One of the blessings of serving at a church that allows me to focus my attention on developing a robust counseling ministry is the opportunity to create resources that can be duplicated in our church plants and churches across the country/world.
This year we were able to create four programmatic seminars and three topical seminars to equip the church to care for another and their community.
Topical Presentations
1. Romantic Conflict
Romance and conflict are not two separate issues, but two sides of the same coin. The things fight for in conflict and the very things we long for in romance. The following message was given at The Summit Church on February 9-10, 2013. It examines the implications of Jesus’ call to discipleship in Luke 9:23-24 for marital conflict and romance.
2. Hope and Restoration After Sexual Abuse
This seminar contains three hours of presentation which attempt to answer three questions about sexual abuse: (1) How should we understand the disruption caused by sexual abuse? (2) What can we do to restore a sense of peace after the experience of sexual abuse? (3) How can we experience the restoration of emotions and relationships that God intended after the experience of sexual abuse?
3. Dealing with Regret
Regret always begins as an opportunity; hence the disappointment. There was something we wanted to be an enduring part of our life that disappeared, was forfeited, or was lost. Regret is never just a moment, but a painful and pivotal change in our life story. When we neglect mourning the hope that birthed our regret or focus exclusively on the moment in which regret began there are two negative consequences: (a) whatever guidance we receive feels light-weight and cliché, and (b) we miss most of what God has been, is, and wants to do. In this presentation I walk through the life of Moses in light of his most regrettable moment (Numbers 20:1-13) to illustrate how God’s works redemptively in the midst of the things we regret most deeply.
Programmatic Seminars
4. Finding Your Confidence, Identity, and Security in Christ
What if I don’t like myself? What if I am dominated by the thoughts that others are better than I am? What if I just don’t feel like I know who I am or what I have to contribute? What if I compare myself to every person in the room and always think I come up short? If you find yourself asking these kinds of questions, then this seminar is for you. This seminar provides a foundation for a satisfying sense of confidence, identity, security, purpose, and wisdom rooted in something more stable than positive thinking-the created design and unending love of Christ.
5. Creating a Gospel-Centered Marriage: Communication
What does a couple talk about over a life time? What if I’m not good with words or listening? How do we maintain friendship
when we’re having to keep up with so many logistics? How do we disagree and protect our marriage without losing what’s important to each of us individually? Why do words matter so much, and why can they hurt so badly? How do we make things right after they go wrong and not let negative momentum build?
6. Creating a Gospel-Centered Marriage: Decision Making
How do we manage our time? How do we navigate situations where we each want good things that cannot both happen? How do we determine God’s will for our personal and marital lives? How do we functionally express the biblical roles of headship and submission? How do we ensure that life’s tough decisions draw us closer to God and each other instead of creating distance? How do we respond when bad things happen to a good marriage or our plans?
7. Creating a Gospel-Centered Marriage: Intimacy
How do you maintain the “spark” of marriage over a lifetime? How do you continue learning each other without feeling like you know all there is to know? How do we protect our expectations from highly romanticized cultural ideals? How many ways are there to express love and why are they all necessary? How do we enjoy a balance of both intimacy and intercourse? How do we grow as lovers throughout our marriage?