Shows
The Ryley Heppner PodcastLust, Lies, and Freedom | Brad HambrickWhat does it take to truly break free from the grip of porn and sexual sin? Today I sit down with Brad Hambrick (pastor and biblical counselor) to talk about his new book False Love: 9 Steps Toward Sexual Integrity. In our conversation, Brad shares why lasting change requires more than behavior management, and talks about the role of honesty, the grip of self-deception, and how sin distorts our view of God and ourselves. Brad serves as the Pastor of Counseling at The Summit Church in Durham, NC. He also serves as Assistant Professor of Biblical...
2026-02-0253 min
This vs. ThatHealing from Betrayal: Ideal Expectations vs. Intentional Process - Brad HambrickOn this episode of This vs. That, we sit down with Brad Hambrick, pastor of counseling at the Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina, to discuss one of the most painful experiences a marriage can face: betrayal.We explore the tension between idealized expectations of quick healing and the reality that recovery requires an intentional, patient process. Brad shares why "rarely is the first story, the whole story" and how incomplete information at the beginning can derail restoration efforts. We discuss the importance of full disclosure versus discovery, and why marriages often die from "a death of...
2025-12-0351 min
Peace InterruptedPeace Interrupted: An Interview with Brad HambrickBrad Hambrick joins the conversation on Peace Interrupted to help us navigate the critical intersection of pastoral care and domestic abuse response. As the Pastor of Counseling at The Summit Church in Durham, NC, and an Assistant Professor of Biblical Counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Brad offers a seasoned perspective on how churches can move from harmful practices to helpful ones.
Purchase the STUDY GUIDE with the link below.
https://chrismoles.podia.com/peace-interrupted-study-guide-season-one-sarah-s-story
2025-11-2648 min
PastorThrive#4 Dr. Brad Hambrick - Pastors And Deep Friendships (Part 2)Cultivating Healthy Relationships for Pastoral Well-being
In this week's Pastor Thrive Podcast, hosts welcome back Dr. Brad Hambrick, Pastor of Counseling at the Summit Church and Assistant Professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Hambrick discusses the importance of developing intentional friendships and overcoming isolation in pastoral ministry. He shares practical advice on balancing vulnerability with professional boundaries, maintaining healthy relationships with church boards, and recognizing warning signs of isolation. Dr. Hambrick emphasizes the wider impact of relational health on church culture and ministry effectiveness, providing actionable insights for pastors and their families.
00:00 Welcome and I...
2025-11-2422 minPastorThrive#3 Dr. Brad Hambrick - Pastors And Deep Friendships (Part 1)Navigating Loneliness and Deep Friendships in Ministry with Dr. Brad Hambrick
In this episode of the Thrive Podcast, hosts Tim and Terry welcome Dr. Brad Hambrick, the pastor of counseling at the Summit Church in Durham, NC, and an assistant professor of Biblical counseling. They delve into the challenges of forming deep friendships in ministry, the impact of loneliness on pastors and ministry leaders, and the emotional and psychological needs met through genuine connections. Dr. Hambrick shares insights on why pastoral relationships often become imbalanced, how early ministry experiences shape relational approaches, and practical advice on finding...
2025-11-1029 min
KNEO PodcastThe Counter Culture Mom Show with Tina Griffin - Letting Go of Grudges and Saying No to Gossip Equals True Forgiveness - Brad HambrickTAKEAWAYSWhen someone tells you they’re sorry, believe themSometimes we use ‘oopsie-grade’ responses to ‘sin-grade’ offensesForgiveness does not mean that we don’t hurt anymore, but it does invite others to join us in a healthier lifestyleForgiveness accepts the responsibility of bringing a real hurt to someone’s attention TOOLS AND RESOURCES FROM EPISODEKerusso T-shirts (get 15% off with code TINA): https://rstr.co/kerusso/tinaMaking Sense of Forgiveness book: https://amzn.to/42tf1R5 CONNECT WITH BRAD HAMBRICK
2025-10-1727 minTAKEN TV PodcastsThe Counter Culture Mom Show with Tina Griffin - Letting Go of Grudges and Saying No to Gossip Equals True Forgiveness - Brad HambrickTAKEAWAYSWhen someone tells you they’re sorry, believe themSometimes we use ‘oopsie-grade’ responses to ‘sin-grade’ offensesForgiveness does not mean that we don’t hurt anymore, but it does invite others to join us in a healthier lifestyleForgiveness accepts the responsibility of bringing a real hurt to someone’s attention TOOLS AND RESOURCES FROM EPISODEKerusso T-shirts (get 15% off with code TINA): https://rstr.co/kerusso/tinaMaking Sense of Forgiveness book: https://amzn.to/42tf1R5 CONNECT WITH BRAD HAMBRICK
2025-10-1727 minThe Counter Culture Mom Show with Tina GriffinLetting Go of Grudges and Saying No to Gossip Equals True Forgiveness - Brad HambrickTAKEAWAYSWhen someone tells you they’re sorry, believe themSometimes we use ‘oopsie-grade’ responses to ‘sin-grade’ offensesForgiveness does not mean that we don’t hurt anymore, but it does invite others to join us in a healthier lifestyleForgiveness accepts the responsibility of bringing a real hurt to someone’s attention🛠 TOOLS AND RESOURCES FROM EPISODEKerusso T-shirts (get 15% off with code TINA): https://rstr.co/kerusso/tinaMaking Sense of Forgiveness book: https://amzn.to/42tf1R5🔗 CONNECT WITH BRAD HAMBRICKWebsi...
2025-10-1727 minThe Counter Culture Mom Show with Tina GriffinThe Path to Forgiveness: Canceling Debt, Letting Go, and Finding Freedom - Brad HambrickTAKEAWAYSForgiveness can take time because the person who has been hurt is often still in painThe way out of nagging and ignoring is genuine repentanceAcknowledging wrongdoing is a key first step in moving toward restorationForgiving others does not excuse their actions, but it frees you from carrying pain or anger🛠 TOOLS AND RESOURCES FROM EPISODEDonate to Counter Culture Ministries: https://bit.ly/46aQsKUMaking Sense of Forgiveness book: https://amzn.to/42tf1R5🔗 CONNECT WITH BRAD HAMBRICKWebs...
