>> Click HERE to get free visuals, handouts and discussion questions for Conversational Counseling sent straight to your email! <<

What moments of your life stick out to you when you think of your past? Many of us may feel trapped or discouraged because of the brokenness in our past. We wonder if our brokenness and suffering will ever end. At the same time, we feel a longing in our hearts for something better. We know God’s story promises restoration, an even greater ending than our beginning in the Garden of Eden, but we feel tension as the sin in our world reminds us we have not fully realized the restoration. In this tension, we experience ambivalence, meaning we’re holding two or more emotions that feel contradictory.

To sign up for free visuals and discussion questions for this season click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our theme music is by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠As Isaac⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This podcast is made possible by engineers and producers ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zachary Tate Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shane Selby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, executive producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meleah Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠generous donors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Known Ministries⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alex Kocher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Brenda Payne. Season 7 of Conversational Counseling on "Counseling is Story Work."

⁠>> Click HERE to get free visuals, handouts and discussion questions for Conversational Counseling sent straight to your email! <<⁠⁠

Every day, we’re faced with the painful effects of sin: abuse, trauma, suffering, betrayal, broken relationships. We feel a prodding for something we cannot grasp, a resolution to our pain that’s just out of reach, as if we’ve been straining forward but the light at the end of the tunnel is no closer.

As we dive into God’s Grand Narrative again, we’re joined by our dear friend and gifted pastor, Adam Coppock. Adam is more than a guest – he’s family. In this episode, we explore the tension we feel in the present. We long for true peace and resolution, yet we wait. We’re tempted to only see the present, to view ourselves as the hero of our stories and to see our stories as isolated from others’. But God’s story began before He spoke creation into existence, and He is weaving the stories of our lives together into the tapestry of His Grand Narrative, giving us a design and purpose.

As we face the weight of sin in our own stories, we may be tempted to lose faith in God’s foreshadowed restoration. We can look at the pitfalls and pain of ours and others’ lives and wonder if this life is the best we’ll have. The Grand Narrative reminds us to look beyond our present struggles to God’s greater plans. We can have hope, remembering the work God has already done and recognizing that God, our good and faithful Shepherd, is walking alongside us right now through our hills and valleys.

To sign up for free visuals and discussion questions for this season click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our theme music is by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠As Isaac⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This podcast is made possible by engineers and producers ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zachary Tate Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shane Selby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, executive producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meleah Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠generous donors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Known Ministries⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alex Kocher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Brenda Payne.

⁠>> Click HERE to get free visuals, handouts and discussion questions for Conversational Counseling sent straight to your email! <<⁠

What makes a good story? If we think of our favorite stories, we’ll start to notice a pattern. Many of these books or movies present the journey of a hero with a redemptive arc because God has hardwired a love for this kind of tale into our hearts. 

And yet, many of us also know all too well the ache of a longing unfulfilled, the story that doesn’t have a bow on the end. The struggles we face in our lives are pieces of our story. When we recognize God’s greater story, the Grand Narrative, we can place ours and others’ seasons of suffering within that larger narrative. As we learn to honestly share our own stories, we’re able to recognize the lies we’ve been told and learn to hope in His plan for our story.

One day, our longing for resolution will be resolved in eternity, but for now, we can trust in Him as the hero of our story, no matter how messy it gets. In this season, Brenda, Alex, and their guests will share real counseling situations where they used story work to find healing in the midst of brokenness.

To sign up for free visuals and discussion questions for this season click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our theme music is by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠As Isaac⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This podcast is made possible by engineers and producers ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zachary Tate Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shane Selby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, executive producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meleah Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠generous donors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Known Ministries⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alex Kocher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Brenda Payne.

⁠⁠>> Click HERE to get free visuals, handouts and discussion questions for Conversational Counseling sent straight to your email! <<⁠ (If you've already signed up for our email list, you'll receive them at each release.)

Our guest and dear friend on this episode, Ginger Jacks, lost her 17-year-old daughter in a car wreck back in 2010 when we all shared daily life together with our teenage kids. Our desire is that as she shares her story, that you would find hope and help if you have lost or child or know someone who has... or even are in your own season of grief for other reasons.

Grief is so different for everybody and there's no formula. You have to go through the process and the stages and no one can tell you when those will be. The process really is the healing.

God can handle your doubts. He can carry you through the day, one day at a time.

Heaven by Randy Alcorn

To sign up for free visuals and discussion questions for this podcast click⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our theme music is by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠As Isaac⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This podcast is made possible by engineer and producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shane Selby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, executive producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meleah Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠generous donors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Known Ministries⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alex Kocher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Brenda Payne. Season six of Conversational Counseling is all about equipping you with specific knowledge and skills from special guests who have unique experience and expertise to help with harder issues you might encounter.

Listener discretion advised: This episode is not graphic but it does cover a sensitive topic.

