Resources for Discipling & Counseling the Deep Challenges of Life
Making Disciples Isn’t Easy.
Anyone actively walking through the discipleship journey with family members or their church family, will soon discover that this is a challenging journey. At some point, some of the deepest challenges of life will arise. This happens when the person you are discipling is struggling with issues like anxiety, grief, depression, or addiction.
The Church and the Home are filled with Children, Teenagers, and Adults who are currently Carrying the Weight of Anger, Loss, Sadness, Temptation, Guilt, and more.
When you are walking side-by-side with someone, whether in your home or in your church, these sort of challenging and unique needs will eventually arise within the life of the disciple. In the face of such challenges, we can often feel at a loss on how to best disciple, counsel, or encourage.
Therefore, when these deep challenges of life are presented, it can be helpful to have some guidance along the way.
My recent post, Two Ways to Encourage Family Members with Heavy Hearts, sought to offer a big-picture vision of basic ways to encourage family members during difficult seasons.
This post will highlight specific resources that will help during such seasons. While there are seemingly countless issues one may encounter, this post will underscore a few common challenges many face today. And while there is a vast array of biblical resources that speak well to these subjects, I will just offer a few in this post that I believe can help get us started. (disclaimer: by recommending these resources, I do not necessarily advocate everything written in these books or by these authors).
RESOURCES FOR DISCIPLING & COUNSELING THROUGH ANXIETY:
A Small Book for the Anxious Heart, by Ed Welch.
Anxiety: Knowing God's Peace (31-Day Devotionals for Life), by Paul Tautges.
Anger, Anxiety and Fear: A Biblical Perspective, by Stuart Scott.
RESOURCES FOR DISCIPLING & COUNSELING THROUGH ANGER:
Anger: Calming Your Heart (31-Day Devotionals for Life), by Robert Jones.
Anger, Anxiety and Fear: A Biblical Perspective, by Stuart Scott.
Controlling Anger: Responding Constructively When Life Goes Wrong, by David Powlison.
Good and Angry: Redeeming Anger, Irritation, Complaining, and Bitterness, by David Powlison.
RESOURCES FOR DISCIPLING & COUNSELING THROUGH DEPRESSION:
If I'm a Christian, Why Am I Depressed? , by Robert Somerville.
When the Darkness Will Not Lift: Doing What We Can While We Wait for God--and Joy, by John Piper.
Spurgeon’s Sorrows: Realistic Hope for those who Suffer from Depression, by Zack Eswine.
RESOURCES FOR DISCIPLING & COUNSELING THROUGH PORNOGRAPHY & ADDICTIONS:
Pornography: Fighting for Purity (31-Day Devotionals for Life), by Deepak Reju.
Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace, by Heath Lambert.
Unstuck, by Timothy Lane.
Addictive Habits: Changing for Good (31-Day Devotionals for Life), by David Dunham.
Diehard Sins: How to Fight Wisely Against Destructive Daily Habits, by Rush Witt.
RESOURCES FOR DISCIPLING & COUNSELING THROUGH GRIEF & SUFFERING:
Grief: Walking with Jesus (31-Day Devotionals for Life), by Bob Kellemen.
God's Grace in Your Suffering, by David Powlison.
What Grieving People Wish You Knew about What Really Helps (and What Really Hurts), by Nancy Guthrie.
A Small Book for the Hurting Heart, by Paul Tautges.
RESOURCES FOR DISCIPLING & COUNSELING THROUGH ABUSE:
Domestic Abuse: Help for the Sufferer (Resources for Changing Lives), by Darby Strickland.
Domestic Abuse: Recognize, Respond, Rescue (Resources for Changing Lives), by Darby Strickland.
Treasure in the Ashes: Our Journey Home from the Ruins of Sexual Abuse, by Sue Nicewander & Maria Brookins.
RESOURCES FOR DISCIPLING & COUNSELING IN SEARCH OF HEALING, FORGIVENESS & RESTORATION:
The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness, by John MacArthur.
Making All Things New: Restoring Joy to the Sexually Broken, by David Powlison.
After an Affair: Pursuing Restoration (31-Day Devotionals for Life), by Michael Gembola.
