentric) - its the religious system Center of  Biblical counseling Christ is the center (christocentric)  Made in the image of God Created us for himself Human flourishing is dependence on God through Christ by the Spirit.  The topic of autonomy in modern psychology  Autonomy is an illusion - biblically speaking According to a humanistic worldview, autonomy is a goal of leaving the past, forging myself, choosing to be what one wants to be.  Sanctification in his book Soul-brain  Underscores the intimacy of the immaterial and material unity and reality of our soul and brain - neuropsychology.  God working with us the way we are - our need to surrender our body to righteousness.  Biopsychosocial damage Weakness - condition that’s less than God’s design. Whether it’s biologically given, it can be experienced in the implications of living in a fallen world, dysfunctional families, traumatic experiences, etc.  We are made for communal living with God and experiencing his love.  Resources sites in the episode:God & Soul Care - Eric JohnsonFoundations For Soul Care - Eric Johnson 

Show notes:  Cultural view of depression Treats it like a disease, attributing it or reducing it to a chemical imbalance or a genetic disposition. These aren’t invalid, but it causes a quick diagnosis so it can be treated quickly. It can almost promise a remedy, which scripturally speaking, is much deeper, its more of a heart problem that has physiological and emotional implications. Therefore, culture has a very superficial view and resolution to depression, very much consistent with the medical model. This isn’t bad, its just incomplete and a truncated resolution because it doesn’t deal with the heart of a person which is where the root of depression is planted.  Medication implications - they don’t necessarily fix the problem, but ultimately mask the problem and often times creates new symptoms. As biblical counselors, we wouldn’t counsel clients to stop taking meds, but to seek their medical professional.  Placebo testing with depression medications demonstrated that the prospect of hope helped tremendously with those struggling with depression. If a placebo provided hope imagine what real hope can do for those depressed; the gospel provides a living hope to the hopeless.  General & Biblical Notes on Depression:Depression is a progression; when unbelief goes isolated, and it's allowed to reign and nothing else is pressing in on that like community groups, discipleship, etc. its very likely one can slip into a bout of depression.  Paul’s teaching on suffering is helpful. Gal. 6.1-5.   Imagine our community group leaders who respond in a Gal. 6.1-5 way?  Learning from depression - learning to preach the gospel to ourselves and having others in our lives to speak into them.  The gospel gap - gospel truth. Learning to orient our hearts in the place of sorrow.  Learning to abide in Christ Gospel Community is so necessary for those struggling with depression.  Show Resource Notes:Soul Care ConsultingJournal for biblical counseling Martin Lloyd Jones - Spiritual Depression Ed Welch - Stubborn Darkness