Spiritual Confusion

"I can't get up and give you anything" (Luke 11:7).

In the movie Pirates of the Caribbean, Jack Sparrow and the crew found a key-- well not exactly-- it was a drawing of a key. Trying to figure out what to do next led to utter confusion. (watch this video).

Have you ever experienced confusion in your walk with Jesus Christ? You know what I mean: you're heart has been set on being faithful to your Lord and out of nowhere - wham! - circumstances shifted, and all of a sudden confusion set in. Why is this happening? What is going on? Why me? Why won't things work out? Woa, I didn't see that coming! A million "what ifs" flood into your mind and hang around like storm waters that will not subside or drain away. You prayed but it was like heaven was silent, God was in bed, and he wasn't getting up and giving any answers.

You've tried to convince yourself that what's happening is somebody else's fault. It's not working. You've tried to spiritualize the situation and convince yourself that you're not confused. It's not working. You've performed an extensive self-evaluation. Have I been worshiping? Check. Have I been studying my Bible? Check. Have I been praying? Check. Have I been sharing my faith with others? Check. Have I been serving through my church? Check. Have I been fellowshiping with other believers? Check. You got through with your checklist and realized that as faithful as you've tried to be, there's always room for improvement.

So, you promised God that you would step-up your commitment level a notch- because you love Jesus and you really do want to serve him well. You felt better for a while but before the next Sunday you realized that confusion was still clinging to you like a sticky vine, and if anything, it got worse. Like you, I've been there. My gut-feeling is that times and seasons of spiritual confusion will be a part of our spiritual journey until our Lord takes us home to heaven. We're in good company though, Jesus' disciples spent a good deal of times confused about where Jesus was taking them, what they were learning, how they were to apply what Jesus was teaching them, and why they had to do this or that.

On one occasion, Jesus took his disciples to Peter's house where Peter's mother-in-law was sick with fever (Matthew 8:14ff). He healed her. When evening came, the house was suddenly surrounded by sick and demon-possessed people looking for healing. Jesus obliged them and healed many. The crowd kept growing. All of a sudden, Jesus got in a boat, called his disciples, and told them they were going to the other side of the lake. They must have thought: for what? What about all these sick people you haven't healed? Why are we leaving?

Then on the way over in the wee hours of the morning, a furious storm swept over the boat that scared the disciples to death (Matthew 8:23ff). How confused do you suppose they were? A father brought his demon-possessed son to the disciples and begged them to heal him, but they could not do it. After Jesus healed the boy, his disciples got a quiet moment with Jesus and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" (Mark 9:28). How confused do you suppose they were?

After the Jewish leadership stoned Stephen to death, that very same day "a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:1). While those Christians were running for their lives, don't you wonder how confused they were about what was taking place? When John saw Herod kill James, his brother (and apostle), and then arrest Peter (Acts 12:1ff), don't you wonder how confused he was? All the times that Paul was stripped, beaten, and thrown in jail for telling others about Jesus, do you suppose confusion ever set in?

Oswald Chambers said that times of spiritual confusion can be God using circumstances to take us in directions that we temporarily don't understand in order to lead us to the understanding of what he wants for us and from us. Jesus' parable about a needy man knocking on a neighbor's door at midnight (Luke 11:5-13) teaches us something about surviving spiritual confusion long enough to come away with a better understanding of God and ourselves.