⁠⁠⁠⁠>> Click HERE to get free visuals, handouts and discussion questions for Conversational Counseling sent straight to your email! <<⁠⁠⁠ (If you've already signed up for our email list, you'll receive them at each release.)

Drug use and abuse is a growing epidemic. And every struggler has a loved one. The grief of watching someone self-destruct can be agonizing. What are some of the things that can lead someone down a path of addiction? And what are some of the things that can truly help them?

Our guest this time, Peggy Bruning, was a good girl raised in a religious home who lost her mom as a teenager and turned to drugs for relief. This pain she had no way to deal with, led her down her own destructive journey of drug addiction. She tells the story of how she met Jesus and how for the first time she received true comfort for the death of her mother and forgiveness for all the ways she had sought to find relief outside of Christ.

How can we love an addict without enabling them? When someone is in chaos, how can you not enter it? How can we move towards real solutions of change? How can we respond without reacting?

Our theme music is by⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠As Isaac⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This podcast is made possible by engineer and producer⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shane Selby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, executive producer⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meleah Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠generous donors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Known Ministries⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alex Kocher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Brenda Payne. Season six of Conversational Counseling is all about equipping you with specific knowledge and skills from special guests who have unique experience and expertise to help with harder issues you might encounter.

The information presented here is for the enjoyment of all. It is not intended as either medical advice or counseling, nor is it specific to any particular individual. It is not intended to replace counseling, medical care or professional advice. Please contact 911 if you are having an emergency.

Listener discretion advised: This episode is not graphic but it does cover a sensitive topic.

⁠⁠⁠>> Click HERE to get free visuals, handouts and discussion questions for Conversational Counseling sent straight to your email! <<⁠⁠ (If you've already signed up for our email list, you'll receive them at each release.)

Our guest Andrew Dealy has a family history of five generations back of completed suicides, including losing his own father. When dark thoughts come, Andrew doesn’t take them lightly. With compassion and clarity, he helps us learn the difference between suicidal thoughts and intent, risk factors, and what to do if someone discloses they are thinking of ending their own life.

Scripture defines every individual human being as indispensable in the body of Christ, uniquely made and handcrafted by God for this particular moment, this particular time. By God's grace, every individual we bump into has inherently more dignity and meaning than they could possibly comprehend. YOU have more dignity and meaning than you could possibly comprehend. 

Instead of settling for entertainment and distraction, Andrew encourages us to lean into real relationships and Scripture, to share with someone about our struggles, and to find hope here and now, and to know that our problems are all time-stamped, and you don’t have to walk alone.

Andrew Dealy’s counseling at Austin Stone Counseling

To sign up for free visuals and discussion questions for this podcast click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our theme music is by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠As Isaac⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This podcast is made possible by engineer and producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shane Selby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, executive producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meleah Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠generous donors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Known Ministries⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alex Kocher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Brenda Payne. Season six of Conversational Counseling is all about equipping you with specific knowledge and skills from special guests who have unique experience and expertise to help with harder issues you might encounter.

The information presented here is for the enjoyment of all. It is not intended as either medical advice or counseling, nor is it specific to any particular individual. It is not intended to replace counseling, medical care or professional advice. Please contact 911 if you are having an emergency.

Note: This episode is not graphic but it does cover sensitive topics you might not be ready for little ears to hear.

⁠⁠>> Click HERE to get free visuals, handouts and discussion questions for Conversational Counseling sent straight to your email! <<⁠ (If you've already signed up for our email list, you'll receive them at each release.)

A lot of Christian parents haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about gender and sexuality issues. Many young people are looking for somewhere to belong, to be accepted, to be loved.

Often parents are shocked by unexpected news from a child coming out to them and overcome with grief and don’t know how to move forward in love for their child and faithfulness to the Lord.

Our special guest this episode, Chris Torchia, reminds us that we do have the freedom to lean into the nuance and the messiness of real life relationships. And that as we reframe our experiences, relationships and our own brokenness and need for Christ, we’re able to see that we’re all more alike than we might have first thought. Then we’re able to affirm the good desires of a child to belong and be accepted, to be curious about what they really mean and where they are in their journey, and to be faithful to a deeper relationship of trusting God and His good leading for the process He is leading us each through and the value of His Word.

Chris break dancing... if you find more videos, send them in! :)

Shattered Dreams, New Hope a free curriculum you can download that has companion videos

Get help, including virtual groups, from Harvest USA

To sign up for free visuals and discussion questions for this podcast click⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our theme music is by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠As Isaac⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This podcast is made possible by engineer and producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shane Selby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, executive producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meleah Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠generous donors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Known Ministries⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alex Kocher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Brenda Payne. Season six of Conversational Counseling is all about equipping you with specific knowledge and skills from special guests who have unique experience and expertise to help with harder issues you might encounter.

Note: This episode is not graphic but it does cover a sensitive topic you might not be ready for little ears that may be around to hear.

⁠>> Click HERE to get free visuals, handouts and discussion questions for Conversational Counseling sent straight to your email! << (If you've already signed up for our email list, you'll receive them at each release.)

