Outline : J.I. Packer is widely recognized as a pillar of 20th-centuryevangelicalism and has had a profound impact on millions of Christians living today. Now in his late eighties, Packer still exerts an enormous influence on pastors and laypeople around the world through his many books, articles, and recorded lectures-works that overflow with spiritual wisdom related to the Christian life. In …
Outline : Personal Change. Do you dread family get-togethers and try to avoid your extended family whenever you can? When you see your family, do you sometimes regret the way you talk and act? Why is it so hard to get along with the people we grew up with? Childhood hurts, unrealistic expectations, and old patterns resurfacing are just some of the reasons that Timothy S. Lane shares for unresol…
Outline : Resources for Personal Change. Everyone experiences hurt in relationships, but most of the time we are able to forgive and move on. But sometimes we experience a major hurt that lingers in our minds and leads to bitterness. We feel trapped by the resulting hostility, ongoing broken relationships, and inability to move on. Can you escape the sorrow and soul impoverishment that bittern…
Outline : Medical and Psychiatric Issues Depression makes so many things hard. Things you used to take for granted-a good night's sleep, having goals, responding to someone's love, looking forward to the future-now seem beyond reach. Is there any hope and help for those who are struggling with depression? Edward T. Welch insightfully describes the world of the depressed person and gives a bibl…
Outline: Faithful Men "It's normal." "Everyone does it." "Nobody gets hurt." These are some commonly held beliefs about sexual fantasy and masturbation, but are they really true? Are sexual fantasies and masturbation harmless ways to dealing with sexual frustattion? Marriage and family counselor Winston T. Smith uses his counseling experience and biblical knowledge to show how these seemingly …
Outline: Parenting. If you are a single parent, you already know you have one of the hardest jobs in the world. Trying to be both dad and mom -- breadwinner, cook, chauffeur, comforter, dishwasher, homework helper, disciplinarian, nurse, and role model -- can wear down the hardiest man or woman. But do you know that God, in the Bible, offers words of grace, power, and hope especially for you?…
Outline: ARE YOU OVERWHELMED by stress? On edge? Pressured to achieve? Spinning into free fall? What is the "noise" going on inside you? Or are you quiet inside? Here David Powlison invites you to look at Psalm 131to learn how to quiet your soul. "Psalm 131 gives us intimate access to the inner life of someone who has learned composure," Powlison writes. "This person is quiet on the inside beca…
Outline : Personal Change How many times have you tried to change a behavior only to find yourself doing the same thing again? Do these phrases sound familiar? "There I go again!" "I've had this struggle for years, and I just can't seem to win." "I do okay for awhile, but then I get caught in the same old sin." It's easy to be discouraged when we fall into the same old sins, but God, in the Bi…
Outline: "Why has this happened to me? Where is God when I'm suffering?" If you've been harmed by another person, the shock, confusion, and grief can be disorienting and sometimes immense. How are you supposed to process what's been done to you? Where does God fit in? Psalm 10 is an anguished prayer that is filled with comfort and guidance for the sufferer. Here David Powlison shows us what it …
Outline: Personal Change. Prickly, defensive, nasty, volatile, withdrawn, miserable ... aren't these days when you fell surrounded by difficult people? How do you cope? You can try avoiding them, gossiping about them, or giving them a piece of your mind. But wait! Don't your reactions make you hard to love too? William P. Smith explains that learning how to deal with difficult people starts wi…
Outline : PRE-ENGAGEMENT : 5 Questions to Ask Yourselves David Powlison & John Yenchko How do you know if you're ready to marry? What are the signs that a man and a woman are heading in the same direction and are right for each other? In this booklet a biblical counselor and a pastor team up to offer five pertinent questions that will help couples decide whether to commit themselves to each ot…
Outline : Personal Change Forgiving someone who has hurt you is one of the most difficult tasks anyone ever faces. In fact, it is so hard that most people avoid it at all costs. But when we don't forgive, we pay the price of bitterness that affects all of our relationships. Is it possible to forgive a great wrong and treat others with compassion despite the way they have treated us? Timothy S.…