The disciples prompted Jesus with the request for him to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1). He shared what we've come to call the Lord's Prayer with them and followed with a story about a man whose friend arrived at a most inopportune time, midnight. Apparently, the man did not have enough bread to offer his late-arriving guest a meal, so he went next door to ask his neighbor for some food. When the man knocked on the neighbor's door, he was told that it was late, his family was in the bed, the lights were off, the door was locked, he had nothing to give him, and to just go away.
Jesus told his disciples that even if friendship were not enough to make the neighbor get out of bed and help his needy friend, he would certainly get up if the man would be persistent and not give up. Then Jesus said, "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened" (Luke 11:9-10).
Finally, Jesus ends with an illustration about a good father who always has the best intentions toward his needy son and gives him good gifts. Our Lord teaches us two insights to help us navigate the rough waters of spiritual confusion:

First, God's friendship toward us might sometimes seem unfriendly. Hearing his neighbor say "go away" must have sounded and felt very unfriendly. The friend must have been confused at his neighbor's actions, if only for a minute. Sometimes we treat God the same way thinking that if God is really our friend he would give us this or that, never allow us to suffer, respond immediately to our prayers. However, what we experience is exactly the opposite: we don't always get what we want, sometimes we experience suffering, and answers to prayer rarely come as quickly as we want them to. Does this mean God is unfriendly? Never.
When the neighbor said "no", it raised the intensity of his friend's pursuit. In other words, the pace of his chase increased to haste! Look what happened when he increased his asking, elevated his seeking, and amplified his knocking-- the neighbor got up and gave him what he asked for. If all a child is ever told is "yes", he will grow up to be a spoiled brat. On the other hand, if the child is always told "no", he will grow up to be selfish, angry and mean. The answer is: to have a well-rounded personality and disposition there are times when a child must be told "yes" and other times "no." Sometimes as parents, we have to withhold things from our children to teach them life-lessons, shape their hearts to selfless rather than selfish, and point their lives toward the greater good.
God works in our confusing circumstances in a similar way. Having to endure painful, stressful, hurtful circumstances may make God seem to us like an unkind friend. But he is not unkind. Consider Peter's advice to persecuted, confused Christians scattered all over the world of the first century: "You may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that our faith-- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls" (1 Peter 1:6-8). See, Jesus really is "our friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24)."

Second, God's fatherhood over us might sometimes seem unloving. Living in the 21st Century may be a disadvantage to us trying to capture the impact of this 1st Century moment. There were no Wal Marts, Double Quicks, or grocery stores open 24/7 in the 1st Century. Being "neighborly" was a way of life. When a person needed sugar, flour, water, or a meal, any of them was as close as their nearest neighbor. So, it really would have appeared to be unloving when the neighbor in this parable told his friend to "go away."
One of the most repeated grievances that people have for not accepting Christ as Lord and Savior is they really cannot fathom how, as they put it, a loving God could allow suffering in the world. Children have accused parents of not loving them when they are disciplined. Does spanking a child, grounding a child, or taking away the tv, computer, and cell phone for a period of time necessarily mean that parents don't love their children? No. According to Proverbs 13:24, "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him."
The point is simply that sometimes what might seem to be unloving is actually God loving us enough to teach us, rebuke us, correct us, and train us in righteousness so that we will be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Psalmist said, "All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant. . . . The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made" (Psalm 25:10; 145:13).
God's desire is that our minds be transformed to reflect his thoughts and values; that our actions display his ways; that we be conformed to the image of Christ. For a potter to make a usable plate or bowl from clay, he must pull, squeeze, and stretch the clay. For a metal worker to make a usable sword, he must heat the metal with fire, strike it, and bend it. If the clay and the metal had feelings and could speak, they would both say that becoming something usable hurts and is almost always uncomfortable. So it is with us as God makes us usable for his glory.

Oswald Chambers also said, "There seems to be a cloud on the friendship of the heart, and often even love itself has to wait in pain and tears for the blessing of fuller fellowship and oneness." None of us enjoys trouble, stress, hardship, and confusion; yet, some of us have discovered that each can bring us closer to our Heavenly Father. Listen to Jesus promise to his disciples: "For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened" (Luke 11:10). God just wants the pace of our chase to increase to haste- he wants us to pursue him and his plans for us with all we've got.
God is a good father who always has what is good for us in mind. That's why if we ask him for a fish, he won't give us a snake. If we ask him for an egg, he won't give us a scorpion. If we, as parents, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more does God? So then, in our times and seasons of spiritual confusion, if we will keep asking, seeking, and knocking, sooner or later God will bring clarity to our circumstances and help us understand everything he allows to happen in our lives.
Blessings,
Bro. Jack

A Personal Letter From God to Us

"Tell me so that I may believe in him" (John 9:36).

