What You'll Discover in this Episode:
From Jeff Christianson and Bill Hines
Greetings, Conference Attenders and Friends,
On the heels of the International Association of Biblical Counselors annual conference Jeff Christianson and I thought it would be fun to give an overview of 2 Timothy for Counselors and Disciple Makers (remember all Christians are called to disciple). We invite you to watch Part 1 entitled: Stand Strong as You Stand for Christ. You may access this podcast, complete with video here.
In this episode we see an aging Paul writing a young Timothy to encourage him not to give up even while faced with fighting from within the Church and from enemies outside of the Church. The reader is struck by the tender relationship between the great Apostle and his son in the faith. In prison for his faith Paul assures young Timothy that God has all things well in His control and that Timothy’s task is to continue steadfast without wavering.
The listener to this podcast will be challenged as to the legacy he or she leaves behind to friends, family, natural children, or children in the Lord. You will also be challenged to be a Discipler of those God brings into your realm of influence.
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I like the advice about having patience when counseling someone who has challenges in this area. Good podcast.
I agree with the point from Jeff and Bill that discipleship happens in the home. Paul calls Timothy his beloved son in the faith. I want to be able to be a disciple-maker and someone who is spiritual father. I am encouraged by Jeff’s honesty about timidity. I know that I often struggle with the same thing. I want to be self-forgetful as Jeff said, walking by faith in Christ and His life in me. I don’t have kids, but I appreciate the part about humbling yourself before your children and your family. I pray that I can do the same thing when I have kids. “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus,” is a great encouragement that we receive with the command to be strong, the empowerment of Jesus Christ.
In the podcast today, I was thankful for the reminder of just how important it is to have someone more mature, someone who has been walking with the Lord more closely and longer than I have. We have a need for continual mentorship from someone we respect and admire. As Pastor Jeff pointed out, many times these mentors come about in a natural way, often times based on affinities. It is in a similar way that we develop friendships with people. We continually need to have someone mentoring us, and in addition, we need to be pouring into someone as well.
I agree with you Kyle it is better to have someone more mature who has been walking with the Lord more longer and then we are be our mentors. They can usually guide us and show us and correct us in a loving way. My mentors are friends that I have met through bible studies or church and it seems like some friends I have been meeting lately are going through things similar that I have been through and learn to trust God with. or their going through something similar to what I am.
Great podcast Jeff and Bill, I do agree that we should keep short accounts and “don’t let the sun go down on our anger.” Ephesians 4:26. We should make it a practice to forget the little wrongs that people do to us and move on. Life is so short and there are so many people to reach with the gospel.
I felt very encouraged by the Biblical counseling conference to continue to persevere in helping those in need even though we are in difficult times.
Also I thought Bill’s lecture on 2 Timothy 3:1-9 was excellent and encouraged me to be prepared because “Difficult times will come.”
A few years ago the Lord impressed on me the verses from 2 Timothy 3:13-15: “While evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
It was a warning that the false will increase but God’s assurance to keep going forward. (I found it emotional difficult (Spiritual battle) to deal with the false teachers, teachings and false Christians at the the time.)
I totally agree with Anne Marie, life too short to sweat the small stuff. We have to constantly keep our minds focused on what God has called and purposed us to do. And that is sharing the word of God to help those who are in need of healing and a imitate relationship with God. Thank you for sharing the scriptures!
Thanks for sharing your input on the pod cast, I do agree with you that we should not stay angry or keep account of wrong doing, One thing that helps me to remember this when I am angry is to remember I am to forgive others as I have been forgiven by God. Some times in helping others even though your going through times it actually helps us, I know for me when I help others its like God is showing me what I need to see in my tough times.