2025-10-1627 min
Holy & Healthy with Janetta OniFriends and Trauma with Brad HambrickIn this episode of the Holy and Healthy Podcast, Janetta Oni and Dr.Brad Hambrick discuss the critical issues of burnout, mental health, and the importance of friendships in ministry. They explore the nuances of mental health conversations, recognizing when to seek counseling, and the impact of trauma. Dr. Hambrick provides insights on how to support friends dealing with trauma and the necessary steps to take when reporting abuse. The conversation emphasizes the need for meaningful friendships and the importance of maintaining those connections in a ministry context.Show Notes Transformative Friendships: 7 Questions...
2025-02-1135 min
The Bounce with Bob LepineMobilizing Church-Based Counseling with Brad HambrickIn this insightful episode of "The Bounce," host Bob Lepine, lead pastor at Redeemer Community Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, dives deep into the intricacies of setting up effective counseling programs in churches. Joined by Brad Hambrick, pastor of counseling at The Summit Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, and assistant professor of biblical counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, this conversation sheds light on the practical steps and challenges involved in addressing specialized discipleship needs within congregations.Brad shares his wealth of experience and knowledge on developing church-based counseling initiatives, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between discipleship...
2024-06-1154 min
Hope + Help PodcastHope + Help for Deeper Friendships with Brad HambrickIn this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, host Christine Chappell interviews Brad Hambrick about his book, Transformative Friendships: 7 Questions to Deepen Any Relationship. Some of the questions addressed in this interview are:
• What makes a biblical view on friendship distinct from popular understanding?
• What are some reasons we might struggle to enjoy or pursue meaningful relationships, even within the body of Christ?
• What kinds of questions can we ask ourselves as we seek to nourish friendships with wisdom and intentionality?
• How can we best enjoy our friendships, whatever depth they may be at?
• How might exploring "what's fun" together in friends...
2024-03-1138 min
15:14 - Biblical Counseling CoalitionBrad HambrickBCC Council Member Brad Hambrick joins us as our guest today on 15:14. Brad serves as the Pastor of Counseling at The Summit Church in Durham, NC. He also serves as Assistant Professor of Biblical Counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and has authored several books, including Mobilizing Church-Based Counseling: Models for Sustainable Church-Based Care, God’s Attributes: Rest for Life’s Struggles, and served as general editor for the Becoming a Church that Cares Well for the Abused (churchcares.com) project. Brad is the creator of G4, a group-based counseling model designed to be led by lay people in the c...
2023-11-0437 min
Straight to the HeartHelping Hurting People with Brad HambrickBrad Hambrick and Rush talk about an exciting season of launching kids into the world, and hopefully into college baseball. And they also talk about counseling, the art and ministry of walking with people through hardship, and the beauty and freedom of real friends to whom we can entrust even our secrets. BRAD HAMBRICK ONLINE Brad's Website - Facebook - Twitter - InstagramMENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEAngry with God: An Honest Journey through Suffering and Betrayal Mobilizing Church-Based Counseling: Models for Sustainable Church-Based CareLearn more about the podcast h...
2023-07-2636 min
Author's Corner: Interviews about the Latest Christian BooksAngry with God, by Brad HambrickToday, Roberta talks to Brad Hambrick about his new book Angry with God: an Honest Journey through Suffering and Betrayal, available from New Growth Press.Counselor Brad Hambrick provides a guided process to being honest with God about your pain to restore and deepen your relationship with him.No one gets mad at God for something small. When we’re angry with God, it is because we’ve faced something immensely hard. Anger is an often-overlooked part of grieving, and as such, is an appropriate response to profoundly painful events. While we are often prone to i...
2023-07-2115 min
Hope + Help PodcastHope + Help for Angry Grief with Brad HambrickIn this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, host Christine Chappell interviews Brad Hambrick about his book, Angry with God: An Honest Journey through Suffering and Betrayal. Some of the questions addressed in this interview are:
• How is "angry grief" different than selfish anger?
• Why might anger be a commonly misunderstood or overlooked part of the Christian’s grieving process?
• What does it mean to be angry with God instead of at him?
• How can it be helpful to approach our angry grief as “a life-shaping (but not necessarily life-defining) experience and a difficult journey”?
• How does Psalm 44 apply to the pain and con...
2023-05-2240 min
Theology GalsAngry with God with Brad HambrickThis week we welcome Brad Hambrick about his book, Angry with God: An Honest Journey Through Suffering and Betrayal.
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2023-04-1952 min
This vs. ThatManipulation vs. Influence - Brad HambrickIn this episode of This vs. That, we talk to Brad Hambrick about the important topic of manipulation versus influence. Brad serves as Pastor of Counseling at the Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina. He also serves as assistant professor of Biblical Counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He's a council member of the Biblical Counseling Coalition and has authored several books, including his most recent book, Angry with God: An Honest Journey Through Suffering and Betrayal.
Brad emphasizes the importance of recognizing our own tendencies towards manipulation and control, even in our closest relationships, and to...
2023-04-1951 min
Bold, Brave & Beautiful Podcast with Barb RooseAre You Angry with God? | Interview with Brad Hambrick When suffering, hurt and betrayal turns our world upside down, our emotions can easily turn from grief to anger. Why did this have to happen? Will things ever go back to the way they were before? This isn't fair. In moments of deep pain it can be tempting to feel angry at God, but today's special guest, Brad Hambrick, teaches us what it looks like to be angry WITH God instead. To grieve with him as a friend and not an adversary. Join us for this gentle, gracious, healing conversation about how we can invite G...
2023-04-1740 min
FaithTalk Today with Rick Probst03/07/2023-Rick and Dan_Ps. Brad Hambrick_Rev. Timothy Brindle.What a great show today with these two Rockstars! We have talk to Ps. Brad Hambrick a few times over the last year. Brad is the Counseling Pastor At Summit Church In Raleigh North Carolina. His new book is Angry with God. Brad thanks for helping ALL of us walk through this journey with your insightful book!! Then Rev. Timothy Brindle came on the show with us. his fourth book for children is out The ACROSTIC of Scripture. Not only did Rev. Brindle explain how and why he wrote the book, he talked about his own journey...
2023-03-0736 min
Counsel for LifeAngry with God, featuring Brad HambrickIn this episode we talk with Brad Hambrick, author of a brand new book called Angry with God. In this discussion we talk about anger that expresses grief at the injustice of the fallen world we live in. Brad shares helpful wisdom about how to walk through this kind of struggle. To learn more about Angry with God, click HERE. To learn more about Brad's ministry, click HERE.Click HERE to become a friend of the podcast by subscribing!Subscribers receive a bonus episode each month with exclusive content not featured elsewhere on the podcast...
