
For more than 40 years, CCEF’s Journal of Biblical Counseling has provided a forum for the development of clear thinking and effective practice in biblical counseling. We do this by publishing articles that faithfully bring the God of truth, mercy, and power to the issues that face pastoral ministries of counseling and discipleship.


Volume 34, No. 3
With this volume of the JBC, you'll notice a new look. Several of the design elements were used in past JBC designs. By including reminiscences from our past, we sought to represent how we strive for our content to be timeless in nature. Added, modern touches reflect our desire to be timely as we serve God's church in the 21st century. As always, CCEF seeks to provide the same biblical, thoughtful, and practical content that has been a hallmark of the JBC throughout the years. We hope you enjoy the refreshed look!
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JBC Vol. 34 · No. 3 Articles
Friend of the Deceased
Though condolences, messages of hope, and other blessings are rightfully directed to the family of someone who passes away, they […]
God Is Making His People Good: Counseling and Virtue Formation
In this article, Michael Gembola recounts how he was inspired by David Powlison’s emphasis on God’s intention to not only […]
How to Discern True Repentance When Serious Sin Has Occurred
Why should helpers assess for repentance when serious sin has disrupted a relationship? Author Darby Strickland argues that evaluating the […]
Transgenderism: An Introduction to the Literature for Biblical Counselors
In this helpful essay, Pastor Joshua Blount introduces us to six books on transgenderism. The first three offer a biblical […]
Bible Basics for the Fearful and Anxious
To help people cope with fear and anxiety, Ed Welch lays out two foundational, and very practical, truths. The first […]
More Than a Proof Text: “When you’re in the wilderness, God clings to you.” (Psalm 63)
In our Counselor’s Toolbox, counselors Wes and Jacklyn Tubel use Psalm 63 and the biblical theme of wilderness to illustrate […]
JBC Volume 34:3 (2020) – Print
Purchase the print edition of the Journal of Biblical Counseling volume 34:3. The mission of the Journal of Biblical Counseling […]
JBC Volume 34:3 (2020) PDF
Purchase the digital edition of the Journal of Biblical Counseling volume 34:3. The mission of the Journal of Biblical Counseling […]
About the JBC
For more than 40 years, CCEF’s Journal of Biblical Counseling has provided a forum for the development of clear thinking and effective practice in biblical counseling. We do this by publishing articles that faithfully bring the God of truth, mercy, and power to the issues that face pastoral ministries of counseling and discipleship.
Our late senior editor David Powlison wrote, “CCEF works and prays to restore Christ to counseling—and to restore counseling to the church. The Journal of Biblical Counseling serves this mission as a publishing ministry of CCEF. We believe that true, life-explaining insight into people necessarily involves thinking Christianly. Loving, lasting help necessarily involves practicing ‘counseling’ as one aspect of consciously Christian ministry. The deeper you gaze into what actually goes wrong with people—the weight of our sins and sorrows—the more clearly you see that Jesus Christ is essential to making it right.”
Journal articles cover a broad range of biblical counseling and methodology topics. Many are written by CCEF faculty including Ed Welch, David Powlison, Michael Emlet, Julie Lowe, Todd Stryd and others. We also welcome articles from other authors, pastors, and practitioners in the field.
David Powlison was the senior editor of the JBC from 1992 until his death in 2019.

Editorial Staff
Managing Editor: Kimberly Monroe
Assistant Editor: Lauren Whitman
Assistant Editor: Michael Gembola
Proofreader: Bruce E. Eaton