One day Jesus was walking with his disciples. They ran across a man who had been blind since birth. After teaching them that God's life and power is to be displayed in all people regardless of physical limitations, Jesus "spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes." He then told the man to "go" and "wash (his eyes) in th Pool of Siloam." When the man obeyed Jesus, suddenly he could see. The Pharisees harassed the man and even barred him from ever setting foot in the Jewish assembly again. When Jesus heard what happened, he went to find the man. Here's how the exchange went from John 9:35-38:

Jesus asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
"Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him."
Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you."
Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.

Isn't it so common how we want to have the facts explained to us before we will believe anything. Certainly, this is an incentive for us who have believed in Christ to share him with those who haven't. Yet, there is something more that is intriguing about the man's request: "Tell me so that I may believe in him." Is it possible that Christians today need to hear Jesus tell them some things so that they will believe him in the everyday moments and circumstances of life? Sure, the Bible is available to be read; however, how many people in the church really honestly read God's promises in the Bible as God's love letter to them?

In a book entitled Pastors at Greater Risk by H. B. London Jr. and Neil B. Wiseman, the authors interviewed some pastor's wives on the subject of living under the constant pressure of feeling like they have to please everybody and not let anyone down. One of the wives said her strategy was taking the promises of God and reading them like a love letter from him to her. This prompted me to add to her material and try to imagine a letter God might write to me. I share it with you because the letter is not just to me, but to all of us who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Read and enjoy.

A Personal Letter from God to Us: (Christian, write your name in the blank)

Dear ___________________,

Nothing is impossible for Me. I’m able to do immeasurably more than you can ask or imagine. In Me all things were created in heaven and on Earth, visible and invisible, thrones, powers, rulers, authorities. All things were created by Me and I am before all things. And in Me all things hold together, even you. Mine is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor. I am exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from Me and in My hands are strength and power to exalt. Trust Me. Nothing on Earth is My equal. It is not by your might. It is not by your power, but by My Spirit.

I know when you sit down and when you rise. I perceive your thoughts from afar. I’m familiar with all your ways. Before a word is on your tongue, I know it completely. You cannot flee from My presence. If you go up to the heavens, I am there. If you make your bed in the depths, I am there. If you rise on the wings of the dawn, if you settle on the far side of the sea, even there My right hand will guide you. My right hand will hold you fast. Even darkness is as light to Me. I stretch out the heavens like a canopy and spread them out like a tent to dwell in.

I measure the waters of the earth in the hollow of My hand and with the breath of My hand, I mark out the heavens. I’m the creator, the wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. I’m the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. I’m immortal and I dwell in unapproachable light. Yet, I tell you, approach My throne of grace with confidence so that you might receive mercy and grace to help you in your times of need.

Remember that you live in a fallen world. When the world persecutes you because of Me, I will bless you. At times, your sin and the sins of others will bring pain and suffering into your life. Even though it breaks my heart, wrong choices by you and others may cause you to lose your family and friends, but remember, I will never leave you nor forsake you. Always keep this in mind: I am the Master of restoration; whatever you lose, I can restore if all are willing. I will work all things for your good if you will love Me and pursue My calling on your life.

So, call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. I will have mercy on you according to My unfailing love. I will blot out all your transgressions according to my great compassion. I will wash away all your iniquity and cleanse you from your sin. I will teach you wisdom in the inmost place. I will create in you a pure heart and renew a steadfast spirit within you. I will restore the joy of your salvation. I will sustain you, and I will make you strong.

Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear– for you belong to Me. Look at the birds of the air, and know that I feed them. Look at the lilies of the field, and realize that I dress them in splendor. You are more valuable to me than the birds and flowers I’ve made. Your life is more important than food, and your body is more important than clothes. Whatever you do, do it for My glory. Lead a quiet life, mind your own business, and work with your hands so that your daily life wins the respect of others. Chase after Me with all of your being, desire My kingdom, live according to My righteousness, and I will take care of your every need. Do not worry about tomorrow today. Remember, I am the same yesterday, today, and forever.

I’m telling you the truth, if you keep My word, you will never see death. I’ve prepared a place for you. One day soon I will come get you and bring you to where I am because I want you to be with Me in eternity. Until then, I promise to be with you and in you.

Love,

God

Open Doors for Sharing Christ

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should" (Colossians 4:2-4).

We might well refer to prayer as one of the laws of the universe. Just as God allowed men to discover his laws of gravity and motion, he wants people to discover his laws concerning prayer. Strangely, prayer is denied by some, ignored by others, and neglected by many. However, its treatment does not changed the irrefutable fact that God works in response to prayer. The Psalmist recorded God saying, "He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him" (Psalm 91:15). God said to Jeremiah, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3). Consider Jesus' instructions regarding prayer: "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer" (Matthew 21:22); "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you" (John 15:7).

One of our particular great privileges is to pray for doors to open for us and others to minister. The apostle Paul was in prison in Rome sometime around A.D. 60 when he wrote to the church in Colosse requesting prayer for opportunities to share Christ. He fully expected to get out of prison and return to his work of evangelism and church planting. Furthermore, he knew that the success of that future work depended on God providing the opportunities. So, what did he do in anticipation of returning to ministry? He enlisted God's people to pray on his behalf that God would make things happen. Paul could have prayed for his release from prison, more comfortable living conditions, or any number of things. Yet, he prayed for open doors for sharing Christ in the future. What does this tell us about the importance of praying that God would give us and others opportunities to share Christ with people?

If we want the blessing of God upon our lives and ministries and the gospel to be spread with success, we must pray for God to open doors for us and others. We must become mighty prayer warriors. Watch the following video that illustrates the power of prayer in evangelism and church planting.

When "I Can't Believe This Is Happening" Happens

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

At no time is the reality of the war between the inner life and the outer life more evident than when "it" happens: job loss, down-sizing, sickness, financial distress, death of a loved one, separation, divorce, children's indiscretions-- you name the others. When things happen that change our circumstances or rock the boat we call our life, stress and distress enter the picture. Where is stress and distress felt most powerfully? Internally. Oswald Chambers, in My Utmost for His Highest, said most people never deal with the internal because they are so preoccupied with the making sure the external stays consistent. That is so true. When life is good, all of us want our circumstances to remain as they are or get better-- not worse!

But what happens when life takes a downward turn instead of upward? How can we stand up under the stress and distress that take over our inner life? When every thought is of the worse-case scenario, how can we calm the inner storm? The Apostle Paul said, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want" (Phil. 4:12). Webster's says that content means satisfied. However, for us, we think of contentment as being when the inner life consisting of our thoughts, emotions, and feelings and the outer life consisting of our relationships, living standards, and families are free of turmoil. In other words, when the inner life and outer life are at equilibrium.

Since I'm on this faith journey with Christ, here are some thoughts for fellow travelers:

First, let's make sure our perception of life is consistent with what God promises when we become followers of Christ. "Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. . . . Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble" (Job 5:7, 14:1). Jesus said the following: "Each day has enough trouble of its own. . . . When trouble and persecution comes because of the word, . . . In this world you will have trouble" (Matthew 6:34, 13:21, John 16:33). We should remind ourselves that when we accepted the invitation to follow Christ, we were guaranteed a troubled life in this present world. Trouble comes from all directions including bad decisions that we and others make, personal sins and other's sins, Satan's attempts to steal, kill, and destroy us, and God's activity aimed at testing us and increasing our faith. The point is that when we, as Christians, experience trouble in this life and then get way-stressed out, angry, and desperate, we have lost the proper persective of the God-life. The question is not if trouble will come, but when.