2022-10-0537 minCounsel for LifeBetrayal in Marriage (Pt. 2), Featuring Brad HambrickThis is the second part of a two-part series with Brad Hambrick. In this episode he will introduce us to his workbook called, "False Love: Overcoming Sexual Sin from Pornography to Adultery." Brad shares with us the tools in this workbook to help a person discover the roots of their sin and come toward the Lord in repentance and growth. Click HERE to learn more about Brad's workbook and accompanying resources.Click HERE to become a friend of the podcast by subscribing!Subscribers receive a bonus episode each month with exclusive content not featured elsewhere...
2022-09-2841 minCounsel for LifeBetrayal in Marriage (Pt. 1), Featuring Brad HambrickThis episode features Brad Hambrick, who will introduce us to "True Betrayal: Overcoming the Betrayal of Your Spouse's Sexual Sin." This is a workbook he created to walk a person through nine steps in healing, and Brad will talk with us about how the workbook can be used in ministry settings and with individuals. Whether you have experienced betrayal or know someone who has, you will be encouraged by Brad's wisdom and pastoral care. Click HERE to learn more about the workbook and accompanying resources. Click HERE to become a friend of the podcast by subscribing!
2022-09-2136 min
Investors GalleryInvestors Gallery with Brad BlazerThis week The $2 Billion Dollar Guy Brad Blazer joined the call to go over raising capital and his experiences.Investors Gallery is a live call open to the public where Investors, Fund Managers, Experts and more come to talk about their industries, investments, and opportunities. Investors Gallery is recorded and filmed in the Art Gallery built in the home of the Principle of Dimensional Capital Partners Pressley Hambrick's home. This medium was created to allow the public to have first hand access to high level investors and professionals. Through this live zoom conference anyone can...
2022-06-1854 min
Understand Your Bible | Bible Verses, Inductive Bible Study, Biblical Encouragement, Bible Study Method, Scripture Study ToolsForgiveness Road with Brad HambrickBrad Hambrick offers encouragement on taking steps towards living in the freedom of forgiveness.https://livesteadyon.com/Email Angie at: steadyonpodcast@gmail.comFacebook: @livesteadyonInstagram: @angiebaughman421Grab freebies and subscribe to the weekly Steady On newsletter at: https://livesteadyon.com/live-steady-on-newsletter/Looking for something not listed? It’s probably here: https://linktr.ee/livesteadyonhttp://bradhambrick.com/Brad’s book, “Making Sense of Forgiveness: Moving from Hurt to Hope” is available wherever books are sold.Brad mentioned:Chronicles of Narnia by CS LewisThe...
2022-05-1135 minCounsel for LifeMaking Sense of Forgiveness: Interview with Brad HambrickIn this episode we talk with Brad Hambrick about his newest book, Making Sense of Forgiveness. Brad shares some common misconceptions about forgiveness, as well as what to do when we struggle to forgive. He also gives us some helpful wisdom about how we should think about boundaries with others who have harmed us. Follow Brad Hambrick:http://bradhambrick.comFollow us:https://counselforlifepodcast.comhttps://elizahuie.comhttps://bethmariebroom.comBecome a friend of the podcast by subscribing! Our subscribers are invited to quarterly zoom calls...
2022-04-0626 min
Hope + Help PodcastHope + Help for Forgiveness with Brad HambrickIn this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, host Christine Chappell interviews Brad Hambrick about his book, Making Sense of Forgiveness: Moving from Hurt Toward Hope. Some of the questions addressed in this interview are:
• Why is forgiveness one of the subjects where Christians are most prone to rush one another?
• What does—and doesn't—it mean to extend forgiveness to someone?
• In what ways might we be tempted to leverage an offense against someone who has asked for our forgiveness?
• Is God's forgiveness for us in Christ unconditional?
• What are four principals that can help us think wisely about the role that b...
2021-12-2044 min
Speak The TruthEP. 85 Gospel For Real Life Series: Burnout W/Pastor of Counseling Brad HambrickIn this episode, hosts, Mike, Shauna, and Jeremy discuss with special guest, Pastor of Counseling, Brad Hambrick of The Summit Church in Durham, NC the reality of "Burnout" - resting in God's fairness. Brad argues burnout is actually a consequence of our life management, and he shows us how to create a time budget to avoid living beyond our means with the time God has provided. What is Burnout?What Causes Burnout?You mention motives in burnout…can you speak to that? -pride, fear & approval of manYou suggest doing a time budget…can you share more about that?What a...
2021-04-0518 min
Lake Murray BC PodcastEpisode 28 | Dr. Brad HambrickDr. Brad Hambrick is an assistant professor of counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and the pastor of counseling at the Summit Church in Durham, NC. In this episode, David and Dr. Hambrick discuss learning to process unpleasant emotions such as fear, anxiety, and loneliness, in a biblically faithful and practically helpful way. To support this podcast and all of the other ministries of Lake Murray Baptist Church, click here: http://lakemurraybc.org/give
2020-07-2330 min
5 Leadership Questions Podcast on Church Leadership with Todd Adkins and Dan Iten5LQ Episode 349: On Sexual Abuse With Brad HambrickIn this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Brad Hambrick, pastor of counseling at Summit Church. During their conversation, they discuss the following questions:
How is the church's response to abuse ultimately rooted in the gospel?
Why are both preventative training and response planning necessary for churches when it comes to abuse?
What are some of the best examples of practical ways you've seen churches minister to those who have become victims of abuse?
How do you provide pastoral care to an abuser in your congregation?
How can church leaders develop relationships w...
2019-06-1141 min
G4 AddictionGaining a Healthy Relationship with Food - Step 9If the law of God can be summarized in a positive command, then we must end this study talking about how to “run to” God rather than merely how to “run from” sin. Life is not about what we avoid, but what pursue. How we run to God’s design for our life finds a unique expression in each person’s life. For this reason, you will do most of the writing in this chapter. It is your life that is being stewarded for God’s glory. The goal is that you would find things that you could...
2017-10-3008 minG4 AddictionGaining a Healthy Relationship with Food - Step 8Are you enjoying where you are? Even if you are not “there yet,” can you identify aspects of this part of your journey that make it significantly better than where you’ve been? Unless you can answer “yes” to this question and take delight in that answer, perseverance will be grueling.Striving without delighting is exhausting.One of the keys to persevering, especially with a struggle as recurrent as food-related struggles (with which we have daily interaction) is the ability to enjoy an imperfect, in-process life. God does not just delight in you at the cul...
