The Elements of a Biblical Counseling Session Step One: Determine Their Spiritual Orientation Establish the person’s orientation about their spiritual life. • God says we are an immortal spirit that lives within a temporal human body. We are waiting the time when we’ll be clothed upon with our celestial body when we see Christ and become like Him (I Cor. 15). • This orientation explains many facets of how we view life. If problems are seen in the long view of eternity, they are just a small part of the picture (Paul called life a “light, momentary affliction” 2 Cor. 4:17). Step Two: Check out their Spiritual Life Priority Establish whether the person has come to view God and His Word, or culture and other humans as the Alpha and Omega of their life (Rev. 1:8; Mat. 6:33). For each of us, we need to do a check of where we look for the guidance, the foundational truths that guide us as we interpret life events. Is Jesus Christ the Alpha & Omega of our Spiritual Lives? Do we start our day with God? Is He the One we look to and check in with, and ask for His help, direction, strength, and peace? Or do we start with a dose of the news, the weather, the social media, and the goals of our material world life that dominates so much of our schedules and energies? Do we end our days with God? Do we measure our successes or failures by His unchanging standard of His Word? Do we allow Him to correct us, encourage us, renew and redirect us? Do we cast all of our cares one by one upon Him as a loving and caring father, and rest in His protection and care before we slip into the defenseless, helpless unconsciousness of sleep? A life that begins and ends with God as Master, Savior, Redeemer, and Friend is hemmed in by truth, and is very likely to not unravel when troubles come. Is the Bible Foundational to All We Are? Now, look at the boxed summary at the top of page 49: You can live God’s way because of the abundant resources and provisions He has graciously and mercifully given to you (based on John 14:26; Romans 8:11; 2 Corinthians 1:20-24; Ephesians 1:13-14; Philippians 4:13; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; James 1:5; 1 John 5:14-15). The Bible is Adequate (Principle 4): Since God's Word is the only authority for faith and conduct and is the sole, legitimate standard by which all aspects of living are evaluated, you are to rely on no other source. God's Word provides hope and gives direction for change in deeds (thoughts, speech, and actions) and is adequate to equip you for every good work (Psalm 19:7-11; Pr. 30:5-6; Col. 2:8; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:2-4) and to develop a Christlike attitude of servanthood within you (2 Cor. 3:5-6; Phil 2:5-8). Study on Psalm 19:7-11 Psalm 19:1-6 is all about God revealing Himself in nature. Every detail of this vast and intricate Universe speaks of an amazingly glorious Creator God. Psalm 19

1. 121107 BCD101-Week 9 Mans vs. God's.docx
Lesson 3: Man’s Way & God’s Way
Welcome to Lesson 3: Man’s Way & God’s Way
The heart of Biblical Counseling is that it is counseling that flows from God’s Way and
not Man’s Way. This month’s lessons will be all about our spiritual orientation and
Biblical priority for understanding and living life.
First, we need to work on our mutual accountability with the G.R.O.W. card. This card
states that we are maintaining our daily walk in four areas:
G (My Devotions): Get the Word into our lives on a daily basis. This means
I choose to take over my schedule and plan a daily application of the Word to my
life (My Devotions);
R (My Prayers): Reach out for the power of the Spirit by faith. This means I
choose to focused, regular prayers for the grace and power to see God change me,
and the others into whose lives I am called to investing my life (My Prayers);
O (My Sanctification): Open my life to the sanctifying work of the Holy
Spirit. This means I choose to plan regular memorization of the Word for Spirit-
filled meditation, so that He can change me a little bit more each day (My
Sanctification);
W (My Ministry):Willingly opening the Word to others.This means I choose
to prayerfully look for others that God will prepare and help me to nurture and
admonish; which are the two elements of Biblical Disciple making and Counseling
(My Ministry).
Now, open to Lesson 3 and page 48. Look at the boxed summary and follow along as I
read:
Learning to live God’s way requires you to respond to God’s salvation through His
Son, Jesus Christ. Then, you are to begin a new way of living based on the Lord’s
truth, resources, and wisdom rather than your own or anyone else’s wisdom,
philosophy, or experience (based on Proverbs 3:5-6; John 14:6, Romans 10:9-10,
13, 17; 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 2:6-10; James 3:13-15).
Last month we ended with a look at:
The Elements of a Biblical
Counseling Session
Step One: Determine Their Spiritual Orientation
D:ConfacConversion15442387121107bcd101-Week9mansvs-Godsstudent-121201110639-Phpapp02.Docx Page