Thanks for another informative pod cast Pastor Jeff and Mr. Hines. A few things stood out to me in this weeks pod cast the 1st was i agree that We as parents should start disciplining our kids at home when they are young, to many times families that are broken and are not based with knowing Christ tend to have lots of chaos, anger, and are focused around self. When I had kids we went to church and they knew who God was but I didn’t really push you need a personal relationship with the Lord and to walk in humility and forgiveness. It wasn’t till I started my walk with the Lord that I learned all that, and It was when my kids were much older that God showed me all the things I had to seek forgiveness for and some of the things was being to hard on my children, not as loving as I should of been and showing them what anger does. And I have went humbly before God and also my children asking them to forgive me, for thing when they were younger. I have been showing them a new me one that has decided to give everything to the Lord and I believe it is never to late to show others especially your children what God can do when you open your heart to him, and want to live a life more pleasing to Him. I have prayed for God to put people in my life to mentor me and guide me, and He definitely has blessed me with a few good mentors who always speak truth to me, and always remind me who Christ is and they correct me when I am needing it.
Thank you Margaret for your honest and humble spirit. Being a parent isn’t always easy especially when we ourselves didn’t have the Godly training on how to raise children on a solid foundation. But, God is good and he always gives back what the locusts have eaten. It sounds like you have been great mother and teacher to your children on how to seek forgiveness and Godliness.
Perilous Times and Perilous Men
2 Tim. 3:1-5
“3 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” ‘Perilous’ here has the idea of an atmosphere making troubles, difficulties, and stressful circumstances. The books to Timothy are great resources given by God for leaders on all levels to grow & manage even the most struggling affairs. But you have to look at the books through the lens of being in mentorship…overall examples to exemplify, truths to embrace, strengths to take hold of, & people to avoid being like. Thank you for the great time at the IABC conference. Keep true to the Word-by-Word. Hearing you all the way in Japan!
HI Dr Mike, great reminder that we need to always view scripture on how it was intended to be read and interpreted. Great advice!
Disciplining your kids at home, I believe it is very healthy, and very beneficial, and like you said ”there is nothing greater than when it starts in the home”. I like how Apostle Paul mentored Timothy and charged and challenged him in so many ways that only a person of influence and of the spirit can do, and I long to be that mentor to others around me. I am currently a mentor, and during my mentoring sessions we go off of a map, as a guide. And the map itself has a blueprint to follow, but in the midst of the mentoring session the Holy Spirit just takes over, and we let Him lead our conversation, and like you said, this cannot be manufactured. The word of God penetrates, and when we invite the spirit of God in our mentoring sessions and conviction enters and in that humility comes in, for I too, am no better than my mentee. As a mentor we are no better than our mentees, and in fact, we both are mentoring each other, for I learn so much from the ones I’m supposedly counseling and leave a better man, every-time a session is over.
I love what you said Johan about the map you use as a guide, and then just waiting for the Holy Spirit to take over. It so good to see that you are not afraid to do what God calls you to do, and just let Him guide you along the way. God does amazing things when we invite Him to our daily ministry. You are so right about being blessed when counseling someone. I have the same experience every time I counsel; I learned so much from the person I counsel, and as you said we are both ministering to each other even though at times the mentee doesn’t even realize it. It is so good; God is so good!
This week’s podcast episode centered on the book of 2 Timothy and Paul’s relationship with his son in the faith, young Timothy. I appreciated the opportunity to hear from Mr. Hines. I agreed wholeheartedly with the statement, “discipleship begins in the home”. In this current COVID-19 climate, parents have been confronted with being their child’s sole provider, teacher, and supervisor. Some have found this uncomfortable and difficult, but it is a prime opportunity to reconnect and find out where our kids are at spiritually. My wife and I remain childless, but I am encouraged to check up on those that I counsel and mentor. The love and sincerity of Paul’s words towards Timothy are a reminder that we need to exhort one another all the more as we see the Day approaching.