2017-10-3011 minG4 AddictionGaining a Healthy Relationship with Food - Step 7As you reach this chapter the momentum of change has probably already fluctuated several times. Getting started was hard. It felt like an uphill battle. Old patterns of life didn’t want to let go of you and you didn’t want to admit they had a hold on you. Changing your eating patterns can feel like betraying a friend; breakups are never easy even when they’re good and needed.But honesty with self, others, and God has a great way of building momentum. You began to let go of the weights of sin that clung...
2017-10-3013 minG4 AddictionGaining a Healthy Relationship with Food - Step 6This is probably the chapter you were looking for when you started this study. Thank you for your patience and perseverance in getting to this point. The foundation you’ve laid will help to ensure that your current efforts towards establishing a healthy relationship with food do not meet the same fate as previous well-intended efforts.You’ve probably known that in order to be a better steward of your body you needed more than food facts and an exercise plan. You needed to understand how you were misusing food for purposes food could never fulfill. You...
2017-10-3032 minG4 AddictionGaining a Healthy Relationship with Food - Step 5You will only be as free as you are honest. Privacy kills change and fuels sin. Transparency kills sin and fuels change. Chances are this step may scare you as much as any step you have taken since the first one. But remember it is not nearly as scary to move forward as it is dangerous to go backward. Don’t allow fear to make you forgetful.When you are tempted to think, “This is not worth it. Too much is being asked of me. Why do I need to confess my struggle to others?” remind yourse...
2017-10-3018 minG4 AddictionGaining a Healthy Relationship with Food - Step 4Should we really say, “God I am sorry my food portions were not ideal (either too large or too small)?” After all, haven’t we established that God does not have an ideal body type? Doesn’t the idea of repenting for a bad relationship with food wreak of legalism? Aren’t we getting dangerously close to holding ourselves to the standard of some fictitious “heavenly meal plan”?These questions push us to ask, “For what are you repenting?” As we will see, the most important part of repentance is never the behavior that made repentance necessary. When we...
2017-10-3013 minG4 AddictionGaining a Healthy Relationship with Food - Step 3If only we could say that we eat because we’re hungry, and we stop when our hunger is satiated. But does anyone really eat that way? We eat for comfort. We abstain because of fear. We eat to socialize. We abstain to be liked. We eat to be entertained. We abstain to punish ourselves. With the briefest of reflections, we quickly realize we have a very complex and elaborate relationship with food. This complex relationship with food starts very young; actually, from infancy. Food is used to get a child to stop crying. Food is us...
2017-10-3018 minG4 AddictionGaining a Healthy Relationship with Food - Step 2Thank you for continuing on this journey. It takes courage to persevere in something that is difficult. You are to be commended for completing step one and beginning step two. In this step we will examine breadth and impact of our unhealthy relationship with food. In step one, we named our struggle, now we will examine it.It may be strange to realize that we all learned to start using food as both a self-soothing and punitive instrument as infants. Food is a primary tool in every parent’s motivational and disciplinary strategy. “The baby is cryi...
2017-10-3025 minG4 AddictionGaining a Healthy Relationship with Food - Step 1What is your goal for this study? We’ll discuss several self-defeating goals a bit later in this study, but for now let’s consider what a good, sustainable goal would be for this study:To develop and sustain a satisfying lifestyleThat seeks to honor God by being a good steward of the particular body He gave youBy relating to food in a healthy wayAnd recognizing that God gave us food to be enjoyable fuel“We need a new relationship with food altogether, seeing it as an aspect of life but not the re...
2017-10-3027 min
Brad HambrickDealing with RegretRegret always begins as an opportunity; hence the disappointment. There was something we wanted to be an enduring part of our life that disappeared, was forfeited, or was lost. Regret is never just a moment, but a painful and pivotal change in our life story.When we neglect mourning the hope that birthed our regret or focus exclusively on the moment in which regret began there are two negative consequences: (a) whatever guidance we receive feels light-weight and cliché, and (b) we miss most of what God has been, is, and wants to do.
2017-10-3000 minBrad HambrickTowards a Christian Perspective on Mental IllnessThe panelist in this podcast are:Chris Ball, M.A.Executive Director at Bridgehaven’s Downtown Raleigh OfficeChris majored in Psychology and Religious Studies at UNC-Charlotte, before moving to the Raleigh area to attend Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he received his Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling.Chris gained experience counseling in the addiction field for three years before transitioning to Bridgehaven. He specializes in counseling those struggling with addictions (alcohol and other drug usage, family/sp...
2017-10-3000 minBrad HambrickTowards a Christian Perspective on Mental IllnessThis is a difficult subject to address, because of its complexity and highly personal nature. Everyone is affected by mental illness; either personally or someone they love. People you care about have experienced depression, ADD, addiction, bipolar, or other mental health struggle. For you the phrase “mental illness” may be a safe haven of explanation, a label that carries stigma, or a mystery that is hard to understand.This is why mental illness is a subject that must be discussed in the church; otherwise, our silence hurts people by leaving them to struggle in isolation. How does...
2017-10-3000 minBrad HambrickBurnoutBurnout is never caused by a single area of life. Burn out is a function of our total life management. One area of life cannot get out of order without overt choices of neglect being made other areas of life. This means that if we managed the others areas of our life well, it would have contained the area (i.e., work, ministry, parenting, etc…) that was the primary cause of burnout. We must resist the temptation to blame life, or even one area of our life management, for the experience of burnout. Burnout is a result of how we...
2017-10-3000 minBrad Hambrick10 Keys to Ensure Caring Is HelpingWhen we care for one another wisely three things should happen: (a) the person being cared for should be blessed, (b) the love of Christ should become more tangible, and (c) our faith should grow.Sometimes our attempts of caring can be done unwisely, resulting in unintended consequences: (a) the person being cared for is enabled, (b) the love of Christ is misrepresented, and (c) the care-giver becomes exhausted.A PDF of the one-page notes for this presentation is available here: 10 Keys to Ensure Caring Is HelpingOn this page...
2017-10-3000 minBrad HambrickSummit Counseling Ministry — Vision, Challenges, & PiecesThe following presentation was given at the EQUIP Leadership Forum of the Summit Church (Durham, NC). The purpose of this talk was the present the exciting opportunities and unique challenges involved with trying to offer a comprehensive counseling ministry. This talk is divided into three sections:The Unique Opportunities and Challenges of Summit’s Counseling MinistryHow the Pieces of the Summit’s Counseling Ministry Are Designed to Fuel One AnotherWhat This All Means for Individual Ministries within the Summit’s Counseling Ministry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out inform...
