Biblical Counseling Resources
It is important that we share reliable sources and information about biblical counseling, especially its history and its impact on the church. One objective is to practice, teach, and keep in mind the rich history of comprehensive biblical ministry through preaching, discipling, and counseling. This is Matthew 28:19, 20, Ephesians 4, as well as Acts 6:4 and 20:17-35 ministry. This is a comprehensive approach to ministry that highlights the importance of shepherding one another within the body of Christ. It is everyone using their giftedness to do shepherding work among one another in the church. It encourages and engages everyone in Romans 15:14 ministry. Our faith has a rich history, Acts 2:41-47, as we have also been added to the church, so our giftedness has enhanced the church, 1 Corinthians 12:1-7. Biblical Counseling is one of those “one another” ministries of the local church.
When I was introduced to biblical counseling I was also being counseled by a pastor friend, who lovingly counseled me through a challenging time in my life in 1988. Excited to see my own life grow and change, I then attended counseling training in 1989 through Faith Baptist Church counseling ministries in Lafayette, IN, to become a better person, husband, father, and pastor. That was before all the counseling books listed below were printed except for Jay Adams works. At Faith Baptist Church, Pastor William, “Bill” Goode and Dr. Robert “Bob” Smith, M.D. established the Faith Counseling ministries in Lafayette IN. Jay Adams was involved as a friend but not a member of the church. This is where I received most of my counseling training when it was called The Missionary Training Conference, and later became the Biblical Counseling Training Conference. Faith became the headquarters for NANC, National Association of Biblical Counselors, renamed Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, ACBC later, Jay Adams is its founder. Steve Viars and Randy Patten along with others, were at Faith Baptist and were in the mix as well, they were right on the heels of the other men mentioned above.
I learned so much from all of these men. When I went to the Counseling Training Conference there were only two tracks, then eventually it grew into multiple tracks. In those early years I would set up a lunch date with as many of the speakers I could during the week. It was so interesting to speak to them individually, they were all very passionate and eager to help those of us who were seeking their advice and input. I once asked Doc Smith about how to gain a better understanding of the many prescription drugs that some of the people I was counseling were taking. His simple answer was that it was not my place to do so, let the medical profession deal with the physical and you deal with the spiritual. He then began to emphasis how important it was for me to be theologically prepared to deal with people and their problems. Pastor Goode use to emphasis that “this is seven day a week pastoring”.
The importance of the local church shepherding its people was especially emphasized by Pastor Goode, and its emphasis was throughout the training process. Faith Baptist Church, now Faith Church, where Steve Viars took over as lead pastor in 1996, has expanded its training and ministry outreach in incredible ways. The year after Steve was installed as pastor, Pastor Bill Goode died suddenly. I made my journey to his funeral and memorial service, the amount of people he touched, including myself and some of my close friends in ministry was remarkable. He was a pastor’s pastor and wonderful model of the Wonderful Counselor. The counseling movement is an intense discipleship ministry that we should all be a part of where we serve, it is the practice of Matthew 28:19, 20 ministry. Learn more about Faith ministries here, https://www.faithlafayette.org/church
The list below is certainly not comprehensive, but it is a good start for resources and continued education. It’s a must to read after Jay Adams for wisdom and historical context in biblical counseling. David Powlison was a successor of Jay Adams in many ways and spoke widely and deeply about biblical counseling, reading after him will be most beneficial. For a fresher or updated look at the history, theology, and application of truth in biblical counseling, Lambert, Tripp, Welch, Scott, Viars, along with Kellemen are on the list. There are loads of new resources that have arisen since my being introduced to biblical counseling. We are so much richer and better equipped as biblical counselors because of the contribution of these men and women. Biblical Soul Care is our responsibility, and it’s our responsibility to better equip ourselves, as well as to continue to grow as counselors. Take advantage of this list of resources and books that have benefited me and begin to build a resource library. Brad Hilgeman, bradannah@hotmail.com
A few sites to visit that will be helpful.
ACBC (Association of Certified Biblical Counselors) We seek to strengthen the Church to speak the truth in love by providing a quality training and certification process, a global network of like-minded individuals and institutions, and a source of practical and biblical resources for the Church.
https://biblicalcounseling.com/
Faith Counseling, use https://www.faithlafayette.org/counseling as a great place for resources and continued education.