Outline : Parenting. When your child is anxious, it's easy to get anxious too. You want to help your child regain a sense of peace and safety, but how can you? This world is big and scary and sometimes our worries get big too. Julie Lowe, a skilled family counselor with more than twenty years of experience, guides parents in assessing their child's anxiety and gives practical ways to encourag…
Outline: "PRIVATE SEXUAL FANTASY can preoccupy vast areas of a person's mental life," notes David Powlison. "As explicit sexual images proliferate in films and magazines, on television, and over the Internet, the temptations increase and the bondage seems unbreakable. Even Christians can find that their lives have become a push-pull struggle between indulging in fantasy and resisting it." "Is i…
Outline: Personal Growth. What if your human parents were violent, deceptive, cold... or even just occasionally disappointing? Can their failures keep you from understanding God's love and having a growing relationship with your heavenly Father? Some say that you can't know God's love unless someone will stand in your parent's place, giving you a loving new image to use in relating to God. Bu…
Outline: Resources for Personal Change What makes you angry? Sometimes small things make us angry: traffic ham, a waiter's mistake, or a friend's inattention. And sometimes big things make us angry: betrayal, injustice, meanness, violence, oppression, selfishness, and lying. How do you deal with your anger? Do you dump it on those around you? Or stuff it deep inside? David Powlison surprises …
Outline : IF YOU HAVE EVER purposely injured yourself, it may seem normal, even right. But if you haven't, it seems impossible to understand those who have. After all, don't living creatures avoid pain? Edward T. Welch writes this eye-opening and encouraging booklet assuming that you feel trapped in a cycle of self-injury or that you love someone who does. Welch helps loved ones to understand t…
Outline : Resources for Personal Change The damage you suffered may have been done in one terrible moment or over time. But the healing and the restoration will unfold at your pace, at a human pace. It unfolds as part of your story, and it unfolds over time. As a vulnerable child, instead of being protected, helped, and comforted, you were physically, emotionally, and/or sexually abused. Learn…
Outline: DOMESTIC ABUSE How to Help Couples who publicly sit at peace in church pews can secretly be at war. How do you help the victim of domestic abuse? And doesn't the perpetrator of the violence also need our help? Three counselors reveal ways to clearly communicate God's grace to the victims of violence. They demonstrate how to minister with confidence and humility to the afflicted. They…
Outline : In this updated and expanded edition, the author invites professors of communication and media to reflect on each chapter in light of our current cultural challenges and technological advancements over the past two decades. The collection of voices and conversations offer a discerning introduction to communication theory that guides readers through an interesting, creative, and biblic…
Outline : I hate it. I love it. Sometimes our desires can be cruel lovers. We think we should be rid of a particular desire, but we feel stuck. "What's the use in trying to rid my life of this desire?" we ask ourselves. "I've tried, but there's just no way out for me." Or is there? The problem may be more complicated than just being stuck. Might there be a path to true change? (If so, would …
Outline : Personal Change Often, in our busy world, our lives feel like one long "to-do" list. It's easy to get so busy that we don't even notice how exhausted and anxious we are. Do you find yourself saying yes to activities you don't have time for? Have you ever said, "If I don't do it, who will?" An overloaded schedule and an inability to rest are signs of approaching "burnout." Instead of …
Outline: LOST AMBITION. Emotional numbness. Fear and withdrawal. Fatigue. Marks of what is commonly called depression. If you are one of the many people suffering from depression, there is hope and there is help - a way up when you are down. Even if you don't feel like doing anything, this booklet provides manageable steps for getting started on the path that leads out of depression. Edward T. …
Outline : Medical and Psychiatric Issues If you're struggling with a sexual addiction of any sort, you understand that feeling of being trapped, out of control, and afraid of being found out. No matter what you try, it seems impossible to break free from the lure of illicit sexual thoughts and practices. Author David Powlison encourages those who want to overcome their compulsive sexual behavi…
Outline : "GOD'S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE." Sounds nice, but is it enough? Is there more to God's love? Describing unconditional love as detached "blanket acceptance" and "benign affirmation," David Powlison challenges our common assumption about the nature of God's love. Although wonderfully accepting, divine love is also intrusive, intimate, personal, and active. Instead of simply loving us as we a…