Second, let's make sure our fears don't cause us to forget what God promises when we become followers of Christ. "But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand" (Psalm 10:14). "The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; . . . because they take refuge in him" (Psalm 37:39-40). "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1). "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Romans 8:35-37). The point is that when we, as Christians, experience trouble in this life, the proper response is to remember that God sees and knows we are in trouble, will take our trouble in his hands and help us in the midst of it, and see to it that we overcome the trouble with his wisdom, power, and might. However, for this reality to become ours, we must not ignore the inner life while focusing on fixing our circumstances.

Third, let's make sure we don't fail to prove ourselves to be Christians who rely on what God promises when we become followers of Christ. When troubled times come, fear makes us worry about everything. Soon, we find ourselves sitting endlessly with our head in our hands, pacing the floor non-stop, biting our nails even when we are talking, and losing our grip on life. Wisdom says, "If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!" (Proverbs 24:10). Let's remind ourselves of what Jesus said: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? . . . your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:25, 32-33). The point is that worrying never helps; it always hurts-- we know it's true, don't we? Let's remind ourselves that our lives are about a whole lot more than us; our lives are part of the greater plan of God for this world. In our inner life, we are to be busily involved in the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible study, worship, yielding to God's will, recognizing God's presence, and personal spiritual growth. In our outer life, we are to live according to God's standards rather than this world's standards, and we are to serve Jesus faithfully, obediently, and consistently in good and bad circumstances. I do not know how to explain it other than to say it is a God-thing, but if we will focus on being Christ-followers in our internal and external lives, God will take care of our troubled circumstances.

Having read these words that have been written in this post, I freely admit that following them is just as difficult for the writer as it is for the reader. But not impossible for all of us in Christ, for Paul reminds us that we can do all things (including overcome tough and troubled times) through our Lord Jesus Christ who stengthens us with his wisdom, ability, and power. Blessings along the way.

Warning

Dear Friends,

Be aware that the link at the top of this page, "Next Blog", leads to internet sites that I have no control over. This link is placed on the page by blogger.com without any input from me, even though this is my Pastor's Blog page. If you click this link, you may be taken to sites with morally questionable material; therefore, I highly suggest that you disregard the "Next Blog" link.

What About the Men in Church?

The other day I was talking to a friend. His question was: What are we going to do about getting men more involved in church? It's not a new question, but rather as old as the church, I suspect. Next Sunday look around your church as see if the women don't outnumber the men at least 3 to 1.

We men are some strange birds, I admit, when it comes to church. One author I've read blames men's lack of enthusiasm for church on "the feminization of our culture." There might be some truth to that. Think about it. What do we ask men to do when they come to church, either overtly or covertly? Be nice, use your "church voice"- which means ssshhhhh!, smile even if you don't want to, don't cause a scene, and say your sorry even if it's not your fault!

There's nothing wrong with using good manners, being polite, and matching your voice level with your situation. Every man knows not to cause a scene unless the scene calls for it, and the question in every man's mind at some point is: Why do I have to say "I'm sorry" if it's not my fault? Men are doers. God put a warrior spirit in every man. We want to solve the problem and save the day, even if we don't have a clue how to do it; and something else- remember the action heros we read about and watched on TV when we were kids- we wanted to be like them then, and to some degree we still do. Inside every man is the desire to be somebody's hero. That's part of being a man.

Here's some more info on men. We like to take stuff apart and put it back together- and most of the time having parts left over doesn't bother us as long as what we tore up and put back together works or runs. We like outside, physical stuff like sports, hunting, fishing; and if you really want to get our blood moving, give us a hammer, some nails, a skill saw, or a chain saw- and get out of the way!

