The Goal: The goal of biblical counseling is to impart spiritual principles with the support of scripture. This model is not just giving biblical counsel but is also training disciples of Christ to "grow" through their challenges to spiritual maturity so that they may in turn help others as well. 

“Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.” (Romans 15:4 NLT)

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you can imagine." (Isaiah 55:8)

“throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” (Ephesians 4:22-24 NLT)

“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves”. (James 1:22)

The Bible is the Basis of Truth

John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth, Your word is truth”. 

Nothing compares to the authority, wisdom and power of God’s word. When we apply the standards of the scriptures to our lives we can expect The Holy Spirit to work on our behalf to see His will accomplished in us. Anything else is an attempt in our own power to see change happen, and is not sustainable.  

Sustainable change can take place when we first understand that there is a basis of moral and ethical truth, the Bible. By bringing our lives into alignment with the scriptures we position ourselves to receive the favor and blessing of God. Understand that a biblical life will often push back against cultural norms and popular opinion but our goal as believers is not to please men and society but to please our creator. 

Seeing the Problem From God’s Perspective

• The Feeling Level
• The Doing Level
• The Heart Level 

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

How to Hear from God

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”  (Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT) 

Hearing God is crucial to our relationship with Him.  Jesus lived His life connected to the Father.  He heard the Father speak and did what He saw the Father do as He brought God’s kingdom to earth. 

Hearing God is crucial in our relationship with God.  Teaching others to hear God’s voice for themselves is crucial for ministry.  We do not want to be the voice of God for others.  Rather, we are the guides who help them connect to the Father. 

Positioning ourselves to hear, How God Speaks, Testing the voice,  

The Great Exchange

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.  (2 Peter 1:3-4) 

This scripture encourages believers that God has given them everything they need to live a godly life. The scriptures are truly transformational to those who will not be hearers only but will be doers of the word (James 1:22). 

Colossians chapter 3 is an example of the great exchange. Putting off the behavior of the old life and putting on the character and behaviors of the new life in Christ. 

Biblical Hope

The word “hope” refers to a confident expectation.  This hope is alive and everlasting!

Jesus offers four levels of hope:

1. His death and resurrection guarantee our eternal survival;
2. He provides the Holy Spirit who gives us the power we need to overcome;
3. He will never leave or forsakes us;
4. His life gives our lives meaning and purpose no matter what we walk through.  

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because he has become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 6:19-20)  

God’s Word for Every Need

There are over 7,000 (7,487) promises in the bible? The promises in scriptures are more accessible today than ever before. We need to train ourselves to look to the source of wisdom first, to look to the scriptures. 

The more you stand on a verse of scripture, the more you quote it aloud, the more that word will be stored in your heart and be your “go to” when faced with a trial. Here are some things to remember when standing on a promise;

Don’t Give up - Galatians 6:9 “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Don’t quit! Press on until you see the breakthrough! 

Write down the promise - Psalm 119:18 - “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” Ask the Holy Spirit to show you the goodness of God through His promises for you. Write them down and post them where you can see them. 

Thank God in Advance for Answered Prayer  - Romans 4:20 - “he (Abraham) did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God” Giving God thanks for answered prayer even before it happens will keep you encouraged and strengthen your faith as you wait on God!

Biblical Change

Romans 12:1-2 "... but be transformed by the renewal of your mind" 

Biblical change begins in a believer at the moment of salvation and is a continuing process as they live for Christ. 

The Power and Wisdom to Change come from God
He is the only one who can produce lasting life transformation and then only when that life is submitted to His will. Remember that obedience to God’s commands requires a surrender of the will. Jesus at Gethsemane said; “Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done” (Mathew 26:39). Every believer needs their own Gethsemane experience, a place of true surrender to the will of The Father. When we truly surrender, He gives us the power to see lasting change. 

Real biblical change leaves evidence
We know real change has taken place when we see the actions that follow. 

