The Dove Bible Study


Bringing Glory To God Is Your Goal

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WHY RATIONAL CHRISTIAN COUNSELING?
 
Non-biblical counseling does more harm than good. Bad advice leads to wrong behavior or no change and more problems. Poor counseling leaves a person to contend with bitterness, resentment, etc.. Good counseling leads to reconciliation. Biblical counseling causes God honoring change.
Change is the goal of all counseling. Thinking - feeling - behavior, affect our attitude, sensitivity, awareness and understanding. The desired outcome is to gain a scriptural understanding of change in the dimension of nature, goal, and process(es) of change. Scriptural change requires a renewed heart and spirit, which is regeneration through the work of the Holy Spirit. Transformation is the renewing of the mind by small steps and minor changes.

A Christian’s thoughts, attitudes, and actions all pertain to their relationship with God. Sanctification is the goal of Christian counseling. The goal is the clients growth in their faith toward God and image of Christ. A definitive biblical process for change is found in II Timothy 4:16.
The process of change means ‘going forward’. The process we will use involves elements such as goals and objectives, movement and direction, ways and means, and order and steps. We are here to learn how to and understand the process of effecting ‘substantial’ change which is ‘brought about by the ministry of the Word’. A gradual movement by the ways and means of Scripture. This will be accomplished by teaching; exhortation; edification; comfort; rebuke; encouragement; and discipline - step-by-step.

These endeavors are “blessed by the Spirit of God”. He is essential to the process of transformation and sanctification. The overall desire is to bring the believer into a closer relationship resulting in the likeness and image of Christ in the counselee. Therefore, we have direction and movement, along with goals and objectives. The presence of the Holy Spirit is necessary in conforming the former identity unto the image of Christ through God’s Word. We minister the Word of God in the Spirit’s power to effect godly change.

Counseling is required when people do not get along. Primarily the need to get along is with God - redemption. Loving God and one’s neighbor, as we love self, is a command. We cannot love someone else if we do not love ourselves.  There are three players in this picture: God, others and self. Our responsibility in the equation is to love oneself and God commands us to do so.

The death of self, meaning the carnal nature or ‘old man’ is an absolute necessity. There is no possibility of a relationship with God without our ‘regeneration’. While our ongoing transformation, the changes, make a good relationship possible. An inner work that of regeneration gives birth to the new creation - we are a new creation ‘in Christ’ by God.  The Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day only had outward goodness. God sent Jesus so we could be changed inwardly. Looks aren’t that important!
Christian counselors are ministers of scripturally induced transformation, the power of God’s Word actively working in the life believer’s life, not behavioral change. Behavior modification results in legalism or religiosity. God does the work, we minister the Truth of God’s Word then God brings the counselee closer to Himself.

God’s inerrant Word produces righteousness based on the gift of faith to believe in Christ’s finished work of the Cross. Understanding the Truth relieves our fears and produces faith in God through a change of heart (attitude) and is achieved by revelation through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit which illuminates the mind of man and gives mankind understanding. Secular counseling produces behavioral changes which do not necessarily produce behavior bringing glory to God. Flesh is flesh, good or bad! Unless a person is regenerate ‘ they shall not enter the kingdom of God’.

Let’s take a closer look at the process of transformation through II Timothy 3:14-17. The Word of God is clearly given to teach, convince, correct and train in righteousness. We are to cling to Scripture so that we will remain ‘true to the end’ - perseverance. Through perseverance by Scripture, we ‘are able’ (have the power) to make people wise unto salvation, and; by Scripture, we ‘are useful’ for teaching, convicting, correcting, and disciplined training in righteousness.

The truth of the commands of Scripture corresponds to two aspects of pastoral ministry: 1) Evangelism (hearing, believing, and regeneration (to be saved)), and, must precede Edification (building up believers). The order of Scripture is clear as to the four steps: Teaching, Conviction, Correction, and Disciplined Training in Righteousness. The steps are clearly in a logical order. A rational person can see God’s wisdom and inspiration through the progressive steps which lead to eternal life and godliness.

Counselors are tutors. Their task is to promote change through the transforming power of God’s Word. Every believer is actually called upon to exhort, edify, and comfort our brothers and sisters in Christ. This is the proposition, we are to imitate Christ and reflect the light He leads us into through the working of the Holy Spirit in our life. And all this God will do until we’ve totally surrender to the two-fold work of the Cross. This is revealed to us through discipleship to Christ.

