Home > Work > Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling: Changing Lives with God's Changeless Truth
1 " When we pray, we are speaking to the One Whose eternal purpose and designs are unfolding as our present realities. In order to find hope in them, we must seek HIM and HIS perspective. This requires a keen understanding of the redemptive nature of our existence, which points to the glorious gospel of Christ. "
― James MacDonald , Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling: Changing Lives with God's Changeless Truth
2 " The biblical counselor must always remember that the ROOT problem is deeper than skin; it is sin. The ultimate cure is not culture, but Christ. "
3 " While the United States is becoming the most culturally diverse nation in the world, less than 5.5% of Christian congregations are multiethnic. "
4 " Who we are is not a question we can ask without seeking to understand the context in which we live. Biblical counselors seek to understand the influences that shape the responses of the human heart. "
5 " A continual diet of the Word satisfies, and it builds an appetite for more. "
6 " If we are to use the Bible effectively, then we must use it the way God wrote it – in narrative form. Our team rejects the notion that the Bible is simply an encyclopedia of disconnected Bible verses. God's Word is less like a cookbook and more like a novel. "
7 " God's Word is especially suited to directing those who want to focus primarily on the nature and direction of their own hearts. "
8 " Our hearts are wired for worship, and our worship is directly tied to our sense of hope. "
9 " This is God's world, so everything, even if it intends to efface God, bears witness to God – understood and interpreted through biblical eyeglasses. "
10 " Our view of human problems determines who is qualified to speak to them. If sin is the primary human problem, then those with the theological and practical expertise in dealing with sin – in its varied and complex forms – should lead the way in the field of people-helping. Unless we have an accurate and robust conception of sin, the church will concede much of its work to outside professional and will be ill-equipped to cooperate with them when needed. "
11 " A rebellion against God, even as believers, is fueled by the toxic fumes of unbelief. "
12 " The counselee should be aware that you are not God. Better yet, she should be aware that you are aware that you are not God. "
13 " If we had not experienced our deep sinfulness and Jesus' deep forgiveness through the cross, we will not love others well in the midst of their struggles. If we do not see the beauty and glory of God in our own redemption, we will not be able to offer a compelling redemptive vision for those who are hopeless and who doubt God's love for them. "
14 " The role of biblical counselors is facilitate the discovery of a greater God awareness through spiritual eyes that look at life through scriptural lenses. "
15 " Most counseling cases today involve good desires that have become overgrown. In these cases most relevant passages of Scripture may not be those that rebut particular manifestations of sin, but those that remind us to love God with all our hearts. "
16 " Spending too much time in one's individual silo can produce pride, isolation, and a stagnated ministry. "
17 " When we shift from personal purity to personal happiness, we lose biblical hope because we are not focusing on God's agenda, we are focusing on our own. God's agenda is guaranteed on our agenda is not. "
18 " If counseling is to be restored to the church, affection must be restored to reflection. If counseling is to be restored to the church, delight in God must be restored to doctrines about God. Savoring Christ must be restored to seeing Christ. Tender contrition must be restored to tough conviction. Communication with God must be restored to contending for God. "
19 " Reality is God-centered and all human beings are worshipers, whether or not they are conscious of this reality and its implications. "
20 " One of the most frequent sins of omission is the failure to get adequate rest. "