The Biblical Counseling Coalition, https://www.biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/ is a source for different resources on biblical counseling. It has many different links and a diversity of biblical counseling thoughts and challenges. It also has a podcast. https://www.biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/podcast-episodes/
The Journal of Biblical Soul care, https://www.masters.edu/jbsc.html, or here https://masters.us5.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=be4ddd18f7fe8acd6c130995d&id=5238fc810b It is in a PDF format so you can use it with Kindle or Adobe Acrobat Reader.
CCEF (Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation) https://www.ccef.org/ has, The Journal Of Biblical Counseling, https://www.ccef.org/journal-of-biblical-counseling/ Check out the CCEF website, or better yet take the plunge into the world of Logos Bible software and get every addition plus more. I encourage you to get the Logos Bible software, https://www.logos.com/ it is a powerful tool that is affordable at an entry level, you can build a library of hundreds of books later in an affordable way. One book at a time, book bundles, and if you get on their mailing list, they give a free book away each month. Check out https://www.challies.com/articles/should-you-make-the-move-to-logos/
Also at Logos Bible Software, The Journal of Biblical Counseling (previously the Journal of Pastoral Practice) https://www.logos.com/product/160070/the-journal-of-pastoral-practice, as well as The Journal of Modern Ministry https://www.logos.com/product/6438/journal-of-modern-ministry All of these can be purchased in as a bundle https://www.logos.com/product/6438/journal-of-modern-ministry or https://www.logos.com/product/150540/journal-of-biblical-counseling Having these resources electronically is a helpful study and homework resource.
For a deeper dive into Soul Care, The Reformed Pastor, by Richard Baxter. In an abridged form see, https://www.ccel.org/ccel/b/baxter/pastor/cache/pastor.pdf Written in the 1600’s it is a powerful historical account of a pastor who understood soul care. Baxter wrote, “A minister is not merely a public preacher, but to be known as a counselor for their souls, as the physician is for their bodies, and the lawyer for their estates: so that each man who is in doubts and straits may bring his case to him for resolution.” The Reformed Pastor, the chapter dealing with, The Oversight Of The Flock. See a review at https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/church-ministry/the-reformed-pastor/
Additionally two articles, One Ministry of the Word, Pt 1 & Pt 2. These articles are found in Logos, https://www.logos.com/product/15636/journal-of-modern-ministry-vol-5-issue-1-winter-2008 The Journal of Modern Ministry, Volume 5, Numbers 1, Winter 2008, and in Volume 5, Numbers 2, Spring 2008, entitled, “One Ministry of the Word Part One: The Biblical Record”. And “One Ministry of the Word Part Two: The Reformers & Puritans.” This is a real good fly over history of biblical soul care. The soul care of Richard Baxter along with other reformers are highlighted as pastors who encouraged and did biblical counseling/soul care. The Journal of Modern Ministry may be found by other means as well.
IBCD (The Institute for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship) exists to strengthen churches in one another care. https://ibcd.org/about-us/
- Here is a list of helpful resources. Number 5 is highlighted because it is a short and easy first read on the “how to” of counseling. Numbers 1-5 are very important to read along with numbers 10, 13 & 16 for a sense of history, theology, and application of counseling truth.
- Competent to Counsel by Jay Adams
- What About Nouthetic Counseling? Jay E. Adams
- A Theology of Christian Counseling by Jay Adams
- The Christian Counselor’s Manual by Jay Adams
- Ready To Restore, Jay Adams
- Sanctification And Counseling, Jay Adams
- The Practical Encyclopedia of Christian Counseling. Jay Adams
- Critical Stages of Biblical Counseling, Jay Adams
- What to Do When Counseling Fails, Jay E. Adams
- Whole Counsel: The Public and Private Ministries of the Word: Essays in Honor of Jay E. Adams
- Instruments in the Redeemers Hand, Paul Tripp
- A Theology of Biblical Counseling: The Doctrinal Foundations of Counseling Ministry Heath Lambert
- The Biblical Counseling Movement after Adams, Heath Lambert
- Sufficiency: Historical Essays on The Sufficiency of Scripture, Heath Lambert, Wayne Mack, Doug Bookman, David Powlison
- Counseling the Hard Cases edited by Stuart Scott and Heath Lambert
- The Biblical Counseling Movement: History And Context, David A. Powlison.
