Be The Fruit

Empathetic Disagreement

Jay Adams wrote a very helpful post titled “Nobody Understands” that can be read here.  The main point of the article is to show how we can be understanding of people’s problems, but still point out what they need to change.  Here is an excerpt:

The biblical counselor may experience much of the pain of his [...]

C. J. Mahaney on “Michael Phelps’ Bong.”

Yesterday, C. J. Mahaney wrote a post relating to the recent news of Michael Phelps getting caught smoking pot.  Mahaney seems to relate to Phelps on many levels, but really digs in on what might be causing Phelps to reach for that bong.  Here is an excerpt:
The photograph of Phelps reminds me of myself prior [...]

Should Christians get a Prenup?

Russell Moore takes on this interesting question in a post that can be read here.  Below is a brief excerpt, but go read the full post.
A Christian marriage, however, is a one-flesh union. What is true of the one is true of the other. A prenuptial agreement in a Christian marriage makes about as much sense [...]

Your spouse is part of “all things.”

How is  your marriage going?  Is it easy? Is your relationship with your spouse working the way you want it, or are there a few things you want them to change to make the relationship better?
Anyone who has been married for any time will recognize that marriages are not easy.  Although the positives are great, [...]

Objections to Biblical Counseling

Jay Adams wrote a post on his blog about how to deal with the many objections to biblical counseling that exist.  Jay, of course, is quite used to dealing with these objections.  Adams is often thought of as not being open to discussing the nuances of biblical counseling with those who oppose it, but in [...]

Helping the Foolish Spender #3

This is the final post of this series.  You can read the other two posts here and here. 
Sight/Meditation
Once the counselee has an understanding of what the Scriptures teach about stewardship, the counselor should begin show how these truths impact the counselee’s life. The foolish spender who lacks discipline should meditate on the biblical truths contained [...]

Helping the Foolish Spender #2

This is a continuation of a series I began yesterday.  You can read the first post here.
Interpretation
Once the data is collected, the counselor must prayerfully discern the true nature of the counselee’s problem. With poor financial stewardship, there are two primary tracks that should be explored to determine the nature of the problem: lustful spending [...]

Helping the Foolish Spender #1

Below begins a brief series where I will share the case study I developed for helping a “foolish spender” repent of their carelessness with money.  I have broken down the case study into 10 elements that are typically present in any effective biblical counseling or discipleship process.  I will release segment two tomorrow and the final segment on Friday.  I hope it you find this helpful.   
Introduction
Financial stewardship is an area that many [...]

Trevin Wax interviews N. T. Wright about his upcoming book.

Trevin Wax released his latest interview today with N. T. Wright about his new book he wrote.  The new book is the latest in the current debate about justification.  Much of this debate has taken place between N. T. Wright and John Piper.  Below is an excerpt of the interview:
Trevin Wax: What is at stake [...]

How often should we keep the Lord’s Supper?

Dr. Jim Hamilton continued to “Stir the Pot” yesterday asking the question, “How often should a church take the Lord’s Supper?” in a post that can be read here.
Hamilton offers some exegesis on the texts describing the practice and offers the following thought:
…I think, that if we become convinced that the earliest church took the [...]