Some of you reading this blog are in recovery from an addiction. Others of you reading are being transformed from an addiction. So what’s the difference? I’m going to lay it very plainly to you like this and I hope you don’t get offended: Unbelievers are in recovery. Believers in Christ are being transformed. 2…
One of my favorite verses is in Ephesians 1:4 and simply says: “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world…” There is much more in that chapter but this little statement reminds me that there is no good deed I can do to earn salvation and that He had planned to…
I believe that we are living in the last days. When I read the book of Acts and see how the early church functioned in Acts 2 & 4 specifically, I see a caring group of believers sharing material possessions, praying, worshipping, and living out the call together. I see pastoral care and a lot…
When I think about that great man of faith, George Muller, I am emboldened in my faith! He was a man who started an orphanage and prayed never asking any person for financial support. What a great man of faith he was and his motive was sincere: to glorify God. Now, many years later, we…
Recently, someone heard a “Christian therapist” say on a national radio show that the church is not equipped to deal with the “blended family issues” that he “specializes” in “treating” – on an on – which is essentially why churches need to hire him and his services! Ugh! In contrast, I want to be clear. The…
Paul David Tripp coined the phrase “personal ministry” for biblical counseling which is really discipleship (Matt. 28:18-20). You have the pulpit ministry in churches. You have small groups. AND now you can have “personal ministry” which is what we champion at TIL in teams of two. We want to get people involved in the lives…
Recently, I heard a discussion between 2 of my mentors about biblical counseling. I think they missed the heart of the issue when discussing biblical counseling as a “special calling.” Biblical counseling is NOT a special calling. Nowhere in the Bible is it found in there as a special calling. In fact, I would argue that…
I remember hearing that phrase long ago and now it makes sense to me: firsthand! I have been finding out that several churches are implementing a Truth in Love model of counseling – even a few in our local area! How cool is it that churches would imitate this little ministry’s essential concepts of glorifying God, discipling believers,…
Some of you may not get the joke but some of you will – I can imagine someone saying to me: “Mark is finally admitting he is in recovery after neck surgery!” One of the heartbeats of our ministry is that Christ “transforms” us from “addict/idolater” to “new creation in Christ.” It’s NOT merely a…
Read this article from WORLD magazine: http://www.worldmag.com/articles/16573 This article articulates well the problem of “overdiagnosing” that is ALREADY occurring in our culture today. It’s already happening and this new DSM version will only make it worse than it is now! It is an epidemic in our country because EVERYONE struggles with some sin issue and…
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