In our first post and second post for Christmas, we examined two scenes of great joy from Luke 2. Today, we’ll look at the third scene that occurred in the week right after the birth of Christ. Simeon, a leader in the temple, experienced great joy coming face to face with Jesus and knowing that God had kept His promise. Years … Read More
Joy in Treasuring God’s Provision
Early in Luke chapter 2, we find the scene where God announced the miraculous birth of Christ with a heavenly pageantry of angels. Rather than the earthly royal announcement of King Jesus with all the expected pomp and circumstance due to a king, God let ordinary people in on the arrival of Christ. We see ordinary Shepherds, people like the average … Read More
Finding Joy at Christmas
While Christmas is supposed to be a season of “great joy,” at times it can be hard to feel happiness and embrace joy. When we are experiencing a leaky roof, years of infertility, a difficult breakup, or another round of chemotherapy, joy is often hard to find. It takes great trust to keep a positive attitude in the midst of … Read More
Being Thankful for Family
This article is part of our series on the family. In this series, our counselors examine various difficulties of family life and share ways to pursue healthier family dynamics. A viral video in recent years captured the spontaneous tears of a teenage boy receiving a beautifully decorated birthday cake. Because this boy was adopted from Sierra Leone in Africa, birthdays had … Read More
How the Bible Speaks to Family Problems
This is the first article in our new series on the family. In this series, our counselors examine various difficulties of family life and share ways to pursue healthier family dynamics. Every family has problems, and the families in the Bible are no exception. The Bible paints family life in vivid colors, pictures of families just like ours. In the … Read More
Surprising Research About Controlling Anger
Over the past few weeks, I have been reviewing some of the recent research about anger. It’s fairly obvious to even the most casual observer that anger seems to be on the rise in our everyday situations. At a basic level, we know that we all get angry, but that observation isn’t very helpful. Controlling our anger is usually the … Read More
How Friendships Bring Hope to Mental Health Struggles
This article is part of our new series on Mental Health. In this series, our counselors hope to call churches and Christians to re-engage with the discussion and care for mental health struggles. Many professional counselors would prefer that “church people” not get involved in helping people with mental health struggles. Perhaps they have heard horror stories of uninformed friends … Read More
How Pursuing God Brings Victory for Addicts
This article is part of our new series on addiction. In this series, our counselors are sharing how everyone can understand, overcome, and find freedom from addiction. February is the month that tests anyone who desires to change a bad habit. Whether we eat too much, drink too much, exercise too little, or feel trapped in damaging lifestyle choices, many … Read More
Addictive Relationships
This article is part of our new series on addiction. In this series, our counselors are sharing how everyone can understand, overcome, and find freedom from addiction. Is relationship addiction a real thing? The experience of “addiction” is when we want something too much and we feel like we need something so badly that we can’t live or experience happiness … Read More
