My Foreword to Steve Viars’ Putting Your Past in Its Place

Pastor Steve Viars has devoted his life and ministry to helping others to change—biblically. You hold in your hands the result of his lifelong ministry—Pastor Viars’ Opus.

It’s an opus well worth reading and applying. Whether you’re struggling with the process of change related to past suffering or to past sin, Putting Your Past in Its Place provides the seasoned, compassionate, pastoral, hope-filled, biblical wisdom you need.

Christians who attempt to address the crucial topic of the past tend toward extremes. Not Steve. He carefully avoids the “past is nothing” and “the past is everything” mindsets. He scripturally avoids the “truth only” or “love only” approach. Instead, like the Apostle Paul, he offers you both the Scriptures and his own soul (1 Thessalonians 2:8).

Steve is a master communicator, having honed the skill of relating God’s truth to people’s lives through decades as a pastor and biblical counselor. Those skills are on display throughout Putting Your Past in Its Place. It provides a comprehensive practical theology of the past that reads like a real-life narrative. Because it is real life—our lives as we deal daily with our past. His creative illustrations, engaging stories, personal examples, weaving in of “Jill’s story,” questions for personal reflection and group discussion, and his “real life testimonials” in the appendix material all result in the most reader-friendly counseling book you’ll ever find.

While I highly recommend Putting Your Past in Its Place to “the person in the pew,” I’m also convinced that it will be a theory-altering, practice-changing book for pastors and biblical counselors. Steve models the sufficiency of Scripture for everyday life like no one I have read. Pastors and counselors can learn from Steve not only how to help their parishioners and counselees to deal with the past, but even more, how to view and use the Scriptures to develop a theology and methodology for dealing with any life issue.

I’ve known Steve since we were both in elementary school. Given the intensity of his ministry responsibilities, I’ve wondered how he lives such a joy-filled, hopeful life. I’ve pondered how he maintains such healthy relationships. Now I know the rest of the story. Steve keeps his accounts current with God. He practices what he teaches in Putting Your Past in Its Place. If you want to find God and experience the joy, hope, and love that He offers in Christ, then practice what Steve teaches in Putting Your Past in Its Place.

—Robert W. Kellemen, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of RPM Ministries, Executive Director of the Biblical Counseling Coalition, Author of God’s Healing for Life’s Losses

An Almost Indispensable Book on the Bible

Where can you find a book about that Bible that is both pastoral and theological? It’s rare. But one has arrived. It is John Frame’s opus: The Doctrine of the Word of God.

Don’t take my word for it. Listen to what Dr. J. I. Packer says.

“Recently a former student wrote to me as follows: ‘Dr. Packer, is there a reasonably recent work on the nature of Scripture that you would consider magisterial or close to indispensable, other than the Bible?’ At that time, I could not name a book that met these specifications. But now I can, and this is it.”

Packer continues: “The big idea that holds everything in this big book together is pastoral, and that to my mind is as it should be. As I was writing this foreword, I learned of a Chinese lady, a seventy-year-old watermelon grower named Jin, who said, ‘Reading the Bible is like having God talk to you.’ This is precisely the truth that Frame follows through, start to finish.”

• The main contention of this volume is that God’s speech to man . . . is very much like one person speaking to another. . . .

• My thesis is that God’s word, in all its qualities and aspects, is a personal communication from him to us.

Packer concludes: “So where are we? ‘Magisterial’? Yes. ‘Close to indispensable’? Yes again. Would John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, Abraham Kuyper, and B. B. Warfield, Reformed theology’s Fabulous Four (in my book, anyway), enthuse about this volume as I have done? Pretty much, I think. There, I have had my say. Now read on, and taste the good food for yourself.”

In my view, The Doctrine of the Word of God is vital for every Christian. It will be especially significant for everyone interested in biblical counseling. In addition to the themes developed throughout the entire book, Frame has an entire section on The Sufficiency of Scripture.

For a free forty-six pages overview of the book, go to WTS Books.

Join the Conversation

What is your favorite book about the Scriptures?

Good Grief: A Fresh Review of God’s Healing for Life’s Losses

Note: Melinda Lancaster posted the following review of God’s Healing for Life’s Losses at her site Thinking Out Loud on Purpose.

Excerpt: “Upon receiving God’s Healing for Life’s Losses, my plan was to: read it, do a short review, and move on. God had another plan. The book “read me” and as a result exposed my misconceptions concerning God and grief. It also caused me to review, at length, my relationship with God. Taking me on an unexpected path towards healing God’s Healing for Life’s Losses has become a real game-changer. It has continued to work in my life long after I put it down.”