- Speaking the Truth in Love by David Powlison
- Seeing with New Eyes by David Powlison
- Introduction to Biblical Counseling, McArthur/Mack
- How to Counsel Biblically by John MacArthur
- Gospel-Centered Counseling: How Christ Changes Lives, Bob Kellemen
- Biblical Counseling and the Church, Bob Kellemen
- Scripture and counseling, Bob Kellemen
- The Biblical Counseling Guide for Women by John Street and Janie Street
- Men Counseling Men/John D. Street
- Counsel Your Flock, Paul Tautges
- Curing the Heart, Howard Eyrich
- Medical Disk Reference, Robert D. Smith, M.D.
- Handbook of Church Discipline, Jay Adams
- Seminar on Church Discipline William Goode, Faith Counseling Resources Lafayette IN.
- Life in the Father’s House, A Member’s Guide to the Local Church, Wayne Mack
- Shepherding God’s Flock, Jay Adams
- Desiring God John Piper
- Winning The War Within, Jay Adams
- Teaching to Observe Jay Adams
- What to do on Thursday Jay Adams
- A Fight to the Death: Taking Aim at Sin Within, Wayne Mack
- When People are BIG and God is small, Ed Welch
- Peacemaker by Ken Sande
- War of Words Paul Tripp
- Unpacking Forgiveness by Chris Brauns
- From forgiven to forgiving, Jay Adams
- Relationships: A Mess Worth Making Paul Tripp and Tim Lane
- Good Mood Bad Mood, Charles Hodges
- How People Change, Tripp, Lane
- How to Help People Change by Jay Adams
- How Does Sanctification Work? David Powlison
- Down, but Not Out, How to Get Up When Life Knocks You Down Wayne Mack
- Idols of The Heart, Elyse Fitzpatrick
- Our Sufficiency in Christ from MacArthur
- A Gospel Primer for Christians Milton Vincent
- Cross Centered Life, C. J. Mahaney
- Christian’s Guide to Guidance Jay Adams
- Blame It on the Brain? Ed Welch
- Picture Perfect, Amy Baker
- Caring for the Souls of Children, A Biblical Counselor’s Manual, Amy Baker
- Reaching the Ear of God: Learning to Pray more Like Jesus, Wayne Mack
- Pray About Everything: Cultivating God-Dependency, Paul Tautges
- Side By Side, Ed Welch
- From Pride to Humility Stuart Scott
- Putting Your Past in Its Place, Stephen Viars.
- The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace
- The Exemplary Husband by Stuart Scott
- Strengthening Your Marriage Wayne Mack
- Instructing a Child’s Heart Tedd and Margy Tripp
- The Faithful Parent by Stuart Scott and Martha Peace
- Shepherding a Child’s Heart, Ted Tripp
- When Sinners Say I Do, Dave Harvey
- What Did You Expect, Paul Tripp
- Marry Wisely, Marry Well a Blueprint for Personal Preparation, Ernie Baker
- How To Act Right When Your Spouse Acts Wrong, Leslie Vernic
- The Complete Husband: A Practical Guide to Biblical Husbanding, Lou Priolo
- Teach Them Diligently, Lou Priolo
- The Heart of Anger: Practical Help for Prevention and Cure of Anger in Children, Lou Priolo
- You Never Stop Being a Parent by Jim Newheiser and Elyse Fitzpatrick
- .Marriage, Divorce & Remarriage Jay Adams
- Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage: Critical Questions and Answers, Jim Newheiser
- Finally Free, Heath Lambert
- Biblical Principles of Sex, Robert Smith
- Sexual Detox: A Guide for Guys Who Are Sick of Porn, Tim Challies
- Sex in a Broken World How Christ Redeems What Sin Distorts, Paul David Tripp
- At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry, Steve Gallagher
- Making All Things New: Restoring Joy to the Sexually Broken, David Powlison