Practicing Christian Leadership, Mentor's Guide, MG11

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P R A C T I C I N G C H R I S T I A N L E A D E R S H I P

Effective Counseling: Preparing, Caring, and Healing

Segment 1: Effective Biblical Counseling: The Christian Leader as God’s Physician

Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis

The practicing Christian leader is one who provides counsel to the people of God by providing effective spiritual direction through a careful, relevant application of the Word of God. As the Lord’s physician of the spirit, the Christian leader uses the Word of God to diagnose, address, and care for the issues of the hurting and helpless, all in the name of the Lord and for the upbuilding of the body. Our objective for this segment, Effective Biblical Counseling: The Christian Leader as God’s Physician , is to enable you to see that: • The Christian leader provides counsel to the people of God by providing effective spiritual direction through a careful, relevant application of the Word of God. • A Christian counselor is God’s physician, that is, in the same way a compassionate physician cares for the body of a patient, so a spiritual counselor seeks to care for the soul and life of the person he cares for. • As God’s physician of the spirit, the Christian leader applies the Word of God with skill and loving-kindness to the issues and concerns of God’s people for their upbuilding and growth. • The Holy Spirit is needed in every phase of effective Christian and biblical counseling. • Godly counsel from other experienced and wise leaders is an invaluable asset in leading and caring for others encountering difficulties in their lives. • Ongoing care and contact in the body of believers is integral to the continued healing and care of those who have undergone difficulties and trials. • Ultimately, the Christian leader must surrender the people under his or her care to the Lord, who alone is able to sustain the kind of transforming grace needed to ensure their ongoing health and blessing.

Summary of Segment 1

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