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.
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JBC Vol. 35 · No. 2 Articles
by Edward T. Welch
Hope doesn’t just happen. Like other aspects of the Christian life, it is something we grow in over time. In his editorial, Ed Welch identifies the stages of hope and lays out the path it follows. He centers his focus on the psalms; they give us “words that grow hope.”
by J. Alasdair Groves
When trust is broken in a relationship it raises questions. Can I or should I ever trust that person again? What does the apostle Paul mean by "love always trusts” (1 Cor 13:7)? And perhaps the most challenging of all: Do I even want to rebuild trust? Read more
by Steve Midgley
The experience of disappointment is universal, but some disappointments can be so life-dominating that they affect every aspect of the way we live. No one expects a cancer diagnosis at twenty-nine, or the birth of a disabled child, or a spouse’s infidelity. What does Scripture say about these deeper and most personal disappointments? Read more
by Esther Liu
This reflection on suffering gives voice to a common question we wrestle with: Does Jesus care when we suffer? Drawing from the stories of the disciples caught in a storm on the Sea of Galilee and Lazarus’s untimely death, Liu will build your faith as she recounts the reasons we have to say in confident trust, “Jesus, I believe you care.” Read more
by Julie Lowe
Kids cannot always articulate what is bothering them, so they often require a different approach than we use to counsel adults. Engaging children and teens in activities that are kid-friendly such as drawing, role-playing with toys, or petting a therapy animal may help them to open up and express their feelings and concerns. Read more
by Michael Gembola
This article is an excerpt from an interview that took place in a seminary counseling class taught by Michael Gembola. He invited three women who counsel to come and discuss various aspects of their ministry experience. They share their thoughts on how students, especially women, can pursue counseling ministry in the local church.
JBC Volume 35:2 (2021) PDF
Purchase the digital edition of the Journal of Biblical Counseling Volume 35:2. Read more
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JBC Volume 35:2 (2021) Print
Purchase the print edition of the Journal of Biblical Counseling Volume 35:2. Read more
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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
Senior Editorial Board: Michael R. Emlet,
J. Alasdair Groves, and Edward T. Welch
Managing Editor: Kimberly Monroe
Developmental Editor: Lauren Whitman
Consulting Editor: Michael Gembola
Assistant Editor: Brandon Peterson
Proofreader: Bruce E. Eaton