I recently joined a church that weekly states its primary focus as gospel centered. Aren't all biblical churches gospel centered? They ought to be! But I have gained a new appreciation for seeing how the gospel intersects with every minute of life since attending this church. I "grew up" in a church teaching and preaching the gospel faithfully, so the gospel as something necessary for more than salvation was not a new concept to me. Seeing this reality lived out with extreme intentionality at my new church has been encouraging and challenging. That is why, when I picked up this book, I aimed to read it through a critical filter, asking if it is a book I could confidently recommend to leadership, knowing it meshes with the church's vision.
I am incredibly encouraged to say that I wholeheartedly recommend this book not only to my pastors, but to any and all who care about people—those involved in discipleship, soul care ministry, teaching, preaching—this book is a must read for any who walk alongside struggling saints pursuing the Lord in mutual edification and progressive sanctification.
As a whole, this book was difficult to put down. The introduction to the book offered such high praise, and I was very excited to dig into the content of this book! I wanted to race through it and eat it in one bite. Instead I forced myself to slow down and chew slowly. I wrote a brief summary after each chapter to help me retain the content of each chapter and to keep my eyes open for the theology relevant for life that the book aimed to deliver. This was a very helpful exercise for me personally as I read this book, and it proved fruitful. There were times I forced myself to set the book aside and mull over what I had just read. The text had a subtle flavor of a theology book, but like none I had ever read. There were no dry theological concepts sans application presented. Every heavy or weighty theological word, phrase or concept introduced was tackled head on, giving relevant application to ministering to another and for personal life. As Bob states, the entire book can be summarized in two words: theology matters.
The book is saturated with grace. It is warm and inviting—many a time, as I sat in a coffee shop with a cup of coffee in one hand and this book in the other, I felt like I was having a conversation with a friend I never knew I had. I laughed (shout out to the Smurfs!), I chewed my lip as the words on the page confronted my unbiblical thinking, I stood and walked around to avoid shouting AMEN to the patrons of the coffee shop when I read something written in a way I hadn't previously considered, and there were tears as I was moved to conviction and repentance in some areas of my life came to light as I wrestled through the 10th chapter on applying the gospel to suffering: our gospel-centered self-counsel.
A person with no knowledge of biblical counseling could easily read this book and walk away with an understanding of what biblical counseling is and is not. One well versed in biblical counseling will gain a greater ability of how to minister more effectively through the gospel of grace to their counselees. There is much to glean from this book. I found my understanding of biblical counseling challenged, rebuked, encouraged, and built up as I read this book. I was able to flush out some areas where I am weak, and reinforce them with biblical understanding and comprehension. I found new ways to confidently relate to those whom the Lord places into my life, seeking help. I really like Bob’s phrase of biblical counselors as biblical cardiologists, because that is really what we all are in helping people. We aim for the heart, to seek lasting change in our own lives and the lives of those to whom we minister. I really liked his explanation of the four heart chambers as well, and the notes on how to think through what a counselee gives you in a counseling session. It fleshed out my personal understanding of the heart of man and, I believe, will help me serve others more effectively.
One area that surprised me was Bob's focus on the Trinity throughout this book. At one point I thought to myself, "again, with the Trinity?" That is one of those points where I stopped and put the book down to mull over this. Of course I believe in the importance of the Trinity. As I have learned about biblical counseling I have come to have a greater understanding of the Holy Spirit's role, particularly His involvement in counseling. He is the heart changer, the wonderful Counselor! However, I still had a fairly segmented view of the Trinity in my mind when I started reading this book. My thinking was challenged and my understanding of the importance of the Trinity in not only counseling but the Christian life has grown. I am thankful for this as it grew me in not only my ability to counsel and relate to others, but most importantly, it drew me closer to my God. Any book that does that is worthy of consideration.
The only "critique" of this book I have was the length of his tweet-length summaries. I tried to tweet those as I read the book, but some of them were too long! I can't really fault him for this, though, because I struggled to find a way to say what he was saying in 140 characters or less. (Struggled? Rather, I failed). So, while they were not exactly tweetable, they were brief and concise statements summarizing each chapter, which was valuable and useful. I appreciate how they are all listed in the back, making it easier to find a concept to revisit down the road without having to page through the whole book.
If you haven't read this book yet, it should be at the TOP of your list for 2015. It is a well written book with much wisdom and application. There is a companion, or part 2, to this book coming out in 2015--Gospel Conversations. I cannot wait to dig into it! Until then, I have a few charts to go make for myself from this book!
See below for the author interview of this book. I believe Bob explains well his purpose and aim for writing this book, and I want you to read for yourself what he has to say.
Happy reading!
