In this episode of Theologically Driven, we welcome Dr. Jacob Elwart for a conversation on trauma-informed counseling through a biblical lens. We define trauma, explore how Scripture speaks to suffering, forgiveness, anxiety, and hope, and contrast secular...
Jacob Elwart interviews Ben Edwards on the problem of evil.
Jacob Elwart talks with Ben Edwards about problems with Pluralism.
Ben Edwards talks to Jacob Elwart about parenting children who are wandering away from the faith.
Jacob Elwart interviews Ben Edwards on the doctrine of Hell.
Ben Edwards talks with Jacob Elwart about pursuing ACBC certification at DBTS.
Have you heard of Gentle Parenting? Phil Cecil talks with Jacob Elwart and John Aloisi about how Gentle Parenting is actually a cruel method of parenting.
Jacob Elwart and Ben Edwards talk about the role of spiritual gifts in the church.
Ben Edwards talks with Jacob Elwart about using the Bible in Biblical Counseling.
Jacob Elwart talks with Ben Edwards about what the unbeliever knows about God.
In this episode Ben Edwards talks with Jacob Elwart about the sufficiency of Scripture and how it relates to Biblical Counseling.
In this episode Ben Edwards and Jacob Elwart discuss Jacob's transition from a Senior Pastor to an Associate Pastor.
Contentment is not natural but a learned skill, as Paul states in Philippians 4. Today Dr. Elwart highlights that a lack of contentment often stems from bitterness or questioning God's goodness, which can sideline our service to Christ. To grow in this area, we need...
Introduction The chaos of living in a faithless age is seen in war, disease, theft, murder, adultery, hunger, riots, denial of rights to people who deserve them, and the demand for recognition.((Dr. Elwart is Assistant Professor of Biblical Counseling at Detroit...
Ben Edwards talks with Dr. Jacob Elwart about how the gospel helps those who experience guilt and shame.
In this episode of Theologically Driven, Dr. Jacob Elwart joins us to discuss the role of homework in biblical counseling. He explains how assignments help extend discipleship beyond the counseling room, keeping counselees engaged with Scripture, prayer, and practical...
Ben Edwards and Jacob Elwart talk about anger and how deal with it biblically.
Ben Edwards talks with Jacob Elwart about dealing with loss during the holidays.
In 2021 Inter-City Baptist Church became a certified training center with ACBC. Because our seminary is a ministry of ICBC, DBTS offers training that results in your ACBC certification. We offer two paths to biblical counseling certification. Path #1: MDiv...
Introduction Secular psychology is a popular approach to helping people with their problems that can offer utilitarian benefits even for churches. While secular psychology can offer useful observations, however, it falls short of providing complete solutions to life’s...
In 2009, I pastored at a church north of Detroit. Because I had intended to be there for a long time, I made a goal to preach through the entire Bible. One of the last books that I planned to preach through was Revelation, because as you can imagine, I thought, “It...
Paul described how he ran with purpose, “Run in such a way as to get the prize….Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly….No…I make [my body] my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize“ (1 Cor...
One of the challenging questions that churches and biblical counselors face is, “Should we counsel an unbeliever?” Jay Adams used to call counseling an unbeliever “pre-counseling.” The reason for his clarification was that he defined biblical counseling (or nouthetic...
When we think of Jesus, what comes to mind? My thoughts immediately turn to His sacrificial love for me on the cross. I think of hymns and texts of Scripture that talk about Jesus being a friend. Hymns like: What a Friend we have in JesusJesus, Savior, blessed...
“Fifty years ago many colleges and universities and theological seminaries were devoted to the truth of God’s Word. But one by one they have drifted away, often with all sorts of professions of orthodoxy on the part of those who were responsible for change.” It sounds...
No one hates grace, do they? Who would ever be offended by a free gift? After calling a tax collector to follow Him, Jesus invited tax collectors and sinners to eat a meal with him (Mark 2:15–17). Jesus was showing grace to the outcasts. Tax collectors and sinners...
The Gospel for Disordered Lives: An Introduction to Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling, by Robert D. Jones, Kristin L. Kellen, and Rob Green. Nashville, TN: B&H, 2021. 550 pp. $44.99. The Gospel for Disordered Lives is the product...
Many people are looking for excuses to do less for God. This post is not for them. This is for Christians who tend to burn the candle at both ends, for people who have a hard time saying “no.” I regularly meet with people who are overwhelmed with life. Sometimes it’s...
Dealing with difficult passages requires that we keep four hermeneutical principles in mind: Principle #1: Interpreting difficult passages starts with understanding what the text says.Principle #2: Difficult passages must be interpreted in light the immediate...
We can endure the worst kinds of pain when there is a meaningful purpose. A cadet can endure strenuous labor and exhaustion as long as he knows that his suffering is designed to prepare him for future battle. A mother can endure severe labor pains if she knows the...
Breaking news: We are all going to die. But prior to death, we lose our strength and energy. Old age comes with waning strength. Memory starts to slip; instability and immobility become a norm of life. Young, healthy people don't think about the later years as...
In preparation for representing the seminary at a conference in Iowa, I have been reflecting on why go to seminary. Why should a future pastor pursue a seminary education? On occasion, I’ll come across a college graduate who suggests that seminary is not for him. When...
Our reaction when sinners receive grace from God gives us a window into what we believe. So let me ask you: Do see the sin of others as a disease from which you have been inoculated? Do you despise sinners who repent because you think they don’t deserve God’s...
“I do not know this Man that you are talking about" (Peter in Mark 14:71). It’s easy for us to stand at a distance and throw stones at Peter for denying Christ, and to claim that we would do better than he. But have you ever squandered a clear opportunity to testify...
Earlier this week, I pointed out that we must be ready for the Lord's return (Luke 12:35-40). I showed that because we do not know the timing of His coming, we must always be ready. Then I argued that being ready means faithful service to Christ. Here, I want to give...
If your father was like mine, he would give you a job to do while he was away. He would say, “Your mom and I will be gone this evening, but when I come back, I want to see this kitchen 'spic and span' [whatever that meant].” In order to be ready for the return of my...
Earlier this week, I highlighted the experience of the wilderness generation, finding that their failure to enter the land was a product of their minimal view of God and their maximal view of their problems. I argued that two of the spies looked at the situation from...
Even after we have seen God work in clear and powerful ways, why do we find it so hard to trust Him the next time? Trusting in God seems so easy on paper. Yet when trials come, we are quick to seek our own way, and in doing so, we start down a dangerous path. In...
No one starts down the pathway toward immorality thinking, “You know, I really want to destroy my marriage today. I would love it, if I could give the enemy an advantage on me, and bring immeasurable reproach on my family.” The fact that no one thinks like that and...