Dr. Jamie D. Aten discusses three ways Scripture and scientific studies of humility can help your congregation navigate the refugee crisis. Many congregations stand divided on how to respond to the refugee crisis as we approach World Refugee Sunday. I personally have felt this tension; I am pro-refugee, and yet I know some Christians who disagree with my stance of welcoming … [Read more...]
Are you giving people what they really need to win the war waged against their souls?
What tends to consume your thinking when you start counseling people? Are you aware that when you sit with others to discuss the issues of their hearts, you actually enter a war zone? Would you say this is a prominent aspect of your counseling mind-set? Consider the Apostle Peter’s words for a moment, ”Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the … [Read more...]
Responding to relapse: a pastor’s questions
Jim had been married to Rachael for eight years when she caught him viewing Internet porn, which he told her had been happening several times a week during the previous two months. Rachael was appalled and in shock! For the ten years she had known him, he’d seemed like an outstanding, moral Christian man. Jim agreed to seek counseling with their pastor. Jim and Pastor Paul … [Read more...]
A biblical approach to pastoral care
Where do we begin to work ourselves out of the maze of frenetic, chaotic, directionless church life? It begins by letting Scripture shape the way we think about what a leader does. We need a clear job description. Without one, busyness can cause leaders to lose their focus on people. It is amazing how quickly this can happen in the midst of real church life. The priority of … [Read more...]