In pastoral ministry, are preaching and counseling complementary ways of proclaiming Christ? Is one more important than the other? Or is one essential and the other less so? Seminary students and pastors are by no means unanimous in their answers. Definitions matter, especially here. Preaching, as I am using it, is public ministry—the public proclamation of Jesus—in which … [Read more...]
Helping people with panic disorders
If someone tells you she has panic attacks, how do you begin to use Scripture as your guide? (I am choosing panic attacks almost randomly. It is one of a dozen or so psychiatric diagnoses that is relatively common and not clearly identified in Scripture.) Get a description First you have to know the basic description of a panic attack. You can get this from two sources: … [Read more...]