The first work of the Cross dealt with our sin. The secondary work of the Cross deals with our behavior. Without a true knowledge of the duality of the right and left arms of the Cross we cannot achieve victory over the enemy of this world. Understanding God as the ultimate source of change is crucial to enabling everyone to live the Victorious Life. We will be useful to the economy of God and our Lord Jesus Christ when we know the Truth.

Knowing Jesus is our obligation in the relationship. To live a moral life worthy of Jesus is an imperative and our true worship. While our celebration of His Victory becomes our praise. He is the One who rightly sits on the Throne of Heaven and rightly so on the throne of our hearts. Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is truly become the beginning and end of our redemption and eventual resurrection.

Evangelism is the responsibility of the believer. As a minister this is our obligation too. We must lead the counselee in seeking God’s forgiveness through the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our redeeming healer. This is when reconciliation and new life begin as the Lord becomes the center of the picture. When we present the truth the need for total regeneration is in the forefront, a life changing experience given to us by God alone.

The Bible is the one inerrant, infallible rule of faith and practice; it reveals the standard and ethic of a Christian counselor. If we believe this, we will submit to God’s will, as well as our clients. We are not to judge the Scriptures. When one does, they often slip into subjectivism and the futility of double-mindedness.

The Word of God is all that we need to carry out ministry. The Scripture is Holy. Hagios, literally means separated or set apart by God; we are a special people for special works to walk into, sanctified saints.

We are told that the Word is sacred. Hieros, reveals a special attachment to God; the Bible is sacred since it is God’s Book. It is God’s message to bring men to faith in Christ. God is our Source alone. Christian counseling is sacred and so is the process of change, which is done in us by God. He is the active agent or catalyst.

The Bible is able to ‘have the power’ to make one wise unto salvation in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit intends to change lives and ‘carried along’ the Biblical writers through the ‘breathed out’ or ‘inspirited’ Word from God. The Word is ‘apotheo’. The living Word is from God, the Author and Finisher of our faith. The purpose is partially revealed in Rom. 15:4; I Cor. 10:11; John 20:31, 1:12; 3:16; 3:36; 14:1-6; etc.. We are created to accomplish God’s will and reveal His glory.

When Biblical counselors refer to the Word of God being breathed out, the meaning is expired by God. The actual compound is therefore a ministry of the Word, dependent of the Scripture for whatever it accomplishes. The Bible is profitable, our words are useful, to reflect its meaning more literally. We are to use it accurately, II Timothy 2:15. We are not to twist the perspective, II Peter 3:16. We are always to relate God’s point of view and His principles regardless of our own personal biases. This would be subjectivism.

The commands of Christ embody the work of a counselor. We are here to help His church to observe, keep and obey, those commands. We are to minister God’s Word in such a way to His people that their lives are changed by His Word. His life is the standard for faith and practice. We are to convince and correct and lead people into new and righteous ways in the future; this is ministry of the Word and our ethical standard. We add nothing to, nor do we detract anything from the Word of God, the Holy Scripture.

The Word is given for every good task, II Timothy 3:17. Scripture is sufficient in and of itself to reveal the nature of God. To know God’s character is to understand His behavior toward us. His Word is given to us so that we can develop a personal relationship with God. The Word is adequate to reveal God’s will. It is equal to the task from ‘artios’ meaning capable, fitted, complete, proficient, and able to meet all demands.

The Word is ‘exartizo’ to thoroughly equip for the task. God, the Omniscient One, knows the beginning from the end, controlling every situation to bring us safely in the harbor of His love. Therefore, He provided everything we need in this life to live Holy and without blame. Every principle to equip us to provide for the task of counseling is present.

The Word is entirely adequate for living and Popular to change our lives as to conform unto the image and likeness of Christ Jesus. The phrase, ‘pan ergon agathan’ or ‘every good work’, refer to the work of God’s chosen people to minister the Word of Truth. Therefore, there is no need to integrate psychology theory into Christian counseling, although there are limited useful tools. A Christian counselor’s personal conviction might we be that of my benefactors: “... our minds must remain closed to anything that contradicts, attempts to supplant, or otherwise interferes with biblical principles and practices.” Jay E. Adams, Journal of Pastoral Practice 6, 1 (1982): 3-7.