Outline: How hard it is to see God's goodness in the face of tragedy and suffering! Feeling abandoned, we cry out to him, question him, turn away from him, perhaps even curse him. It may seem like he's cheated us - we've done our part following him, but he's let us down. Paul David Tripp helps hurting people see their circumstances from an eternal perspective. Gently uncovering the wrong motive…
Outline : WHAT HOPE IS THERE WHEN A LOVED ONE'SMARRIAGE IS ABUSIVE? One spouse seeking to control and dominate the other is a prevalent problem, and even Christian marriages are not safe from it. But how can counselors and concerned family and friends know how to approach it... or even recognize it? Experienced Christian counselor Darby Strickland demonstrates how to recognize and uncover oppre…
Outline: "HOMOSEXUALITY is the hot issue of the day," says Edward T. Welch in this booklet. "Even more than abortion, it will confront the church throughout this generation, forcing us to listen, study, and respond wisely." How can we answer claims that the Bible does not prohibit committed homosexual relationships? Or that science proves that homosexuality is genetic, not a chosen lifestyle? W…
Outline: DISTORTED IMAGES of sex bombard our children from every angle. Where can they find a healthy view of their sexuality? How can parents and youth leaders teach kids the life-transforming truths that expose the counterfeits for what they are. Paul David Tripp unearths the premises that underlie popular views of sex and notes several characteristics that make teenagers especially vulnerabl…
Outline : WHAT CHARACTERIZES YOUR MARRIAGE? Marriage is a place for sacrificial giving-so a spouse who uses it to gain power and control is violating God's design. If you are being oppressed, you are probably feeling isolated and alone.., but you're not alone. Scripture has much to say about your experience, your safety, and God's heart for you-he does not blame you for your suffering and does …
Outline : Parenting The kids are hungry, dinner is late, evervone's tired and on edge, and then it happens-you lose control and blow up at them again. Is losing control with our children inevitable in our busy world? Or is there a better way? Learn from William P. Smith a better way to relate to your children than with irritation, anger, and harsh words. Drawing on his counseling and parenting…
Outline: Marriage Anger...fear...despair...guilt...shame...when your marriage is broken by adultery, the core struggles of your heart are revealed. But although you and your spouse may be experiencing many of the same emotions, you are standing on opposite sides of a deep abyss-one of you has profoundly hurt the other. Is it possible to bridge the gap between you and heal your marriage? Robert…
Outline: Are you having suicidal thoughts and feelings? Perhaps you are convinced that life is not worth living. Your life seems hopeless, like a black hole with all love, hope, and joy sucked out. David Powlison describes the various reasons you might be feeling hopeless and explains that God is not surprised or put off by your feelings of despair. Your life is precious to God. He knows everyt…
Outline: Singleness You know you're in love-you always want to be together, and you think about each other all the time-but does that mean you're ready to get married? How do you decide if your relationship is strong enough for marriage? William P. Smith gives you a series of questions based on biblical principles that you can use to assess your relationship's strengths and weaknesses. Answeri…
Outline : Medical and Psychatriatic Issues You've tried to stop more times than you can count. Now you've given up. Can someone who can't "just say not really change? There is hope-if you are willing to look deeper than your addictive behavior, Edward T. Welch helps you face what fuels your addiction and takes you straight to the heart of what your addiction reveals about you and your relation…
Outline : Medical and Psychiatric Issues As a chronic fatigue sufferer, life as you once enjoyed it has ceased. Fatigue can be brought on by a myriad of physical, emotional, or spiritual issues. But, whatever the cause, your entire world is now affected by your diminished physical strength. David Powlison understands how debilitating and demoralizing a constant state of fatigue can be through …
Outline : Personal Growth Are you living under a cloud of guilt that you can't seem to shake no matter what you do? Do you feel guilty about everything, all the time? We all have different ways of dealing with our guilty feelings, but none of them work for very long. Timothy S. Lane explains that our strategies for dealing with guilt don't work because guilt is not just a bad feeling. It's a r…
