The Heart of the Problem is the Problem of the Heart! *This five-part series is an overview of The Heart of the Problem book/workbook. If you discover help in these articles, I encourage you to purchase the workbook at www.kerryskinner.com/books and go deeper in your discovery. For detailed training as a biblical counselor, see https://thinklifechange.com/our-program/ If the article is helpful to you, please forward it to your friends, or post it on facebook, linked in, or twitter. God bless you in your studies! Dealing with Unforgiveness Forgiveness is a major roadblock in personal relationships. If a person is in bondage to a particular sin, they may keep asking for forgiveness of a particular sin yet they never freed from the sin. Could it be because of an unforgiving … [Read more...]
The Heart of the Problem (part 3 of 5)
The Heart of the Problem is the Problem of the Heart! *This five-part series is an overview of The Heart of the Problem book/workbook. If you discover help in these articles, I encourage you to purchase the workbook at www.kerryskinner.com/books and go deeper in your discovery. For detailed training as a biblical counselor, see https://thinklifechange.com/our-program/ If the article is helpful to you, please forward it to your friends, or post it on facebook, linked in, or twitter. God bless you in your studies! Using the Bible as a Mirror If the Lord looks at the heart, then it follows that a checkup of your soul should be more critical than an examination of your physical appearance. A checkup of the soul need not take longer than a checkup of one’s personal appearance. Regular … [Read more...]
The Heart of the Problem (part 2-repentance)
The Heart of the Problem is the Problem of the Heart! *This five-part series is an overview of The Heart of the Problem book/workbook. If you discover help in these articles, I encourage you to purchase the workbook at www.kerryskinner.com/books and go deeper in your discovery. For detailed training as a biblical counselor, see https://thinklifechange.com/our-program/ If the article is helpful to you, please forward it to your friends, or post it on facebook, linked in, or twitter. God bless you in your studies! The Five Step Process Of Repentance Repentance is the most positive word in the Bible. Jesus began and ended His ministry teaching and preaching repentance. But how long does it take for a person to repent? How long does a process take? A process takes as long as it takes. … [Read more...]
The Heart of the Problem (part 1 of 5)
The Heart of the Problem is the Problem of the Heart! *This five-part series is an overview of The Heart of the Problem book/workbook. If you discover help in these articles, I encourage you to purchase the workbook at www.kerryskinner.com/books and go deeper in your discovery. For detailed training as a biblical counselor, see https://thinklifechange.com/our-program/ If the article is helpful to you, please forward it to your friends, or post it on facebook, linked in, or twitter. God bless you in your studies! The Problem of Sin The next five articles will focus on truths found in the book, "The Heart of the Problem." Two words have almost disappeared from the vocabulary of Christians. One of those words is the word sin. The other word is repentance. Many churches and … [Read more...]
Overcoming Anxiety and Stress
Are you serious about overcoming anxiety, stress, and frustration? Consider this passage from Proverbs: Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones. Proverbs 3:7-8 One of our responsibilities as Christians is to be witnesses to weary travelers who are trying to use human resources to deal with sin. The collapse of family life and the escalation of dishonesty, stealing, violence, crime, physical and sexual abuse speaks for itself. Our world needs relief from anxiety through a good dose of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Many in our day wonder whether their problem can be solved by spending time in the solitude of some peaceful place or … [Read more...]
Obedience and Morality
What is the relationship between obedience and morality? Which is best to have? ...and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled (2 Corinthians 10:6 NKJV). Many people wonder how they stop disobeying God? Let me share a secret with you–do not try to stop disobeying–rather, work on obeying! Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they played the harlot with other gods, and bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way in which their fathers walked, in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do so (Judges 2:17, NKJV). Disobedience to God’s law brings corruption into our lives. Who is right and who is wrong about the issue of abortion? Why is that question up for discussion anyway? Because morality is up for discussion in our … [Read more...]
Basic Obedience: What’s the Issue?
Basic obedience is at the heartbeat of basic Christianity. Matthew 7:21 (Skinner paraphrase: “Not everyone that calls Jesus Lord really means it. Only those who do what Jesus says really mean it.”) Did you know that spiritually, as a Christian, you are created to obey? Spiritually, you are built to obey–not command. Humanly, how are you built? To command. It is not your first nature to obey everyone. It is not your nature to do everything people tell you to do. Human nature is rather to take command or do things your way. For the Christian, spiritually, you are built in such a way that you want to obey and not command. Now if a Christian says, “that is not the way I function,” we know where to find the problem. The problem is lack of obedience. If you’re tired of obeying, you … [Read more...]
Who Should Correct?
If correction is needed, what kind of person would you prefer to deliver the message? Would you rather it be a humble or arrogant person? Of course we want the humble person, don’t we? It is very difficult to respond positively to an arrogant person. A humble person is a much better choice for delivering a corrective message, but correction is still the issue. Think of a person you deeply respect. Maybe it is a parent, grandparent, teacher, former pastor, current pastor, a Bible study teacher, or maybe it is Billy Graham. Think about their walk with God. You trust they have a deep relationship with Christ. If that person should observe you doing something wrong this week and they approached you and said, “I heard what you said the other day and that wasn’t appropriate. You need to make … [Read more...]
What’s Down In The Well Comes Up In The Bucket!
I remember my grandmother saying, “What’s down in the well comes up in the bucket! If the well has muddy water, then that is what you get, if it is clean spring water, then that is what comes up in the bucket.” What's down in your inner self is what comes out when you are in conflict. When your values or beliefs are challenged or affirmed, you will discover what is "down in the bucket." Your first response shows the condition of your heart, mind, and attitude at the time. There is much social pressure that requires you to look happy, to act as if you were happy, to be polite, and to do the acceptable thing. The Christian is concerned, not only with his tone of voice, but with what is in the inner self as well; not only with how he acts, but with how he feels. Jesus said, “What … [Read more...]
Repentance and Memory Lane
A spirit of repentance will encourage you to remember where you have come from in your spiritual life. While our memory is not always accurate, when you want to change from where you are to where God wants you to be, He will enable your memory to remember "from where you have fallen" (Rev. 2:5). Do you remember when... You were in the first grade? You had a first best friend? You were given your first tricycle, big wheel, or bike? Do you remember... Subjects you studied in 3rd grade? The color of your classroom? The name of your elementary school? Some of us remember more details than others about our childhood. My wife remembers many details about her childhood, while I struggle with the details. Though I have trouble with the small stuff, important events … [Read more...]
