David Powlison – författare

You probably speak 20,000 words a day, give or take, and each one influences those who listen. No wonder God has so much to say about our words. We are all counselors, whether we realize it or not! Speaking Truth in Love is a blueprint for communication that strengthens community in Christ. The principles outlined in this pivotal work are specific to counseling, yet extend to marriage, family, friendship, business, and the church.Have you ever wondered how to be a more effective counselor?Have you ever looked for a better way to talk to difficult people?Have you ever wanted to express faith and love more naturally in your relationships? Practical in its approach yet comprehensive in its scope, Speaking Truth in Love is sure to become required reading for anyone interested in pursuing a career as a counselor or anyone else who longs for ways to redeem relationships.

The process of sanctification is personal and organic—not a one-size-fits-all formula.Many popular views try to reduce the process of Christian growth to a single template. For example, remember past grace. Rehearse your identity in Christ. Avail yourself of the means of grace. Discipline yourself. But Scripture portrays the dynamics of sanctification in a rich variety of ways. No single factor, truth, or protocol can capture why and how a person is changed into the image of Christ. Weaving together personal stories, biblical exposition, and theological reflection, David Powlison shows the personal and particular ways that God meets you where you are to produce change. He highlights the variety of factors that work together, helping us to avoid sweeping generalizations and pat answers in the search for a key to sanctification. This book is a go-to resource for understanding the multifaceted, lifelong, personal journey of sanctification. Written by a longtime counselor, author, and teacherUses both real-life examples and biblical exposition to show us how Scripture enacts change in peopleRefutes a popular, one-size-fits-all view of sanctificationShort enough to be accessible to all readers

Sexuality was a part of God’s good creation from the beginning. But with sin came a world filled with sexual brokenness. Thankfully, God is always in the business of restoration.This book offers hope for both the sexually immoral and the sexually victimized, pointing us all to the grace of Jesus Christ, who mercifully intervenes each moment in our lifelong journey toward renewal. Author David Powlison casts a vision for the key to deep transformation, better than anything the world has to offer—not just fresh resolve, not just flimsy forgiveness, not just simple formulas, but true, lasting mercy from God, who is making all things new. Features case studies that give insights into how to care for othersSpeaks to both the sexually immoral and the sexually victimized

Where Is God?There are never quick fixes or easy answers when it comes to suffering. But even when we can’t immediately see God’s hand—when the struggle is hard and painful—he is working. Weaving together Scripture, personal stories, and the words of the classic hymn “How Firm a Foundation,” David Powlison brings an experienced counselor’s touch to exploring how God enters into our sufferings, helping us see God working in our own particular struggles—and discover how God’s grace goes deeper than we could ever imagine. Walks readers through each stanza in the classic hymn “How Firm a Foundation”Invites us to hear God’s Word speak into our suffering

David Powlison Examines the Unique Role of the Pastor as CounselorA pastor inhabits multiple roles—teacher, preacher, youth leader, and counselor. Yet many church leaders feel unprepared to counsel church members who are struggling with difficult, multifaceted problems.David Powlison reminds pastors of their unique role as the shepherds of God’s people, equipping them to apply biblical wisdom to the thoughts, values, moods, expectations, and decisions of those under their care. Foreword by Ed Welch, a counselor and faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF)Explores how pastors have a unique responsibility—and opportunities—to counselIncludes suggestions for further reading from CCEF

Enojo. Todos lo experimentamos, algunos más que otros. ¿Cuándo es justo y cuándo no? ¿Cómo podemos controlar nuestro enojo y no quedar atrapados en un laberinto de ira cuando las cosas no nos salen como queremos?David Powlison observa detenidamente la ira para ayudarnos a comprender qué es y por qué la tenemos. Él expone tres conceptos erróneos comunes que nos dejan impotentes para vencer la ira. Usando la ilustración de un atasco de tráfico, investiga las suposiciones y los antojos del corazón detrás de una típica respuesta de enojo. En lugar de las premisas falsas y las consecuencias inútiles de la cólera impía, Powlison nos guía hacia verdades bíblicas y resultados que honran a Dios y nos enseñan cómo vivir.La serie de tratados RECURSOS PARA CAMBIAR VIDAS por la Asociación de Consejeros Bíblicos Certificados (Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, ACBC) utiliza la esperanza eterna en Cristo ante las luchas particulares del creyente moderno.