The sufficiency of Scripture to effect change is in the power of the Holy Spirit actively supporting the counselor for the sake of the clients well-being. Nothing else is needed. Christian counseling in not dependent on any outside source. The Bible is sufficient in revealing Christ as the Wonderful Counselor operating through the agency of the Holy Spirit working in the lives of His church with the necessary resources to solve human problems so they are able to live a godly life.

Legalism is symptomatic of self-helpers. In common with humanist, the tendency is to stress what man must do for himself. The tendency is to emphasize obedience to scriptural commands yet they neglect grace and mercy. These people tend to be legalistic and moralistic. Unregenerate man cannot obey God’s righteous commands in his own strength. At this point theological error is present in the churches where liberal eclectic views are held in high regard. Where the authority of the Scriptures is not upheld, legalism or license will exist.

God calls us to actively participate. We are to respond according to our ability. He calls us to do all the commands of Scripture with grace and mercy applied. He has not called us to lethargy but to obey. He has not called us to fix ourselves. Out work and His work are complementary. He has called us out of the darkness and into the marvelous light of the Gospel to do the good works He has prepared for us to do. Again, He is faithful and He will do it. He is the Author and Finisher of faith towards God.

The purpose of the Bible is to understand God through the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment and power to obey Him. The Holy Spirit works by means of the Bible so we can know and do God’s will through Him actively working through it in our life. The Spirit promises to effect changes in our lives we surrender to Him through the power of His Word actively working in us. The four ways the Holy Spirit effects change are teaching, I John 2:18-26; conviction, John 16:7-11; correction, Galatians 6:1; 5:22-23; and disciplined training in righteousness, Galatians 5:16-18; and, Romans 6 - 8. These are the methods and process God uses to transform us into the ministers of His Kingdom of Righteousness.

Change comes from God through the wisdom, power, strength, and understanding through the revelation of the Holy Spirit to every participant individually. This is the how-to based on the need-to-be transformed platform of discipleship Jesus taught about in John, chapters 3, 5, and 8. Transformation only happens through the grace of God because His mercies are renewed daily. It is our place to come before the throne of grace and mercy seat to ask God to change us. Discipleship occurs when teachers begin to teach what Jesus said and we do what we see Jesus doing. Upon personal regeneration, we gain the ability to understand spiritual matters, I Corinthians 2:12-14, and their is nothing more important in our spiritual life than obedience to God’s Word. For teachers, it is revealing the whole counsel of God!

The life of a Christian disciple should always reflect what we speak for our lives are read by man more so than by what is said. Discipleship is more of ‘doing’ from what we observe. Just like children we imitate what we see our spiritual parents doing. The importance of our sanctification and on-going transformation is tantamount to our usefulness in service to God. The closer our personal relationship through divine revelation of the Scriptures, the more relevant our counsel will be. There is a counseling that comes from Empirical knowledge; while Experiential knowledge comes from the depth of our scars.

The ‘getting well’ comes from an ardent fervor to know God’s perspective and understand the ‘why’ He allows suffering in our life.

The standard of conduct for a Christian must always be graced from God’s perspective. God’s law and God’s perspective are the order of each day of life because God’s Son gave us the command.

There is no room for humanism. Since we are created to reveal God’s glory and to accomplish His will. He sent Jesus who taught us ‘how to’ fulfill the ‘law’ through the revelation of ‘grace’ and ‘truth’.

The Bible is the revelation of God’s standard of conduct. His behavior is revealed is all of life’s situations. We are to draw our convictions from the intricacies of His divine revelation. We are to imitate and draw our life from His example and those displayed in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. We know in part and practice our faith according to the revelation given to us through the Holy Writ, the Bible.

Step-by-step, we travel the road of faith toward God to meet our needs. What we convey in counseling through teaching is the affiliate to understanding the manifestation of God’s presence in each person’s life, why we are here, and how-to accomplish God’s will of revealing His love for mankind. God displayed His love for us in coming to redeem us and in so reveals His glory, which is in bringing many sons and daughters in the Kingdom of His love forevermore.

