Lives grind to a halt when people don’t know how to relate to their past. Some believe “the past is nothing” and attempt to suppress the brokenness again and again. Others miss out on renewal and change by making the past more important than their present and future. Neither approach moves people toward healing or hope.Pastor and biblical counselor Stephen Viars introduces a third way to view one’s personal history—by exploring the role of the past as God intended. Using Scripture to lead readers forward, Viars provides practical measures tounderstand the important place “the past” is given in Scripturereplace guilt and despair with forgiveness and hopeturn failures into stepping stones for growthThis motivating, compassionate resource is for anyone ready to review and release the past so that God can transform their behaviors, relationships, and their ability to hope in a future.

Lives grind to a halt when people don't know how to relate to their past. Some believe "e;the past is nothing"e; and attempt to suppress the brokenness again and again. Others miss out on renewal and change by making the past more important than their present and future. Neither approach moves people toward healing or hope.Pastor and biblical counselor Stephen Viars introduces a third way to view one's personal history-by exploring the role of the past as God intended. Using Scripture to lead readers forward, Viars provides practical measures tounderstand the important place "e;the past"e; is given in Scripturereplace guilt and despair with forgiveness and hopeturn failures into stepping stones for growthThis motivating, compassionate resource is for anyone ready to review and release the past so that God can transform their behaviors, relationships, and their ability to hope in a future.

Master the essentials of effective biblical counselingChrist-Centered Biblical Counseling is a comprehensive resource that will help you understand how to minister from God’s truth to change lives. With the cumulative wisdom of almost 40 contributors with exceptional credentials and experience, you’ll discover a valuable model for counseling that explains…The Why of Biblical CounselingWhy the Bible is sufficient and relevant for addressing every issue we faceWhy biblical counseling is so effective in helping people face life’s struggles in Christ’s strengthThe How of Biblical CounselingHow you can lead struggling, hurting people to the hope and strength available only in ChristHow to counsel in a way that is Christ-centered and God-glorifying Every chapter provides a wonderful blend of theological wisdom and practical expertise, and is written to be accessible to everyone who wishes to extend Christ’s love to others—pastors, church leaders, counseling practitioners, instructors, lay people, and students.  In this massively important new book…leading figures in the biblical counseling movement set forth a wealth of wisdom. We have needed this book for a long time.—Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr., president, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling is warm, personal, gentle, always wanting to listen and know the person, confident in the Spirit’s working through the Word of Christ.—Dr. Ed Welch, CCEF faculty, author of Shame Interrupted

See Yourself Through God’s Eyes Who are you? You carry your answer to that question around your home, community, workplace, and church. But how does your self-image compare to God’s perfect understanding of you?In Do You Believe What God Says About You?, pastor and Christian counselor Stephen Viars encourages you to trade misgivings about your identity for the Bible’s life-changing affirmations of who you were made to be. You will let go of the painful thoughts and feelings that accompany a broken self-imagedevelop positive habits for your mind and body that empower you to daily put God’s truths about your worth into practicegrow in your love for Jesus as you realize how His death, burial, and resurrection have eternally changed who you are able to bePerfect for personal use or group study, and an ideal resource for biblical counselors, this book offers 31 chapters that feature inspiring insights, practical illustrations, helpful journaling questions, and guided prayers that will help you define your identity as God does.

Are you and your church making a difference in your community? Are you meeting needs in a positive, proactive, and loving way? Too often when churches are presented with a need outside their walls, they operate on the principle of "Say no unless you have to say yes."Don't want that to be your church's legacy in your community? Drawing on more than 30 years of service to the community surrounding Faith Church in Indiana, pastor Stephen Viars shows you how to develop a dynamic, giving relationship with your community, one in which your natural response to needs is "Yes! How can we help?"No matter the size, location, demographics, or issues in your community, the approach found in this practical book will help you improve people's lives, draw them into productive conversation about the hope you have in Christ, and glorify God.

Are you and your church making a difference in your community? Are you meeting needs in a positive, proactive, and loving way? Too often when churches are presented with a need outside their walls, they operate on the principle of "Say no unless you have to say yes."Don''t want that to be your church''s legacy in your community? Drawing on more than 30 years of service to the community surrounding Faith Church in Indiana, pastor Stephen Viars shows you how to develop a dynamic, giving relationship with your community, one in which your natural response to needs is "Yes! How can we help?"No matter the size, location, demographics, or issues in your community, the approach found in this practical book will help you improve people''s lives, draw them into productive conversation about the hope you have in Christ, and glorify God.

