What Can I Expect From Biblical Counseling and Discipleship at Berean?

It is reasonable to wonder what to expect when you come to a church for biblical counseling and discipleship. Perhaps you have never had this kind of experience and wonder would look like to have a heads up before committing to something; or maybe you have had other counselors and treatment and wonder how this will compare to previous experiences. This small description should better inform you about the biblical counseling discipleship approach at Berean Bible Baptist Church:

Goal: God’s Glory in Our Lives

Our goal in counseling is to encourage change in your life and relationships that would glorify God. 1st Corinthians 10:31 says, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” The Christian’s goal is not to avoid pain, nor fix problems, nor be in harmony with others; rather we seek to please and glorify Him. Often we want to “fix” problems or people in our lives because they can be overwhelming and become a source of debilitating frustration. These problems are often what moves us to seek assistance in the first place. It is good to identify and address these issues; and yet the problem may not be the starting point. By trying to glorify God first, we address these problems in the right order.

Change: The Right Decision

Obviously, when people ask for counseling or discipleship they want something to change. This is good because scripture describes the Christian life as one of growth and transformation. You want change, the Bible wants you to change, and biblical counselors will as well. We will encourage change in specific ways of thinking, choosing, and behaving. We do this by considering how Scripture instructs life and how you can make adjustments to come into conformity with the Bible’s instruction. We will discuss specific steps and require you to do some homework that marks the right path of change. Some of this homework will be mental, like reading; other assignments will be active, like asking your spouse specific questions. Some assignments may be directive where you do what is asked; others may be more creative where you come up with a plan. Assignments will differ, but there will be homework that encourages change. Moreover we believe the homework is critical to the change process so we will try to hold you accountable to completing it.

Scripture: Our Guide

Since you are interested in getting biblical help, you will not be surprised to know that we will be looking to Scripture for direction. We think that no matter our situation, God has given what we need to live successfully. This is what Peter said when he wrote, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness...” His authoritative instruction and source of help is the Bible. We would insist that if Scripture instructs a way of thinking or behaving then we, as followers of Christ, must adjust our lives to do what is required. Therefore, you will need to bring a Bible that you can easily understand because it is our main resource.

Divine Agent of Change: The Holy Spirit

You may think this is starting to sound like a lot of work. That is right. Change takes effort and often it is not easy. However, as a believer you have a resource that helps. The Holy Spirit dwelling in you also works for biblical change in your life; and He even empowers the process. Moreover, it is Christ who started a work in you that He will complete. With God, Himself, working for change, don’t be overwhelmed at the thought of addressing problems. We look for God to empower what He instructs. One of Paul’s prayers for believers included this provision, “that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being…” We will lean heavily on the fact that it is the Spirit of God who changes you … neither you nor your counselor.