Full Review: Good Grief

Losses—we all experience them along with the accompanying pain. They penetrate our lives in various forms and magnitudes with little or no warning. Some are short-lived while others lead to long seasons of suffering and grief.

Suffering and grief are something we are all familiar with. Yet, these two words are NOT typically “hot topics” in most Christian circles. As a matter-of-fact they are infrequently dealt with. I find that somewhat astonishing given the fact that 1,185 of the 1,189 chapters of the Bible, in some way, touch on the subject of suffering or death.

It is also confounding to see, with so much of Scripture dedicated to the subject, how frantically we search for ways to quickly dismiss grief. Whether we downplay our pain with positive platitudes or frantically numb it with a frenzy of activities the issue remains the same. We need a framework or “theology of suffering” to deal with our pain if we are to experience God’s healing. Many believers do not have one.

A Biblical Primer

In his latest book, God’s Healing for Life’s Losses, Dr. Robert Kellemen has penned a primer for sufferology that allows for such a framework to be constructed. While walking with the reader down the path of grief, which Kellemen is deeply and personally acquainted with, he offers something that has been sadly lacking–a Biblical approach that goes far beyond the traditional model. By going “the way of the Word”, instead of the way of the world, this small but power-packed book gives the readers permission to grieve freely, in a biblical manner, while providing the necessary tools.

I was not at all surprised by the author’s ability to bring spiritual light to this subject but I must say that I was amazed by the masterful way in which he so carefully and compassionately unpacked the eight biblical steps or markers on the road to healing. With the precision of a surgeon he cuts to the “heart of the matter” removing infected notions and cancerous beliefs so that real healing can occur.

The Book “Read Me”

How do I know this? I experienced it personally. I must say, that I was not prepared for the impact that God’s Healing for Life’s Losses would have on my life. No stranger to loss, over the past few years, I’ve encountered grief of my own. I thought that I was handling it when in fact I was hiding from it. That is until the opportunity to review my friend’s book came along.

Upon receiving it, my plan was to: read it, do a short review, and move on. God had another plan. The book “read me” and as a result exposed my misconceptions concerning God and grief. It also caused me to review, at length, my relationship with God. Taking me on an unexpected path towards healing God’s Healing for Life’s Losses has become a real game-changer. It has continued to work in my life long after I put it down.

Handling Grief Biblically

Having studied the subjects of suffering, grief, and loss over the years I’ve read countless books by an array of Christian writers and God’s Healing for Life’s Losses has surpassed them all. It is by far the most condensed and concise book on handling grief in a biblical manner that I’ve ever read. In my opinion it is also the most helpful.

I look forward to using it as a ministry tool and highly recommend it as a gift to all who are experiencing a loss of any kind. There is no way to adequately convey how much spiritual help is packed inside, but if you read it I believe that you too will be amazed!

Join the Conversation

What books have changed your life?

Review of The Mystery of the Holy Spirit

Book Details

• Author: R. C. Sproul

• Publisher: Christian Focus (2009) (156 Pages)

• Category: Christian Life, Theology: Pneumatology/Holy Spirit

• ISBN: 978-1-84550-481-6

• Retail Price: $12.99

• Reviewed By: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., www.rpmministries.org

No Footprints in the Sand

To explain his title and purpose, author R. C. Sproul begins The Mystery of the Holy Spirit by quoting Abraham Kuyper. “The Holy Spirit leaves no footprints in the sand.” The Spirit is like the wind (John 3:8)—elusive and mysterious—but nonetheless real and marvelous. Because of the Spirit’s mystery, “we are vulnerable to superstition and distortions of His person and work” (p. 8). Sproul’s purpose, therefore, is to listen carefully to Scripture as it reveals the character of God the Holy Spirit.

Though known as a deep theologian, Sproul’s writings here and elsewhere seek to combine theological precision with personal application. Thus The Mystery of the Spirit seeks to avoid undue theological technicalities, while requiring deep thought leading to a deeper spiritual life.

Who Is the Holy Spirit?

Sproul’s first four chapters provide foundational biblical teaching on the Spirit—He is personal (chapter one); He is God (chapter two); He is a Member of the Trinity (chapters three and four). The first two chapters are somewhat brief and elementary—vital, but explained primarily for the lay person. The third and fourth chapters on the Trinity are deeper—sketching the historical controversies, philosophical reasonings, and biblical teachings regarding Trinitarian theology. This makes for some uneven reading (light/heavy, basic/deep). However, it would be difficult to do otherwise given the eternal mystery of the Trinity.

