Conversational Counseling

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How do you view the sin in your life?

Sin is the catalyst for all the problems we face in our lives. In some circumstances, sin is our responsibility, but we also feel the pain of sin when another person sins against us. Sin can manifest itself through the decay of our fallen earth, not only in our lives but in our weather or the death of plants or animals. Whether we see an atrocity on the news, struggle through a season of suffering, or feel the weight of another’s sin against us, sin continually impacts our lives. From a young age, many of us have learned to focus on the consequences of sin and rely on our confession to free us from our sin. Though good things, overemphasizing sin can lead to fear and shame instead of recognizing God’s free gift of salvation and hope of transformation.

In this season, we will discuss sin, our responsibility, and the journey to transformation. God did not leave us to fight the battle against sin alone. Though our fear or shame may drive others from us, God does not fear our sin and brokenness. Sin separates us from God, but it does not have the power to separate God from us. The Bible shows us in a multitude of ways how God is moving in the lives of those who sin to draw them into a closer relationship with Him. Where sin abounds, God’s grace abounds all the more.

Resources:

⁠Holier than Thou: How God’s Holiness Helps Us Trust Him by Jackie Hill Perry⁠

Holy Holy Holy God - Jackie Hill Perry (Passion 2022)

⁠The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming by Henri Nouwen⁠

⁠S1 Ep. 4: Gospel Waltz: Confess, Believe, Love⁠

Season 8 of Conversational Counseling on “The Sacred Struggle: Sin, Responsibility and The Journey to Transformation.”

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 engineer and producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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! <<⁠

The suffering and brokenness we experience in the now and the not yet can overwhelm us and shape our view of ourselves. In our final episode of Season 7, we welcome our dear friend and talented artist Lauren Duncan to the podcast to share her story of infertility. As we look back on her journey through brokenness and suffering, we see elements of the Grand Narrative that point us to the Father.

In her infertility journey, Lauren faced shame and inadequacy from many fronts while she and her husband went from doctor to doctor searching for answers. With each closed door, she felt overwhelmed, unable to make sense of her circumstances. Unable to conceive her own children, Lauren experienced an identity crisis since she could not do what she was “supposed” to as a woman. In this season, she took hold of the idea of “beautify and multiply.” Instead of multiplying her family, Lauren multiplied her paintings, illustrations of her suffering, her prayers, and the Lord’s promises in her life. Painting and writing became her outlet to seek the Lord and express her emotions, and she began to share her work and the truths she had learned with others. Through her own journey, she has been equipped to listen well and empathize with others as they navigate similar seasons of suffering.

Now as Lauren looks back on her story, she can see how God brought her through this painful season and reminded her of her identity. He has now blessed her with three children through adoption. Yet even in her blessing, she still feels the lingering pain and shame of infertility. As we live with the reality of the Fall, we are not promised that God will take away all of our pain or suffering, though He promises to remain by our side through every season. We must wake every morning and reorient to God’s Story, reminding ourselves of our identity in Him and looking forward to His final restoration.

Resources:

Lauren Duncan Art

Made to Create

Painted Prayers

J&M Bookstore

S1 Ep.1/The Lens: Saint, Sufferer, Sinner

Season 7 of Conversational Counseling on “Telling One Woman’s Story with Lauren Duncan.”

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 engineer and producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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! <<⁠

In Part 1, we share the importance of orienting ourselves to God first before we look horizontally to listen and support others. But how do we orient ourselves toward God? In this episode, Brenda and Alex share parts of their testimonies to practice plotting out our stories on the Grand Narrative. Through these stories, they highlight the cultural and personal experiences that shaped their views of the world and influenced sin struggles and painful moments, but they also remind us how God has held them since the very beginning.