Bitterness is a destructive poison, yet we all struggle with it sometimes due to circumstances our sovereign God has allowed. In a world full of struggle, we must take care that difficult circumstances do not feed a bitter spirit within us. In this honest and hopeful book, pastor and counselor Stephen Viars shows you how to avoid the pitfalls of a bitter heart as you walk through our fallen world. When we learn to process bitterness biblically and effectively, we can move from life''s greatest hurts to a life filled with joy.

Bitterness is a destructive poison, yet we all struggle with it sometimes due to circumstances our sovereign God has allowed. In a world full of struggle, we must take care that difficult circumstances do not feed a bitter spirit within us. In this honest and hopeful book, pastor and counselor Stephen Viars shows you how to avoid the pitfalls of a bitter heart as you walk through our fallen world. When we learn to process bitterness biblically and effectively, we can move from life's greatest hurts to a life filled with joy.

"Never." It's a hard word for any parent to hear. He'll never walk. She'll never feed herself. Your lives will never be the same. While the prospect of raising a special needs child can be overwhelming, Jesus Christ makes himself constantly available to the weary and heavy laden. Steve Viars helps parents of special needs children to be authentic before the Lord about their pain, guiding them in thinking biblically about their challenges and God's promises. Viars shows how accepting Christ's invitation leads parents into a unique adventure of sweet learning and divine rest.

Do you ever feel like your past is haunting you? Maybe it's a mistake you made that can't be made right or something that was done to you that can never be undone. You see the effects of it in your daily life, but struggle to know how to move forward. Sometimes you manage to forget for awhile, but it feels like you are never completely free of it.Stephen Viars walks through the various ways the past can influence you in the present and unpacks how the gospel brings forgiveness, healing, and hope. By pointing out how Christ has redeemed your past and offers grace in the present, he offers helpful insights into how you can move forward in freedom.

Lives grind to a halt when people don’t know how to relate to their past. Some believe “the past is nothing” and attempt to suppress the brokenness again and again. Others miss out on renewal and change by making the past more important than their present and future. Neither approach moves people toward healing or hope.Pastor and biblical counselor Stephen Viars introduces a third way to view one’s personal history—by exploring the role of the past as God intended. Using Scripture to lead readers forward, Viars provides practical measures tounderstand the important place “the past” is given in Scripturereplace guilt and despair with forgiveness and hopeturn failures into stepping stones for growthThis motivating, compassionate resource is for anyone ready to review and release the past so that God can transform their behaviors, relationships, and their ability to hope in a future.

Lives grind to a halt when people don't know how to relate to their past. Some believe "e;the past is nothing"e; and attempt to suppress the brokenness again and again. Others miss out on renewal and change by making the past more important than their present and future. Neither approach moves people toward healing or hope.Pastor and biblical counselor Stephen Viars introduces a third way to view one's personal history-by exploring the role of the past as God intended. Using Scripture to lead readers forward, Viars provides practical measures tounderstand the important place "e;the past"e; is given in Scripturereplace guilt and despair with forgiveness and hopeturn failures into stepping stones for growthThis motivating, compassionate resource is for anyone ready to review and release the past so that God can transform their behaviors, relationships, and their ability to hope in a future.

Master the essentials of effective biblical counselingChrist-Centered Biblical Counseling is a comprehensive resource that will help you understand how to minister from God’s truth to change lives. With the cumulative wisdom of almost 40 contributors with exceptional credentials and experience, you’ll discover a valuable model for counseling that explains…The Why of Biblical CounselingWhy the Bible is sufficient and relevant for addressing every issue we faceWhy biblical counseling is so effective in helping people face life’s struggles in Christ’s strengthThe How of Biblical CounselingHow you can lead struggling, hurting people to the hope and strength available only in ChristHow to counsel in a way that is Christ-centered and God-glorifying Every chapter provides a wonderful blend of theological wisdom and practical expertise, and is written to be accessible to everyone who wishes to extend Christ’s love to others—pastors, church leaders, counseling practitioners, instructors, lay people, and students.  In this massively important new book…leading figures in the biblical counseling movement set forth a wealth of wisdom. We have needed this book for a long time.—Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr., president, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling is warm, personal, gentle, always wanting to listen and know the person, confident in the Spirit’s working through the Word of Christ.—Dr. Ed Welch, CCEF faculty, author of Shame Interrupted