What Are the Works of the Holy Spirit?

Having provided the theological foundation of the Person of the Spirit, Sproul addresses the Spirit’s works, beginning at the beginning—creation. Here we find a classic example of Sproul’s ability to relate deep truth to daily Christian living. Speaking of the Spirit’s work of completing the empty and void earth, Sproul notes:

“Even in human relationships we have a nagging sense of the threat of emptiness, which we identify with poignant loneliness. The Holy Spirit fills what is empty. He conquers the void. When His work is finished, the once lonely universe is teeming with a plethora of flora and fauna. The barren wasteland becomes a pulsating arena of life. Here we need the Holy Spirit of God as the One who fills all things” (p. 72).

He continues this connection between creation and new creation, but even more pointedly in chapter six: The New Genesis: The Holy Spirit and Regeneration. While this chapter is helpful, there are some interpretations and applications that some might take issue with. For example, Sproul takes “flesh” to be “the sin nature, the entire fallen character of man” (p. 82). Many theologians and biblical counselors would take issue with this direct connection between “flesh” and “sin nature.”

Sproul’s focus in the rest of this chapter is on the order of salvation, which he takes as regeneration and then faith. This essential Reformed doctrine is handled succinctly. No problem there. However, one would have wished for more elaboration in this chapter on the actual change that takes place at regeneration. Sproul focuses more on a change of “leadership” (from Satan to the Spirit), which is accurate as far as it goes. But he does not address the specifics of the change of orientation—that we are truly new creations in Christ, our “old man” is crucified with Christ, and an entirely new disposition (affections, mindsets, will, etc.) is imparted (we are raised with Christ to newness of life in Christ).

Because Sproul does not address our new disposition, when he develops his thoughts on sanctification, the “new nature” is not highlighted. His theology is sound, but the application loses some power by the neglect of the new creation in Christ—who is to grow progressively more like Christ. Our battle is not that of an old nature and a new nature fighting a constant equal tug of war. Progressive sanctification is one new person with the regenerated capacities to fight against the world, the flesh, and the devil. It’s still a profound battle; it still recognizes that there is no glorification/perfection this side of heaven, but emphasizing the new orientation/new capacities of the new creation in Christ enlightens believers to the foundation for and the path to progressive sanctification.

Sproul’s final three chapters on the baptism of the Spirit (chapter 8), the fruit of the Spirit (chapter nine), and the Other Comforter (chapter ten) are not to be missed. Though very different in style (his discussion of the baptism of the Spirit is theologically deep while his explanation and application of the fruit of the Spirit is personally deep), these chapters address core questions asked by every believer.

His discussion of the Holy Spirit as our Paraclete—Comforter, Counselor, Advocate, Encourager, Giver of consolation—has great application for biblical pastoral counseling. Are we “parakaletic counselors” who know how to bring the Spirit’s comfort, consolation, and counsel to hurting and suffering people? Like the Spirit, do we offer people both solace for their wounds and strength for the battle? Speaking of the Spirit, Sproul writes, “He is the most tender source of solace the wounded, the defeated, or the grief-stricken person can know” (p. 155). Do we offer people biblical encouragement—strength for the journey, as the Spirit does? “The promised Paraclete … will come to give us strength and assistance for the battle” (p. 155).

Well-Worth Reading

R. C. Sproul in The Mystery of the Spirit has honored the Spirit’s mystery while also respecting the Bible’s descriptions of Who the Spirit is and what ministries the Spirit performs. As an introduction to the topic that balances theology and life, The Mystery of the Spirit is well-worth reading.

Join the Conversation

What are the best books you’ve read on the Holy Spirit?

A Review of The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling

Note: Originally Posted at the Gospel Coalition Review site.

Book Details

• Author: John Stott

• Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D. www.rpmministries.org

• Publisher: IVP Books (2010) (138 Pages)

• Category: Christian Life, Discipleship

• ISBN: 978-0-8308-3847-9

• Retail Price: $14.99

Despite its brevity (a mere 100 pages of text), John Stott considers The Radical Disciple something of his opus. After decades of pastoral ministry and writing, he desires to encapsulate what it means to be a thoroughly devoted follower of Christ.

