Showing titles in Counseling

In Where Is God When It Hurts, Philip Yancey gave us permission to doubt, reasons not to abandon faith, and practical ways to reach out to hurting people. In this sequel, Yancey revisits our cry of "Why, God?" in the wake of increased violence and natural disasters the world over. It's a cry that many of us take up with more urgency each year as we sit stunned by the calamities devastating our world, our communities, and our personal lives.

We need companions on our spiritual journey. The modern world has taught us to value autonomy and individualism. Our churches often see spirituality as personal and private. But we cannot go long in our Christian pilgrimage before realizing that isolation leads to spiritual barrenness. We soon discover that our souls long for accompaniment, intimacy, and spiritual friendship. As a result, many Christians today are rediscovering the ancient practice of spiritual direction.

New York Times bestselling author John Eldredge reveals the path of the "ordinary mystic," and invites listeners into the refuge of experiencing deep, lasting, real communion with Jesus. Every human yearns to return to Eden, to a state of unbroken communion with the God who created us for adventure and intimacy with him. The mystic is awake to the truth that God is still with us—and we experience the refuge of his powerful, healing presence if we learn to open our hearts to him.

In The Peacemaker, Ken Sande presents a comprehensive and practical theology for conflict resolution designed to bring about not only a cease-fire, but also unity and harmony. Sande takes listeners beyond resolving conflicts to true, life-changing reconciliation with family members, coworkers, and fellow believers.

Lament is how we bring our sorrow to God - but it is a neglected dimension of the Christian life for many Christians today. We need to recover the practice of honest spiritual struggle that gives us permission to vocalize our pain and wrestle with our sorrow. Lament avoids trite answers and quick solutions, progressively moving us toward deeper worship and trust.

First published in 1989, Dan Allender's The Wounded Heart has helped hundreds of thousands of people come to terms with sexual abuse in their past. Now, more than 25 years later, Allender has written a brand-new book on the subject that takes into account recent discoveries about the lasting physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual ramifications of sexual abuse.

In Love Is a Choice, best-selling doctors Robert Hemfelt, Frank Minirth, and Paul Meier walk you through their 10 proven stages to recovery from codependency that results from external circumstances. Humans are susceptible to codependency because of our sinful tendency to use defense mechanisms to fool ourselves. In codependent relationships, deceitful games are played, and important Christian principles are often taken out of context and abused.

Nothing destroys trust like sexual betrayal. Beyond broken vows, a woman who discovers that her husband has been viewing pornography or having an affair must deal with devastating blows to her self-image and self-worth. She must grapple with the fact that the man she thought she knew has lied and deceived her. She may even bear the brunt of shame and judgment when the people around her find out.

God's peace, his shalom, can penetrate every aspect of your life - spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Although the word shalom appears 550 times in the Scriptures and was a constant theme in Jesus' teachings, it is a neglected topic today. As a result, God's peace has been elusive to so many followers of Jesus. This book charts a course of shalom for you!

Men today are starved for sexual formation. They've been failed by parents, churches, and culture alike, leading to widespread shame, confusion, and brokenness in the area of sexuality. In The Sex Talk You Never Got, therapist Sam Jolman helps men reconnect their God-given sexuality with innocence, awe, and joy, and shows listeners how to celebrate--instead of struggle against--the gift of sexual desire.

Are you distracted by racing or anxious thoughts? Distressed by intrusive or irrational thoughts? Struggling with sinful or untrue thoughts? You may feel trapped in your own head, but God and his Word have given you many different ways to find freedom. In this practical and sympathetic guidebook, biblical counselor Esther Smith provides twelve powerful strategies that are targeted to different thought struggles. Each chapter is filled with a variety of exercises so that you can begin to change your thoughts right away and live at peace.

We come into the world relentlessly narcissistic, resisting the kind of rigorous self-examination that reveals what is ugly in us and what is our impact on others. Too often, we live with our felt well-being as our priority concern, and so we continue, incurably addicted to ourselves and powerless to resist whatever temptations promise the sense of instant happiness we seek.

In Take Back Your Joy, Nicole Jacobsmeyer tells how she felt defeated and ill-prepared for a decade of relentless trials, from assault and depression to miscarriage and cancer. With a heart full of questions about the God she was raised to love, Nicole began to doubt. Had God given her more than she could handle? But there is always more to the story with Christ. Through trial after trial, Nicole allowed God to strengthen her faith, and now she shares biblical strategies that carried her through.

Many are finding themselves under the clutches of disturbing thoughts and emotions that keep showing up in their mind. They get lost in how to deal with these troublesome thoughts that demand their attention.

Wrong thinking produces wrong emotions, wrong reactions, wrong behavior - and unhappiness! Learning to deal with your thoughts is the first step on the road to healthy thinking. How to handle one's thoughts properly is what this book is all about! It explains the life-changing method the authors call misbelief therapy, and it can work for you.

In twenty-five years of pastoral ministry, Scott Sauls has come alongside countless individuals and communities through weary seasons and circumstances. From his own seasons of regret, hurt, and fear--including battles with anxiety and depression--he knows what it's like to be unfinished and on the mend under Jesus' merciful, mighty healing hand.

As the title implies, Forty Healing Scriptures, is 40 scripture passages related to the matter of healing, read by Prophet Steven Lambert and empowered by a discernible anointing. The particular scriptures read on the backdrop of beautiful instrumental music in this recording presents these healing scriptures in a highly appealing and anointed listening experience.

This complete and unabridged edition of Spurgeon's great work will make it possible for today's generation to appreciate Spurgeon's combination of discerning wit and refreshingly practical advice. Included in the 28 chapters of this classic volume are lectures such as: The Call to Ministry, The Preacher's Private Prayer, On the Choice of a Text, On the Voice, The Holy Spirit in Connection with Our Ministry, The Blind Eye and the Deaf Ear, On Conversion as Our Aim, and Illustrations in Preaching.

If you have suffered spiritual abuse from a toxic church, toxic organization, or toxic leader, your trust has been broken. You entrusted your life to someone you thought would care for you: someone who initially inspired you to know God, only to reject you in the end. Now you are left wounded and disillusioned, wondering if you can ever trust others, yourself, or possibly even God, again.

We're all infected with a spiritual disease. Its name is shame. Whether we realize it or not, shame affects every aspect of our personal lives and vocational endeavors. It seeks to destroy our identity in Christ, replacing it with a damaged version of ourselves that results in unhealed pain and brokenness. But God is telling a different story for your life. Psychiatrist Curt Thompson unpacks the soul of shame, revealing its ubiquitous nature and neurobiological roots. He also provides the theological and practical tools necessary to dismantle shame.