Pastoral Counseling
Bro. Gary Spaeth
The Role of the Pastor
Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
•Take Heed - attend to or take care of
–Yourself
–All the flock
•Holy Spirit
–Overseers – to care, to look after
–Feed – to provide for needs
•Ownership
–Church of God
–Purchased with His own blood
•Heeding – guard, pay attention
•Leading– direct, watch over, protect
•Feeding – nurture and nourish
•Heeding – guard, pay attention
•Leading– direct, watch over, protect
•Feeding – nurture and nourish
•Acts 20:28
–Heeding – Know your flock
–Leading– Direct your flock
–Feeding – Teach your flock
Jesus describes himself as a shepherd
•John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
•Psalms 23:1-2 1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
•John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Love your people
•Key to Pastoral Counseling
•1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
•1 Corinthians 13
•Pastoral counseling is about loving people, as Christ has loved us, by helping them grow spiritually and assisting them through difficult times.
The Role of the Church in Counseling
•God instituted the Local New Testament Church as the mechanism to provide care and counsel to its members.
–Romans 14:19 - one may edify another
–Romans 15:1 - bear the infirmities of the weak
–Romans 15:14 - admonish one another
Helping one another
•John 13:34
•1 Corinthians 12:25
• Galatians 6:2
• Colossians 3:16
•1 Thessalonians 4:18
•1 Thessalonians 5:11
•Hebrews 3:13
•Hebrews 10:24
•James 5:16
•1 Peter 3:8
The need for pastoral counseling
2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
1 Corinthians 15:57
The role of the pastor in counseling
The role of the Church in counseling
Why Christians have problems
•We live in a sinful world.
–James 1:27
•The Devil and his demons are enemies.
–Ephesians 6:12
•We are sinners, and we live around sinner.
–Romans 3:23
•We fail to trust in the goodness of God.
–Romans 8:32
Four kinds of counseling described in the Bible
•Edifying – οίκοδομή - to build up, help grow
–Romans 14:19
–Ephesians 4:12
•Exhorting -παρακαλέω - to aid, help, encourage
–Hebrews 3:13
–Hebrews 10:25
–Romans 12:1
•Comforting – παρακαλέω - comfort
–2 Corinthians 1:3-4
–1 Thessalonians 4:18
•Admonishing – νουθετέω - to warn, admonish
–Acts 20:31
–Romans 15:14
–Colossians 3:16
•Edifying – building up
•Exhorting - encouraging
•Comforting - comforting
•Admonishing - warning
•Colossians 3:16
•Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Counseling text book – Bible
•Psalms 147:5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
•Proverbs 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
•A counselor must study and meditate on God’s word so that it dwells and abides within you, so you have God’s wisdom in offering guidance to others.
Biblical Foundation for Pastoral Counseling
Many Christians turn outside the church for help
•Why does this happen?
–Not confident in Scriptures ability to help
–Afraid to share problems with those inside the church
–Not looking for answer just someone to talk to or to justify their behavior.
Modern Psychology
•Human nature is basically good.
•People have the answers to their problems inside them.
•The key to understanding and correcting a person’s attitudes and actions lies somewhere in that person’s past.
•Individuals’ problems are the result of what someone else has done to them.
•Human problems can be purely psychological in nature—unrelated to any spiritual or physical condition.
•Deep-seated problems can be solved only by professional counselors using therapy.
•Scripture, prayer, and the Holy Spirit are inadequate and simplistic resources for solving certain types of problems.
Foundations (Presuppositions) of Psychology Compared with the Bible
Man is good, though he dysfunctions. / Man is evil, a rebel at heart, depraved. (Jer. 17:9, Rom. 3:23)Man’s problems are primarily due to mistreatment by others / Man’s problems are primarily due to his rebellion (desire to control one’s own life rather than to submit to God) and sinning against others and God
To overcome a problem he must explore his history. Focus is placed on the counselee, his suffering, and his past (self-consuming) / To overcome a problem involving sin, man must repent immediately. Focus is on the God of healing, His power, and the believer’s glorious future (Rom. 6:13-22)
Qualifications of a Pastoral Counselor
Emotional Stability
•1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settleyou.
•stablish you
–to make stable, stand fast in persecution
•strengthen you
–to make strong
•settle you
put on a firm foundation, to make stable
Spiritual Development
•Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
•1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
What does it mean to be Spiritual?
•Ephesians 5:18
–And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
–STOPPED
Need for Wisdom
•Wisdom is necessary in order to deal competently with people’s problems.
•some problems require more wisdom than others.
–James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
•Solomon and his judgment on who was the real mother. 1 Kings 3:24-25
Many counselors make the mistake of confusing the giving of their advice with giving Biblical counsel. We have a responsibility to let the counselee know what is our opinion and what is non-negotiable Biblical command.
Wisdom applied
•A counselor must be skilled in identifying underlying problems/motives of the heart and in applying Scriptural principles to them.
The tongue reflects the heart
•Matthew 12:34-35 34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? forout of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
Man of Prayer
•James 5:16
•More than any other activity, prayer represents the spiritual side of counseling. Our prayers show we do not ultimately rely on our education, skills, or methods but on God’s Spirit to work in this situation. Prayer is a confession of weakness that allows God’s power to prevail.
Prayer in counseling
•Use Prayer to prepare yourself for the session.
•Use prayer to set the tone of the session
•Use Prayer as a major part of the healing process.
•Use Prayer to close the session.
Pastoral Counseling Policy
Why is a policy important?
•Set expectations for the counselor and counselee
•Safeguard the integrity of your ministry
•Ensure counseling in being conducted in a proper Biblical manor