Eight Marks of Radical Discipleship

He begins by highlighting the intriguing truth that “Christian” is used of the followers of Christ only three times, while “disciple” is used scores of times. “Radical,” as Stott notes, from the Latin radix meaning “root,” implies that the follower of Christ goes to the root and is thoroughgoing in commitment to Christ. So his purpose in the book is to consider “eight characteristics of Christian discipleship that are often neglected and yet deserve to be taken seriously.” Those eight are:

• Non-Conformity: In the world, but not of the world. Engagement without compromise.

• Christlikeness: The will of God for the people of God. What is our grand purpose?

• Maturity: Growth with depth. A mature relationship with Christ.

• Creation Care: Our duty to care for our created environment. Dominion over and stewardship of the earth.

• Simplicity: Rejection of materialism. Focus on generosity and sacrificial sharing rather than hoarding.

• Balance: Living out our comprehensive identity in Christ through: individual and corporate disciplines, worship and work, pilgrimage and citizenship.

• Dependence: Reliance on God’s grace. Mutual “burdensomeness.”

• Death: Life through death—death to self. If we want to live; we must die.

Begin at the End

Stott’s conclusion is best read first. Discussing his eight characteristics, Stott notes, “To be sure, I have been selective, and my selection has been somewhat arbitrary. . . . You will no doubt want to compile your own list. Hopefully it will be clearly biblical, but still also reflect your own culture and experience.”

Thus these characteristics of radical discipleship are not the eight. They are John Stott’s eight—vital for him as he reflects back on 90 years of life and 70 years of ministry. While readers might quibble with his list, perhaps two thoughts would be more productive. First, “For me in my culture, what would my list of the most important characteristics of disciples consist of?” Second, “Given the life and ministry of John Stott, what can I learn and apply to my life from his list?”

Perhaps the personal nature of the list explains what at times seems like somewhat choppy, uneven chapters. The chapter on Christlikeness reads like a sermon and indeed was a Keswick Convention message. The chapter on simplicity is basically a cut and paste of the 1980 International Consultation on Simple Lifestyle.

Rather than being frustrated by this, and instead of comparing The Radical Disciple to Stott’s theological opus, The Cross of Christ, I pictured myself in a room with John Stott thumbing through the scrapbook of his life and ministry and pointing me to eight very personal pages that he wanted to share with me.

Like a wise, loving grandfather, he points to the page on non-conformity and shares pearls of wisdom about trends which make non-conformity difficult today. In the same sage tone, he turns the page to remind me that we’re not only not to be conformed to this world, we are also to be conformed to Christ.

With a knowing smile, he asks if I know God’s purpose for His people. In response, he points out three portraits in his scrapbook—the three tenses of Christlikeness—our eternal calling, our present progressive sanctification, and our future glorification.

Turning yet another page, he chuckles as he tells me, “Too many of us are pygmy Christians because we have a pygmy God. We need a vision of God as large as God. We have growth without depth.”

Then he tells me, “I know, you’ll think I’m a tad out of touch here, but look at this page—creation care. It’s a neglected area of our Christian calling, I’ll tell you. We need to avoid the deification of nature but also the exploitation of nature.” And, “God wants us to work and worship. We transform the earth through work and God transforms us through worship.” And, “God intends our care for creation to reflect our love for our Creator.”

Turning to the scrapbook page of simplicity, he quotes the non-Christian Hobart Mowrer, “The church has never learned the secret of community.” And I sit beside him soaking it all in.

How to Read The Radical Disciple

Read The Radical Disciple as a theological treatises, and you’ll likely be disappointed. Read it as a sage saint passing the torch of lifestyle Christianity to you, and you’ll likely be transformed. Read it as an elder statesman leaving a legacy of loving Christianity and you’ll likely be prompted not only to apply his words, but also to ask yourself, “What are my marks of radical discipleship and how well am I pursuing them?”

What Others Are Saying about God’s Healing for Life’s Losses

The Big Idea: Two dozen book reviewers are blogging their thoughts on my latest book God’s Healing for Life’s Losses. Below, you’ll find a link to each review, the name of their blog, plus a brief snippet of their review. Post a comment on one of their blogs by August 1, for a chance to win a free copy.

• Rick Howerton: Small Group World. http://bit.ly/aelacY

“Blindsided, Ambushed, Amazed, Inspired… the list could go on and on. When Bob asked me to read God’s Healing for Life’s Losses for his blog tour, I was honored but saw little opportunity to aid the small group community. That is, until I had finished reading this amazing manuscript. This treasure that includes multiple pages filled with questions for personal reflection is a perfect tool for dealing with personal loss as well as the training of small group leaders. Small group pastor… I would suggest you get copies of this book and spend ten weeks with your small group leaders. Some of your group leaders will finally deal with past hurt that they have chosen to deny. The rest will learn the stages and phases of grief. They will be prepared to help their group members find hope, help, and healing when grief invades his/her space. Get this book, read it yourself, and then use it to equip your leaders.”

