by Lucy | Oct 31, 2017 | biblical counseling, book reviews
Join the Reformation celebration! While the kids dress up and trick ‘o’ treat, remember that today marks the 500th anniversary of the event that sparked the Protestant Reformation.
On Oct. 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the wooden doors of a Roman Catholic church in Wittenberg, Germany. In his theses, Luther, a Catholic monk, attacked the church’s corruption and indulgences-for-sale system. Shares pastor Kevin DeYoung at The Gospel Coalition:
One of the things we must never forget to say is that the Reformation mercifully allowed fearful sinners to have a new kind of relationship with God.
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The Reformation reminded God’s people that they can have direct access to God through Christ. It re-centered the church on the lavish, scandalous good news of the cross.
Counseling Under the Cross Book!
To commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Bob Kellemen penned his latest book: Counseling Under the Cross: How Martin Luther Applied the Gospel to Daily Life. Below are links to wonderful free resources from Kellemen, who also is a biblical counselor, professor, and pastor.
He says,
Martin Luther not only reformed theology; his understanding of the gospel reformed daily Christian living, biblical counseling, pastoral counseling, one-another ministry, and soul care.
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Through Counseling Under the Cross, you can learn how Luther richly, relevantly, robustly, and relationally 
applied the gospel to suffering, sin, sanctification, and our search for peace with God. And throughout, Kellemen shares lively vignettes, real-life stories, and direct quotes from Luther. They also help equip you to apply the gospel to yourself and others—finding hope and help in Christ alone.
Here, then, are the resources as well as a link to the book.
14 Free Resources
You can download all of the following resources here. Also, if you want to send this link to a friend, here’s a shortened version: http://bit.ly/LutherResources
- 95 Martin Luther Quotes of Note (PDF Version)
- 95 Martin Luther Quotes of Note (Word Document Version)
- The Sufficiency of Scripture/Sola Scriptura quotes of note.
- Comforting the Suffering quotes of note.
- Looking at Life through the Lens of the Cross quotes of note.
- Preaching the Gospel to Yourself quotes of note.
- Growing in Grace quotes of note.
- Salvation by Faith Alone/Sola Fide quotes of note.
- Also enjoy 15 Q&A Responses by author Dr. Bob Kellemen on Counseling Under the Cross
- Download PowerPoint Slides: How Martin Luther Applied the Gospel to Suffering (PowerPoint Presentation from Wittenberg Germany on the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation)
- Get Outline Notes: How Martin Luther Applied the Gospel to Suffering (Lesson Handout/Notes from Wittenberg Germany on the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation)
- Download PowerPoint Slides: How Martin Luther Applied the Gospel to Sin and Sanctification (PowerPoint Presentation from Wittenberg Germany on the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation)
- Also get Outline Notes: How Martin Luther Applied the Gospel to Sin and Sanctification (Lesson Handout/Notes from Wittenberg Germany on the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation)
- Plus, read endorsements for Counseling Under the Cross.
Enjoy Your Autographed Copy!
You can purchase an autographed copy of Counseling Under the Cross on sale at 25 percent off. So, for $14.99, why not get your copy at RPM Bookstore?
Counseling Hearts to Hope (and Health)!
by Lucy | Mar 23, 2017 | biblical counseling, emotions, identity in Christ, thoughts |
The best lesson God taught me also turned my life around.
I confess I had trusted in by own abilities. And why not? I knew everything, right? As God rescued me from me and my pride, he taught me a lesson in three parts:
1. Believe God is who he says he is: good, in control, loving, just, merciful.
2. Believe what he says about you: valuable, significant, blessed.
3. Believe that you have an enemy who steals, kills and destroys, but God has defeated him.
Even as a Christian I leaned toward self-dependence, then the hard hit.
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One Saturday morning many years ago, awful memories of past abuse flooded my mind. So I sobbed from a sacred place in my soul at the time God chose.
This star-flinger, this day-numberer, this God drew me toward him, beginning with the lesson of who God is.
Lesson 1: God Is Who He Says He Is
Among the most beautiful bible verses is the one where God describes his character. I wrestled with whether to believe it is true or not true. Here’s the verse:
And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming,’The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.’ Exodus 34:6-7
Compassionate, gracious, slow ot anger, great love and faithfulness, and forgiving–did I believe this of God? Do you?
If you’ve been hurt by someone who should have protected you, you may struggle believing these truths. You are not alone. Others struggle as you do.
