This is the fifth in a series of bibliographies

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1 Special Annotated Bibliography for Biblical Counseling: 2001 Additions Compiled by David Powlison This is the fifth in a series of bibliographies to keep readers up to date on literature written by those committed to developing a distinctively biblical approach to counseling ministry. 1 The two years since the last update have been fruitful. Perhaps the most striking addition is a proliferation of brief, practical helps for those struggling with common life problems. In the 1970s, Jay Adams and Wayne Mack each wrote booklet series addressing common life problems: depression, worry, fear, anger, addictions, marital strife, self-discipline, and hope-giving. In this bibliography, you will notice a half-dozen booklets by Jim Berg, and nine booklets published in the Resources for Changing Lives series. 2 The common life problems will respond to many different takes, spins, presentations, and applications of God s redeeming truth. Those of you involved in counseling ministry and/or dealing with an issue in your own life may want to be aware of all the different things available, in order to choose the timely word for the particular person. This does not claim to be a list of all true, good, and useful books. Far from it! For example, it does not list books by Sinclair Ferguson, Joni Eareckson Tada, J. I. Packer, Jerry Bridges, C. John Miller, John Mac- Arthur, or John Piper (and a cloud of other witnesses both living and dead), all of whom have written things that biblical counselors read, learn from, appreciate, occasionally differ with, cite, employ with profit, and suggest for others. Nor does it review the books listed or attempt to assess strengths and weaknesses. But each author has identified himself or herself in some way with the task of developing a systematic practical theology of personal ministry. They believe that personal ministry should be about the same business as public ministry (preaching, worship, teaching, modeling) and systematic theology. It should cohere with, express, and develop historic Protestant faith, rather than derive from and mimic the faith and practice of the modern secular psychologies. Counseling should openly cooperate with the Holy Spirit, communicating Jesus Christ and God s revelatory Word, communicating the power and 1 See previous bibliographies in The Journal of Biblical Counseling: 12:2 ( pp ); 13:3 (pp ); 16:3 (pp ); and 18:1 (pp ). 2 Eight of Adams s booklets remain in print through P & R Publishing. Mack s booklets remain in print through Strengthening Ministries International. Berg s booklets are available through Bob Jones University bookstore. Resources for Changing Lives is a ministry of CCEF and P & R Publishing. Contact information is listed under Audio and Video Resources at the end of this bibliography. The Journal of Biblical Counseling Volume 19 Number 3 Spring , The Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation All rights reserved. No portion of this publication should be reproduced, copied or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from The Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation. Inquiries should be made in writing, addressed to CCEF, 1803 East Willow Grove Ave, Glenside, PA

2 presence of grace, communicating living faith, intelligent repentance, and practical obedience. We request that authors, publishers, and our readers keep us informed about books and other resources as they become available. We cannot list things of which we are not aware! Publishers, please send a copy of each work to The Journal of Biblical Counseling for inclusion in future supplements and for consideration for a lengthier book review. Here is an explanation of the notations: Counseling intended for counselors to develop skills or concepts; CE intended as practical help for counselees; General pastoring wider church issues (worship, discipleship, missions, doctrine, etc.); Preaching helps for preachers; Psychology & theology the interaction between Christian faith and psychological theories and therapies. * * * * * Adams, Jay E., Biblical Sonship: An Evaluation of the Sonship Discipleship Course, Woodruff, SC: Timeless Texts, 1999, 64 pp. General pastoring. Ordinarily I focus on beliefs, theories, systems and the like, not on persons. In the present case, however, things are different. The first half of the book is ad hominem criticism of C. John Miller and Rosemary Miller, founders of the Sonship discipleship program and World Harvest Mission. The second half criticizes the Sonship course s views of the gospel, the relationship of justification/adoption to the sanctification process, the relationship of faith and works, and the nature of repentance., Committed to Craftsmanship in Biblical