• Mark Tubbs: Discerning Reader. http://bit.ly/bW4yl2

“So much more could be said about this book and so much could be quoted from it, but I leave it up to the reader to order a copy and delve in. Or order two copies and involve a friend in the process. Pastors, counselors, and small group leaders, this book is bound to be a source of hope for those under your care who are grieving. Not only that, but it commends itself as a teaching tool in preparing Christians to suffer in a God-honoring, biblical way.”

• Brad Hambrick: A Blog from a Counselor for the Church. http://bit.ly/9RjV1R

“God’s Healing for Life’s Losses takes on traditional thoughts about grief and loss and turns them upside down. There is refreshing honesty about the pain of loss and the permission to be real with God and others as we embrace the mourning process together. This book is biblical, personal, and healing; I highly recommend it.”

• Mark Kelly: Grace Dependent. http://bit.ly/bj3KGZ

“Exuding hope, this book becomes a wonderful resource that compassionately directs the reader to find healing for life’s losses in Christ and with Christ. I encourage you to purchase a copy of God’s Healing for Life’s Losses for your own personal journey, and perhaps, a second copy for a friend or family member going through a time of loss, suffering or grief. This book would also be a valuable tool for a support group as they work through the grieving process.”

 “Finally, one other major feature of this text makes it immensely useful: that is, the emphasis of practical application throughout the text. Each chapter concludes with several application and processing questions concerning the subject at hand. For one in the midst of present pain, these questions can serve as skillful and loving counsel of how the content can be rightly applied to one’s circumstances. This is one big reason why the book is endorsed by the ministry GriefShare, a ministry dedicated to helping those going through the pain of grief. This text will be a welcome resource for any such person, and any person dealing with pain as the result of any means of personal suffering.” 

• Julie Ganschow: Biblical Counseling for Women. http://bit.ly/bmfZrw

“From time to time I come across a book that I want to tell you about because it makes a profound impact on my life and I think it will benefit many of you. I found such a book in God’s Healing for Life’s Losses. This is a wonderful new book by Dr. Robert Kellemen and it is a book that I have personally been waiting for, for a long time.”

• Keiki Hendrix: Vessel Project. http://bit.ly/c7IFRp

“A book complete on grief, loss, and despair that encourages the reader to seek God as their source of healing. Bob Kellemen has compiled an exceptional resource in God’s Healing for Life’s Losses. A great resource written by an experienced Christian Counselor who includes personal accounts of periods of grief.”

• Leslie Wiggins: Alabamenagerie. http://bit.ly/bVd2JH

“This book surprised me. It’s small, but more helpful than most books on grief that are twice its size. In fact, its size makes it ideal for giving. Pastors, counselors, and those who often find themselves in a position to comfort others in pain, will want to use this book as a resource and as a gift for those who are hurting. I discovered a book whose message is more than just how to find healing after a loss; it’s about journeying with God through life in this broken, sin-filled world.”

• Kellie Harbaugh: Tabitha’s Team. http://bit.ly/9QUylI

“‘We live in a fallen world and it often falls on us,’ Dr. Kellemen explains in God’s Healing for Life’s Losses. This has become one of my favorite quotes. Dr. Kellemen does not assume that a couple of Scripture verses and a prayer will make everything all better. But he also doesn’t leave you empty-handed… If you like to journal, you will love the questions that are asked throughout the book as prompts for you to journal your thoughts, feelings, and ultimately your journey to healing. If you have a friend who experiencing grief or depression, this would be a great gift.”

• Cathy Bryant: Word Vessel. http://bit.ly/aiv52b

“Words really seem inadequate to express the need I see for this wonderful book by Dr. Kellemen. Packed with scriptural references, God’s Healing For Life’s Losses contrasts the world’s method of coping with loss with God’s ways. The gift-book size makes this book easy to hold and read, but it’s not a book to be skimmed through lightly or quickly. Instead it needs to be prayerfully entered and slowly digested, allowing the truths of God to sink in and soothe the soul. I highly recommend this wonderful book.”