BUSCANDO UN MEJOR CAMINO HACIA LA PAZ¿De qué te preocupas? ¿Tengo algún amigo real? ¿Alguna vez encontraré un cónyuge? Si encuentro uno, ¿será fiel? ¿Qué hay de mi salud?Siempre hay algo de qué preocuparse. David Powlison reconoce que tenemos buenas razones para preocuparnos por cosas en la vida. ¡Pero él nos asegura que tenemos razones mucho mejores para no preocuparnos! La ansiedad es una experiencia humana universal, y debemos abordarla con un plan. ¿Qué haces cuando las ansiedades se apoderan de tu vida? Powlison describe un plan de juego de seis puntos basado en estas verdades: Es un placer para tu Padre darte el reino. Tu padre es Dios, No necesitas preocuparte.La serie de tratados RECURSOS PARA CAMBIAR VIDAS por la Asociación de Consejeros Bíblicos Certificados (Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, ACBC) utiliza la esperanza eterna en Cristo ante las luchas particulares del creyente moderno.

¿DÓNDE ESTÁ DIOS?Cuando se trata del sufrimiento, no existen remedios rápidos, o respuestas fáciles. Pero incluso cuando no podamos ver inmediatamente la mano de Dios —cuando la aflicción es difícil y dolorosa— Él está obrando. David Powlison teje las verdades de la Escritura, historias personales y las palabras del himno clásico "Cuán Firme Cimiento", y al hacerlo nos lleva a explorar (como buen consejero experimentado) la manera en la que Dios entra en nuestros sufrimientos, ayudándonos a percibir la obra de Dios en nuestra aflicción particular y a descubrir cómo la gracia de Dios obra más profundamente de lo que imaginamos."La sabiduría de David me ha ayudado a través de gran parte de mis años como cuadripléjica, y recomiendo Negra Oscuridad, Misericordia Gloriosa ampliamente. Es una guía maravillosa para aquellos que, cada día, viajamos por el camino arduo y manchado de sangre hacia el Calvario".Joni Eareckson Tada fundadora, Joni and Friends International Disability Center"Algunas veces navegar entre los consejos de los demás cuando nos encontramos en medio del sufrimiento puede ser una prueba adicional. Powlison disipa todo eso al dar a los lectores el evangelio —mostrándoles el firme cimiento de la Palabra. Él pone la brújula de la Palabra de Dios en nuestras manos temblorosas y nos apunta al verdadero norte: Cristo mismo".Gloria Furman, co–editora, Word-Filled Women's Ministry; autora, The Pastor's Wife [La esposa del pastor]

¡Todos estamos en una verdadera batalla espiritual! Implica a nuestro corazón, al mundo y a las fuerzas del maligno. Cuando nuestro corazón nos engaña y nuestra cultura nos desvía, los deseos y propósitos de Satanás están en funcionamiento.¿Y cómo le afecta a usted?Si eres similar a mí, puede ser difícil saber a diario que estamos en esta guerra. Como cualquier realidad espiritual, es fácil olvidar algo cuando no puedes verlo con tus propios ojos. Este libro pretende que estemos atentos y vigilantes a las verdaderas batallas a las que nos enfrentamos. Los días que vivimos son oscuros. Este es un libro sobre la resistencia a los poderes de la oscuridad - en nombre de ti mismo, de tus seres queridos y de los que aconsejas.En el libro, el autor compartirá con usted historias que muestran cómo han sido algunas de las batallas de su vida. Compartirá historias de la vida de otras personas, para que nos beneficiemos de lo que han aprendido sobre cómo debemos resistir. Contará historias porque este no es un tema que pueda permanecer abstracto. La realidad de la Gran Batalla por nuestra alma está expuesta en la Biblia, desde Génesis 3 hasta Apocalipsis 22. Somos personas reales con un problema real. Eso es personal para todos nosotros.Con un cuidadoso análisis de Efesios 6 y mucha sabiduría bíblica, David Powlison explica sobre las poderosas armas espirituales que Dios nos ha dado. Muestra cómo debe actuar el asesoramiento ante la realidad de los conflictos con el corazón, la muerte, el ocultismo y el animismo. Señala cómo el evangelio nos anuncia el triunfo de Cristo sobre el imperio de las tinieblas.

Buster Tries to Bail is a gentle, engaging story that helps young children learn how to handle worry and stress by turning to Jesus.Set in the lively world of Mulberry Meadow, this beautifully illustrated book follows Buster Bunny as he prepares for a big race but becomes overwhelmed with anxiety. As his worries grow, Buster struggles to eat, sleep, and keep going—until his parents lovingly guide him to quiet his thoughts and listen to Jesus instead of his fears, showing children a better way to respond when stress takes over.Part of the Good News for Little Hearts series, this story combines relatable emotions with practical, grace-filled biblical teaching rooted in CCEF’s model of hope and help. With an added parent section for deeper guidance and conversation, it equips families to move beyond quick fixes and toward a lasting, faith-filled response to life’s everyday challenges.

