Visar resultat för..."New Growth Press"

When someone suffers through trauma, can healing happen? And, if yes, how does it happen? Dr. Diane Langberg tackles these complex and difficult questions with the insights she has gained through more than forty years of counseling those whose lives have been destroyed by trauma and abuse. Her answer carefully explained in Suffering and the Heart of God is Yes, what trauma destroys, Jesus can and does restore. But it's not a fast process, instead much patience is required from family, friends, and counselors as they wisely and respectfully help victims unpack their traumatic suffering through talking, tears, and time. And it's not a process that can be separated from the work of God in both a counselor and counselee. Dr. Langberg calls all of those who wish to help sufferers to model Jesus's sacrificial love and care in how they listen, love, and guide. The heart of God is revealed to sufferers as they grow to understand the cross of Jesus Christ and how their God came to this earth and experienced such severe suffering that he too is well-acquainted with grief. The cross of Jesus Christ is the lens that transforms and redeems traumatic suffering and its aftermath, not only for the sufferer, but it also transforms those who walk with the suffering. This Christian book will be a great help to anyone who loves, listens to, and seeks to help someone impacted by trauma and abuse. There is no quick fix, but there is the hope for healing through the love of God in Jesus Christ.

Changing laws and shifting public opinion have increasingly made recreational drug use acceptable. What guidance does the Bible give for thinking through this issue? What underlying motivations or heart issues lie behind drug use, and what biblical principles apply?Craig K. Svensson, Dean Emeritus of Pharmacy at Purdue University, unpacks what the Bible says about all kinds of intoxication and reframes the issue around living to please God and reflecting him to the world. Svensson also calls Christians to take seriously our responsibility to follow the laws of the land and to live in step with the life God has called us to in Christ. Full of helpful information, this is a minibook you will want to read and share with many others.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of several neurodevelopmental disorders that can cause developmental deficits or differences in brain processing that impair a person's functioning in many different settings. ASD in the United States is estimated to affect at least 1 to 2 percent of the population.How can we as Christians minister well to those who exhibit the struggles typical of this condition? Counselor and physician Michael R. Emlet helps us understand how to thoughtfully and compassionately apply a biblical worldview to serve the substantial numbers of children and adults diagnosed with ASD. He briefly describes ASD and explains some general strategies for ministry to individuals on the autistic spectrum. Though this is a complex and often poorly understood experience, this resource offers a basic framework for helping and supporting members of the ASD community by applying the truth of Scripture and gaining a better understanding of current medical research.

Your child's diagnosis with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may have left you feeling sad, confused, or perhaps even relieved to finally understand why he or she behaves differently from other children. Whatever your initial response to the diagnosis, you want to know how best to encourage your child's strengths and support all weaknesses. Most importantly, you want to know how to point toward Christ but often struggle to navigate your child's perception and understanding of the world, both seen and unseen.With wisdom and skill, Kathy Hoopmann helps you begin to understand how your child thinks, how to communicate the truths of the gospel, and how to help your child find his or her place in the community of faith. With reminders that God knows and loves your child even more than you do, she offers compassionate, practical guidance for learning to embrace the blessings and difficulties of ASD.

Our approach to counseling and personal ministry is often lopsided—we treat people as minds to be taught or problems to be fixed, moving too quickly toward applying biblical solutions without taking the time to love people well and understand their experiences and hurts.The Dynamic Heart in Daily Life provides a comprehensive view of how the heart works and how Christ redeems it. Pierre's faith-centered understanding of people combines with a Word-centered methodology to give readers a practical way to help others better understand their tough experiences and who they are in light of who Jesus is. Pierre guides readers through four key activities—reading, reflecting, relating, and renewing—that will consistently position them to understand everyday human experiences in light of Scripture.Pierre exposes the false dichotomy between the spiritual and seemingly unspiritual parts of the human experience, showing how every thought, feeling, and choice actually expresses the spiritual activity of the heart. He shows how faith in Christ is the means by which the heart begins to respond differently. Faith is not only the entry point for heart change, but also an expression of our everyday, ongoing need for Christ. Pierre's holistic view of counseling—forged by his experiences as a counselor, pastor, and seminary professor—equips readers to understand how everyday beliefs, desires, and commitments shape how we respond to life's biggest struggles and how an active relationship of trust in God is the foundation for lifelong change.

