Dr. Mike Emlet talks about the number one mistake people can make when offering Scripture during counseling.

Dr. David Powlison responds to a question about how Scripture seems distant - and how to make it more personal.

In this last article I want to suggest a possible conversation with Joel that takes seriously (1) an approach to Scripture as an unfolding redemptive story that centers on Jesus Christ and (2) an approach to Joel that takes into account his experience as a saint, sufferer, and sinner. I want to revisit a text I mentioned in the first article—1 Cor. 6:18—but use it in a multifaceted way. What might a snippet of conversation look like?

You’ve just learned that a male member of your youth group has starting dating a non-Christian girl and they’ve had sex on at least one occasion. He had made a profession of faith as a young child and lived, until recently, as a faith-filled disciple of Christ. How will you minister to this student? What notes do you want to strike as you bring the truth of the gospel to bear on his life? How you move toward him depends on at least two things—your general approach to Scripture and your general approach to people. These two overarching aspects will shape the way you specifically minister to this teen. It’s important to be self-reflective about the ways we think about the Bible and about people if we are to be wise, compassionate, and gospel-centered in personal ministry. Let’s look at possible approaches to Scripture in this first article.