Counseling, Woodruff, SC: Timeless Texts, 2000, 107 pp. Counseling. A call for counselors to aim for excellence in understanding and practice, not to settle for mediocrity. Wise counselors of the Word should know how to adapt the truth to each individual according to his capacity. Counseling is an art, learned patiently and intentionally. Among the many facets of that art are gracious goodness towards people, and skillful interpretation and application of biblical truth., Hope for the New Millennium, Woodruff, SC: Timeless Texts, 2000, 56 pp. General pastoring. CE. A study of the Bible s teaching on hope: the expectation and anticipation of something that is certain. Contrasts true hope with both false hopes and despair. Hope in God produces patient endurance, eager anticipation, purification of one s life, joy, peace, and boldness. The church in the new millennium needs fresh reworking of the classic confessions of faith in order to address contemporary questions and errors., Preaching according to the Holy Spirit, Woodruff, SC: Timeless Texts, 2000, 102 pp. Preaching. The Holy Spirit s concern in preaching is that the right thing be said (content) with the right words (language) in the right manner (wisdom) and at the right time (timeliness). The right content is the Word of God given in application to life. The right language accommodates the words to the subject in honest, clear, bold, direct address to persons in their everyday speech. The right manner of speaking involves the preacher s relationship to his audience. The right time demands paying attention to every detail of the situation., Signs and Wonders in the Last Days, Woodruff, SC: Timeless Texts, 2000, 110 pp. General pastoring. Discusses principles and methods of Bible interpretation as well as specific questions about signs and wonders and the last days. The views Adams refutes arise from ways of using the Bible that, according to its own usage and testimony, are proved to be fallacious. We tend to think of that which is spectacular as more important than that which is not, [but] often the opposite is true. It is the normal, peaceful existence that the Scriptures commend to us. The power works ( miracles ) of the apostolic age had the effect of creating amazement ( wonders ) for purposes ( signs ) particular to the last days of the Old Testament era that passed away in 70 A.D., The Time is at Hand: Prophecy and the Book of Revelation, Woodruff, SC: Timeless Texts, 1966, 2000, 138 pp. General pastoring. The Bible teaches a realized, present millennium, contrary to unrealized millennium views (pre-mil and post-mil). The book of Revelation was addressed to its original readers, and is now largely fulfilled. The Lord revealed himself (chapter 1) to address current church conditions (chapters 2-3). Heaven opens to give reassurance: God is in control and God cares (4-5). The Lord deals with the persecution of believers under 48 The Journal of Biblical Counseling Volume 19 Number 3 Spring 2001

3 Judaism (chapters 6-11) and Rome (chapters 13-19), with glimpses behind the scenes at Satan s career (chapters 12 & 20:1-10). Finally, the message extends to deal with the universal judgment of all people and the eternal paradise (20:11 through 22). The apostle encourages believers in imminent trials, and the church spreads the reign of Christ through the ministry of the Word., and Milton C. Fisher, The Time of the End: Daniel s Prophecy Reclaimed, forward by R. C. Sproul, Woodruff, SC: Timeless Texts, 2000, 120 pp. It is not our objective to fill your head with esoteric facts. It is rather to lay bare the overall message of Daniel indicating its personal application to your life. Many fascinating but fanciful interpretations and applications of Daniel s words have been proposed and propagated. Our book aims to restore a sane appreciation for the actual historical purpose and impact of this remarkable prophecy. Daniel is a handbook for persecuted believers, establishing how God rules as supreme (over other powers-that-be) and as sovereign (for His people s welfare). Almy, Gary L., How Christian is Christian Counseling?: The Dangerous Secular Influences that Keep Us from Caring for Souls, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2000, 352 pp. CR. Psychology & theology. A psychiatrist argues that the insight-oriented psychotherapy he formerly practiced is antithetical to biblical truth and to wise counseling ministry. Contrasts the intellectual pillars of psychotherapy with Scripture, arguing that The Bible contains a complete psychology. Contemporary Christian counseling all too frequently adopts presuppositions that arise from Freud, Jung, and others: Christian psychology s problem is primarily a theological problem. Examines two case studies recovered memory and depression from two different standpoints: first, psychotherapeutic thinking and practice, and, then, biblical thinking and practice. Berg, Jim, Basics for Angry Believers, Greenville, SC: Bob Jones University Press, 1993, 7 pp. CE. Anger is a strong emotion of displeasure that states a demand and aims to destroy something. Three common causes of anger are frustration, hurt, and fear. Anger can be a righteous or a sinful response to a situation. Unbelief lies at the heart of sinful anger. In order to deal with it one must identify the triggers, and then renew one s mind through meditating on God s own words and humbly depending on Him for the enablement to obey them., Basics for Believers: An Introduction to Christian Growth, Greenville, SC: Bob Jones University Press, 1978, 24 pp. CE. Workbook for new Christians. Brief exposition followed by questions for Bible study: accepting God s gift, believing God s promises, listening to God speak, resisting God s enemy, talking with God, talking about God, meeting with God s people, surrendering to God s will., Basics for Depressed Believers, Greenville, SC: Bob Jones University Press, 1995, 7 pp. CE. Depression sometimes arises from our bodies, but most often results from wrong reactions to losing something important. Sorrow is the God-given emotion of loss. It becomes wrong when it is a sorrow without hope. First, Watch how you muse when you lose : Was the thing I lost wrong to have? Was I dependent on it rather than God? Does God want to deepen my Christian life? Second, Watch what you choose when you lose : Examine your choices, and where you turn when feeling down., Basics for Hurting Believers, Greenville, SC: Bob Jones University Press, 1994, 7 pp. CE. Time does not heal all wounds. God s lasting solution is a careful process of [1] clear-headed thinking about your own heart s tendency to forget God; [2] clear-headed thinking about your hope in God s love, purpose, word, and grace; [3] clear-headed thinking about your responses in the midst of trial., Basics for Pressured Believers, Greenville, SC: Bob Jones University Press, 1993, 7 pp. CE. Burnout is not a mysterious illness ; it is the depression we experience when we fail to handle extended pressures biblically. The pressures of life affect both the mind and the body. A disciplined life can help, but God never intended for man to be able to handle the pressures of life on his own. Has sin overcome you? Are you overcommitted? Have you overdrawn your spiritual checkbook by not seeing pressures from God s perspective? Aims at a mind renewed in the truth and at genuine joy. The Journal of Biblical Counseling Volume 19 Number 3 Spring

4 , Basics for Worried Believers, Greenville, SC: Bob Jones University Press, 1993, 7 pp. CE. How does worry develop its stranglehold?: [1] we have the wrong concerns and priorities; [2] we handle our legitimate concerns the wrong way; [3] we depend on the wrong person. Change begins with identifying the things that divide our hearts, and then living out Philippians 4:6-9: pray right, think right, do right., Changed into His Image: God s Plan for Transforming Your Life, Greenville, SC: Bob Jones University Press, 1999, 2000, 372 pp. CR. CE. General pastoring. A textbook on practical progressive sanctification, according to the Word and depending on the Spirit. Laid out in three main sections: [1] Restraining the Flesh, recognizing and mortifying the flesh s patterns; [2] Renewing Your Mind, pursuing Christ the Lord in person; [3] Reflecting Your Lord, living out a lifestyle of love. Ministry within the parent-child context is a running theme. Includes questions for reflection in each chapter, and appendices contain Berg s booklet series, Basics for Believers. (13-part video series also available.), Changed into His Image, Youth Edition, Greenville, SC: Bob Jones University Press, 2000, 196 pp. An interactive workbook for teens, containing a simplified version of the contents of Changed into His Image in a 5-day per week format., Taking Time to Change: Study Guide to Changed into His Image, Greenville, SC: Bob Jones University Press, 1999, 189 pp. Adult study guide to work through the 13 chapters of Changed into His Image in a 5-day per week format. Fitzpatrick, Elyse, Overcoming Fear, Worry and Anxiety, Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2001, 224 pp. CE. Fear can attend everything from the grand humiliations to the nagging little anxieties, from things that actually have happened and might recur, to the groundless fears that torment us. Helps people understand their particular fears and to probe the causes of fear: desire for control, perfectionism, serving the approval of others, etc. Through Bible study and case study develops and illustrates the answers to fear: faith in God s fatherly care and sovereign rule, a holy and loving fear of God ( It doesn t drive