There is an absolute standard given to us and to teach less is to be apostate, unfaithful. How we are to convey the true nature of God and His standard is given to all men of every generation. The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the Ten Commandments perfectly, which is the example only the spiritual seed from heaven could fulfill. The God/man, Jesus Christ, always beheld the face of the Father. He saw and heard what the is doing and followed God’s will. He was obedient even unto death.
Will we die to ourselves and be born again in the power of the Spirit? The uncompromising Word of God requires nothing less than to lose our life if we want to gain eternal life with God. Therefore, we are under obligation to know that we are in the faith and test ourselves against the standard which God gave us to measure ourselves. The measure is against our code of conduct versus the life of Jesus Christ. Will we die to our opinions in the light of Scripture. If so, our hope, the gift of God, is totally in Him. And in God there is no variation. He gives us the assurance and authority to speak in His name. We know that God will fulfill His promises through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit actively working in our life. Therefore, we know with a certainty that God will intervene in the lives of His children. We are here to encourage, edify, and comfort with God’s unfailing ‘Promises’.

The God of all Hope freely gives His children the Word of Life. Hope comes when the Holy Spirit works in our lives. Hope comes from the Word of God, which is divinely inspired by the same Holy Spirit. Hope is the dividend of studying the Scriptures while the Holy Spirit reveals God’s will and encourages us to trust in His promises.

Feelings do not play a part in obeying God’s standard. It is irrational to follow feelings when God’s Word calls us to obedience. The spiritual man understands the will of God in being conformed unto the image and likeness of His Son. This is God’s desire for our life. God is in the business of regeneration not behaviorism. Our nature is in opposition to God so we need transformation.

When God regenerates us, He gives us a renewed heart and spirit that desire to serve God. He is not in the business of controlling our behavior; He is in the business of totally redeeming His creation. His desire is to set us free from the bondages of sin and all its sorrowful effects. Emotions are only a result of our thinking, which needs to be transformed through a change of heart - a broken and contrite heart. This is the fruit of regeneration - a heart and spirit that desire to know and serve God.

Our practice of faith is based on the principles found solely in the Bible, through examples of the patriarchs, or personal trial and tribulation. The Apostle Paul told us to live by his example. We are to live up to the standards and observe the principles found in Scripture. In living our faith we will gain the trust and confidence to persuade others to ‘know’ and ‘observe’ Biblical principle. The practice of faith toward God is the principle which encourages individuals to trust God. It is God’s by grace, through the Holy Spirit working in our life, which guarantees transformation of hearts and spirits needed to obey.

Teaching others to love God and our neighbors requires personal involvement to the point of sacrifice. Our pure and undefiled service to Jesus’ followers involves using our gifts for the benefit of anyone in need. We are the epistles, we are the living Word of God through our actions. There is nothing higher than to care for ‘these little ones’, the children of God. Regardless of rank, we are here to serve others through our compassion and understanding of God’s will for their life. We are here to restore mankind’s relationship with the Father through the sacrifice of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit’s presence working in our life. This is the will of God in teaching.

The gift of God is your life. Your perfect gift to God is your surrendered life. Our eternal life is now; we are eternal beings ‘in Christ’. What we do with our life is our gift to God. We may give our life to God and let Him lead us. In doing so we will be given the Hope necessary to lead others to ‘Christ as their life’ in our life time. We are no longer are own; we have been bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus Christ The God/man who suffered in the same manner we have suffered. Since God’s Righteous One suffered in the likeness of sinful man to redeem us, it is not too much to ask us to lay aside our self-life, the false identity, and walk in the Spirit. Christians will tale up their Cross daily and follow Christ’ example and through their obedience reveal the gift of eternal life to God’s children.

The epiphany of ‘Christ is my Life’ is Paul’s declaration of a life of self-denial and taking up the Cross daily. When confronted with this proposition ’Christ is my Life’ we, Christians, come under an instance of utter conviction. Our lives are undone in the shadow of Paul’s life of service and sacrifice. If in fact, we’ve ever considered the remote possibility of total surrender, which is a good summation of what Paul did. When Paul was confronted by the Lord Jesus Christ, he was convicted then transformed.

Our ongoing transformation came about through the conviction of the Holy Spirit working through God’s ministers. We are all ministers of the Word of God. When we proclaim God’s plan of redemption working in our lives, we profess His Word and principles. In revealing God’s requirements we accomplish His will through the agency of the Holy Spirit.
We are here to please God and bring people into a closer relationship to Him. The work of the minister is to reveal God’s righteous requirements so His people can please Him. The Holy Spirit is God’s agent in anointing people with the living Word.