Real lasting biblical change is not only possible but should be the desire for every believer because the scriptures tell us: 

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”. (Ephesians 2:10). 

The Divine Confrontation

The divine confrontation is God’s Word confronting lives. In those moments we are faced with a decision. Do I acknowledge my sin, surrender my will to God and be transformed or do I suppress the truth  and continue the same thoughts, speech or actions. 

We live in a society today that does not want to be told “no”. A generation of negotiation has risen to adulthood and many have bypassed Gethsemane on their way to the cross. Jesus does not offer a gospel of compromise but has called His followers to take up their cross and follow Him. We must be willing in the divine confrontation to recognize our sin and receive correction. A “no” from a Savior who loves you is so much more valuable than a yes from someone who does not. 

The potter’s wheel.      

You are Empowered to Change

God’s desire has never been for His children to live a life dominated by sin or bondage to the enemy but to live a victorious life of freedom. 

Only change that is empowered by God is change that is going to last. Someone said it this way “Whatever is created by the flesh has got to be maintained by the flesh but whatever is created in us by God will be empowered by Him”.

To see lasting biblical change take place in our lives there are three areas that we will need to focus on, our thoughts, our speech and our actions.

Change is not accidental but intentional. It happens when we make a decision to repent (turn 180 degrees) and go the other way. For those who struggle with thoughts, speech or actions that are unbiblical there will be to be some very intentional changes made. We will talk more about the tools in video 11. 

Biblical Practice

Lasting change takes place in a believer's life when they understand that first of all they can do nothing apart from the power of Christ at work within them. A lack of the fear of the Lord causes people to do things their own way. Real life change flows out of a redeemed life. Until the heart of an individual is submitted to Christ, a biblical practice is not maintainable. We will never be able to fix a spiritual problem with a natural remedy. Biblical practice cannot take place until we come to a place of surrender to Christ.

Romans 12:1-2 “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Colossians 2:6-10 “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.  Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual power of this world, rather than from Christ.  For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.  So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.”

Desiring change is a great place to start but lasting change will require more than just a desire to make it happen. There will need to be a plan. We encourage those we are working with to develop a written plan, one they can practice daily. Once the plan is written then Start, Continue and Mature.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”

Lasting change can take place in the lives of believers as they practice following the Spirit of God and His direction for them. The Holy Spirit will help teach them to think differently and live differently as they listen to His voice and are obedient to His counsel. 

Victory Over Failure

“Search me; O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts, Point out in me anything that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

Many believers have great intentions to change but lack the tools to make the change a reality. 

We need an organized systematic way of evaluating life's challenges through the lens of scripture. Remember what Paul wrote to the church at Corinth  “These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.” (1 Corinthians 10:11)  

• Examine thoughts, speech and actions biblically. Is this the behavior of a believer?
• Recognize what needs to be put off and put on
• Develop an action plan for wrong thoughts, speech and actions. What am I going to do differently?
• Make those changes part of your daily life.

Lasting biblical change can only take place in an individual when he/she has surrendered their life to Jesus Christ. Without this commitment any attempt at change will face the temptation to compromise, excuse or evade personal failures. It is His power that is at work within us to make change lasting. Once that life is truly surrendered the heart truly wants to live a life that is pleasing to God and no longer self.          

What You Pursue Orders the Rest of Your Life

The principle: What you seek first organizes the rest of your life.  (Seek first the Kingdom)

This principle is spiritual and practical.  

What are you “seeking first?”  We pursue God first and His presence in our daily lives.  

In times of struggle, we tend to first seek a solution to the struggle.  But that was not Jesus’ approach.  

In Matthew, Jesus says something strange.  He is talking to people, many who likely did not have basic needs met, and He says do not worry about food, drink, or clothing.  We would have thought He was crazy, especially if we did not have food, drink, or clothing.  

Jesus’ secret was that He knew the power of God’s presence and the kingdom.  When God’s kingdom rules, needs are met. Our task as pastors is to help people seek God’s kingdom first, then we look for solutions to struggle