us away from God, but rather toward Him, in humble obedience and worship ), and a lifestyle of love for others. This isn t only a book about our common struggles and failures. We need someone who is stronger than our fears. Jesus Christ is that someone., Uncommon Vessels: A Discipline Program for Christian Women, Woodruff, SC: Timeless Texts, 2001, 93 pp. CE. A program from church groups focusing on developing self-control in all areas of life, including eating, exercise, prayer, Bible study, fellowship, and accountability. Contains 40 Bible studies, with both leaders guide and participants workbook. I want you to discover a good, nutritious diet that you can live with for the rest of your life. Diet books come and go, but our hearts aren t changed. This program has been crafted to impact your inner man your heart. Expanded Leader s Manual also available. Harris, Joshua, Boy Meets Girl: Say Hello to Courtship, Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 2000, 227 pp. CE. Counseling. General pastoring. Part 1 rethinks the cultural ideal of romance, and sets a different goal: live for God s glory throughout the process of working towards marriage. Part 2 looks at the season of courtship: communication, sexual purity, male-female roles, participation in community. Part 3 deals with cleaning up sins of the past, making the decision to marry, and looking towards the future. The Creator of romance, the Maker who arranged the first boy meets girl in the Garden so very long ago, is still at work. Johnson, Gary L. W., and R. Fowler White, eds., Whatever Happened to the Reformation?, forewords and afterword by R. C. Sproul, David Wells, and Michael Horton, Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2001, 339 pp. General pastoring. Calls for a resurgence of reformation thinking in the evangelical church. Critiques of post-modernist theology s radical egalitarianism and notion that we are wholly trapped in prisons of enculturated subjectivity (Douglas Jones), of Pinnock s open theism (Doug Wilson and Bruce Ware), and of charismatic continuing revelation (Richard Gaffin and Fowler White). Darryl Hart argues that ministry of the Word is more important than Christian scholarship. Joel Beeke, Joseph Pipa, and John MacArthur call for biblical preaching and evangelism. Article on pastoral counseling by David Powlison calls for a maturing practical theology of personal ministry. 50 The Journal of Biblical Counseling Volume 19 Number 3 Spring 2001

5 Jones, Eric L., and Stanton L. Jones, eds., Psychology & Christianity: Four Views, Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000, 271 pp. Psychology & theology. Four lead articles present different views of the relationship between psychology and biblical faith, with commentaries from the other authors. David Myers (social psychologist) argues for a perspectival view; Christian faith and psychological science run on parallel tracks, relatively independent of each other. Gary Collins (clinical psychologist) argues for an integrationist view, particularly that professional psychotherapy needs to be defined as a Christian ministry. Robert Roberts (philosopher) argues that there is a distinctively Christian psychology derivable from the Bible and historical theology. David Powlison (pastoral counselor) argues for biblical counseling, that the Scriptures teach us the mind and purposes of Christ for understanding people and conducting counseling ministry. Jones, Robert D., Forgiveness: I Just Can t Forgive Myself, Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2000, 17 pp. CE. Why do people experience the haunting sense that I just can t forgive myself for what I ve done or failed to do? How does one address this problem? Often it is misdiagnosed as a need to learn how to forgive oneself. But an accurate understanding of God s grace and of the motives that underlie such thoughts and feelings brings light and freedom to strugglers. (Earlier version in JBC 10:4.) McMinn, Mark, and Timothy Phillips, eds., Care for the Soul: Exploring the Intersection of Psychology and Theology, Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001, 364 pp. Psychology and Theology. Collection of 18 articles from a conference at Wheaton College in A spectrum of views that, among other things, demonstrates how biblical counseling is being taken more and more seriously in the wider evangelical Christian counseling world. Articles by Powlison, Boyd, Roberts, Okholm, Monroe, Schultz, Maier & Monroe, and Moroney either express a biblical counseling point of view or evince noteworthy similarity, approval, compatibility, or convergence. Petty, James, Priorities: Mastering Time Management, Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2001, 21 pp. CE. Helps people evaluate how they use their time, what they ought to do, and how to plan