Anyone who has regular interaction with teenagers can tell you that there has been an increase in the number of students struggling with mental health issues in recent years. An uptick in bullying, violence in schools, and social media pressures have only added to the stress, anxiety, and depression they feel. How can parents, churches, and parents help?Teenagers and Mental Health is a comprehensive guide to better understanding the challenges adolescents face and outlines strategies for compassionate, gospel-centered care. Married coauthors Monica Kim, a licensed psychologist and biblical counselor and Danny Kwon, a veteran youth pastor, have extensive experience in working with struggling youth both professionally and as parents. They equip youth leaders, pastors, parents, and other caregivers to notice when a teen is having trouble and reach out to offer help.Included in the book is direction for care and help with specific conditions such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, trauma, and substance use, as well as an emphasis on the importance of churches offering resources to encourage and equip parents, and promotes collaboration between families, churches, and mental health professionals. Published in partnership with Rooted Ministry, Teenagers and Mental Health provides practical tools for support, including questionnaires and activities to assist teenagers in understanding their problems and turning to Jesus and other caring adults to get the help they need.

Forgiving someone who has hurt you is one of the most difficult tasks anyone ever faces. In fact, it is so hard that most people avoid it at all costs. But when we don't forgive, we pay the price of bitterness that affects all of our relationships. Is it possible to forgive a great wrong and treat others with compassion despite the way they have treated us? Timothy S. Lane, drawing on his personal, pastoral, and counseling experience, explains that only when you understand God's love and forgiveness for you, will you be able to forgive those who have deeply hurt you. He applies that truth by explaining what forgiveness looks like in different situations and how to wisely practice forgiveness in the midst of difficult circumstances.

No matter what the circumstances, death shakes us to the core. It seems so wrong, and it is! We long for comfort, but we don't know where to look. Can God really help when we are overwhelmed with grief?With compassion and biblical wisdom, Paul David Tripp shows us how to think and what to do when death enters our door. He reminds us that we have a Savior who knows our sorrows, hears our cries, and promises to one day wipe away all tears. Hope and healing come from our relationship with Jesus, the One who promises to walk all the way through the valley of the shadow of death with us.

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.

Relationships are messy. In this deeply insightful book by Paul David Tripp and Timothy S. Lane, readers are presented with the power of grace to redeem and restore relationships.Through straightforward language, the authors walk through the relational disappointments we all suffer by offering deep, Christ-centered thought and broad counseling experience.Relationships dwells on fresh hope and practical answers, exposing deeper issues that keep relationships less than they are designed to be. Christ showed us nothing matters more to God than how we love one another, yet so many of us settle for too little in our relationships.This invaluable resource convincingly testifies God's power to restore relationships by working within the following:Resolving conflictsTurning tough conversations to positive conversationsExpressing and sharing real love that comes from forgiveness;Maturing casual relationships into deep friendshipsApplauding strengths instead of dwelling on weaknesses Making way for honesty without being mean or unkind Rather than presenting new or sophisticated techniques to make relationships flourish, the authors instead focus on the basic character qualities that can only be formed in the heart by the gospel.This book is not a simplistic how-to manual on relationships, offering lists to check off from theoretical procedures based on someone else's idea of a model relationship. Rather, it is about the life-changing work of Christ and the power and wisdom God graciously uses to redeem relationships.We are called to be people of great character so when we do come in contact with the world, our character shapes and influences those around us. Even though relationships are messy, God uses them to rescue us from ourselves.

Everyone has their own style of dealing with conflict. Some people try to win at all costs and will do or say anything to get their own way. Others hate conflict and will do or say anything to avoid or end it. Sadly, neither fighting nor avoidance leads to genuine peace or restored relationships. Is there a better way? Timothy S. Lane, pastor, counselor, husband, and father, shares the biblical principles that point to God's better way of dealing with conflict. When you understand the real source of your conflicts and the lasting cure that God in his Word offers, you will see that your conflicts don't have to be negative; instead they can be an opportunity to grow and deepen your relationship with God and others.

A partir de los principios presentados en el libro, Paul David Tripp y Timothy S. Lane ofrecen la Guía de Estudio Cómo Cambia la Gente para su uso en formación a nivel de toda la iglesia, grupos pequeños, escuela dominical, grupo de jóvenes o en discipulado individual. Estos materiales ayudan a los participantes a comprender las motivaciones subyacentes de sus acciones y les brindan una ayuda práctica y específica para cambiar patrones de comportamiento arraigados, de modo que crezcan en amor a Dios y al prójimo.Cada una de las doce lecciones incluye enseñanza, revisión de tareas, aplicación relacional, ilustraciones, una guía para la discusión grupal y aplicaciones prácticas bajo la sección "Hazlo Real." La guía autoexplicativa para el facilitador incluye las doce lecciones, instrucciones para guiar a un grupo pequeño con esta guía de estudio, contenido adicional, revisión de tareas, ilustraciones detalladas y las aplicaciones de “Hazlo Real.”