In fact, the counselors listed in Heart2Heart Counselor Directory on my website biblically and lovingly counsel all of God’s healing hope to their counselees. Why not check out the directory for someone near you or who meets by Skype?
In addition to daily Bible reading, I journaled, exchanging the lies I believed for the truth. It looked a lot like this. My journaling and listening to gospel-centered music also helped got me to the place where I believe God is who he says he is. What helps you?
Lesson 2: I Am Who God Says I Am
God says all of his daughters are chosen. Before you took your first baby step, before you were conceived, before God fashioned the heavens and the earth, he chose you.
The moment you believed on Jesus as your Savior, your old self died. You became a new creation. You are in Christ and Christ is in you.
This “in” means you have a place as a member of Christ‟s body, vitally united with him. The death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus — yes, the heart of the gospel — made possible your true identity. God now sees you as blameless because his Son is blameless, having paid the ultimate price to conquer sin and death. Being “in Christ” is the true you.
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Does knowing you are chosen change the way you think and feel about yourself? about God?
Lesson 3: God Defeated the Enemy
Can you guess the big lie Satan wants you to believe? It’s NOT that you’re not good enough, though he tempts you to believe that one too. It’s NOT you’re unsuccessful or unattractive or a total mess-up or a waste of space, though you and I have fallen for some of these lesser lies, haven’t?
Can your believe I bought the lie that I was a defect? Have you?
This isn’t the big lie either. It destroyed my peace, though. God — through life-giving Bible truths and uplifting Christian music as well as counseling — showed me the truth: that I and every believer in Christ is his precious child and God also revealed the big lie at the core of my shame lie.
So what’s the big lie?
The Big Lie Is. .
The big lie Satan tempts you to believe is the same one Adam and Eve ate up in the Garden: God is holding back, that he couldn’t care less, that he’s not. . .good.
And the Truth Is. . .
Satan is defeated!
From Life Lesson to Action
As I embraced this three-part lesson and intentially put God first, he revealed a purpose for my life: to help Christian women know that they are valued by Jesus, who wants to heal them. Yes, to counsel hearts to hope! Still, I felt afraid and told God so.
Our conversation went like this.
“Lord, I don’t know how to begin.”
“Do not worry, Lucy. I’ll show you.”
“How will I know it’s you?”
“You will. The Holy Spirit who’s in you will confirm my words. You’ll know.”
“I don’t think I’m ready for this, Lord,” I said. “What if I mess up?”
“Trust me.”
That’s where we left things. God said trust. I sat there, speechless.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7, ESV
How about you? Where has God changed your thinking? Are you ready for deeper healing?
An Offer!
Are you tired of living a less-than life? Why not contact me
to set up a no-cost introductory phone consultation? Remember, God loves you, whoever you are, wherever you’ve been.
Sharing Hope with Your Heart,
by Lucy | Aug 20, 2015 | biblical counseling |
I kind of, sort of stuffed God in a drawer. My focus was all about finishing a book, speaking, and counseling. All good things, but not the best.
I even devise a way to finish the book. A stick: deadline! A carrot: vacation day!
You’ve probably used the same approach on your kids. You know the drill. Finish your homework, then you may play football. Eat a decent dinner, then dive into Dots. The bible shares a similar idea: reaping and sowing.
What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. Galatians 6:7-8, The Message
My stick helped me meet my deadline. But. . .
God, the Gentleman
I kind of, sort of stuffed God in a drawer. You see, I figured I had, ahem, more important things to do. Like my deadline. A gentleman, God didn’t put up a fuss. In fact, I opened the drawer almost every morning and visited. Then I shut it.
When deadline day came and I hit Send, I felt exhausted. Burned out. Whipped. I assumed the work had zapped me. It didn’t. I was my own undoing. In my desire to meet my self-imposed deadline, I acted selfishly and ignored the people around me and God. (I had stuffed him in a drawer, remember?) Thank God that the next day – when I vacationed quietly at home sweet home – I recognized my true need: Him. I had reaped selfishness and sowed restlessness. My deadline had become my idol.
How ironic that I made such a blunder and listed to a lie – you can do it on your own, Lucy! – as a biblical counselor. Our enemy wants you and me to think I don’t need anyone.
Among the things I’m learning: I don’t need a deadline. . .
I need a lifeline.
An Offer!
Feel overwhelmed? Need hope and practical, God-honoring solutions? Why not contact me to set up a no-cost introductory counseling session? We can meet over the phone. God loves you, just as you are, wherever you’ve been.
