5 top Christian blog posts of the week—posts on physical abuse, sex in marriage, schizophrenia, special needs children, and more by Jim Newheiser, Kevin Carson, Charles Hodges, Desiring God, and more.
Educating Your Elders About Abuse
What do you do if you are in an abusive relationships, and your church leadership seems to lack experience and discernment when it comes to helping abuse victims? Pastor, educator, and biblical counselor, Jim Newheiser addresses this vital question in Educating Your Elders About Abuse. Here’s his introduction:
“Well-meaning church leaders, in their ignorance, often fail to distinguish between ordinary marital conflict and situations in which one spouse is abusing the other. The abusive spouse, usually the husband, is often able to manipulate inexperienced counselors by deflecting attention from his sin and focusing upon the sin of the mistreated spouse. Over time, as the oppression continues unabated, the mistreated spouse reaches the conclusion that the counseling is ineffective and that her church leaders are not adequately protecting her from the harm being done to her (Prov. 31:8-9). She may begin to consider leaving her husband and her church. When she does, the church may respond with disciplinary pressure. Such complex situations require great wisdom and compassion. In recent months, I have seen abused women work with their church leaders to help educate them, so that they could act with more wisdom and faithfulness to the Bible in these situations. Here are some principles I have observed in these heroic women…”
A Better Question Than “Do You Want to Have Sex?”
Pastor Kevin Carson begins this blog post by noting that “Two of the more frequent questions that I receive through KevinCarson.com are, ‘What do I do when my spouse does not want to have sex?’ and ‘What if I do not want to have sex?’ As the title of his post suggests, Pastor Kevin recommends asking a different question. Learn about this question in A Better Question Than “Do You Want to Have Sex?”
Schizophrenia: Reviewing an Overview
Dr. Charles Hodges is a medical doctor and an experienced biblical counselor. As such, he is well-equipped to address recent research in the area of schizophrenia. He introduces the issues with these words:
“For those in the Biblical counseling movement, schizophrenia has always been a conundrum. It is hard at times to think that the behavior of an individual may be connected to a disease process in the body, particularly if that behavior is troublesome. There is a wide range of opinions about the cause and care of schizophrenia. The disagreement starts at a very basic level. Is schizophrenia a brain-based disease, or is it a spiritual problem? Or, is it someplace in between?”
Read Dr. Hodges reflections on these questions at Schizophrenia: Reviewing an Overview.
Not Wired for This World: Making a Home for Special Needs
At Desiring God, Kathryn Butler speaks from parental experience about special needs children—and how alone and alienated they can feel.
“The routine stuff of life can feel strange, even hostile to special-needs kids. Hypervigilance and anxiety are the norm. In their own towns, their own churches, even in their own rooms, they can scarcely let down their guard. They seldom enjoy the ease of belonging. As with those who navigate unknown countries, they seldom feel at home.”
So what is a church to do? Read Kathryn’s words of compassionate wisdom in Not Wired for This World: Making a Home for Special Needs.
75 Astonishing Works That God Performs in Our Salvation
What happened the nano-second you were saved? Pastor Paul Tautges began pondering this question:
“Recently, I spent some time thinking about all that God accomplishes in an instant, at the moment of conversion, and what He continues to work to its ultimate completion in the day we see Him in glory (Phil 1:6). The result was a list of 75 amazing works of God. With a list that long, and interconnected, categorizing them into smaller chunks was quite a challenge. But I finally had to decide on a manner of grouping, inadequate as it may be.”
Read Paul’s list and rejoice at God’s amazing grace to us in Christ: 75 Astonishing Works That God Performs in Our Salvation.
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