A Quest for More is a compelling call to leave behind small-kingdom living and pursue the larger, soul-freeing purposes of God’s eternal kingdom.Paul David Tripp invites Christians to examine the deep attachments of the heart that can quietly limit their vision, even when disguised as religious activity or outward faithfulness. With biblical clarity and pastoral insight, he shows how believers were created for more than self-focused goals, personal achievement, and temporary success—they were made to live for the glory of God.Through practical, moment-by-moment application, A Quest for More helps readers recognize where they have settled for less and learn to live with renewed passion for Christ and his kingdom. Tripp points Christians toward a life shaped by God’s grand purposes, where lasting hope, transformation, and service flow from the joy of knowing and following him.This updated edition features fresh, heart-focused discussion questions for each chapter, suitable for individual use, counseling, or in a small group setting.

In this faith-bolstering book, best-selling author Edward T. Welch investigates the roots of fear in the human heart and the ramifications of living in the grips of anxiety, worry, and dread.Running Scared explores how fear inescapably takes root in all of our lives—and how our race for the good life finds us all too often “running scared.” Welch encourages readers to discover for themselves how the Bible is full of beautiful words of comfort and peace for fearful people.Everyone is afraid of something, and Welch guides readers to see how Jesus enters in to fear. Within thirty topical meditations, Welch offers sound biblical theology, gospel answers, and moment-by-moment, thoughtful encouragement for those in a heart and mind battlefield of rampant, panic-stricken fear.This comprehensive primer on the topic of fear, worry, and the rest of God will have readers retreating to Scripture for invariable constancy, stalwart care, and robust comfort rather than human independence, control, and self-protectiveness.Running Scared affirms that, through Scripture, God speaks directly to our fears, including:Money and possessionsPeople and their judgmentsDeath, pain, suffering, and punishmentWelch's lively text provides convincing evidences that humanity's struggle against active and dormant fears are countless. He presents the good news that God provides both the remedy and the cure for this malady in the person of Jesus Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, and through powerful, life-altering promises in Scripture.Far more than merely another psychology "self-help" guide, Running Scared serves as a biblical road map to a life of serenity and security.

Is someone you love struggling in the grip of opioid addiction? Is the person you once knew now obscured by a fog of half-truths, unfamiliar behaviors, and outright lies? As the opioid crisis in the United States intensifies, thousands upon thousands of families and friends each year are left wondering what happened to their loved ones, and what, if anything, they can do to help.Eamon Wilson explores the nature of addiction, helping loved ones understand that addiction is at the same time biological, sinful, and painful, but it is also an opportunity for redemption. This understanding informs family members and friends of the various levels of help, healing, and repentance that need to take place in an addict's life, and it also helps them recognize the common pitfalls of avoidance and over-control that they can stumble into as they respond to their loved one's destructive choices.Wilson urges concerned readers to walk in wisdom and faith as they relate to their addicted loved one, and to seek the support of Christian community and the care of their heavenly Father as they navigate this difficult path.

If we're honest, most of us can remember eating more than we need. More often than we might care to admit, we finish a meal knowing we've had too much. Why do we push the limits of our food consumption? Does God have anything to say about this struggle?Physician and counselor Michael R. Emlet walks us through the many reasons we may overeat and reminds us of biblical themes that should guide how we think about food and the way we eat. He reminds us that our use of food is not morally neutral, but reflects many layers of heart motivation.Instead of experiencing guilt or shame over this struggle, however, he invites us to see that our identity is in Jesus, not in our weaknesses. Readers will be encouraged to consider new thought processes and practices that will bring new freedom to mealtime.

Many teenagers are not navigating adolescence successfully. Often, even though they have material things, the latest electronics, and spending money, they can be stressed, unhappy, and feel directionless. For an increasing number of teenagers, their struggle to manage pressures and expectations leads them to consider suicide as their only means of escape.Family and children's counselor Julie Lowe takes a look at some of the reasons teenagers are increasingly vulnerable to suicide and what factors lead to it. She offers helpful advice for all those who work with teenagers to recognize suicide warning signs and shares ways to guard against hopelessness and help them find reasons to live. Loving, trustworthy adults (parents, mentors, youth workers, and friends) need to establish solid relationships with teenagers that will serve as the basis for the direction and instruction that they still acutely need. Teenagers long to be known and accepted.Giving them a solid foundation that they are known and loved by God, displaying care, sacrificial giving, genuine compassion, faith in Christ, and being there for them builds a foundation that will not be easily shaken and will provide a lifeline to teens who are struggling.

