I’m honored to serve as a contributor to Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling, a book published by Harvest House and produced by the Biblical Counseling Coalition, even if doing so does make me the “co-author of sin” (theological nerd humor… see chapter 9 to get it).

Release Date

You can order the book here.

Here is free sample chapter from John Piper and Jack Delk and a list of the endorsements for this book from an assortments of Christian leaders.

We’re grateful that Dr. David Powlison of CCEF has penned the Foreword. Here’s a brief excerpt of his words about Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling.

Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling … revolutionizes the meanings that our culture attaches to the word counseling… The discussion and case studies will give you a solid feel for how the Word of life speaks into the lives of troubled and troublesome people who face a world of troubles.

This book affirms that a good counselor is many things simultaneously: tender and firm, responsive yet purposeful, candid and tactful, patient yet urgent, attentive and instructive, profound yet practical, prayerful and hard-working, comforting yet challenging, empathetic and objective, flexible yet committed, faithful to Jesus Christ and relevant to any person facing any trouble… along with many other good and desirable qualities. While the ingredients of deft conversation are hard to capture on paper, the tone and content of what you read will give you a feel for how godly wisdom carries on a compassionate and constructive conversation.

Chapters and Authors

Foreword—David Powlison

Introduction: In Christ Alone—Bob Kellemen and Steve Viars

Part 1: A Practical Theology of Biblical Counseling 

Chapter 1: The Glory of God: The Goal of Biblical Counseling—John Piper and Jack Delk

Chapter 2: The Power of the Redeemer—Ernie Baker and Jonathan Holmes

Chapter 3: The Ministry of the Holy Spirit—Justin Holcomb and Mike Wilkerson

Chapter 4: The Unity of the Trinity—Kevin Carson and Jeff Forrey

Chapter 5: The Grand Narrative of the Bible—John Henderson

Chapter 6: The Sufficiency of Scripture—Steve Viars and Rob Green

Chapter 7: The Spiritual Anatomy of the Soul—Bob Kellemen and Sam Williams

Chapter 8: The Influences on the Human Heart—Jeff Forrey and Jim Newheiser

Chapter 9: The Problem of Sin—Robert Jones and Brad Hambrick

Chapter 10: The Centrality of the Gospel—Robert Cheong

Chapter 11: The Gospel in Balance—Stuart Scott

Chapter 12: The Pursuit of Holiness—Lee Lewis and Michael Snetzer

Chapter 13: The Weapons of Our Warfare—Bob Kellemen and Dwayne Bond

Chapter 14: The Hope of Eternity—Nicolas Ellen and Jeremy Lelek

Part 2: A Practical Methodology of Biblical Counseling

Chapter 15: The Biblical Counseling Ministry of the Local Church—Steve Viars and Rob Green

Chapter 16: The Health of the Church and Biblical Counseling—Deepak Reju and Mark Dever

Chapter 17: The Personal, Private, and Pulpit Ministry of the Word—Kevin Carson

Chapter 18: The Transformational Tie Between Small Group Ministry and Biblical Counseling—Brad Bigney and Ken Long

Chapter 19: The Goal and Focus of Spiritual Formation— Robert Cheong and Heath Lambert

Chapter 20: The Importance of Multiculturalism in Biblical Counseling—Rod Mays and Charles Ware

Chapter 21: The Nature of the Biblical Counseling Relationship—Jeremy Pierre and Mark Shaw

Chapter 22: The Key Elements of the Biblical Counseling Process—Randy Patten and Mark Dutton

Chapter 23: The Diagnosis and Treatment of Idols of the Heart—Howard Eyrich and Elyse Fitzpatrick

Chapter 24: The Power of Confession and Repentance—James MacDonald and Garrett Higbee

Chapter 25: The Power of Forgiveness—James MacDonald and Garrett Higbee

Chapter 26: The Ministry of Soul Care for People Who Suffer—Bob Kellemen and Greg Cook

Chapter 27: The Biblical Understanding and Treatment of Emotions—Jeff Forrey

Chapter 28: The Complex Mind/Body Connection—Laura Hendrickson

Conclusion: Unity in Truth and Love—Bob Kellemen and Steve Viars

Appendix A: The Mission, Vision, and Passion Statement of the Biblical Counseling Coalition

Appendix B: The Confessional Statement of the Biblical Counseling Coalition

Appendix C: The Doctrinal Statement of the Biblical Counseling Coalition