2. Establish the person’s orientation about their spiritual life.
God says we are an immortal spirit that lives within a temporal human body. We
are waiting the time when we’ll be clothed upon with our celestial body when we
see Christ and become like Him (I Cor. 15).
This orientation explains many facets of how we view life. If problems are seen in
the long view of eternity, they are just a small part of the picture (Paul called life a
“light, momentary affliction” 2 Cor. 4:17).
Step Two: Check out their Spiritual Life Priority
Establish whether the person has come to view God and His Word, or culture and other
humans as the Alpha and Omega of their life (Rev. 1:8; Mat. 6:33).
For each of us, we need to do a check of where we look for the guidance, the
foundational truths that guide us as we interpret life events.
Is Jesus Christ the Alpha &
Omega of our Spiritual Lives?
Do we start our day with God?
Is He the One we look to and check in with, and ask for His help, direction, strength,
and peace?
Or do we start with a dose of the news, the weather, the social media, and the goals of
our material world life that dominates so much of our schedules and energies?
Do we end our days with God?
Do we measure our successes or failures by His unchanging standard of His Word?
Do we allow Him to correct us, encourage us, renew and redirect us?
Do we cast all of our cares one by one upon Him as a loving and caring father, and rest
in His protection and care before we slip into the defenseless, helpless unconsciousness
of sleep?
A life that begins and ends with God as Master, Savior, Redeemer, and Friend is
hemmed in by truth, and is very likely to not unravel when troubles come.
Is the Bible Foundational
to All We Are?
Now, look at the boxed summary at the top of page 49:
You can live God’s way because of the abundant resources and provisions He has
graciously and mercifully given to you (based on John 14:26; Romans 8:11; 2
Corinthians 1:20-24; Ephesians 1:13-14; Philippians 4:13; Colossians 4:2; 1
Thessalonians 5:16-18; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; James 1:5; 1 John 5:14-15).
D:ConfacConversion15442387121107bcd101-Week9mansvs-Godsstudent-121201110639-Phpapp02.Docx Page

3. The Bible is Adequate (Principle 4): Since God's Word is the only authority for
faith and conduct and is the sole, legitimate standard by which all aspects of living
are evaluated, you are to rely on no other source. God's Word provides hope and
gives direction for change in deeds (thoughts, speech, and actions) and is
adequate to equip you for every good work (Psalm 19:7-11; Pr. 30:5-6; Col.
2:8; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:2-4) and to develop a Christlike
attitude of servanthood within you (2 Cor. 3:5-6; Phil 2:5-8).
Study on Psalm 19:7-11
Psalm 19:1-6 is all about God revealing Himself in nature. Every detail of this vast and
intricate Universe speaks of an amazingly glorious Creator God.
Psalm 19:7-11 is all about God’s Special revelation through His Word. When we read
these words from God we find:
Six statements about Scripture:
Six titles for Scripture:
Six characteristics of Scripture:
Six effects of Scripture:
All six have the phrase, "of the Lord". Six times, "of the Lord, of the Lord, of the
Lord, of the Lord, of the Lord, of the Lord," just in case someone might question
the source. This is the law of the Lord. This is the testimony of the Lord and so
forth. This has divine origin. It is the inspired revelation of the Lord God himself.
Counseling Workshop Q&A
Phone Call, Sunday 4PM. Details: grandmother said grandson, baptized at 9, left church
as teen, wayward, divorced, fired from job, now unemployed, foreclosed house. Please
talk to him.
What would you say?
Where would you start?
Does God have a plan for him?
D:ConfacConversion15442387121107bcd101-Week9mansvs-Godsstudent-121201110639-Phpapp02.Docx Page