2017-08-0200 minBrad HambrickHope & Restoration After Sexual Abuse - Part 3The Search for Restoration See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
2017-08-0200 minBrad HambrickHope & Restoration After Sexual Abuse - Part 2The Search for Peace See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
2017-08-0200 minBrad HambrickHope & Restoration After Sexual Abuse - Part 1Understanding the Disruption See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
2017-08-0200 minG4 AddictionTrue Betrayal - Step 9It would be easy to want this study, like this season of your life, to just be over. But this study, like your life, has least one more chapter (and several appendices) left. When you put a great deal of effort, as you undoubtedly have, into getting past something, it can be easy to forget that there is something next. The fact that God has brought you to this point should be evidence enough that He has more in store for you and more to do through you. In Step 9 you will be doing most of...
2017-08-0209 minG4 AddictionTrue Betrayal - Step 8At this stage in the journey it can feel like scary relief not to be actively dealing with a problem or to be constantly taming powerful emotions. After a season being perpetually “on” guard, “on” the lookout, and having to be “on” top of things, it can be unsettling to be able to be “off.” That is what you should begin to experience more and more of in this step; becoming comfortable getting to be “off” again. Until we are comfortable being “off” duty, we are living in the hyper-vigilant effects of our spouse’s sin. Hyper-vigilance is a commo...
2017-08-0211 minG4 AddictionTrue Betrayal - Step 7To this point we have emphasized knowing facts, understanding impact, and processing well over “doing.” A spouse’s sexual sin creates a context of grief and trauma. These affects are often overlooked in the name of “figuring out what to do.” When this happens the offended spouse is left feeling like no one “gets it” and as if all actions are only Band-Aid fixes, moral manipulation, or shifting responsibility. Hopefully the road we have traveled has alleviated the fear of this step.But in this step, we will begin to focus upon responding. Grieving losses and processing tra...
2017-08-0224 minG4 AddictionTrue Betrayal - Step 6There is another step to take in your personal recovery before your focus shifts primarily towards the possibility of marital restoration (if desired and possible). By this point, the line between personal and marital restoration may feel blurred as one leads more naturally to the other. As you read this chapter, it is important to emphasize again that you are not looking for the “explanation of” or “way to make sense of” your spouse’s sin. Sin is illogical. Trying to make sense of it will keep you locked in pain and confusion. What you are seeking in...
2017-08-0226 minG4 AddictionTrue Betrayal - Step 5Unpacking your suffering story was painful and exhausting. The temptation is now to want to whatever is “next” just to get you away from the pain. God is more gracious than to drive you that hard and that fast. God wants to care for you as a person and that involves knowing when you need rest and comfort more than “progress.” This is one of those times. Mourning is how we find rest in the midst of something painful and sad without living in denial or surrendering to cynicism. Having identified the destructive themes of your sufferin...
2017-08-0210 minG4 AddictionTrue Betrayal - Step 4Medical professionals who work in the area of chronic pain often differentiate between pain and suffering. Pain is the physical experience (i.e., a pinched nerve) that travels from nerve to nerve and registers in the brain. Pain can be treated medically. Suffering, however, is the sense of hopelessness or despair that attaches to pain. It does not travel via nerve endings, but is part of our immaterial mind (not our physical brain). Hence there is no medical treatment for suffering. That is a work done in the soul not the body.As we look at...
2017-08-0218 minG4 AddictionTrue Betrayal - Step 3It is one thing to experience the impact of your suffering; it is another thing to understand the impact of your suffering. You have been experiencing the impact full force since the revelation of your spouse’s sexual sin and (likely) even before discovery you were wrestling to make sense of its impact without the central piece to the puzzle. In this chapter, we will begin to understand the connection between what happened and the changes in your life, emotions, and relationships.In this chapter we will look at three subjects. Factors th...
2017-08-0227 minG4 AddictionTrue Betrayal - Step 2Chances are your imagination has been running wild. When we don’t know the facts about a bad situation, we have a tendency to fill in the blank with the worst possible details. More painful still, our imaginations have the capacity to create more possibilities than could have really happened, but because we don’t know the truth we emotionally react as if every hypothetical were the reality.During this time of “acknowledging the specific history and realness of your suffering,” you will likely begin making sense of things that have seemed out of place for a long t...
2017-08-0222 minG4 AddictionTrue Betrayal - Step 1You were not ready for this… and you should not have to be. Being ready would have meant living in fear, resentment, or numbed denial. Being caught off guard and overwhelmed is the best possible and healthiest response to sexual sin by your spouse. That doesn’t lessen your pain but it should help alleviate some of the sense of shame and failure you may feel.In these early stages, you do not know if you know the whole truth and you don’t know how to discern when you will have learned everything you need to lea...
2017-08-0248 minG4 AddictionFalse Love - Step 9If the law of God can be summarized in a positive command, then we must end this study talking about how to “run to” God rather than merely how to “run from” sin. Life is not about what we avoid, but what we pursue. How we run to God’s design for our life finds a unique expression in each person’s life. For this reason, you will do most of the writing in this chapter. It is your life that is being stewarded for God’s glory. The goal is that you would find things that you could...
2017-08-0108 minG4 AddictionFalse Love - Step 8Take a deep breath. You’re probably thinking, “I’m ready to be done with this study.” If you’re at Step 8, you have come a long way. You have made many sacrifices and opened your life to many more people than you ever thought you would. Hopefully, you are experiencing the restorative forgiveness of God in ways that are incredibly refreshing. Let me ask you this question, “What does it look like to continue to follow God from here?” Chances are that you’ve put so much energy into getting “here” that it is not entirely clear how t...
2017-08-0111 minG4 AddictionFalse Love - Step 7As you reach this step the momentum of change has probably already fluctuated several times. Getting started was hard. It felt like an uphill battle. Sin didn’t want to let go of you and you didn’t want to admit it had a hold on you. Honesty with self, others, and God has a great way of building momentum. You began to let go of the weights of sin that clung to you and run free from secrets (Heb. 12:1). That phase is almost always exciting and you can almost feel guilty about the amount of relief it brings (espe...
