Life Over Coffee

There are two objective positives from being part of a group. One is that you all believe the same things. It’s the upside to “groupthink.” Not necessarily bad. The second is a psychological positive of feeling good to be part of the group. You believe the same things and there are psychological benefits like acceptance, approval, significance, respect, and love from the relationships that flow out of those groups with shared beliefs. The dangerous dark side of these communities is when the benefits, e.g., finding approval, become more crucial to you than whatever the group believes. The temptation is to compromise what you believe because the benefits of connecting with a relational community are more vital.

Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/the-dangerous-dark-side-of-a-shared-belief-system/

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Shows Main Idea – My past Life Over Coffee two episodes are a response to different perspectives in the biblical counseling movement regarding its future. I stated part of the problem in our movement is that there is a lot of redundancy and little innovation. Some folks took issue, offering what they believe to be innovative from their perspectives. In this third episode, I aim to clarify what I mean by innovation, how it differs from a few others, and a path forward.

Show Notes: https://rickthomas.net/podcast/ep-425-seven-ways-biblical-counselors-can-innovate/

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Depression is a complicated problem that is the center of much debate within counseling circles. Though those discussions will not subside anytime soon, there are a few things we can do to help those struggling with depression. As an added bonus, we may learn a few ideas that will help ourselves when we spiral into the dumps of despair. It happens. Unannounced! I trust these practical and biblical suggestions will give you hope and help for your soul while guiding your care for your friends.

Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/hope-and-practical-help-for-those-struggling-with-depression/

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Think with me for a moment about what it means to be a bit player in a grander epic. The Christian life is God inviting us into His story that is coming true. We are not inviting Him into our story, hoping He will make our stories come true. As you ponder these thoughts, what difference does living in a larger story make? How does the knowledge of having a small part in a more fabulous narrative shape and influence your life?

Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/learning-how-to-trust-the-author-of-your-story/

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Shows Main Idea – Ironically, my podcast last week about the decline of the biblical counseling movement found affirmation in a most unusual place—integrationists. Though I was not writing to the integrationists who are adjacent (their word, not mine) to biblical counseling, they took my episode, ran it through their hermeneutic and began game planning about bringing more innovation to their integrationists movement, not the biblical counseling movement. I think I need to clarify, so here goes.

Show Notes: https://rickthomas.net/podcast/ep-424-a-few-integrationists-affirm-my-point-about-bcs-decline/

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There is an interplay between truth and freedom that dynamically changes your life. The more the truth of God’s Word anchors you, the freer you are. Our example, as always, is Jesus Christ. He was supposedly the freest man ever to live. People’s opinions did not manage or entangle Him because the truth of God’s Word ran surveillance over of His mind. I’m not suggesting He dismissed views as though people did not matter, but Jesus weighed all opinions by the ultimate truth. This process of not letting other so-called truths manage Him made Him free.

Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/the-interplay-of-truth-and-freedom-that-sets-you-free/

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Moving forward in faith—believing God can do all things well for me— is one of the hardest things to do in our fallen world, especially when the decisions are difficult. Because of the complexity of deciding big things to move forward with life, the main thing I must do is make sure I have God’s perspective on the thing I’m thinking about doing. Without His sovereign clarity, my sight-lines will lower to a man-centered view, which will spell disaster. Thus, to move forward while guided by God’s perspective, I must understand and practice these three essential, sequential steps.

Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/three-tips-for-moving-forward-when-things-are-hard/

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Shows Main Idea – There is a difference between biblical counseling and the biblical counseling (BC) movement. Biblical counseling is a modern word for New Testament discipleship, God’s way of doing soul care. The BC Movement has been a vital means for elevating the need for every Christian to “counsel” others, and their usefulness has been substantial. But their relevancy has declined for many years. I will give you four reasons why.

Show Notes: https://rickthomas.net/podcast/ep-423-four-reasons-the-bc-movement-has-passed-its-prime/

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“When you and Lucia realized you hadn’t asked for forgiveness for several years, how did you work out the gospel in that situation? You couldn’t go back and cover all your past sins against each other at that time, correct? So how do you handle forgiving sin over such an extended period?” My friend’s question is vital because we all have a history with people. Sometimes, that history includes sinful interactions, and if you don’t have a sin plan that neutralizes sin at the moment, the accumulative effect of unconfessed sin can weigh heavy on any relationship. Suppose you come to your senses and want to resolve past conflict with someone. How do you go about it?

Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/now-that-i-want-forgiveness-how-do-i-handle-my-past-sins/

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Forgiveness is one of the most challenging concepts for Christians to come to terms with, especially when someone has hurt them. The recipients of unjust and unkind actions experience legitimate disappointment that does not always go away quickly. Fortunately, we do not have to despair: we have a suffering Savior, who went through many unjust trials, leaving us a template for how to think and respond when someone sins against us. Of course, as you might imagine, the pathway to follow Him through suffering has complexities and challenges, but there is grace for this, as we can read and learn from Peter’s perspective on the Savior’s suffering.

Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/when-i-wont-forgive-someone/

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