The Word of God is living and active and sharper than a two-edged sword to separate people from wrong actions, attitudes and decisions that would lead them into sin. The Holy Spirit chooses certain people to intervene in individual lives at His discretion for this particular type of ministry. At the same time the church in general is given the Word for the exhortation, edification, and comfort of the body corporally. Personal intervention in the convicting work of the Holy Spirit must always be under His leading and blessing. No one has the right to ‘take on’ this ministry which is only given by God, the Holy Spirit. God chooses who He will choose and enables them to minister in compassion.

There is a problem of pharisaical behavior; the self-righteous convicting others of sin. This does not lead sinners unto a deeper relationship with God. It often separates victims from God’s grace. This violation of mercy is probably worse than the actions of the victims’ original sinful behaviors.

Conviction from the Holy Spirit is brought about through the ministry of the Word. The Word, if allowed to work in the hearts of men will convince them of sin. The Holy Spirit teaches us about righteousness. Then He instructs us on what to say, when to say, and how to say what needs to be said to bring about repentance. The sinful behavior will be expounded upon through the ministry of God’s Word and prove someone guilty of sin.

The facts of the matter are more important than ‘more or less’. The conclusions we draw from any information we receive must be conveyed in the Biblical sense of the matter. The Word of God, concerning commandments, convicts, psychological jargon does not.

Christian counselors need to use Biblical terminology. There is no way to bring people into a deeper relationship with God if there is no conviction of sin. There is no reason for a person to change if they do not realize they need correction. Anyone who is not convicted of sin will refute correction. Discipleship if they are not convicted of lawbreaking is punishment. Only a regenerated heart and spirit will seek to deepen their relationship with God.

The secular counselor is loaded with different categories and terminology that the Bible often describes as sinful behavior. A minister of the Word needs to overcome the ploy of secularism in order for the counselee to proceed beyond confusion. The man of God needs to be familiar with psychological terminology to successfully overcome the bondage of modernism. The un-Biblical attitude of clients need correction and must come from this sole source. The Bible is a God-given authority to this end.
Correction, uncomfortable as it may be, is necessary to change unhealthy attitudes and behaviors. This is where the instructor needs to discipline the pupil. The discomfort comes from not knowing the reactions that might be manifested. The great unknown can be reason for fear or excitement. Knowing God is in our corner should be all we need to be excited about the corrective process.

Discipline should be instructional, not punitive. As a tutor, there are tools that are available to aid us. The tendency should be for a Christian to think ‘Biblically’. However, many Christians did not grow up in a Bible-centered home. Therefore, our task is to change the thought patterns, attitudes, and beliefs to Scriptural visages. Quite literally, the person we are instructing must experience the world around them through God-inspired glasses.

Our calling is to help people view life from God’s point of view. It is God’s perspective that counts and not those from His children’s grid of life experiences. So our task is to bring people onto an understanding that God’s Way is the only acceptable correction.

Correct thinking leads to godly sorrow when a person is convinced they have violated the Law of Love. When we affront God, His children or His institutions, we violate the command to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and body and/or to love our neighbors as ourselves. These two commands of Scripture sum up the entire law.  The entire law is hinged on our relationship with God and neighbors. If we violate our neighbor, we’ve transgressed their rights and not trusted God to meet all of our needs. A violation is actually and outward sign of an inward need not being met. The occurrence comes about from deceptive irrational thinking; we literally are trapped by our unhealthy attitudes and beliefs into some foolish behavior of omission or commission. What we don’t do or what we do outside of the law of love makes us lawbreakers.

If we are going to do anyone a godly service then we will not try to change their behavior. We will however do everything we can to get them to rethink their attitudes and beliefs so their behavior changes through the ministry of the Word. The fruit of the Spirit is the evidence of a regenerated heart and spirit. When godly-sorrow is given by God a transformation occurs. When the behavior of the false identity is confronted from a secular therapy, the behavior may change like a chameleon. People exchange one bad behavior for a different ungodly behavior or desire. God is the only One who can change deceptive irrational thinking. The problem remains, an unchanged heart, if we do not confront the root cause.