2017-08-0109 minG4 AddictionFalse Love - Step 6To this point you have admitted, acknowledged, understood, repented, and confessed. Each of the previous steps are vital parts of the change process, but are incomplete to create a lifestyle where purity and honor are defining marks of your life and relationships. Each of the steps to this point have been about “putting off” sin (Eph 4:22) or changing how you think about your sin (Eph. 4:23) more than “putting on” God’s character (Eph. 4:24). Lasting change replaces what it rids and builds something new in the place of what it tears down. That will be the focal point for the rest of th...
2017-08-0132 minG4 AddictionFalse Love - Step 5When we looked at the development of sexual sin in Step 1, we said a major threshold was crossed when sexual sin goes public (moving from images or conversations with anonymous people to arousing interaction with a real, known person). The same is true in the destruction of sexual sin; a major threshold is crossed as sexual integrity goes public (moving from private dialogue with God to public confession with real, known people).If you have made it through the first four steps with integrity then change has happened, but it is starting in Step 5 that you...
2017-08-0119 minG4 AddictionFalse Love - Step 4You probably feel like your soul has been laid bare in the first three steps. You have looked at yourself, your behaviors, and your life as a whole in ways that you have likely resisted doing for a long time. In this chapter you are going to bring that honest self-awareness before God. You are not bringing Him something (by way of information) that He needs in order to act. You are placing yourself in a position to receive what He has already done on your behalf. If you presume upon God’s forgiveness (i.e., “God...
2017-08-0114 minG4 AddictionFalse Love - Step 3Why? Why? Why?! This is a vexing question. As soon as you say “because…” you run the risk of blame-shifting and we’ve already spoken to the dangers of this. But in the absence of a “because…” it sounds like you should just be able to “Stop it!” and if that were the case you wouldn’t be reading these materials.Part of this confusion begins with how we commonly view people. It is popular to think of ourselves as basically good people who apart from outside interference would not do bad things; act selfishly, betray, sacrifice more import...
2017-08-0124 minG4 AddictionFalse Love - Step 2The last chapter was painful. Looking at “what” types of sexual win you struggle with is hard. This chapter will likely be equally uncomfortable as you examine the “extent” of those sins. Unless you acknowledge the breadth and impact of your sexual sin, your efforts at change will be limited to the most overt and recent sins. Omitting this step also results in rooting your efforts at change in the powerful emotions you feel (shame in a “bad” moment; relief or pride in a “good” moment) rather than the reality of your history. Neither sincerity nor shame will susta...
2017-08-0116 minG4 AddictionFalse Love - Step 1This is miserable. Whether you are picking up this material for yourself or to help a friend, you’ve probably tried to avoid this subject for a while. Although unpleasant, this material is vital. It is vital for you personally if you are caught in sexual sin, because you will never know lasting peace and joy while the leach of lust drains your life. It is vital for you as a friend, because sexual sin is reaching epidemic proportions in our culture and must be addressed if we are going to do “relevant” ministry."If you pr...
2017-08-0143 min
G4 EmotionsOvercoming Anger - Step 9In Step 6 we discussed the difference between running from sinful anger and running to the life God desires for us. This final chapter is devoted to the subject of “running to” God’s design. You will do most of the writing in this chapter. It is your life that is being stewarded for God’s glory. The goal is that you would find things that you could give yourself to more passionately than you once gave yourself to your anger. But not just temporal, slightly healthier things that would quickly become the next edition of ruling de...
2017-08-0106 minG4 EmotionsOvercoming Anger - Step 8Are you enjoying where you are? Even if you are not “there yet,” can you identify aspects of this part of your journey that make it significantly better than where you’ve been? Unless you can answer “yes” to this question and take delight in that answer, perseverance will be grueling. Striving without delighting is exhausting.One of the keys to persevering, especially with a struggle as recurrent as anger, is the ability to enjoy an imperfect, in-process life. God does not just delight in you at the culmination of your sanctification. God delights in you right now...
2017-08-0109 minG4 EmotionsOvercoming Anger - Step 7We are now squarely in the present tense. Admitting, acknowledging, understanding, repenting, and confessing were all focused on things we had done or experienced (past tense). Restructuring life was all about what we intend to do (future tense). In the first six steps we were protected from dynamic things like the pressures and nuances of daily life. To this point, we have scripted and rehearsed our social interactions but now we are leaving the scripts behind.In order to engage with implementation effectively, we must have our perspective on temptation transformed. There is a tendency to...
2017-08-0123 minG4 EmotionsOvercoming Anger - Step 6As we get to the most “practical” part of the study, hopefully you are at a better place spiritually, relationally, emotionally, and in terms of self-understanding than you have ever been before (or at least in a long time). This foundation allows you to enact the plans you are about to make in a way you could not when you felt distant from God, isolated from people, emotionally frazzled, and your self-understanding was filled with lies and distortions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2017-08-0124 minG4 EmotionsOvercoming Anger - Step 5If we became active in Step 4, then we are going public in Step 5. Confession that is less public than the sin which prompted its necessity promotes short-lived change. Confession is when our new allegiance (from self to God) becomes public. Confession is to sanctification what baptism is to salvation – public evidence that a change has occurred and is impacting the core of our identity and how we relate to the world.Confession is often hard for someone who struggles with anger. Anger is about being strong. Confession feels weak and vulnerable. Anger is bold and in co...
2017-08-0112 minG4 EmotionsOvercoming Anger - Step 4This material is not another trip around the “try harder” merry-go-round!It is at Step 4 that you begin to experience the difference. Hopefully, you have a more complete understanding of your struggle with anger than you’ve ever had before. You probably have more ongoing Christian support than you’ve had in previous attempts to control your anger. But understanding, the absence of blame-shifting, community, and direction are not the source of change. God is.Change doesn’t involve white knuckles; it requires the empty hands and bent knees of humble repentance.In o...
2017-08-0116 minG4 EmotionsOvercoming Anger - Step 3It is unfortunate that this step will likely not be as satisfying as we would like. We often fall into the trap of thinking that if we understand the “why” better, then the “what” will be easy, or at least easier. There are at least two realities that disrupt this seemingly sound logic.First, sin is not rational, so it refuses to play by our rules of logic. Sin is not a simple behavior that plays by single-variable motivations. Rather sin is a condition and a predator. Sin has its roots in our fallen human nature. Sin is a...