See Yourself Through God’s Eyes Who are you? You carry your answer to that question around your home, community, workplace, and church. But how does your self-image compare to God’s perfect understanding of you?In Do You Believe What God Says About You?, pastor and Christian counselor Stephen Viars encourages you to trade misgivings about your identity for the Bible’s life-changing affirmations of who you were made to be. You will let go of the painful thoughts and feelings that accompany a broken self-imagedevelop positive habits for your mind and body that empower you to daily put God’s truths about your worth into practicegrow in your love for Jesus as you realize how His death, burial, and resurrection have eternally changed who you are able to bePerfect for personal use or group study, and an ideal resource for biblical counselors, this book offers 31 chapters that feature inspiring insights, practical illustrations, helpful journaling questions, and guided prayers that will help you define your identity as God does.

Are you and your church making a difference in your community? Are you meeting needs in a positive, proactive, and loving way? Too often when churches are presented with a need outside their walls, they operate on the principle of "Say no unless you have to say yes."Don't want that to be your church's legacy in your community? Drawing on more than 30 years of service to the community surrounding Faith Church in Indiana, pastor Stephen Viars shows you how to develop a dynamic, giving relationship with your community, one in which your natural response to needs is "Yes! How can we help?"No matter the size, location, demographics, or issues in your community, the approach found in this practical book will help you improve people's lives, draw them into productive conversation about the hope you have in Christ, and glorify God.

Are you and your church making a difference in your community? Are you meeting needs in a positive, proactive, and loving way? Too often when churches are presented with a need outside their walls, they operate on the principle of "Say no unless you have to say yes."Don''t want that to be your church''s legacy in your community? Drawing on more than 30 years of service to the community surrounding Faith Church in Indiana, pastor Stephen Viars shows you how to develop a dynamic, giving relationship with your community, one in which your natural response to needs is "Yes! How can we help?"No matter the size, location, demographics, or issues in your community, the approach found in this practical book will help you improve people''s lives, draw them into productive conversation about the hope you have in Christ, and glorify God.

Bitterness is a destructive poison, yet we all struggle with it sometimes due to circumstances our sovereign God has allowed. In a world full of struggle, we must take care that difficult circumstances do not feed a bitter spirit within us. In this honest and hopeful book, pastor and counselor Stephen Viars shows you how to avoid the pitfalls of a bitter heart as you walk through our fallen world. When we learn to process bitterness biblically and effectively, we can move from life''s greatest hurts to a life filled with joy.

Bitterness is a destructive poison, yet we all struggle with it sometimes due to circumstances our sovereign God has allowed. In a world full of struggle, we must take care that difficult circumstances do not feed a bitter spirit within us. In this honest and hopeful book, pastor and counselor Stephen Viars shows you how to avoid the pitfalls of a bitter heart as you walk through our fallen world. When we learn to process bitterness biblically and effectively, we can move from life's greatest hurts to a life filled with joy.

"Never." It's a hard word for any parent to hear. He'll never walk. She'll never feed herself. Your lives will never be the same. While the prospect of raising a special needs child can be overwhelming, Jesus Christ makes himself constantly available to the weary and heavy laden. Steve Viars helps parents of special needs children to be authentic before the Lord about their pain, guiding them in thinking biblically about their challenges and God's promises. Viars shows how accepting Christ's invitation leads parents into a unique adventure of sweet learning and divine rest.

Do you ever feel like your past is haunting you? Maybe it's a mistake you made that can't be made right or something that was done to you that can never be undone. You see the effects of it in your daily life, but struggle to know how to move forward. Sometimes you manage to forget for awhile, but it feels like you are never completely free of it.Stephen Viars walks through the various ways the past can influence you in the present and unpacks how the gospel brings forgiveness, healing, and hope. By pointing out how Christ has redeemed your past and offers grace in the present, he offers helpful insights into how you can move forward in freedom.