There is an attitude that is dangerous to believe in. It is un-biblical to believe a regenerate heart and spirit does not fully want to please God. So what is the solution? Through the grace of God, He has revealed that the ‘old man’ or ‘carnal nature’ is dead. There is a need to correct the misconception that the ‘carnal nature’ is still existent and the attitude that we cannot live without continually sinning.

The only way correction can be effective is to help others overcome these widely accepted beliefs. After rethinking sinful attitudes and beliefs we need to confess our sin. Then there can be reconciliation with God and possibly the person(s) we offended. At this point we need to forsake the actions and know God promises to cleanse us from a guilty conscience. We need to ask for forgiveness from the person(s) we have offended and hope the relationships will be restored again.

As we have seen reconciliation is the main objective in the counseling process. First, we are to help restore the relationship between God and man, and correspondingly, person to person. There needs to be training in righteousness. The short of it, people need to know God and how He expects us to treat others. The Scriptures point out directly the manner in which we are supposed to treat God’s children since we are all His creatures. When the balance in one’s life is restored and our priorities are set correctly and life becomes a joy as we learn to live a righteous life before God.
 
Synopsis from Jay E. Adams, How To Help People Change, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI 49056, 198


DISCIPLINED COUNSELORS - THE ART OF HELPING
 
Understanding The Counseling Process
 
Theory - the importance of relationship
 
The counseling theory always confirms importance of relations and the underlying principle of action (modality) for our service to others, the phase that is verified through experiential knowledge gained preferably through co-counseling during internship
 
Function of counselor - guides and explains various facets of counseling process
 
Answers must be broad enough to explain ‘Why?’ people behave the way they do and Popular enough to get them to change. Reciprocity, we reap what we have sown!
 
Ritual - system or form of rights
 
Posture - functions
Strengthen relationship - combats empathy
Comforts counselee - few unexpected events
Spells out roles
Sustains interest and expectations - confidence in counselor
Provides learning experiences - counselor teaches to open and establish a mature relationship
 
Homework - practical helps
 
Prepare for coming sessions
Reinforce counseling session
Transformed thinking
Gain new insight in life
Gain of spiritual insight
Communicates most material over time
Sense of hope
Comfort and support are spread out over time
Change dependency toward God from counselor
Helps establish good habits
Uses for evangelism
How to study bible
Good relationship and communication skills
Gages attitude and progress through cooperation
 
Counselor - a person sought for help or advice
 
Function - a role model
Establish initial rapport
Provide acceptance - not based on performance - true Agape love
Empathy - independent emotional support

 
Presenting problem - first reason is seldom root cause

Perception - view is from counselee’s world - how they see things
Initial rapport - accept over-emphasized views - do not rescue
Responsibility - let counselee take for their behavior
Scrutinize presenting problem as a symptom - character is more important
Under-emphasizing problems leads to lack of trust or counselor does not care
 
History Taking
 
Scope - to make sense of present world with past ineffectiveness of getting needs met in godly fashion

Reciprocity - reaping and sewing
Familial impact
Circumstances of relationships
Own false identity patterns
Self-perception or Christ-esteem
Immature and irresponsible behavior patterns
Thoughts and behavior - exploring belief system - perception of life
 
Suffering - used by God to bring about counselee’s failure of walking after flesh patterns
 
Goals - end of self-life and walking in the Spirit of Christ
Needs - explanation of needs only God can meet
Focus - from here and now to adopt eternal spiritual perspective - God’s view
Course - until the suffering outweighs the benefit we use learned coping systems
Motivator - pain or pleasure - why we do the things we do that are ineffective
Explanation - Biblical explanation - planned universe - fulfilling God’s will
Shared suffering - suffering with Christ - the Cross - sin and behavior - iniquity, peace, and spiritual healing, which is often followed by physical and emotional relief
Belief system client - often Burger King religion - expects others to change - nominal Biblical knowledge of the works of salvation
Illumination - suffering for good
 
Counselor’s Helps
 
Personal testimony and witness - role modeling example
Joseph’s story - meant for evil, God worked out for good
Weakness - a thorn in the flesh - 2 Cor. 12:7-10
Rights and expectations surrendered
 
Temperament Analysis Profile
 
Temperament explained with comparative examples (acceptance) - Ps. 139
Differing styles
Behavior patterns
Strengths
Weaknesses
Needs and wants inventory
Fulfillment and desires