2017-08-0126 minG4 EmotionsOvercoming Anger - Step 2It is hard to admit how “off” we get when we are angry. One reason is because we often get angry for right reasons or legitimate causes. We must start Step 2 by admitting that a legitimate trigger is only the first test of righteous anger.Below are seven test questions for righteous anger taken from David Powlison’s article (bold text only) “Anger Part 1: Understanding Anger” from The Journal of Biblical Counseling (Fall 1995). The journaling tool provided in Step 3 will include these seven tests, but only use the words in parenthesis to reference each test. Your goal here...
2017-08-0123 minG4 AddictionOvercoming Codependency - Step 9It would be easy to want this study, like this season of your life, to just be over. But this study, like your life, has at least one more chapter (and several appendices) left. When you put a great deal of effort, as you undoubtedly have, into getting past something, it can be easy to forget that there is something next. The fact that God has brought you to this point should be evidence enough that He has more in store for you and more to do through you. In this chapter you will be d...
2017-08-0103 minG4 AddictionOvercoming Codependency - Step 8New and normal are words that do not belong together. But that is precisely what step eight is all about, establishing a new normal. In steps 2-4, you looked at the things that created an unhealthy normal. In step 5, you grieved that these things were ever “normal” for you. In steps 6-7, you began to piece together a new, healthy normal. Now, in step 8, you will begin to rest in that new normal and allow it to solidify.Unfortunately, prolonged relational dysfunction created a way of life that made it easy for us to wonder if “normal...
2017-08-0107 minG4 AddictionOvercoming Codependency - Step 7One of the biggest challenges in identifying goals for combatting the effects of codependency is to be active without accepting false guilt or distorting how you allocate responsibility for change again. It is easy to think if there is something I can do that would be more effective than what I have been doing, then if I had been doing it all along everything would be fine. In order to help you avoid this mindset, we will order the strategies for relating more healthily in a progression that builds from intrapersonal strategies (inside of you) to...
2017-08-0134 minG4 AddictionOvercoming Codependency - Step 6When you experience major relational upheaval, it feels like the rest of life should be put on hold. Yet, so often, when we face addictive or abusive challenges in our relationships, life continues “as normal” because no one else knows what’s going on. This can be both disorienting and offensive. Doesn’t anyone care? Can’t anyone see? We feel hurt, angry, and alone.However, so far this study has primarily been a major deconstruction project; we have broken down your experience and its fallout in many ways (hopefully insightful and helpful). The result is, while you...
2017-08-0131 minG4 AddictionOvercoming Codependency - Step 5It is likely that we have related codependently, not just with other people, but also with God. This is not meant to call into question our assurance of salvation, but to recognize the likelihood that we have:Served God in order to get leverage over him to do what we think needs to be done.Thrown our emotions at God in prayer more than had a genuine conversation with him.Tried to make God feel bad because we interpret our hardships as if he were being mean or insulting towards us....
2017-08-0118 minG4 AddictionOvercoming Codependency - Step 4At several points in the study you have probably begun to question God, doubt Him, be angry at Him, or wonder if what you think about Him really makes any difference. We’ve brought many painful experiences to mind. When we look at them, we naturally ask, “Where does ‘the buck’ stop?” It stops with God (or whoever, whatever is in control… if anything is). It has been said that animals divide between herbivores (those eating plants) and carnivores (those eating meat), but that humans are verbivores – we live off of words, or, more accurately, off of the mean...
2017-08-0117 minG4 AddictionOvercoming Codependency - Step 3After acknowledging the history and realness of our relational unhealthiness, we need to understand the impact of these experiences on our life. Unless we understand the impact, we will be forced to “just try to do better;” which is often what leads us to the dilemma of taking responsibility for things that don’t belong to us and, hence, leads us to be controlling.But the other rebuttal is, “Looking at the impact will only make me feel worse.” This is partially true, and why it is highly recommended you go through this study with a friend, pa...
2017-08-0127 minG4 AddictionOvercoming Codependency - Step 2There is nothing “fun” or enjoyable about this step. However, it is a good and needed part of the process. But do not allow these first two statements to cause you to think, “Alright then, let’s get it over with as quickly as possible.” That would be a mistake that would likely result in you missing the key information that is most important to glean from this step.Your goal in this step is to identify the unhealthy patterns of relationship that have developed in your life. Often we miss the patterns for the events; a form of...
2017-08-0120 minG4 AddictionOvercoming Codependency - Step 1This may be the most confusing seminar topic ever. Is codependency really a thing? After all, no one can agree on a definition (this is true). Besides, the problem isn’t me; it’s the people who are hurting me or are destroying their life with addiction. You’re not going to tell me this is my fault, are you? Wait a minute, no one in my life is an addict and I’m not married, can I be codependent? These are just a few of challenges we will have to navigate on our journey. We will def...
2017-08-0123 minBrad HambrickDo Ask, Do Tell, Let's Talk - Part 2On April 12, 2016 The Sam James Institute of The Summit Church hosted a forum built around the subject of my book Do Ask, Do Tell, Let’s Talk: How and Why Christians Should Have Gay Friends. The forum consisted of a presentation that over viewed the content of the book followed by a panel discussion with individuals who either experience same sex attraction or have extensive ministry-counseling experience in the area of same sex attraction. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
2017-08-0100 minBrad HambrickDo Ask, Do Tell, Let's Talk - Part 1On April 12, 2016 The Sam James Institute of The Summit Church hosted a forum built around the subject of my book Do Ask, Do Tell, Let’s Talk: How and Why Christians Should Have Gay Friends. The forum consisted of a presentation that over viewed the content of the book followed by a panel discussion with individuals who either experience same sex attraction or have extensive ministry-counseling experience in the area of same sex attraction. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
2017-08-0100 minBrad HambrickFinding Your Confidence, Identity, & Security in Christ - Part 6Biblical Wisdom refers to the principled pursuit of pleasure, not to fill a void, but to fulfill a calling. Wisdom requires fearing (seeking the approval of) God more than fearing (seeking the approval of) man. The restraint of wisdom does not diminish the intensity of pleasure, but prolongs the time frame in which pleasure can be savored and the freedom of conscience with which pleasure can be remembered. Wisdom cannot be reduced to a set of principles or propositions because it is an expression of God’s character in the midst of relationships. Wisdom is a vi...