It's easy to lose heart in a world where many things can and do go wrong. Life is difficult and there are struggles within and without, but we can take heart—the Lord is with us. He hears our cries for mercy. He knows our every need. He guides us, helps us, and strengthens us with his mighty right arm. Journey through a year with David Powlison, learning to "take heart" by meditating on his favorite Scripture passages, hymns, and biblical themes, exploring the ways God meets us with daily grace right where we live.Drawn from David Powlison's many decades of writing, teaching, and speaking, Take Heart is a yearlong devotional journey into the process of biblical change, where truth becomes clearer and our ears hear and our eyes see what God tells us about himself.Learn to go to God for the help you need and hold fast to the daily mercy and grace he offers. And be reminded the promises of God are true and that the resurrection of Jesus guarantees that no matter what you may be facing, you can live in real hope.

Friendship struggles, academic pressure, busy schedules, questions about the future—where can you turn when life becomes overwhelming? Even as a teenager you know how difficult life can be—with struggles coming at you from all directions, inside and out. No matter what your day holds, you can take heart because the Lord is with you. He hears your cries for mercy and knows your every need. He guides, helps, and strengthens you every day. He is your true north.Through this year of short daily devotionals from the writings of David Powlison, teenagers will learn how to go to God to ask for the help you need and take hold of the grace he offers. God's promises are true and the resurrection of Jesus guarantees that no matter what you may be facing, you can live in real hope.

You started out telling each other everything. Time flew by when you were together. It all seemed so easy then. But now it seems like there's nothing to say. The intimacy and trust you once enjoyed are gone—replaced by bickering, long silences, and hurried conversations about your schedule. But it isn't too late to renew intimacy in your marriage.David Powlison takes a close look at those things that destroy intimacy in marriage and shows how renewing your marriage begins with a renewed relationship with God. Then he offers practical steps to achieving closeness in your marriage, including three questions to ask each other every day.

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 how to express your experience to God by composing your own personal liturgy. Pouring out your heart to God will begin the healing process and lead to the small growing steps of faith and restoration.

The turmoil women experience after having an abortion is sometimes called "post-abortion syndrome." But you don't need a technical term to describe what you are feeling. The guilt, regret, depression, and grief are the honest struggles of a woman who's had an abortion and takes to heart what happened.David Powlison shares that whatever reactions and emotions you experience, God is committed to entering into your struggle. He sympathizes with you in your weakness, but he offers more than sympathy. Jesus steps into your life with mercy, hope, and healing. Read this booklet and take to heart the tenderness of the God who promises to redeem your life.

Is a life-threatening illness, a major life change, or just plain old age forcing you to face your own mortality? Probably, like most of us, you'd rather not think or talk about your own death. But ignoring your death won't stop it from happening—the mortality rate is still 100%! David Powlison explains why you don't have to take this journey alone. Jesus faced death for you, and he promises to be with you as you pass through the valley of the shadow of death. This booklet is written to help you face death honestly and know Jesus intimately. Take a moment to read through it. It's a matter of life or death.

In principle, Christians believe knowing Jesus Christ is the original and abiding "cure of the soul." But in practice, the church's provision of personalized care and counsel has often been unthoughtful and unskillful. During the past 150 years, many other practitioners and theorists have filled the gap.Psychiatry and psychotherapy (transliterations of two Greek words for "cure of the soul") claim to offer the deep truth that explains a human being and the final word on how we can be cured from the troubles that beset us. Secularized explanations and cures call for no recourse to the Bible or Jesus.Beginning in the late 1960s, a biblical counseling movement sought to reclaim counseling for the church. It aimed to provide a coherently Christian alternative to mainstream psychiatry and psychotherapy. The Biblical Counseling Movement: History and Context is an informative and thought-provoking account of that movement.How did it begin and develop? What were the defining ideas? Where were the tension points and struggles, both internally and with evangelical psychotherapists? David Powlison's historical account combines careful scholarship with unique, eyewitness insight.This book is an invaluable resource for those who want to understand the biblical counseling movement. The core chapters were originally a PhD dissertation in history of science and medicine (University of Pennsylvania). This new edition adds a lengthy appendix, containing articles by Dr. Powlison.These extend and deepen the history, giving a fine-grained analysis of developments within the biblical counseling movement and in its relationship to evangelical psychotherapists. The author also freely expresses his point of view and personal convictions regarding the history he has carefully described.

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 parents' place, giving you a loving new image to use in relating to God. But is this true?David Powlison speaks compassionately to those who are disappointed by their human parents, and he uses God's Word to show that our parents' mistakes cannot stop us from knowing God and his unfailing love. Using case studies from his extensive counseling experience, Dr. Powlison explains how turning to God for mercy and help will transform your life and your relationships.

You are bored or stressed or hurt. Something is hard in life and you want a break. What do you grab for that you hope will protect, soothe, and comfort? Whatever it is—shopping, overeating, drinking, drugs—promises relief, but never delivers. Instead, you are left feeling empty, anxious, guilty, and wanting more.David Powlison shares that God made us for rest and pleasure, not for an obsessed and unsatisfied life. Understanding the true pleasure that comes from loving God and enjoying the good gifts he has given us will reorder your thinking and bring you freedom from your obsessions. Take the practical suggestions that David Powlison outlines here and see how your pleasures increase and your obsessions decrease.