But here's something else about most men- we realize deep down in places that we have a hard time letting people near, that we're not everything we need to be or should be. We need help. We need Jesus. We need the church. We know there's more to being a real man than what we see and experience in the workplace and in the culture. So, from a pastor's heart to wives, wives-to-be, and the people of God in churches everywhere, I offer the following. This is also for my friend who lit the torch that got me thinking about this subject.

I was reading in Momentum magazine the other day and ran across some help. Since men love action, here are some verbs to help us think about and plan men's ministry; and to help us answer the question: What about the men in church?

1. Connect. We always say that the priorities of a man life- in order- should be God, family, church, then everything else. Men need to connect with God, their wives and children, believers in the local church, and people in their workplace and community. A strong, vibrant men's ministry through the local church can help facilitate these connections. But here's the catch- it's got to be attractive to men, allow men to be men, and speak their heart language.

2. Grow. Part of being human is growing. Whenever something doesn't grow, something is wrong. Here's the truth: men are either growing toward what God created them to be or away from it. Spiritual growth is a necessity for being the men we were born to be. We've got to know Jesus personally; we've got to know what our Lord expects of us; we've got to have spiritual mentors; and we want to mentor others. We've got to have Bible study opportunities and prayer opportunities that provide regular encounters with God's Word that will keep us growing spiritually and moving forward in our journey with Jesus.

3. Serve. The local church needs the service that men can provide. The Bible speaks of spiritual gifts being given to every Christian for the good of, and the building up of, all of God's people-the church. When men's ministry works like it should, men will discover how God wired them up with spiritual gifts, empower them to use those God-given gifts, and provide opportunities for men to get down to the nitty-gritty and use them.

4. Go. Galatians 5:22-23 lists the fruit of the Spirit that should be growing in every man's life. People grow physically through physical exertion. Picking up things, walking, running, strength training, and a host of other activities ensure that the human body grows and develops healthily. Likewise, if men are going to grow spiritually healthy, they have got to be given opportunities to go and do. Missions and evangelism helps produce the Fruit of the Spirit in a man's life; and nothing makes a man feel like he's accomplished something, like results. When men see a building go up, get painted, or go through remodeling; or, when men see other men come to faith in Christ and grow in that faith as a result of their efforts, it makes them feel like they've accomplished something for Jesus- then suddenly, church makes sense.

Connect, grow, serve, go. That's sounds like a good outline for a thriving men's ministry. How does it sound to you? But men, come up real close and let me tell you from my heart: it doesn't matter what kind of program or effort your pastor or other leaders in the church put together to help you be all that God created you to be, it won't mean anything unless you put forth the effort to participate. Come on, the local church needs you. It's not perfect, but neither am I and neither are you. But together we can serve the cause of Christ in this world, really make a difference in our families and communities, and have something to offer our Lord when we see Him in heaven.

May God bless every effort you put forth for Christ, your family, and your local church.

Pastor Helps

To my colleagues in ministry,

People stop us in church hallways, on grocery isles, and at ballgames and ask questions. Most of these are not counseling situations, but rather opportunities to offer advice, provide spiritual direction, and build friendship and trust with others. However, there are those times when people-problems require more concentrated efforts. Most ministers do pastoral counseling as part of caring for people. Here are a couple of books that I've read recently that you probably want to read, apply, and add to your personal library:

David G. Benner, Strategic Pastoral Counseling: A Short-Term Structured Model, 2d ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2003).

Gary R. Collins, The Biblical Basis of Christian Counseling for People Helpers: Relating the Basic Teachings of Scripture to People's Problems (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2001).

Benner's book will help you put together an organized, planned approach to your counseling ministry, rather than just doing it off-the-cuff. Collins' book will go a long way in answering some questions you've had about using the Bible in counseling. Both are great reads. Enjoy them, and blessings.