2017-08-0100 minBrad HambrickFinding Your Confidence, Identity, & Security in Christ - Part 5Biblical security is a disposition of stability that allows for a patient and an increasingly accurate interpretation of personal performance, interpersonal interactions, and circumstances in the midst of situations that are as yet uncertain, incomplete, challenging, or negative. Biblical security acknowledges that failure, criticism, and personal sin will occur; however, it does not allow the legitimate guilt, disappointment, or embarrassment of these events to create instability or dash hope. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
2017-08-0100 minBrad HambrickFinding Your Confidence, Identity, & Security in Christ - Part 4Biblical confidence is the demeanor that exhibits a positive expectation that God will enable us to accomplish any good work He has calls for us to do. This demeanor results in an increasingly shorter period of hesitation and level of anxiety when attempting a task; and a greater degree of peace and fulfillment while planning, carrying out, and evaluating a task. After the task is complete, biblical confidence reduces the degree of pressure to repeat or exceed the accomplishment and the temptation to pride.This chapter focuses on how to develop this demeanor in a Christ-centered...
2017-08-0100 minBrad HambrickFinding Your Confidence, Identity, & Security in Christ - Part 3Biblical Purpose is an over-arching objective in life that brings cohesion and direction to the apparent disconnectedness of life. Purpose is what allows an individual to measure progress and have a sense of accomplishment. Purpose defines why you do things (i.e., big picture), more than what you do (i.e., little tasks).We must realize the same action can stem from multiple purposes. For example, how many different purposes are there for why a young boy would help an old lady across the street? A short list includes: sincere compassion; to earn a Boy Scott...
2017-08-0100 minBrad HambrickFinding Your Confidence, Identity, & Security in Christ - Part 2Biblical Identity refers to the defining ideas, labels, and relational roles which make our actions or emotions seem right and natural. Identity, when healthy, remains constant even when circumstances and peer groups change. Identity should remain stable when no one is looking, everyone is looking, when you are with the love of your life, or an ardent enemy.Identity is one of the defining marks of human motivation. We act out of who we think we are. Identity is one of the primary ways that the heart expresses what it loves most. Identity is a primary...
2017-08-0100 minBrad HambrickFinding Your Confidence, Identity, & Security In Christ - Part 1Is self-esteem a goal (something to be obtained) or a method (means of obtaining something)?In order to answer this question well, we will have to define our terms. Often there is confusion in these kinds of conversations because people use the same word to mean many different things. We can get anything from bottled water to an ice cream sandwich from a “Coke” machine; not to mention that many people refer to Coca-Cola’s rival Pepsi as a “Coke.”We should begin to realize that when a word means everything or anything, it quickly...
2017-08-0100 minG4 AddictionOvercoming Addiction - Step 9If the law of God can be summarized in a positive command, then we must end this study talking about how to “run to” God rather than merely how to “run from” sin. Life is not about what we avoid, but what we pursue. How we run to God’s design for our life finds a unique expression in each person’s life. For this reason, you will do most of the writing in this chapter. It is your life that is being stewarded for God’s glory. The goal is that you would find things that you...
2017-08-0107 minG4 AddictionOvercoming Addiction - Step 8Are you enjoying where you are? Even if you are not “there yet,” can you identify aspects of this part of your journey that make it significantly better than where you’ve been? Unless you can answer “yes” to this question and take delight in that answer, perseverance will be grueling.Striving without delighting is exhausting.One of the keys to persevering, especially with a struggle as recurrent as an addiction, is the ability to enjoy an imperfect, in-process life. God does not just delight in you at the culmination of your sanctification. God deligh...
2017-08-0108 minG4 AddictionOvercoming Addiction - Step 7As you reach this chapter, the momentum of change has probably already fluctuated several times. Getting started was hard. It felt like an uphill battle. Old patterns of life didn’t want to let go of you and you didn’t want to admit they had a hold on you. Changing your addictive lifestyle can feel like betraying a friend; breakups are never easy even when they’re good and needed.But honesty with self, others, and God has a great way of building momentum. You began to let go of the weights of sin that clung...
2017-08-0111 minG4 AddictionOvercoming Addiction - Step 6This is probably the chapter you were looking for when you started this study. Thank you for your patience and perseverance in getting to this point. The foundation you’ve laid will help to ensure that your current efforts towards sobriety do not meet the same fate as previous, well-intended efforts.You’ve probably known that living an enjoyable sober life required more than insight and remorse. But you needed to see more clearly how your AoD of choice was being asked to fulfill a bigger role than it ever could and how this dysfunctional relationship with...
2017-08-0127 minG4 AddictionOvercoming Addiction - Step 5You will only be as free as you are honest. Privacy kills change and fuels sin. Transparency kills sin and fuels change. Chances are this step may scare you as much as any step you have taken since the first one. But remember it is not nearly as scary to move forward as it is dangerous to go backward. Don’t allow fear to make you forgetful.When you are tempted to think, “This is not worth it. Too much is being asked of me. Why do I need to confess my addiction to others?” remind yourse...
2017-08-0121 minG4 AddictionOvercoming Addiction - Step 4You probably feel like your soul has been laid bare in the first three steps. You have looked at yourself, your behaviors, and your life as a whole in ways that you have probably resisted for a long time. In this chapter you are going to bring that honest self-awareness before God. You are not bringing Him something (by way of information) that He needs in order to act. You are placing yourself in a position to receive what He has already done on your behalf.If you presume upon God’s forgiveness (i.e., “God has...
2017-08-0116 minG4 AddictionOvercoming Addiction - Step 3It is unfortunate that this step will likely not be as satisfying as we would like. We often fall into the trap of thinking that if we understand the “why” better, then the “what” will be easy, or at least easier. There are at least two realities that disrupt this seemingly sound logic. First, sin is not rational, so it refuses to play by our rules of logic. Sin is not a simple behavior that operates according to single-variable motivations. Rather sin is a condition and a predator. Sin has its roots in our fallen human nature...
2017-08-0114 minG4 AddictionOvercoming Addiction - Step 2Thank you for continuing on this journey. It takes courage to persevere in something that is difficult. You are to be commended for completing step one and beginning step two. In this step we will examine the breadth and impact of our addictions. In step one, we named our struggle; now we will examine it.As we consider the impact of your struggle, I want to ask you to wrestle with a difficult question. Be as honest and objective as you can. One of the primary goals of this chapter is to help you answer this...
2017-08-0125 minG4 AddictionOvercoming Addiction - Step 1Thank you for the courage and humility represented in your willingness to engage this material. Doubtless, if alcohol or drugs have disrupted your life and hurt those you love, many people have tried to force you to change and make you admit the problem. That is a hard context in which to explore the possibility of change. That is why it is important for you to know that every decision in this study is yours to make or not make. Like it or not, for better or worse, the direction of your life is in your...
2017-08-0131 min