realistically and practically, using the Assessing My Priorities Worksheet. Aims to help people live under priorities, not pressures, according to the multiple priorities set forth in Ephesians 5:15-6:18. (Adaptation from his book, Step by Step: Divine Guidance for Ordinary Christians.) Powlison, David, Anger: Escaping the Maze, Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2000, 28 pp. CE. Corrects misconceptions about anger that dominate our culture, and offers biblical alternatives. First, "Anger is something inside me," a pent-up force or a demon. Instead, anger is a moral act of the whole person. Second, "It's okay to be angry at God." This fails to consider what anger is, why anger arises, who God is, and how the Bible itself deals with anger at God. Third, "My biggest problem is anger at myself, therefore I need to forgive myself. This fails to analyze anger at self for what it is, and how the Bible talks about forgiveness. The fourth section presents a pathway out of anger, eight questions that help a person make sense of anger and walk towards solutions. (Earlier version in JBC, 14:2.), God s Love: Better than Unconditional, Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2001, 16 pp. CE. The words unconditional love don t capture how good God s love is, or the goal of human love. God s love is much better than unconditional. He is not merely accepting or tolerant. He pays attention, pursues, chooses, intervenes, forgives, gives, and sets about changing us. The term unconditional love sometimes carries good freight: God s love is non-manipulative, patient, gracious, and inviting. But cultural baggage often obscures rich truths about the way Jesus Christ loves us and His intention to change us. (Earlier version in JBC 12:3.), and John V. Yenchko, Pre-Engagement: 5 Questions to Ask Yourselves, Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2000, 36 pp. Asks questions to help couples consider whether to get engaged. Are you both Christians? This question includes not only one s profession of faith, but also explores whether the Lord is actually first in a person's life. Do you have a track record of solving problems biblically? This explores patterns of conflict and conflict resolution. Are you heading in the same direction in life? This explores different ways the past needs to be left The Journal of Biblical Counseling Volume 19 Number 3 Spring

6 behind and whether there is a common direction towards the future. What do others who know you well think of your relationship? Get feedback from many different people. Do you want to marry this person, accepting each other just as you are? Marriage is a choice, meant to be made in the right way. (Earlier version in JBC 14:3.) Sande, Ken, Managing Conflict in Your Church, Billings, MT: Peacemaker Ministries, n.d., 134 pp. and appendices. Manual for a comprehensive church program of peacemaking: from personal peacemaking skills, to organized conciliation procedures, to church discipline. Addresses legal threats to the church and ways to face them. Sample documents detail church bylaws; policies for membership, for youth and children workers, and for employment., and Ted Kober, Guiding People Through Conflict, Billings, MT: Peacemaker Ministries, 1998, 48 pp. Compact teaching of peacemaking basics. Walks through typical responses to conflict, and then teaches specific steps for resolving conflict, mediating conflict, and arbitrating conflict. Maps out steps a church or parachurch can take to equip its people to be peacemakers and to minimize legal liability. Summarizes everything in two page Mediator s Checklist. Scipione, George, Timothy, Titus, and You, Woodruff, SC: Timeless Texts, 2000, 103 pp. General pastoring. A tool for training elders. Lessons work through the elder s calling, prayer life, relationship to women, qualifications for office, challenge to discernment, management of God s household, discipline of others, wisdom in biblical counseling, and charge to faithfulness. Each lesson works through 4 parts: knowledge of the Bible, self-knowledge, self-discipline, and discipling others. (Revised edition of 1975 book.), The Wonderful Counselor, The Other Counselor, and Christian Counseling, La Mesa, CA: Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship, 1974 (reprinted from Westminster Theological Journal), 52 pp. Counseling. Psychology & theology. Exegetical study of Isaiah 9:6 ( wonderful and counselor ) and John 14:6 ( another counselor ). Can there be any doubt that Jesus Christ is the greatest counselor who ever lived? His word and counsel made the world sustain it accomplish salvation tell us how to live. Would you dare mention a Freud, Jung, Adler, Rogers, or Skinner in the same breath with him? In seeking to develop a Christian concept of counseling, Jesus must be at the