Outline: Medical and Psychiatric Issues The event occurred in the past, possibly many years ago, but you still carry it with you wherever you go. Some days the memory keeps replaying over and over again in your mind. You feel angry, jumpy, maybe even guilty or ashamed, You want to move on with your life and wonder why you can't just "get over it." With wisdom and compassion gleaned from many y…
Outline : Relationship Resources for Singles Your last relationship didn't work out, and you got hurt and maybe you also hurt someone else. Now what? Perhaps you are thinking about starting over with someone new, but you're nervous and wondering if you are really ready for another relationship. William P. Smith tackles head on the issues you need to face as you think about starting a new rela…
Outline : Personal Growth If we're honest, most of us can remember eating more than we need, More often than we might care to admit, we finish a meal knowing we've had too much. Why do we push the limits of our food consumption? Does God have anything to say about this struggle? Counselor and physician Michael R. Emlet walks us through the many reasons we may overeat and reminds us of biblical…
Outline: Parenting. How do you blend two separate families into one house-hold? Family traditions, values, interests, and parenting styles are often so far apart that simple questions like, "Who takes out the trash?" or "Where shall we go for Christmas?" can quickly become flashpoints of conflict. Winston T. Smith provides a road map to the unique challenges that each member of a stepfamily f…
Outline : PEOPLE ARE COMPLEX. There is behavior that we see and motives that we don't. Behind the "what we do" of our lives is the "why we do it." Edward T. Welch challenges us to peer more closely into the "why." He insightfully reveals that, according to God's Word, the heart is the source of all human motivation. Our hearts contain motives such as - Pleasure - Happiness - Meaning - Power Co…
Outline: Men's Issues. Your cancer diagnosis comes as a surprise - and not a pleasant surprise. It is a hard and threatening jolt. Perhaps you are still in shock. Still trying to wrap your mind around the new reality of your diagnosis and what is means for your present and future. Is it possible to walk by faith on this difficult journey? David Powlison, speaking both as a counselor and as so…
Outline: Resources for Personal Change Someone you know and love has died. You feel the emptiness and sorrow of loss. That alone is extremely hard. But suicide adds many other painful reactions to the heartache that death brings. Common reactions are feelings of anger, guilt, betrayal, and many, many unanswerable questions. This is one of life's broken, dark experiences in which you need help …
Outline: Someone you care about has been impacted by schizophrenia. Maybe you are just coming to terms with the diagnosis and wonder what it means for your loved one, for you, and for your family. What is the way forward? How do you live with hope and compassion in the middle of this struggle? Todd Stryd helps you, as a caregiver, to understand the effects of schizophrenia and offer compassiona…
Outline : ANGER. We all experience it, some more than others. When is it righteous and when is it not? How can we control our anger and not get caught in a maze of rage when things don't go our way? David Powlison takes a close look at anger. to help us understand what it is and why we have He exposes three common misconceptions that leave us powerless to overcome anger. Using the illustration …
Outline : Resources for Personal Change Everyone has their own style of dealing with conflict. Some people try to win at all costs and will do or say anything to get their own way. Others hate conflict and will do or say anything to avoid or end it. Sadly, neither fighting nor avoidance leads to genuine peace or restored relationships. Is there a better way? Timothy S. Lane, pastor, counselor,…
Outline: Relationship Resources for Singles "If we're in love, what's wrong with having sex before marriage? Why should we be the only ones who wait?" If you have ever thought or said things like this, you have a lot of company. Many people believe that, at least in some circumstances, premarital sex is okay. But do you know what God says about this issue? Timothy S. Lane clearly explains God'…
Outline: The biblical story begins and ends with God as king. Human beings rebel, however, rather than fulfill their royal calling to rule creation on behalf of their Sovereign - and the world became enslaved to the rule of a serpentine lord. In this volume of IVP Academic's Essential Studies in Biblical Theology, Stephen Dempster traces the themes of kingship and kingdom throughout Scripture, …