I agree with the statement “discipleship starts in the home”, which is so true in so many ways. A Lot of the stuff that is happening in this day and age, are the results of broken homes at its core, and when I mean broken I mean without Christ. We as a nation always blame culture, or environment, but it all starts in the home. I know as I was a child, I was very aware of what was going on around me, and in my earlier age I was like sponges and just took it all in. We need the book of Joshua 24:15 to be so real to us, and I pray that I am the priest in the household exemplifying Christ in all that I do.
I also believe that discipleship should start at home. God has been so gracious and merciful to me. Looking back when I was a young mom, I was not being a godly parent, and my kids suffered the consequences of spiritual negligence. Even though I when to church, I didn’t do what God calls me to do. This is one of the things that my husband and I speak about to the young parents now; the importance of discipleship.
Great message Pastor Jeff and Pastor Bill, I also loved hearing about showing humility to our children. I can speak from personal experience how the Lord called me to ask for forgiveness from my children in regards of not always being loving with them especially when I was being to harsh while I was disciplining them. It was one of the hardest things that I was called to do.
My fear of their response to me was overwhelming but God is good and when we obey He blesses. The Lord taught me a valuable lesson on the beauty of being humble. It helped me to be vulnerable and to be open to those that I mentor and counsel. It changes our proud and self righteous hearts to be more Christ like to those around us. Its amazing that the hardest things we are called to do reap the most fruit.
Michelle, thank you for your honesty. Being humble before those you are over or counsel can be difficult at times. I agree that the fear of their response contributes to my reluctance to lower myself. But, in the end, it is what will please God and make the road clear for further counsel to be received. We must continue to decrease so that He may increase in us. That decreasing may appear destructive, but it actually is building us into better imitators of God in Christ Jesus.
Thank you for your honesty and wise words. It is definitely difficult process on the pursuit to decrease of self and to release pride in our hearts. Love what you state “building us into better imitators of God in Christ Jesus.
I have also asked my daughters to forgive me on many occasions throughout the years. I love how my children are at an age that they have the spirit of forgiveness that is so genuine, that even though I don’t deserve it, they still show me grace. When I see how my daughters forgive, I get convicted when I hold grudges, and say to myself” how can my daughters forgive so easily and as for me, a grown man, still can hold onto resentment and which then creates bitterness. God uses us to learn by just watching our children grow.
It is beautiful to see how forgiving our children are with us. And in the moment we learn from them on how not to hold on to things. Its wonderful when God uses the ones we love to teach valuable lessons. Thank you for sharing!
It is encouraging to see your humility and I pray I can reflect it to my own kids one day!
Beautiful testimony Michelle of how humility and forgiveness are so powerful and how blessed are we as God’s children that “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”James 4:6.
God will lift us up as we humble ourselves. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:10.
Amen! Perfectly worded.
I appreciated the discussion about humility towards our children as well. I’ve also had to do this a number of times, and my kids definitely appreciated the example of humility and owning up to our mistakes.
Thanks, Jeff I am a Biblical Counselor with IABC have been listening for almost a year now to your podcast ,I truly enjoyed the passing the baton conference, I chose biblical counseling while. taking counseling courses in Bible. I am on board.thanks
It was great hearing Pastor Jeff and Mr. Hines together. When they were talking about dealing with our children and others in humility I found that is so wise and so important. I have four sons and they are all in their 20’s now. My husband taught at CCCM high school when we were first married and I remember us talking before we had children that we had no “guarantees” that our children would walk with the Lord. We saw so many children that went to Christian school, walk away from the Lord. So we raised our boys in the things of the Lord, teaching them and loving them in humility. We know that we aren’t perfect and we often would get angry or discipline in the wrong way, but we were quick to apologize when we handled things wrong. It really impacted the kids. They knew that we loved the Lord and were trying to do things well. James 1:20 says, “the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” It is good to remember that. Leading, correction, and teaching, always be done in love and humility. This is how we should train or mentor others. God is so faithful to do the work in the lives of those around us and we get to see the fruit of our labors.