Disability has a way of trying even the best of marriages. The cumulative effects of daily routines that never vary, social isolation, financial pressures, unmet expectations, and a life that is vastly different from most couples can wear on the spirits of the strongest husband and wife. Without Christ firmly in the center of the suffering, a spouse can crack under the pressure that disability brings to the marriage.Ken Tada, husband to Joni Eareckson Tada, shares that disability does not have to be the defining word in your marriage. Instead disability is an invitation for you and your spouse to depend on Jesus in your weakness, and grow closer to each other than you ever thought possible. Ken shares how spouses can openly communicate about needs, expectations, disappointments, and then ask God for the help you need. As you ask, the transforming love of Jesus will be poured into your own heart, so you can be poured out for your spouse. Be encouraged that God knows you and your spouse intimately, and promises that when you are weak, he is strong and will be an ever-present help in the trouble you are facing.

You are in a serious, committed dating relationship, and you are thinking about marriage. Or perhaps you are already engaged and are eagerly counting down the weeks until your wedding. But there's a weight in the back of your mind. You haven't shared your sexual past.Maybe you're even hiding a current sexual addiction. But you're also not sure if your boyfriend or girlfriend needs to know details of your sexual past or present. Won't talking about it bring more harm than good? You wonder whether you need to share anything and, if yes, what you should share.Ellen Dykas explains that in order to start marriage on a healthy and solid footing, couples need to build a foundation of trust, vulnerability, and openness so they can make wise decisions about a lifetime of commitment.Weaving in the beauty and freedom of the grace of Jesus, Ellen gives principles that will guide readers in how to walk in honesty and transparency with each other and encourage them to rest in the forgiveness of the Lord for their past.

Do you suspect that you or someone you love is suffering from marital domestic abuse? Is there intentional harm happening to you in your home, whether physical, verbal, sexual, or emotional? What should you do? How do you seek help?Heather Nelson invites you to examine what is happening in your home and what steps to take if you feel unsafe and targeted for mistreatment by your spouse. She explains a typical cycle of abuse and acknowledges how difficult it can be to be honest about what you are experiencing.Heather urges you to understand how God sees you and thinks about you, and how he is with you to provide helpers, wisdom, and grace to see what steps you need to take to protect yourself and those you love.

Your world has just been rocked with news that the baby you're expecting has been diagnosed with a significant disability. All of the hopes and plans you have for this baby are crumbling around you.Fears and questions are rising to take their place. What will life look like with this child? How am I going to care for him or her? How could God let this happen?Shauna Amick walks you through her own story of having a child prenatally diagnosed with Down Syndrome. She recounts the enormous questions and fears she wrestled with and the process of how God showed her that each child has a one-of-a-kind purpose and has been uniquely formed in his image.Shauna invites you to dream new dreams of how God wants to display his glory in your child's life and in yours. Jesus's love is your anchor now; his ever-present help in trouble will hold you and your child steady now and in the years to come.

A loved one has walked out on you. A car crash has left you disabled and in constant pain. You or a family member just received a serious medical diagnosis. Even worse, perhaps you've just returned from a funeral.How do you begin to piece your life together after it has been changed forever? When suffering waylays you, it doesn't seem as if anything will be "normal " again. How do you take steps to move from surviving to thriving?Rebecca Olson walks you through the questions you may be asking of yourself and God as you process a long-term trial or a devastating loss, and she invites you to consider how your heartache, your illness, and your sorrow can be a platform for experiencing the grace of God in ways you never thought possible.She urges you not to walk the path of pain alone, but to lean into Christian community and to experience the blessing of sharing the comfort that the Lord gives you as you pour out your pain honestly before him. Suffering is an invitation to know the heart of Jesus and to hope in the restoration that the Lord will work on behalf of his children.

Nothing in life is turning out the way you expected. You pray and ask for relief, help, and changed circumstances. But what are you to think when it seems like life is going from bad to worse? You wonder if God is even listening. Does he hear your cries for help? If he does, why doesn't he do something?In your suffering, it's easy to believe God is either absent or indifferent. But be assured that God has not forgotten you and yours. Dave Deuel reminds you that God hears each cry for help, and he is not silent.He speaks to you through his Word, and he acted to save his people through the cross. We naturally question any experience that does not meet our expectations for how life should work, but even when it may appear that God is silently hiding, he reminds us in his Word that he walks beside us as a fellow sufferer.Jesus offers us his unwavering presence and the promise that one day, those who trust him will be delivered completely.

