Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands

The story tells me in a thousand ways that God has made a way to deal with my deepest problem, sin. It reminds me that my life need not be imprisoned by my own rebellion, defeated by my own foolishness, or paralyzed by my own inability. God’s grace is most powerful and effective at the moment of my greatest weakness. How practical and life changing

So, as you seek to help your friend, there are two things to hold onto. First, whatever you do must have the goal of heart change. Second, whatever you do must follow the example of the Wonderful Counselor. I want to introduce a model of personal ministry that takes both things seriously. It gets its shape from the way Christ brings about change in

What a difference it makes to see that being sinned against is not an occasion for vengeance but for God to be revealed! Instead of assuming God’s position as judge, we ask how we can incarnate his love to the people involved in the hurtful situation. Too often we forget that there is nothing more wonderful than to be Christ’s ambassadors. We parti

These facts lead to a radical observation. If it is true that all human beings are constantly trying to make sense out of life, then all of life is counseling or personal ministry. Counseling is the stuff of human life! We are always interpreting and always sharing our interpretations with one another. This “sharing” ultimately amounts to advice or

2. Ask a combination of survey and focused questions. We need both kinds of questions, because each discloses a different kind of information. We do not want to assume that a problem in one area of a person’s life only exists in that area, so we ask survey questions. We want to trace problems to their roots in the heart, so we ask focused questions.

Even though the heart is one of the Bible’s most dominant themes, there is much confusion about the term. In western culture the term is relegated to the fields of romance (Valentine’s Day) and sports (“he plays with a lot of heart”). In the Bible, however, the heart is an essential category. You cannot understand the human being without understand

Finally, sin renders us incapable of doing what God has ordained us to do. This inability colors every situation and relationship of our lives. It is not just that I don’t want to do God’s will, or that I think my way is better, it’s that even when I have the right intentions, I can’t pull it off. I always fall short of God’s standard.

Confrontation does not force a person to deal with you, but places him before the Lord. The most important encounter in confrontation is not the person’s encounter with you, but with Christ. Rebuke does not force a person to face your judgment; it gives him an opportunity to do business with God. It is motivated by a desire for the person to receiv

Five questions can help people see what God wants them to see. The order is important because it teaches us to think biblically about why we do the things we do and how God changes us. The questions are appropriate for young children and mature adults and for informal and formal ministry.