RESOURCES FOR DISCIPLING & COUNSELING CHILDREN & TEENAGERS:
Zoe's Hiding Place: When You Are Anxious (Good News for Little Hearts), by David Powlison.
For the Love of Discipline: When the Gospel Meets Tantrums and Time-Outs, by Sara Wallace.
Building Bridges: Biblical Counseling Activities for Children and Teens, by Julie Lowe.
This Changes Everything: How the Gospel Transforms the Teen Years, by Jaquelle Crowe.
31 Truths to Shape Your Youth Ministry: Devotionals for all adults who love and value Teenagers, by Richard Ross.
Growing in Godliness: A Teen Girl's Guide to Maturing in Christ, by Lindsey Carlson.
RESOURCES FOR DISCIPLING & COUNSELING MEN & WOMEN:
Caring for One Another: 8 Ways to Cultivate Meaningful Relationships, by Ed Welch.
The Biblical Counseling Guide for Women, by John Street & Janie Street.
Men Counseling Men: A Biblical Guide to the Major Issues Men Face, by John Street & John MacArthur.
31 Ways to Be a "One-Another" Christian: Loving Others with the Love of Jesus, by Stuart Scott & Andrew Jin.
RESOURCES FOR DISCIPLING & COUNSELING ENGAGED COUPLES:
Catching Foxes: A Gospel-Guided Journey to Marriage, by John Henderson.
Marry Wisely, Marry Well, by Ernie Baker.
Tying the Knot: A Premarital Guide to a Strong and Lasting Marriage, by Rob Green.
RESOURCES FOR DISCIPLING & COUNSELING MARRIED COUPLES:
Communication and Conflict Resolution: A Biblical Perspective, by Stuart Scott.
Gospel-Centered Marriage Counseling: An Equipping Guide for Pastors and Counselors, by Robert Kellemen.
The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God, by Tim Keller.
Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy?, by Gary Thomas.
The Mingling of Souls: God's Design for Love, Marriage, Sex, and Redemption, by Matt Chandler & Jared Wilson.
RESOURCES FOR DISCIPLING & COUNSELING PARENTS:
Tying Their Shoes: A Christ-Centered Approach to Preparing for Parenting, by Rob Green & Stephanie Green.
Child Proof: Parenting By Faith, Not Formula, by Julie Lowe.
Prodigal Children: Hope and Help for Parents (Resources for Changing Lives), by Robert Jones.
Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family, by Paul Tripp.
Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens, by Paul Tripp.
PASTOR RESOURCES FOR DISCIPLING & COUNSELING THE DEEP CHALLENGES OF LIFE:
As pastors engage in making disciples, the opportunity for biblical counseling will naturally arise. These counseling sessions will find the pastor engaging in some basic steps of counseling: Praying, building a relationship of trust and honesty, getting to know the disciple, asking questions, considering the root of the issues, applying Scripture to all that is shared, recommending other resources, providing a biblical worldview for all they are processing, and seeking the Lord together. For pastors looking to cast a vision for biblical counseling within their church, these resources provide a good foundation:
The Pastor and Counseling: The Basics of Shepherding Members in Need, by Jeremy Pierre & Deepak Reju.
Gospel-Centered Family Counseling: An Equipping Guide for Pastors and Counselors, by Robert Kellemen.
Counseling One Another, by Paul Tautges.
The Dynamic Heart in Daily Life: Connecting Christ to Human Experience, by Jeremy Pierre.
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary offers some helpful forms as well, including forms for personal information, consent to counseling, data gathering, and a form to help reflect on the journey at the end of the counseling.
THE GREAT COMMISSION IN THE HOME & THE CHURCH
Not all discipleship will immediately encounter these sort of deep, life challenges. However, I do believe that when we share life with one another in authentic, genuine discipleship relationships, the hardest parts of life and the deepest hurts and struggles of the heart will eventually come up. And for that, you may find some of these resources extremely helpful for your family and church family.
Jonathan Williams, Ph.D. (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the founder of Gospel Family Ministries, the author of Gospel Family: Cultivating Family Discipleship, Family Worship, and Family Missions, and the senior pastor of Wilcrest Baptist Church in Houston, TX. He lives in Houston with his wife and three children.