The Gospel for Disordered Lives

Description

The gospel of Jesus Christ—the heartbeat of the Bible—brings life-changing hope and power to real people with real problems. Inspired by that conviction, The Gospel for Disordered Lives provides an introductory guide to the theory and practice of Christ-centered biblical counseling. Intended to serve as a foundational textbook for students in Christian colleges, universities, seminaries, and graduate schools, the book also provides a useful overview that working counselors can reference in their ministry contexts. Additionally, it can serve pastors and current counseling practitioners as a helpful refresher and a resource for common counseling problems.  
  This volume provides an introductory guide to the theory and practice of Christ-centered biblical counseling. 
  “In graduate school, when others were selling their textbooks to get money for the next round of required reading, there were some I couldn’t part with. I had gleaned so much from them that I knew I would want to refer to them long after I completed my course work. Robert Jones, Kristen Kellen, and Rob Green have provided a resource just like that—a guide that will not only equip students as an introduction to biblical counseling but one that will serve them after years of counseling. Although I’ve been counseling for over three decades, as I read this great book, I found myself thinking, ‘Oh, I need to remember that when I meet with Jane,’ or ‘This would be helpful when I talk to Lila.’ Beginner or veteran, you will appreciate this resource.”
—Amy Baker, adjunct professor, Faith Bible Seminary and director of ministry resources, Faith Church  
“The biblical counseling world has profited greatly from rich resources produced over the past decade. In my opinion, however, none is as comprehensively complete and immediately useful as this introduction to biblical counseling by Jones, Kellen, and Green! The work testifies of the authors’ years of personal Bible study, extensive case wisdom, and love for Christ and his gospel. As I read every chapter, I commented often to my wife, ‘This is amazing!’ The biblical-centeredness and immediate helpfulness of every chapter makes this a must-read and reread for biblical counselors and professors of biblical counseling.”
—Jim Berg, professor of biblical counseling, Bob Jones University Seminary and founder, Freedom That Lasts®  
 “If you are looking for a comprehensive introduction to biblical counseling, this is it. If you are looking for a quick reference tool to gain an overview of a particular counseling issue coupled with a prolific, dependable source of resources to explore that issue in greater depth, this is it. TheGospel for Disordered Lives should undoubtedly appear on the textbook list of evangelical institutions of higher learning as well as biblical counseling training centers.”
—Howard Eyrich, director of DMin in biblical counseling, Birmingham Theological Seminary“While not all biblical counselors will agree with every aspect of this book, it does provide the reader with a thorough survey of biblical counseling issues. One critical matter we learn from these seasoned practitioners is that counseling practice should not be based upon pragmatic reasoning, but flow from theological foundations. Jones, Kellen, and Green have brought their years of counseling ministry to bear in a book that is both thorough and accessible. This is a wonderful introduction to the subject of biblical counseling, but it goes beyond basic material, helping the reader to ask proper questions and to see the breadth of biblical application for the various problems we face in life.”

—T. Dale Johnson Jr, associate professor of biblical counseling, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and executive director, Association of Certified Biblical Counselors“This book fills a long-recognized need for a comprehensive introductory biblical counseling textbook. The authors address counseling theory and methodology and then apply biblical principles to a wide range of important topics. They aspire to be biblical, careful, and balanced. When space does not allow them to deal exhaustively with many of the subjects they raise, they point the reader to specialized resources which address issues in greater depth. This is an important book which will be valuable both in the classroom as a textbook and in the counselor’s office as a reference.”

—James R. Newheiser Jr, director, Christian counseling program, and associate professor of Christian counseling and pastoral theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte  
“This book is a valuable addition for biblical counseling. It could serve as a primer for those who are new to biblical counseling as well as a reference work to provide initial guidance for common problems, such as anxiety and depression. The authors remind us of the significance of the gospel as they discuss hard issues based on biblical principles with practical applications.”
—Lilly Park, associate professor of biblical counseling, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary  
“There is so much trustworthy material here. You can read through it and use it as reference. Either way, you will be led in humility and confidence. Humility because we are ‘needy’ and have faults galore; confidence because ‘The Lord is great’ and he is pleased to come to the aid of helpers who need him (Psalm 40:16–17).”
—Edward T. Welch, counselor and senior faculty, Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation  
 
 
 
 
 
  Robert D. Jones (DMin, Westminster Theological Seminary; DTheol, University of South Africa) is associate professor of biblical counseling at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. 
Kristin L. Kellen (EdD, PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is assistant professor of biblical counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. 
Rob Green (PhD, Baptist Bible Seminary) is chair of the master of arts in biblical counseling program at Faith Bible Seminary, and pastor of counseling and seminary ministries at Faith Church, Lafayette, IN.  Louisville, KY
Kittrell, NC
Lafayette, IN Introduction 
Part One: An Overview of Biblical Counseling
Chapter 1 What Is Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling? 
Chapter 2 Who Can and Should Do Biblical Counseling? 
Part Two: Theological Foundations for Biblical Counseling
Chapter 3 The Bible and Epistemology 
Chapter 4 The Significance of God, Christ, and the Spirit 
Chapter 5 Anthropology: How Should We View People? 
Chapter 6 Disorders: Sin as the Ultimate Problem 
Chapter 7 Understanding Guilt, Repentance, and Forgiveness 
Chapter 8 Battling Satan and His Demons 
Chapter 9 Interacting with Alternative Counseling Models
Part Three: The Process and Methods of Biblical Counseling
Chapter 10 An Overview of the Change Process 
Chapter 11 The Role of the Counselor 
Chapter 12 Preparing to Counsel and Leading a First Session 
Chapter 13 The Counseling Process, Step One: Enter Their World 
Chapter 14 The Counseling Process, Step Two: Understand Their Needs 
Chapter 15 The Counseling Process, Step Three: Bring Them Christ and His Answers 
Chapter 16 Giving Hope to Those We Counsel 
Chapter 17 Using Growth Assignments in Counseling 
Chapter 18 Concluding a Counseling Case 
Chapter 19 Counseling Non-Christians 
Chapter 20 Ethical and Legal Issues 
Part Four: Common Individual Problems and Procedures
Chapter 21 Anger, Resentment, and Bitterness 
Chapter 22 Worry, Anxiety, and Fear 
Chapter 23 Fear of People, Social Anxiety, and Human Rejection 
Chapter 24 Sadness and Depression 
Chapter 25 Infertility and Pregnancy Loss 
Chapter 26 Suicide and Self-Harm
Chapter 27 Addictions and Enslaving Sins 
Chapter 28 Eating Disorders 
Chapter 29 Grief 
Chapter 30 Trauma and Abuse 
Chapter 31 Pornography and Masturbation 
Chapter 32 Same-Sex Attraction and Gender Dysphoria 
Chapter 33 Sexual Abuse and Assault 
Chapter 34 Guidance and Decision-Making 
Chapter 35 Physical Diseases, Injuries, and Disabilities 
Chapter 36 Medical Care, Medical Referrals, and Psychotropic Medications 
Part Five: Counseling Specific Age Groups
Chapter 37 Counseling Children 
Chapter 38 Counseling Teenagers 
Chapter 39 Counseling Middle-Aged Adults 
Chapter 40 Counseling Older Adults 
Conclusion 
Appendix: Recommended Resources on Suffering