center. Without Him we may have a system, but not one that is Christian. Counseling must actively depend on the Holy Spirit and be conducted by the Word of God. Scott, Stuart, The Exemplary Husband: A Biblical Perspective, Bemidji, MN: Focus Publishing, 2000, 372 pp. CE. General pastoring. A manual designed to assist husbands toward purposeful and lasting Christlikeness for the glory of God. A companion volume and complement to Martha Peace s The Excellent Wife. Major sections cover foundational truths for living (basic theological worldview), core responsibilities in marriage (worship, love, leadership, intimacy, stewardship), skills of loving relationship (servanthood, various aspects of godly communication), and common sins that destroy marital unity (anger, anxiety/fear, lust). Only one thing will truly motivate men to follow Christ s example: knowing Christ Himself. You must truly be one of His disciples, or you will not be able to be an exemplary husband. Shank, Steve, First Steps of Faith: Exploring Your New Life in Christ, Gaithersburg, MD: PDI Communications, 1995, 101 pp. CE. Grounds new believers (and older ones in need of growth and refreshment) in basic and orienting truths: God s initiative in grace; the perfections of the Bible; the character of God; the work of the Holy Spirit (with a mildly charismatic strand); the relationship between new identity in Christ and indwelling sin; the battle with sin; living for God s glory in the awareness of mortality and eternity. Smith, Robert G., The Christian Counselor s Medical Desk Reference, Woodruff, SC: Timeless Texts, 2001, 481 pp. Counseling. General pastoring. Intended for use as an aid for the biblical counselor in dealing with the numerous medical problems that arise in conjunction with counseling. First section presents a biblical philosophy of health and illness, along with counseling principles for helping those who suffer from any illness. Second section tackles specific problem issues: ADHD, chronic fatigue, depression, headaches, PMS, sleep problems, Tourette s, et al. Third section has two parts: a list of symptoms that might suggest to non-doctors the presence of a possible 52 The Journal of Biblical Counseling Volume 19 Number 3 Spring 2001

7 medical problem; and an information guide to psychotropic drugs. Thomas, Curtis, Practical Wisdom for Pastors: Words of Encouragement and Counsel for a Lifetime of Ministry, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2001, 272 pp. General pastoring. This encouragement for a lifetime of ministry arises from a lifetime of ministry. Thomas has been pastoring modeling, preaching, counseling, leading, administering for 45 years. In 120 brief chapters he distills his experience. He addresses many facets of personal and family life, study, preaching and teaching, counseling, church life, relationships, and dangers that beset ministers of the gospel. Though many of these brief articles deal with daily problems encountered in ministry, I want to emphasize the satisfaction and joy pastors have as they see God marvelously change people for eternity. For most of us the ministry is not only a profession but a true labor of love. Tripp, Paul D., Suffering: Eternity Makes a Difference, Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2001, 31 pp. CE. Suffering people often lose sight of God and fall into discouragement, fear, and anger. Unpacks Psalm 73. Examine your focus (vss. 1-12): "Many people measure God's goodness by their level of personal happiness and their physical, external, and immediate circumstances." Examine your conclusions (13-16): "'Conclusions' are the ideas we believe, the assumptions that shape our response to life." View life from eternity s perspective (17-24): "Discussing eternity is the only way to make sense of the here and now." Focus on the eternal riches of redemption (23-28): "I can look around and honestly say, There is nothing on earth I desire besides You. (Earlier version in JBC 13:1.), Teens and Sex: How Should We Teach Them?, Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2000, 27 pp. CE. Our culture has institutionalized sexual idolatry, looking at "people as ultimate, God as absent, and pleasure as the highest experience." The church gives mixed messages to teens, largely because of "a lack of openness and a lack of clear, practical sexual education," so Christianity appears to be "sex-negative" rather than offering a wise alternative sexuality. A biblical view of both teens and sexuality is crucial. Gives concrete advice for educating teens, for restoring teens who have misused sex, and for helping teens plan for godly relationships. (Earlier version in JBC 13:3.),War of Words: Getting to the Heart of Your Communication Struggles, Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2000, 245 pp. CE. General pastoring. A