Parenting is all about living by the principle of prepared spontaneity. You don't really know what's going to happen next. You don't really know when you'll have enforce a command, intervene in an argument, confront a wrong, holdout for a better way, remind someone of a truth, call for forgiveness, lead someone to confession, point to Jesus, restore peace, hold someone accountable, explain a wisdom principle, give a hug of love, laugh in the face of adversity, help someone complete a task, mediate an argument, stop with someone and pray, assist someone to see their heart, or talk once again about what it means to live together in a community of love.
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Note: The Gospel Coalition originally posted the following article written by the ABC’s Executive Director for the Center for Church Equipping, Dr. Bob Kellemen. As I speak around the country on biblical counseling, I typically hear two very different responses. Sometimes I’m asked,
One of the clearest and most comprehensive statements of John Witherspoon’s theology can be found in his Essay on Justification (1756) where he sets out to defend justification by the imputed righteousness of Christ and ends up giving this big, broad, glorious summary of the gospel:
<p> This is my third and final post on authority. Personally, I find writing on topics like this both challenging and helpful in understanding the many times I feel defeated and overwhelmed amidst the seemingly constant barrage of spiritual attack. We will look specifically at how our posture to authority is linked to spiritual dynamics. I propose that failure to submit to authority is one of the primary ways we open ourselves up to defeat when spiritually attacked.</p>
Ten years ago my mother became very ill. A persistent cough and difficulty breathing sent her to her doctor for help. Bronchitis was the diagnosis, antibiotics the cure. “Don’t worry,” he said. “You’ll be much better soon.” My mother didn’t feel better, she got worse. She wheezed. She couldn’t sleep. Her breathing became labored. Her doctor now added asthma to her diagnosis and prescribed an inhaler plus new antibiotics.
We like to think that when working with couples or individuals in distressed marriages that when possible, joint counseling is always the best option. We know it takes two to tango and therefore we want both parties to be present in order to understand the dynamics of the relationship
Sexual intimacy is God’s design for every marriage. Sex is His beautiful idea! He holds the copyright. Yet, every counselor hears the common complaint about the lack of passion or health in the bedroom. These cries from the hearts of our clients come in multiple forms and packaging, but all lead to a place of discontent and death inside the marriage relationship. We have not had sex in months. I don’t feel attracted to her anymore.
For many Christians unfamiliar with the liturgical year, there may be some confusion surrounding the meaning of the Advent season. Some people may know that the Advent season focuses on expectation and think that it serves as an anticipation of Christ’s birth in the season leading up to Christmas. This is part of the story, but there’s more to Advent.
"For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." (v.2) I have said it countless times and written about it often; as a human being made in God's image, you do not live life based on the facts of your experience, but based on your interpretation of the facts. No one acts, reacts and responds purely based on the actual facts of reality because the moment we are greeted
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(79, 79, 79); line-height: 19px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> When I think about foolishness and all that the word entails, the three primary things that I think of are 1)<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">lack of foresight</em>, 2) <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">a general</em> <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">disregard for consequences</em>, and 3) <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">an inordinate desire for what I want</em>. The book of Proverbs reminds us of things like “a fool is reckless and careless” (14:16), “fools die for lack of sense” (10:21), and “the way of the fool is right in his own eyes” (12:15). While the consequences to our actions aren’t always death or physical pain, we know that foolishness causes a world of hurt.</p>