Hi Kristie, I agree that raising children in the lord and being consistent is the key to have any guarantee that they will grow to honor and love their God. It sounds like you gave your children a great foundation and that they responded well to it. You did a great job parenting your children.
Thank you, Pastor Jeff and Pastor Hines for the podcast. One of the things stuck out for me in today’s podcast was about having a mentor. Paul treated Timothy his mentee as his son; he was his spiritual son. Pastor Jeff, you mentioned that if we don’t have a mentor, we should pray for one that is mature in the Lord. I don’t remember ever praying for a mentor, yet God has given me a few mentors that have been a blessing to my spiritual life. I find it very important to have that mature believer that will not only be an encouragement to our lives but will also be the person that will be honest about our walk helping us and guiding us through our spiritual life. I learned from those mentors to be a mentor, and it has been such a blessing. One of the means God uses to bless and to accomplish His plan for us is other believers, and I pray that God will continue to raise more mature mentors within the body of Christ – 2 Timothy 2:2.
HI Ritter, You’re correct about how important it is to have mentors in our lives. They add much value to our walk with the Lord and help us keep on track. It is especially blessed, when you have a mentor who is completely committed to the mentor/mentee relationship. You have been truly blessed to have such wonderful mentors in your life.
Ritter, that same point stuck out to me as well. I never was told to pray for a mentor, however, God has graciously allowed certain people to serve that role here and there in my life. I suppose I looked to my earthly father as a mentor. Since his passing in 2007, I have tried to “find” a new mentor of sorts. I turned to Christian books and sermons to find those that could mentor me in a virtual sense. I latched onto apologists like Ravi Zacharias and others to help me with doubts and questions concerning the Christian faith. I assume that no mentee ever feels that they have learned everything they need to learn from the mentor. Paul was encouraging Pastor Timothy for the labor that was ahead of him. Paul knew him well enough to speak those words that would edify and galvanize his faith above his timidity. I will pray for someone like that for myself.
The enemy will always try to lure us towards panic and worry especially if we focus only on what’s wrong in the world. Even when we know Truth and believe that God’s in control, there can be things in this life we might start to feel anxious about. It is a daily battle in our hearts and in our minds. if we look anywhere but up, we will easily become; discouraged, lose strength, drained, impatient, or cynical. Fear can creep in so easily which is one of satans tools. We can lose our focus because we’re so distracted by all the things that will never produce strength and hope in us. Only God can offer us confident peace that can never be found in this life without Him. that’s why we must choose every day to set our eyes on Him. We know that the creator of all heaven and earth, has a sovereign, incredible plan, for each one of us. He has the plan in this journey of life, and He’s with us, always.
So true Josh. Only in Christ can we find peace, strength and joy. This world seems so out of control right now, but it is such a great reminder that if we are anxious or worried we have set our eyes on the wrong things. When our eyes are on Jesus we will find what we need in Him.
Amen Kristie, everything is very out of control. lol and yes, ultimately it is all in Gods hands and His control but we can clearly see and recognize the influence the enemy is being allowed to have right now. I agree we must keep our eyes fixed on him and help others to do the same, especially with the world getting darker and more blinded to the truth.
Amen Josh we must focus our mind, our thoughts on Christ as we await his coming! I have switched off the news and the daily updates on the crisis and am now spending more time in study of the word, worship and reading Christian books. Sharing hope with those around me. As we do this we are refreshed in the Lord.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3.
Yes, that’s one of the greatest things any of us could right now. Doing this one thing will completely change our outlook and perspectives which in turn will begin to give us that joy and peace that only His Spirit could give.
“In a race, everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize, So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So run with purpose in every step.”
” I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
Hello Josh, you are right, if we look to the world we are going to be anxious and afraid and angry, but we have peace and joy and hope when we look to the Lord. As the discussion went today, the Bible is sufficient, we need to look to the Word of God continually.
I agree, we need to set our minds and hearts on the Lord now more than ever!