If the church is going to use the Bible to decide whether divorce is legitimate in certain cases and whether divorced couples have the right to remarry with the approval and blessing of God's people, then the Bible must be studied without prejudice toward a particular answer. The author examines the relevant passages in both the Old and New Testaments so that his readers can consider the many issues and interpretations that arise in trying to establish a consistently biblical position. As a result, readers can see more clearly and accept more firmly the truth of Scripture. The book succeeds at being exactly what the author wanted it to be: 'a comprehensive, lucid, accurate study presented in a readable and practical style. . . .' It is a valuable resource for the pastor, counselor, church leader, and others who are struggling to understand and apply scriptural principles to the problems of divorce and remarriage.
'The amazing lack of concern for purpose among homileticians and preachers has spawned a brood of preachers who are dull, lifeless, abstract and impersonal; it has obscured truth, hindered joyous Christian living, destroyed dedication and initiative, and stifled service for Christ.' -Jay Adams
Preaching needs to become purposeful, says Jay Adams, because purposeless preaching is deadly. This book was written to help preachers and students discover the purpose of preaching has and the ways that the Scriptures inform and direct the preaching task. Preaching with Purpose, like the many other books of Jay Adams, speaks clearly and forcefully to the issue. After reading this book, both students and experienced preachers will be unable to ignore the urgent task of purposeful preaching. And the people of God will be the better for it.
Accompanying visuals and assignments are included in the audiobook companion PDF download.
"While touching on many aspects of counseling, this book . . . is specifically designed to elucidate the process of counseling. I have often mentioned and illustrated that process, but not in the focused and systemic way that the four-step biblical process is set forth here. . . . This book presents a fresh perspective not only on how to counsel, but also on what measures to take at what stages of counseling."-Jay Adams, from the preface Change is the essential goal of the counseling process. And, in the author's words, "substantial change requires the alteration of the heart." How can a Christian counselor facilitate such change? The answer, of course, may be found in Scripture, specifically in 2 Timothy 3:14-17. Jay Adams is a well-known counselor who bases his whole approach on Scripture. This book provides an unparalleled opportunity to see how he discovers and applies biblical principles as well as the way in which Scripture functions as the basis for his counseling approach. This book answers two questions: "How does a counselor help people change?" and, "How does Scripture provide the source of a counselor's method?" How to Help People Change has much to say about the ongoing discussion of the relationship between theology and psychology in the enterprise of Christian counseling.
Accompanying assignments are available in the audiobook companion PDF download.
Connecting sound biblical doctrine to the practice of effective counseling.
Jay E. Adams-vocal advocate of a strictly biblical approach to counseling and author of the highly influential book Competent to Counsel-firmly believes that the Bible itself provides all the principles needed for understanding and engaging in holistic counseling.
But in order to bring the practice of counseling-whether by professional therapists or by the church-under biblical guidance, we first have to deepen our understanding of Scripture.
A Theology of Christian Counseling is the connection between solid theology (the study of God) and its practical application. Each of its sections are devoted to increasing our understanding of counseling's potential by looking at it through the lens of doctrines such as:
- Prayer (and the doctrine of God).
- Human Sin (and the doctrine of Man).
- Redemption (and the doctrine of Salvation).
- Forgiveness (and the doctrine of Sanctification).
'No counseling system that is based on some other foundation can begin to offer what Christian counseling offers…No matter what the problem is, no matter how greatly sin has abounded, the Christian counselor's stance is struck by the far-more-abounding nature of the grace of Jesus Christ in redemption. What a difference this makes in counseling!' (Jay E. Adams).
With this book, you will gain insight into the rich theological framework that supports and directs your approach to how you help people change.
Accompanying charts and diagrams are available in the audiobook companion PDF download.
A Classic in the Field of Christian Counseling Competent to Counsel has helped thousands of pastors, students, laypersons, and Christian counselors develop both a general approach to Christian counseling and a specific response to particular problems. Using biblically directed discussion, nouthetic counseling works by means of the Holy Spirit to bring about change in the personality and behavior of the counselee. As Dr. Jay Adams points out in his introduction, 'I have been engrossed in the project of developing biblical counseling and have uncovered what I consider to be a number of important scriptural principles. . . . There have been dramatic results. . . . Not only have people's immediate problems been resolved, but there have also been solutions to all sorts of long-term problems as well.' Since its first publication in 1970, this book has gone through over thirty printings. It establishes the basis for and an introduction to a counseling approach that is being used in pastors' studies, in counseling centers, and across dining room tables throughout the country and around the world
The Christian Counselor's Manual is a companion and sequel to the author's influential Competent to Counsel. It takes the approach of nouthetic counseling introduced in the earlier volume and applies it to a wide range of issues, topics, and techniques in counseling: *Who is qualified to be a counselor? *How can counselees change? *How does the Holy Spirit work? *What role does hope play? *What is the function of language? *How do we ask the right questions? *What often lies behind depression? *How do we deal with anger? *What is schizophrenia? These and hundreds more questions are answered in this comprehensive resource for the Christian counselor. A full set of indexes, a detailed table of contents, and a full complement of diagrams and forms make this an outstanding reference book for Christian counselors.
