Counseling Interest

Welcome! Psalm 23

If you are here seeking counsel, welcome! You are in the right place! As we walk along our path of growing in practical areas of need, feel free to join us on that journey.

If you are here to make yourself available to counsel others, then welcome! Today we will begin the process of growing together as a team and a support structure for both counselor and counseled.

No one here is alone. Not only is Christ at the center and with you through everything, as Psalm 23 calls out to us “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”

But the goal of this program is be here for each other in Christ. As image bearers of the Father, we will also prepare a table with you amongst your trials and chaos. As Paul states, we are the house of God. Where Psalms 123 says, “Unless the LORD build the house, They labor in vain who build it.”

Paul then says we are knitted together “2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God Col 2:2.” and that is the House of God.

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Eph 2:19–22.

Invitation to the Kingdom

Mustard seed

Yeast/leaven

Treasure in a field

What this is not

We are not psychiatrists. We are not here to observe behavior and then prescribe behavior to counter the previous behavior.

We are not on a sin hunt.

John 9:39–41 NKJV

And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.

We are not here to expose/shame/condemn. Keep confidence.

Genesis 9:23 NKJV

But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.

We are not here to prove how smart we are.

We are not always right - and we don’t need to be regarded or respected.

We do not command. We may remind what are Christ’s commands, but that does not come from us.

We are not licensed (unless some of you are)

What this is

Everything and nothing. Christ is the Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, and Mighty God.

You are not the Counselor. You are disciple and little ‘c’ counselor. This is where Road to Emmaus comes from, after all. Christ is the Wonderful Counselor, we are disciples on the road.

We seek the gift of prophecy.

1 Corinthians 14:3 NKJV

But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.

We build people up, encourage people, and comfort people.

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 NKJV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

You are submitted to the counseled.

Christ leads. We serve Christ in the hurting.

Matthew 25:37–40 NKJV

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

Holy Spirit is our guide. For those who have counseled before, you understand your lack of control.

John 14:25–26 NKJV

“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

Luke 12:12 NKJV

For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

Isaiah 9:6 NKJV

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

All of this is to say, come to this humbly.

James 4:11-12 “Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?”

You WILL be hurt. Worse, you WILL hurt someone. We will be a team that is on our toes ready to repent and forgive.

James 3:13–18 NKJV

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

We also confess to one another so as to be healed.

We are great listeners.

James 1:19 NKJV

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;

2 Corinthians 6:1–10 (NKJV)

We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says:

“In an acceptable time I have heard you,

And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

You will be accused. We will be written off as unskilled, unprepared, untrained, not the right person for the job, all of it. When Paul is challenged to defend his ministry, this is what he claims. We are all of this. Broken, yet whole.

So now that we’ve established a bit of a heartbeat for the ministry’s aspiration, let’s define a high level structure for Biblical counseling.

I’m working to simplify the general flow of counsel in four conceptual phases. Identity, Death, Life, Loose them and let them go - Walk/Do. The way I will walk them down this morning is who we are in Christ (which starts with who Christ is), we are baptized into His death, we are raised into newness of life, and we walk in victory and awareness of His presence in all things.

Identity

Isaiah 43:1 NKJV

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.

He formed you, redeemed you, called you by name, and you belong.

Think about counseling someone dealing with gender confusion. Think about counseling someone who is depressed, feelings of nihilism. It becomes incredibly important to be grounded in who you are.

But that is just the start of this digging. The passage starts with the word “but...”

The New King James Version Chapter 42

The LORD is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake;

He will exalt the law and make it honorable.

22 But this is a people robbed and plundered;

All of them are snared in holes,

And they are hidden in prison houses;

They are for prey, and no one delivers;

For plunder, and no one says, “Restore!”

23 Who among you will give ear to this?

Who will listen and hear for the time to come?

24 Who gave Jacob for plunder, and Israel to the robbers?

Was it not the LORD,

He against whom we have sinned?

For they would not walk in His ways,

Nor were they obedient to His law.

25 Therefore He has poured on him the fury of His anger

And the strength of battle;

It has set him on fire all around,

Yet he did not know;

And it burned him,

Yet he did not take it to heart.

Ephesians 2:19–22 NKJV

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Romans 8:14–17 NKJV

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

John 1:12 NKJV

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

Roman Road

Baptized into Death

Romans 6:3–4 NKJV

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Colossians 1:21 NKJV

And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled

Galatians 5:24 NKJV

And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Romans 6:11 NKJV

Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:14 NKJV

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;

Colossians 2:20 NKJV

Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—

Colossians 3:5–8 NKJV

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.

Many of the folks that we will counsel need to put to death the carnal and focus on the eternal.

“God’s wrath is divine consent to the destructive nature of sin in our lives.” - Brian Zahnd

Areas of counsel that bring us back to learning how to die include persistent sin challenges, marriage counseling, fear and anxiety, lack of faith.

Raised into Life

Galatians 5:22 NKJV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Colossians 3:12–16 NKJV

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

John 3:16–17 NKJV

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Romans 8:1–2 NKJV

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

1 Corinthians 15:54–56 NKJV

So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.

1 Corinthians 6:11 NKJV

And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Philippians 3:12 NKJV

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

Counseling that aligns to this are new believers who want to get some Scriptural basis. Grief counseling. Anxiety, fear, pride.

Walking in Victory

The New King James Version Chapter 2

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.

The New King James Version Chapter 4

8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Romans 15:13 NKJV

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Colossians 2:18 NKJV

Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

Philippians 4:11–13 NKJV

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

John 11:38–44 NKJV

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

Counsel here is general discipleship, new believers learning what is in store, what is the kingdom. These elements are also foils for what might be lacking, and call for repentance. Major life decisions. Anxiety.

General Structure

Initially, we will begin in teams, equipping for different areas of ministry as a team. After a bit of time, and I’m looking to be led by the Spirit on timing, we will establish counseling pairs. I’m stealing the structure from the way Jesus sent the disciples out by twos, and from some of my learning on cognitive response to developing a skill.

The concept is you are never alone, and yet we respect your confidence. There is always someone to bounce ideas and situations off of for guidance and counsel.

One of the core tenets of the program is that even as you counsel, you are to be counseled. Leaders also follow.

John 13:8–10 NKJV

Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”

John 13:14 NKJV

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

This is family, but it is not all of our family

Hold Nothing Back

Expect things to get messy

Luke 4:16–28 NKJV

So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’ ” Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

2 Kings 5:1–19 NKJV

Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife. Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel.” Then the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy. And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me.” So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. So Naaman said, “Then, if not, please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth; for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the Lord. Yet in this thing may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord please pardon your servant in this thing.” Then he said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him a short distance.

Continuous Growth

The groups focused on different areas of counseling will gather as smaller teams for deep study and learning. The counseling pairs will also pursue study to foster better understanding, empathy, counseling skills and more in service to the folks that are being counseled. Some of this will be custom, some will be a bit more formalized.

Additionally, this larger team will get together periodically to celebrate and weep for what the LORD is doing in our midst. When we are together, it will have a targeted training of some sort useful for counseling, then some form of role play or discussion on the learning to cement skills.

Seeking Counsel

This will come to us through a number of avenues. People will continue to come to Pastor Chris, or Pastor Zach, or staff, or any other member of the body. There is also a form on the website for folks to give us a bit of information about the nature of their need. As we are currently not under a bunch of load on the system right now (there seems to be an ebb and flow to these things), I will contact them within 24 hours and gather a bit more information from them.

At that point, I will look at the available counselors and seek to do the match-making.

We will update this over time as scale demands.