High Priestly Prayer of Jesus: John 17
BRIEF SUMMARYIn the article, “The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus” Bob Deffinbaugh examines Jesus’ prayer documented in John 17. The article’s thesis may be articulated as follows: the priestly prayer of Jesus has a primary theme of glory with an...Prayer and Faith Article Critique: Edward Bounds
Bounds, Edward M. “Prayer and Faith.” In The Necessity of Prayer.The presuppositions in Bounds’s work are numerous. This post will address two significant presuppositions. First, Bounds provides a presupposition that faith is a prerequisite to...Spiritual Disciplines
Donald Whitney lists eleven spiritual disciplines, which include Bible intake, prayer, worship, evangelism, serving, stewardship, fasting, silence, solitude, journaling, and learning.[1] The impact on members of my local church would be significant if the spiritual...Sharing Your Faith Without Fear
David Earley describes living on mission as following the direction of Jesus as a missionary “not something the church does for God,” but “it is the church getting in sync with what God is already doing on planet earth.”[1] Later, Earley asks...New Testament Christian Community
It is sometimes difficult to imagine the importance of the New Testament concept of community. In one of the most powerful references to the unity of believers, the Apostle Paul states that, “In Himself He might make the two into one new man…and might...Christian Identity Markers of Self
Although difficult to limit meaningful identifying markers to four, the following summarizes the four most important and encouraging identifying markers in my life along with the reasons for my selections. First, in Christ, “I am justified and...God’s Power in Prayer
Dave Earley asks a question that, at first glance, appears rhetorical. Earley asks whether the listener believes that God can do things bigger, better, more long lasting, and more effectively than humans can.[1] The rhetorical nature of the question soon diminishes...Embracing the Cross of Christ
David Earley explains that embracing the Cross means saying no to my interests and being “willing to have nothing other than Jesus.”[1] My current level of embracing the cross is quite difficult to assess but would likely fall within a range between three...Discipline of Thanksgiving
Dave Earley references a biblical example of thanksgiving from Acts chapter 16, which made the largest impression on my thinking.[1] After casting out an evil spirit from a profitable fortune telling slave-girl, Paul and his companion, Silas, were beaten with rods and...Self-Care for Christian Counselors
Providing crisis care/counseling takes a tremendous toll on the crisis care giver emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Self-care is crucial for the crisis counselor to develop when ministering in crisis situations. Using professional and scholarly sources,...Christian Bereavement Counseling
Wright (2012) comments, “A bereaved person, no matter his or her age, needs safe places, safe people and safe situations.” As a pastoral crisis caregiver, how would you offer these crucial elements to those in the midst of a death crisis?ResponseA safe...Christian Crisis Management: Alcohol
Crisis Case ManagementNature of CrisisThe A&E Network series, Intervention, documents Alex’s struggle with alcohol in series 17, episode 7, produced by Seeley (2017). Alex’s mom, Patti, is a world-class fiddle player. Alex did not know his biological...Christian Crisis Counseling
Johnson & Johnson (2014) write, “Your troubled parishioners will get better when they work hard in [counseling] to understand themselves, learn new skills, and modify self-defeating beliefs, behaviors, and emotions.” As a pastoral crisis counselor,...Why Christians Get Married
There are many ideas about why people should get married; Scripture even mentions more than one reason. Some recent publications suggest that marrying for love is a bad idea. Explore this idea using Internet resources and the Bible to articulate your point...Christian Married Couples: Similarities & Differences
In the PREPARE/ENRICH training, Dr. Olson discusses couple strengths. There are a number of theories/ideas about what constitutes a couple’s strength(s). Some texts recommend that couples should be similar so that they have their likenesses to lean on in...Christian Blended Family Issues
What do you see as some of the most impactful challenges involved in a blended family coming together under one roof? What areas would you seek to address in counseling a couple thinking about remarrying to form a blended family?ResponseThe challenges of a...Christian Premarital Counseling
What is the status of premarital counseling in your church/community? What level of importance does your church place on the institution of marriage, and are they doing anything creative to support young marriages?ResponseI have attended a non-denominational church,...Personal Counseling Theory: Example
Personal Theory Paper ...Christian Versus Secular Spirituality
Defining the terms spirituality and Christian spirituality continues to feed an ongoing debate. Fernando Garzon (2011) suggests that Christian spirituality means focusing on developing an intimate relationship with Christ “that progressively transforms...
Freedom: How Grace Transforms Your Life Now
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