God’s Grand Narrative reminds us that He is the hero of the story of the whole world. He sent His Son to redeem us and to give us worth, despite the false beliefs about ourselves we have internalized. As we look backwards, we can recognize God’s hand, even though we did not consciously feel it in the moment. This exercise teaches us more about God’s character and about His love for us and can open the door for the Holy Spirit to minister to our hearts. As He has been faithful in the past, He will be faithful to restore us and give us rest in the future. Knowing our stories not only allows us to build our faith but also equips us to listen and support others.

Resources:

S4 Ep 9: Perfectionism

Season 7 of Conversational Counseling on “You Have a Story.”

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 engineer and producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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! <<⁠

Every morning, we wake up and remember we live in “the now and the not yet.” The aches in our bodies and in our hearts remind us we inhabit a post-Fall world that causes pain, suffering, and brokenness. The pages of the Bible depict characters who experience loss and heartache, who willfully sin and harm those closest to them, and who walk through the literal and metaphorical deserts of this life. These stories remind us that we are not the only ones to travel through dark or lonely moments, even though the Enemy tempts us towards shame and isolation.

We often wonder, “If I tell her about this struggle, will she judge me? If he learns about this season, will he reject me?” When we choose to be vulnerable, to expose ourselves to the risk of rejection, we may feel shame or lose relationships. We can feel trapped in a cycle of rejection that dissuades us from seeking out others. Yet in a God-filled community, each one of us can wrap our arms around each other and offer support through seasons of suffering and healing.

As we orient ourselves vertically to God, we can then look horizontally and better listen and support others. Each of us has a story to tell, and many of us share similar suffering and sin struggles. In order to listen well and support others, we need to strive for healing in our own stories. This starts with remembering who we are as God’s children and where we fit in His Grand Narrative. If we acknowledge that the God of the universe loves us despite our shame or guilt, then we can begin to accept our worth in Him. He does not promise complete healing in this life, but He does promise comfort as we daily strive for final restoration. We cannot do the work of healing on our own, but we can demonstrate His love by listening well and standing shoulder to shoulder with those around us as we all lean in towards final restoration.

Season 7 of Conversational Counseling on “You Have a Story.”

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 engineer and producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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! <<⁠

We’ve all asked these loaded questions, “Who am I? What is my purpose?” Since the Fall in the Garden of Eden, the Enemy has fought to undermine God’s story with counterfeits that promise answers to these questions. The competing stories begin early as our personal influences form our opinion of ourselves and the world. Our family of origin, place of birth, and socioeconomic background expose us to specific subcultures, opinions, and prejudices. The people closest to us form our opinions of self, of family, and of relationships, and these people may be the ones who injure us the most. As we age, our cultural context continues to shape our worldview, some good and other bad. Through social media and entertainment, we see different bodies and relationships and lifestyles and wonder what we can do to achieve their happiness. The 24/7 news cycle breeds fatalism and fear if we don’t take their prescribed path to presumed peace. We’re bombarded with these influences and more as the Enemy tempts us to place our trust outside of God.

But our 21st century American pursuit of happiness is failing us. We work for more money, power, and accolades because we’re promised we’ll find happiness, worth, and fulfillment in them. When faced with inevitable suffering, our culture advocates for a multitude of avenues to avoid it. Some choose busyness, others addiction to drugs, alcohol, or sex. We attempt to distract ourselves from painful relationships and experiences and continue pursuing happiness in what we can accomplish. We hope one of these avenues will restore us and provide peace and wholeness and happiness, but we’re let down time and again. 

God does not leave us in this place of despair. He has given us the answers to our questions, and His Grand Narrative trumps all competing stories. Where broken relationships and hurtful experiences have clouded our view of ourselves and our story, God reminds us of our place within His great story of redemption. When we learn more about the truth of God’s story, we can find lasting peace as we hope for His final restoration.

Resources:

Ancient Cosmology / BibleProject Podcast

Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Tim Keller 

BEMA Podcast 

The Journey with Alex Kocher 

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 engineer and producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shane Selby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, executive producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meleah Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠generous donors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Known Ministries⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alex Kocher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Brenda Payne. Season 7 of Conversational Counseling on “Competing Stories."

>> 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.