In this special bonus-length episode, June takes a brave step by sharing her story with us. It’s not an easy thing to bring painful memories into the light, but she does it with courage, grace, and deep joy—joy she says could only have come through Christ’s redemption in her life.
The Lord used John MacArthur's sermons to grow June's faith, as well as the community at Grace Community Church.
Throughout her story, June shares that a “Trauma Series” supported her along the way, here are links to that series, in five sessions:
1. Defining Trauma Biblically - John Henderson
2. Experience and Expression of Trauma from Childhood
3. Body Truly Matters and the Heart Truly Determines
4. Ministry of the Word to Survivors of Childhood Trauma
5. Handling the Past Biblically (Applied to Severe Childhood Abuse) - Steve Viars
Some information on the men who speak in these sessions:
John Henderson:
John Henderson serves as the Associate Pastor of Counseling and Family Ministry at University Baptist Church in Fayetteville, AR. Growing up in a missionary family, John heard the proclamation of the gospel at a young age and, by God’s grace, came to trust in Jesus Christ. While working on an undergraduate degree in psychology from Texas A&M University and graduate degrees from the University of North Texas in Counseling Psychology, the Lord brought John to renewed trust and growth. Prior to his current position at UBC, he served as Associate Pastor at Del Ray Baptist Church in Virginia and counseling pastor at Denton Bible Church for 14 years. During those years he ministered to families, led yearly biblical counseling training for the congregation, and helped supervise counselors in a local counseling center. He also serves as an associate professor of counseling at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. John and his wife Ruth were married in 2000 and have been blessed with five children.
Steve Viars:
Steve Viars is the Senior Pastor of Faith Church (Lafayette, IN); ACBC Fellow and board member; Biblical Counseling Coalition board member; Vision Of Hope board member; instructor and counselor at Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries; married with three children; B.S., Bible, Baptist Bible College (Clarks Summit, PA); M.Div., Grace Theological Seminary; D.Min., Biblical Counseling, Westminster Theological Seminary.
June also said she has been encouraged by:
Psalm 139
Psalm 32
When discussing miscarriages, June mentioned she was on her fourth, she has now had five. She shared that the sermon titled, “The Kingdom Belongs to Such As These” has been a huge encouragement.
During that discussion we were both referring to the “If only I was never born,” sentiment:
Ecclesiastes 4:3 NASB states, “But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.” (NIV uses the phrase “never been born.”) and Job 3:11 (NIV), Job laments, "Why did I not perish at birth? Why did I not die as I came from the womb?" and Job 10:19 (NIV) “If only I had never come into being, or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!”
Ecclesiastes was likely the one we were referring to, but Job in his suffering had a very similar sentiment. (As does the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 15:10, but that wasn’t what we were attempting to mention)
We close by asking June one final question: What do you look for in a counselor?
Her answer is simple but profound—healing begins where we are heard and loved well with the love of Christ.
We hope you find that here.
You are worth what it takes to heal.
And you are never alone.