In this episode Marnie Ferree shares about the betrayal of a spouse, having herself been the betrayer and then decades into her marriage finding out that she had been betrayed. Marnie shares her story from her childhood up until just a couple of years ago with honesty and great hope, and in a way that is applicable to each of us since in some ways we’ve all experienced betrayal, feeling stuck or unsure about our worth.

Marnie shares as a woman who is marvelously redeemed from unbelievable amounts of pain, who is grateful for the journey because of all that God has done and continues to do. And although not always pleasant, she encourages us that our journey with God can always be healing.

Bethesda Workshops

Marnie’s Books

Forgiveness Season of Conversational Counseling

To sign up for free visuals and discussion questions for this podcast click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our theme music is by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠As Isaac⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This podcast is made possible by engineer and producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shane Selby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, executive producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meleah Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠generous donors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Known Ministries⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alex Kocher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Brenda Payne. Season six of Conversational Counseling is all about equipping you with specific knowledge and skills from special guests who have unique experience and expertise to help with harder issues you might encounter.

We are SO thrilled to share this bonus episode with you!! Our colleague and quickly becoming dear friend, Shauna Van Dyke, is the Executive Director at the Association of Biblical Counselors (ABC).

Shauna has an amazing heart to equip believers for the work of ministry as she sincerely believes we are all called to care. That every single one of us can live out the "one anothers" in our daily lives. And she is an amazing champion and cheerleader of what the Lord is doing in and through others!

She offers a sincere and tender encouragement for any of us who feels isolated and alone in our calling... and if we're honest, that's each of us at some point! So we can not be discouraged if we are the only one who is leaning in... to consider it a great gift.

If you're looking to be reminded that you are not entirely alone, to learn, be enriched, challenged and encouraged in your own walk with the Lord but also as you walk with others, there's still time to register for the ABC conference coming up April 25-27, 2024. They have in-person and virtual options available! We're going to be there and would love to meet up with any of you who will be as well!

Called to Counsel, ABC's conference April 25-27, 2024 in Fort Worth ,TX

Shauna's Truth Renewed Ministry website

ABC's website: christiancounseling.com

Equipped to Counsel by John Henderson

Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands by Paul David Tripp

"Superpowers" (S1 E2) of Conversational Counseling

Our Real Life Discipleship Counseling Class (which Shauna so graciously recommends)

"Tim Challies: A Story of Immeasurable Suffering and Incomparable Hope" (S5 E8) of Conversational Counseling

ABC's Resources (even more available in their member area!)

CCEF's conference Oct 4-6, 2024 in Chattanooga, TN

Follow on social media:

- ABC on Facebook - ⁠Truth Renewed Ministries Facebook⁠

- ABC on Instagram - Truth Renewed on Instagram

To sign up for free visuals and discussion questions for this podcast click⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our theme music is by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠As Isaac⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This podcast is made possible by engineer and producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shane Selby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, executive producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meleah Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠generous donors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Known Ministries⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alex Kocher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Brenda Payne.

Note: This episode is particularly one mother sharing her story, but this episode will not merely benefit moms. We think the principles we talk about apply to anyone whose world has been turned upside down and is facing depression. We hope you enjoy…

⁠>> Click HERE to get free visuals, handouts and discussion questions for Conversational Counseling sent straight to your email! << (If you've already signed up for our email list, you'll receive them at each release.)

Season six of Conversational Counseling is all about equipping you with specific knowledge and skills from special guests who have unique experience and expertise to help with harder issues you might encounter.

Sharing about depression is vulnerable, especially when it involves being put in a mental institution not once, but twice… Christine Chappell so compassionately and bravely shares her story of facing depression hoping to remove the stigma. Hoping to help us all walk with compassion with others as long as it takes for us to know that darkness doesn’t have the last say… No matter how long it takes.

Christine also shares some really helpful insight to help us understand what is a common struggle verses what is a serious struggle that is dangerous.

We hope you feel relief as you realize that you do not have to bear the burden of trying to suffer in this broken world perfectly. And we hope that we all are encouraged to be a manifestation of Jesus in the flesh to those around us.

Christine’s website

Midnight Mercies: Walking with God through Depression in Motherhood by Christine Chappell

Motherhood: Hope for Discouraged Moms by Brenda Payne

Spurgeon’s Sorrows: Realistic Hope for those who Suffer from Depression by Zack Eswine

⁠Our class on Lament⁠, that is a free gift to you.

Christine Chappell’s, Hope + Help Podcast

Follow Christine on social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube

To sign up for free visuals and discussion questions for this podcast click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our theme music is by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠As Isaac⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This podcast is made possible by engineer and producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shane Selby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, executive producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meleah Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠generous donors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Known Ministries⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alex Kocher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Brenda Payne. This sixth season of Conversational Counseling is a series designed to give you help with harder issues you might encounter.