The Moon Is Always Round is a tender, beautifully illustrated book that helps children understand that God’s goodness remains true even in the hardest moments of life.Drawing on the vivid image of the moon and its changing phases, Jonathan Gibson offers young readers a simple but powerful way to think about suffering and trust. Through the real-life conversations he shared with his son after the death of his daughter, he shows how children can begin to grasp that even when God’s goodness feels hidden by sadness or confusion, it has not disappeared.This full-color book gives families a gentle, gospel-centered resource for talking about grief, loss, and the character of God with honesty and hope. A helpful section in the back also equips parents and caregivers with further biblical guidance, making The Moon Is Always Round a strong choice for families walking through sorrow or preparing to talk about suffering with children.

The Good Name by Samuel T. Logan, Jr. encourages readers to see the dangers of "false witness" among Christians, especially when dealing with disagreements, which can cause damage to individuals, the church, and the good name of Jesus.By exploring what it means to be a true witness in the Bible and the Christian church, Logan emphasizes the power of words—both divine and human—and explains how our Christian responsibility is to honor others in truth and respect, especially when we disagree.This powerful book draws on Scripture and historical evidence of all the damage that verbal nastiness of Christians has done to the cause of Christ.Christians often disagree with one another and, because they are Christians, they tend to hold their beliefs very strongly. This sometimes leads us to speak harshly to and about one another. But the Bible has more to say about the way we speak than it does about almost anything else, and The Good Name examines how we may express our disagreements in a way that honors Jesus.Logan provides biblical wisdom and practical help through specific examples of how to talk to and about those with whom we disagree on "hot button issues," such as abortion, evolution, same-sex marriage, the place of women in Trauma and Abuse, and so on.While encouraging readers to honor the good name of Jesus and love their neighbors, Logan also explores how Christians have undermined the gospel throughout church history. But words have the power to heal, not just hurt, and this resource outlines how to be winsome and respectful in all conversations, especially disagreements.

Promises in the Dark by Dr. Eric McLaughlin strengthens the hearts of readers to persevere in God’s calling to walk with those in need. As a missionary doctor in Africa, McLaughlin knows how walking closely with those who suffer and bearing others’ burdens can easily lead to burnout or cynicism—unless we find the path to perseverance that the Lord provides.This resource explores how to find both calling and hope, living in the tension between a difficult present and God’s promises of renewal, how to cope with despair and futility, the importance of the suffering God for those who suffer, and how the manifestations of God bring life into a dying world.McLaughlin explores how to endure in such a yet-to-be-redeemed world as ours, which is full of tragedy and heartache, pointing to God’s promises.

Why Do We Say Good Night? is a comforting, beautifully illustrated bedtime book that helps children face the dark with peace by remembering who God is.Written by award-winning author Champ Thornton, this gentle story follows a mother and daughter as they talk together at bedtime and reflect on three reassuring truths: God made the night, God sees in the dark, and God watches over his children like a shepherd cares for his sheep. Through simple, calming language, children are reminded that nighttime is not something to fear because Jesus is near and God’s care never stops.Designed to become a natural part of bedtime routines, Why Do We Say Good Night? gives families an easy way to end the day with truth, comfort, and connection. With glowing nighttime colors, playful shadowy creatures, and dreamlike forest scenes that feel imaginative rather than frightening, it offers parents a helpful resource for easing nighttime fears and helping children rest in the goodness and presence of God.

God Made Boys and Girls is a clear, reassuring story that helps children understand that their gender is a good gift from the God who made them.Through a relatable classroom conversation, Marty Machowski gently explains that being a boy or a girl is part of God’s loving design—something given before birth and not defined by preferences, personality, or activities. With simple language and engaging storytelling, the book helps children see that they are wonderfully made in God’s image and that his design is both intentional and good.In a culture filled with confusion about identity, this book offers families a biblical foundation for understanding gender with clarity and confidence. With an added parent resource section, it also equips caregivers to have thoughtful, age-appropriate conversations that point children to God’s truth and care.

Radically Different Teacher Guide is a practical, gospel-centered resource that equips youth leaders to help middle and high school students navigate life and relationships through a clear biblical framework.Written by bestselling author Champ Thornton, this guide is designed to support those discipling students through the challenges of growing up in a complicated world. Using the framework of Creation, Fall, and Redemption, it guides teachers through conversations about identity, family, friendship, and faith with greater clarity, confidence, and gospel focus.Ideal for Sunday school, small groups, and discipleship settings, Radically Different Teacher Guide gives leaders a strong resource for helping students understand how God’s Word speaks into everyday life. As a companion to Radically Different Student Guide, it helps leaders guide students toward living with conviction, wisdom, and grace in a morally confusing world.