Jim was introduced earlier this week in Responding to Relapse: A Pastor’s Questions. His wife of eight years, Rachael, had been shocked to discover he’d been regularly viewing Internet porn for about two months. In all their years together, he had seemed like an upright Christian man with strong morals. After Jim had started meeting with their pastor, Paul, he’d stopped viewing … [Read more...]
Profile of a workaholic
Workaholics. You’ve got them in your church, and at times, you can relate to them yourself. A workaholic is a compulsive worker: he chooses to work a lot, think about work, and then work even more. What does the Bible say to workaholics? Ecclesiastes 6:7–8 says, “All a man's labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage does the wise … [Read more...]
“But Pastor, I don’t feel like it”
Many people make unwise choices in response to the way they feel about their circumstances: A person won’t forgive because he is angry. People resist biblical counsel because they don’t feel like doing what Scripture prescribes. A person doesn’t serve because he doesn’t feel like coming to church. People walk away from their faith because they don’t feel that God loves them. … [Read more...]
3 reasons depression is complicated
Beware of simplistic explanations You’ll often hear people conclude, “Depression is a sin problem,” or, “It’s a physical illness.” Others will say it’s an “emotional response to a stressful event or trauma,” such as with reactive or situational depression. Counselor Leslie Vernick explains why defining depression with these simple statements doesn’t work, can be harmful, and … [Read more...]
“What’s next?” Helping those who fear another tragedy
After a tragedy, a person struggles with a myriad of fears. One such fear is the rationalization that since this terrible event has happened, it very well could happen again. The recent tragedy might be something that happened to the person or someone close to him, or it might be a tragedy he witnessed or read about. Whatever the case, this person has become anxiety-ridden with … [Read more...]