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 and encouragement to remember that the promises and presence of your God and Savior are real. In the midst of this darkness, David Powlison points you toward God who will be with you, uphold you, and help you live by faith through this tragedy.

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 hopeless feelings.Your life is precious to God. He knows everything about you—even how many hairs are on your head. He wants you to bring your despair to him and cry for help. He will answer and replace your suicidal thoughts with hope for a future filled with love for him and others.

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 his own five-year struggle after heart surgery. Powlison encourages sufferers that, unlike the world, God embraces the weak and provides strong, enduring resources through Christ for moment-by-moment strength. Readers will learn to adjust their thoughts and expectations and lean into the steady arms of Christ.

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 behavior to remember that lasting change comes in degrees and is often a slow progressive process. Addiction sufferers will discover powerful action steps to take and introspective heart questions to ask as they seek to conquer this harmful sin issue. Even though sexual temptation is everywhere, God's power and resource is closer still because the Holy Spirit resides within us to meet our every need.

Sexual assault is an invasive event of traumatic evil. You were victimized, and now you are suffering. Whenever sexual abuse occurs, love is not part of the equation. Rather, the perpetrator uses power, domination, and control to injure innocent victims.David Powlison gently leads those who have been wounded sexually to a deeper relationship with God—beyond the pain—with biblical action steps. By embracing their identity in Jesus, sufferers will not only understand the emotional and spiritual battles they face as sexual assault victims, they will be equipped to effectively overcome any fear, worry, anger, and shame and to offer hope to others in similar situation.

Now featuring practical, heart-focused discussion questions for each chapter, useful for individual use, counseling, or in a small group setting.What does it take for lasting change to take root in your life? If you''ve ever tried, failed, and wondered what you could do differently, you need to read How People Change.In the book, biblical counseling experts Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp explain the biblical pattern for change in a clear, practical way you can apply to the challenges of daily life.But change involves much more than just a biblical formula: you will see how God is at work to make you the person you were created to be. That powerful, loving, redemptive relationship is at the heart of all positive change you experience.A changed heart is the bright promise of the gospel, but many of us wonder if we''ll ever see lasting change take root in our lives. When the Bible talks about the gift of a new heart, it doesn''t mean a heart that is immediately perfected, but a heart that is capable of being changed. Jesus''s work on the cross targets our hearts, our core desires and motivations, and when our hearts change, our behavior changes.How People Change targets the root of a person: the heart. When our core desires and motivations change, only then will behavior follow. Using a biblical model of Heat, Thorns, Cross, and Fruit, Paul David Tripp and Timothy S. Lane reveal how lasting change is possible.You don''t need to be stuck anymore. In Christ, you are a new creation. The old has gone and the new has come. Includes a foreword by David Powlison.

You probably speak 20,000 words a day, give or take, and each one influences those who listen. No wonder God has so much to say about our words. We are all counselors, whether we realize it or not! Speaking Truth in Love is a blueprint for communication that strengthens community in Christ. The principles outlined in this pivotal work are specific to counseling, yet extend to marriage, family, friendship, business, and the church.Have you ever wondered how to be a more effective counselor?Have you ever looked for a better way to talk to difficult people?Have you ever wanted to express faith and love more naturally in your relationships? Practical in its approach yet comprehensive in its scope, Speaking Truth in Love is sure to become required reading for anyone interested in pursuing a career as a counselor or anyone else who longs for ways to redeem relationships.

What makes you angry? Sometimes it's small things: traffic jams, a waiter's mistake, or a friend's inattention. And sometimes it's big things: 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 us with the news that God is angry too, but his anger is expressed constructively, by giving his own Son to right what's wrong with this world. Learn the five questions to ask yourself that will help you express your anger God's way in the difficult situations and relationships you face every day.

You know the feeling—your mind spins around and around with the same worries, problems, and fears. You feel like you can’t escape, can’t breathe. Perhaps some days your anxiety is so overwhelming that it’s hard for you to believe that anyone, even God, could help you.David Powlison helps you discover what your anxiety reveals about your heart. He shows you how to bring your anxious thoughts to God, the only person who can give you a life of peace. You will learn specific ways to replace your free-floating anxiety with trust in God and how to walk by faith through your day.

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 it 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 someone who has been diagnosed with cancer four times, describes the uncertainty, the physical pain, and the emotional and spiritual struggles that come with a cancer diagnosis. There are no easy answers or quick fixes when you have cancer. But the presence and purposes of Christ make a decisive difference. He is the one who knows you, loves you, and promises to be with you as you walk through a valley of the shadow of death.