James MacDonald

Our view of human problems determines who is qualified to speak to them. If sin is the primary human problem, then those with the theological and practical expertise in dealing with sin _ in its varied and complex forms _ should lead the way in the field of people-helping. Unless we have an accurate and robust conception of sin, the church will concede much of its work to outside professional and will be ill-equipped to cooperate with them when needed.

Whether you realize it or not, your ongoing battle with unbelief drives all your sinful thoughts, emotions, desires, and actions.

When we worry, we are telling God, "You are neither trustworthy nor in control, so I need to worry and scheme as I take matters into my own hands." In this way unbelief drives worry, for it is impossible to worry when we are trusting in the provision of our sovereign God.

A rebellion against God, even as believers, is fueled by the toxic fumes of unbelief.

This is God's world, so everything, even if it intends to efface God, bears witness to God _ understood and interpreted through biblical eyeglasses.

Our hearts are wired for worship, and our worship is directly tied to our sense of hope.

All the stories and poems and letters and oracles and wisdom verses of God's Word, like individual instruments in a great orchestra, serve THE WHOLE story.

God's Word is especially suited to directing those who want to focus primarily on the nature and direction of their own hearts.

If we are to use the Bible effectively, then we must use it the way God wrote it _ in narrative form. Our team rejects the notion that the Bible is simply an encyclopedia of disconnected Bible verses. God's Word is less like a cookbook and more like a novel.

A continual diet of the Word satisfies, and it builds an appetite for more.

Pride rises above and against the knowledge of God, acting as if He is unworthy to be retained in our thoughts.

The marquee scrolling across our minds trying to reinterpret life reads: "God-Against-Us." This becomes the dominant lens through which our flesh interprets life. We no longer give our loving Father the benefit of the doubt. Instead, we view every event as conclusive proof that God is against us.

What you hope for determines what you live for. What you hope for determines WHO you live for. Hope misplaced can devastate you.

We must rip the foundations out from under all the bastions of human reasoning that say, "I don't need God!" We must demolish every non-God story of life. We must pulverize every God-is-not-good life narrative.

In counseling, we don't simply help people to change one thought; we help people to understand the pattern of their thinking _ their mindsets.

While the United States is becoming the most culturally diverse nation in the world, less than 5.5% of Christian congregations are multiethnic.

The biblical counselor must always remember that the ROOT problem is deeper than skin; it is sin. The ultimate cure is not culture, but Christ.

Who we are is not a question we can ask without seeking to understand the context in which we live. Biblical counselors seek to understand the influences that shape the responses of the human heart.