practical theology of human communication built around four principles: [1] God has a plan for what verbal communication should be and do; [2] sin radically alters the agenda that drives our speaking; [3] Jesus gives grace that we might learn to speak as God intended and intends; [4] the Bible lays out a practical map for how to get from where we are to where God wants us to be. The war of words, negatively, is the world of evil that inhabits the tongue (James 3). The war of words, positively, is God s redemptive agenda in Christ, in the word written and incarnate. Redemptive purposes become our agenda, too. We win the war by keeping in step with the Spirit, learning to speak words of truth, love, restraint, grace, and forgiveness. The tongue will serve the master to which the heart is already committed. Vernick, Leslie, The Truth Principle: A Life-Changing Model for Spiritual Growth and Renewal, Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook Press, 2000, 210 pp. CE. The TRUTH principle walks people through accurate self-understanding to a repentant, obedient faith. T = What is the trouble I m facing? R = How have I responded to my trouble? U = What are the underlying idols in my heart? T = What is the truth? H = What is my heart s response to God leading to practical obedience in daily life? Case studies of people who are angry, anxious, depressed illustrate this pattern of change in action. Concludes with a call to a life of discipline: dying to self, the spiritual disciplines, growing in the image of Jesus. Welch, Edward T., Depression: The Way Up When You Are Down, Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2000, 28 pp. CE. Whether a particular depression has a biological or a spiritual cause, it always brings about a spiritual struggle. The way forward calls for careful listening (to God, to others), hard thought ( Your emotions reveal you, so What is your depression saying? ), and practical actions that express faith. Lists 13 things that have helped depressed people to grow past it. Might there be a physical or chemical problem? Perhaps. But trouble from any The Journal of Biblical Counseling Volume 19 Number 3 Spring

8 source is still an occasion for spiritual work. (Earlier version in JBC 18:2.), Homosexuality: Speaking the Truth in Love, Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2000, 40 pp. CE. Homosexuality is the hot issue of the day. If we maintain that homosexuality is sin, then we must not only defend that position, but we must develop a strategy to pursue homosexuals and urge them to repentance and faith. Dialogue begins with repentance from sins that prevent the church from engaging homosexuals lovingly. It challenges the homosexual hermeneutic, the claim that there are both "natural" and "unnatural" homosexualities (only the latter is seen as wrong). Critiques the ideas of biological, psychological, or social causes as determinative. All this normalizes the sin of homosexuality and brings the hope of Christ. (Earlier version in JBC 13:3.) Audio and video resources (contact them for catalogues) Biblical Counseling Center, 3233 N. Arlington Heights Rd., Suite 302, Arlington Heights, IL, 60004; ; FAX ; biblicalcc@aol.com; Audio courses (R. Allchin & others). Biblical Counseling Foundation, Cook St., Suite 100, Palm Desert, CA, 92211; ; FAX ; admin@bcfministries.org; Video & audio courses (B. Schneider). Bob Jones University, Office of Extended Education, Greenville, SC, 29614; ; FAX ; extended@bju.edu; Video courses (J. Berg). Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship, 5333 Lake Murray Blvd., La Mesa, CA, 91942; ; FAX ; ibcdsdg@k-online.com; Audio & video courses (G. Scipione, A. Peterson, & others) and conferences (numerous speakers). PDI Ministries, 7881 Beechcraft Ave, Suite B, Gaithersburg, MD, 20879; ; FAX ; pdi@pdinet.org; Audio of conferences and sermons (numerous speakers). Peacemaker Ministries, 1537 Ave. D, Suite 352, Billings, MT, 59102; ; FAX ; mail@hispeace.org; Audio conferences on peacemaking (K. Sande & numerous other speakers). Resources for Changing Lives, CCEF, 1803 E. Willow Grove Ave., Glenside, PA 19038; ; FAX ; keithrcl@aol.com; Audio & video courses (E. Welch, P. Tripp, D. Powlison), audio books, and audio conferences (numerous speakers). SoundWord Associates, P.O. Box 2036, Chesterton, IN, 46304; ; FAX ; tapes@soundword.com; Audio & video of conferences (numerous speakers). Strengthening Ministries International, Box 249, Center Valley, PA, 18034; ; FAX ; strengtheningmin@aol.com Audio & video courses and conferences (W. Mack). Westminster Theological Seminary, Westminster Media, 2960 W. Church Rd., Glenside, PA, 19038; ; FAX ; media@wts.edu; Audio courses (CCEF faculty), conferences, and sermons (numerous speakers). 54 The Journal of Biblical Counseling Volume 19 Number 3 Spring 2001