• Sandra Peoples: Heart for Him. http://bit.ly/b1q8us 

“This concise book is packed with hope for those who are hurting. The highlight of this book for me was the explanation of ‘Biblical Sufferology’ (chart on page 10). The five stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance—are contrasted with the biblical grief response—candor, complaint, cry, comfort. Kellemen writes, ‘We have two basic options. We can turn to the world’s way. Or we can follow the way of God’s Word’ (16). God’s Word is where we find hope!”

• Lucy Ann Mull: The Sisterhood of Beautiful Warriors. http://bit.ly/cM8BhI

“God’s Healing for Life’s Losses provides valuable wisdom and encouragement for women or men who suffer any life loss, including divorce, church conflict, the empty nest, death of a loved one. Easy to read, practical and uplifting. Highly recommended.”

• Greg Baily: Word for Men. http://bit.ly/cJc8tV

“I am currently ministering to two recent widows and one spouse who have just hit the reality that her husband is headed to his Creator at an accelerating speed. I am going to buy more copies of this book for them, and am talking to the local director of a Biblical counseling center and my pastor about ordering a few dozen for myself, another chaplain I know and for their ministries use also. It is that helpful and that truthful. My money will be where my mouth is.”

• Cindy Baily: Word for Women. http://bit.ly/cTx6kc

(By Greg Baily): “Dr. Kellemen has been given a unique Christian insight into ‘sufferology’ and grieving. As one who wanted to help but only seemed to have a mish-mash of secular observation about human nature and some meaty Biblical concepts I thoroughly embrace God’s Healing for Life’s Losses. The book is made very accessible because he uses case studies to outline his Biblical stages, often of himself as he suffered through a great grief in his life.”

• Angela Dockter-Harris: Dance in the Rain. http://bit.ly/aKqdrS  

“God’s Healing for Life’s Losses provides such comfort to understanding sorrow and suffering. This is a must read book for those who are hurting as well as those who minister to hurting people on a daily basis. I suggest that those in ministry have several copies on hand to share.”

• Kym Morris McNabney: Writing from the Soul. http://bit.ly/9V9PXe

“I believe this book would be an amazing tool for those stuck in suffering, and worthlessness, and despair. Those that have been struck down by addiction, or found themselves behind bars. They need to hear the good news this book has to offer. It isn’t often that I wish to be rich, but after reading this book I wish I had the funds to purchase this wonderful book for those in my life, as well as all those that cross my path that I fear are hurt, and suffering.” 

• Cornelius Jemison: My Musings from a Biblical Worldview. http://bit.ly/dkjUON

“As a beginning student in theology, I can write a theology paper about suffering and come up with clever statements that describe the process of suffering/troubles/tribulations and the implications of believers, but it’s another thing when you are hemmed in, hurting, angry, and bitter with God. After reading Dr. Robert Kellemen’s book: God’s Healing for Life’s Losses I don’t feel that way anymore. In his book he describes the biblical and personal process of healing.”

• Joe Donaldson: View from the Second Chair. http://bit.ly/bXu1oZ

“This is a book that I will recommend to my colleagues, to those who counsel and care for those who are grieving, and for all who finds themselves in need of healing from life’s losses. I found it to be well-written, thoughtful, and immensely practical.”

• John Starke: The Gospel Coalition Reviews. http://bit.ly/aQzTjg

Author Interview: “Who should read God’s Healing for Life’s Losses?”

“Sometimes the second we hear words like loss and grief, our minds focus exclusively on death and dying. God’s Healing for Life’s Losses focuses on any type of loss—from the grand loss of death, to the daily casket experiences of the loss of a job, the loss of a dream, the loss of a relationship… So anyone struggling with any life loss would benefit from reading God’s Healing.”

• Aaron Taylor: Deep Thoughts with Aaron Taylor. http://bit.ly/cIiOUk

Author Interview: “What’s the “big idea” behind God’s Healing for Life’s Losses? What would you like readers to take away from it?”

“In a biblical sentence: you can grieve with hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). God’s Healing for Life’s Losses gives readers permission to grieve and offers a pathway toward hope. I want people to see their suffering from God’s perspective without denying the reality that suffering still hurts. What would I like readers to take away? The title and subtitle say it best. I’d like readers to walk away with God’s healing hope.”

• Lynn Mosher: Heading Home. http://bit.ly/bFmkjt

Author Interview: “Why did you write God’s Healing for Life’s Losses?”

“Christians long for an approach that faces suffering honestly and engages sufferers passionately—all in the context of presenting truth biblically and relevantly. We need to be able to face life’s losses in the context of God’s healing. Jesus did. ‘I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33).” 

Join the Conversation

What resources have you found valuable in dealing with suffering, grief, and loss?