Gospel–Centered Counseling: How Christ Changes Lives
Author Q & A with Bob Kellemen
Bob, thanks for joining us, and thanks for your writing ministry. By our count, this is your 13th book! Who would you say your primary audience is for Gospel–Centered Counseling?
BK:
I wrote Gospel–Centered Counseling: How Christ Changes Lives for the local church. As I wrote, I kept seeing lay people with hurting friends in a Starbucks and wondering how the gospel helps. I kept envisioning a lay biblical counselor seeking wisdom to help someone caught in a besetting sin. And I kept thinking about the pastor in his office needing biblical guidance to relate God’s truth to people’s lives. So, I wrote Gospel–Centered Counseling for every person who longs to see lives changed with Christ’s changeless truth, for everyone who wants to speak the truth in love.
What is the main purpose of Gospel–Centered Counseling?
BK:
For the past three decades, I have been pursuing one foundational question that I believe every biblical counselor must answer: What would a model of biblical counseling look like that was built solely upon Christ’s gospel of grace? Thus the title: Gospel–Centered Counseling. What difference does the gospel make in how we counsel one another? What difference does the gospel make in our daily lives? To answer those questions, throughout Gospel–Centered Counseling, I address 8 ultimate life questions. I build these questions on Christ’s gospel victory narrative.
Sounds fascinating. So, what are these 8 ultimate life questions from Gospel–Centered Counseling?
BK:
The questions follow the traditional Creation/Fall/Redemption model, but they expand that concept to address a comprehensive biblical theology of biblical counseling. Here’s how I organize life’s 8 ultimate questions in Gospel–Centered Counseling.
1. The Word: Where do we find wisdom for life in a broken world?
2. The Trinity/Community: What comes into our mind when we think about God? Whose view of God will we believe—Christ’s or Satan’s?
3. Creation: Whose are we? In what story do we find ourselves?
4. Fall: What’s the root source of our problem? What went wrong?
5. Redemption: How does Christ bring us peace with God? How does Christ change people?
6. Church: Where can we find a place to belong and become?
7. Consummation: How does our future destiny with Christ make a difference in our lives today as saints who struggle against suffering and sin?
8. Sanctification: Why are where? How do we become like Jesus? How can our inner life increasingly reflect the inner life of Christ?”
So it sounds like Gospel–Centered Counseling provides a theological foundation for counseling. Is that right?
BK:
Yes—especially when we understand that theology matters. Theology is for life. Everyone wants to know what makes biblical counseling truly biblical. I believe that counsel is biblical when we build our understanding of God, life, people, problems, and solutions on Christ’s gospel of grace. Gospel–Centered Counseling shows how robust, relevant, and relational God’s Word is for our daily lives. It is a theological primer, a gospel primer, that shows us how Christ changes lives.
That last phrase reminds us of your subtitle, which is so vital: How Christ Changes Lives. Tell us more about the importance of the subtitle.
BK:
In our biblical counseling world we often talk about how people change. I have used that language and I will continue to use that language. However, the subtitle tweaks that in a significant way—it is Christ’s gospel of grace that changes us. We are forgiven by grace and we are changed by grace—made new creations in Christ. And we keep growing in grace sanctification grace. Gospel–Centered Counseling seeks to help counselors to unite the truths that: 1) we are already changed, 2) we grow by grace, and 3) we have a role to play. We respond to grace in the Spirit’s power by putting off the old person we once were and putting on the new person we now are in Christ.
You have a free discussion guide available also, is that right?
BK: Yes, it is. Anyone who orders a copy of Gospel Centered Counseling at my RPM Store will receive a free 55–page discussion guide. For each chapter there are discussion/interaction questions that help readers to apply gospel truth to their own lives. And there are discussion/interaction questions that also help readers to apply gospel truth to their biblical counseling ministry.
Bob, we understand that Gospel–Centered Counseling is part of a two–book series published by Zondervan. Tell us more.
BK:
Yes, the second book, Gospel Conversations: How to Care Like Christ, will be released by Zondervan in 2015. Together, these two books form the Equipping Biblical Counselors Series. I wanted a two–book set that churches (and schools) could use seamlessly to equip their people. Book one, as I mentioned, is a theological primer for relating the gospel for life. Book two, Gospel Conversations, is a methodology primer—providing the “how to” of the art of biblical counseling. I’ve written book two in a lab/small group training manual format. It walks readers through how to further develop 21 biblical counseling skills—I call them “relational competencies” so that we learn to speak the truth in love.
How can people learn more about Gospel–Centered Counseling?
BK:
On my RPM Ministries site, people can visit my Gospel–Centered Counseling Page. They’ll find a free copy of the Foreword and Introduction, along with tweet-size summaries of every chapter, in addition to other free resources.