2013 Conference Workshops

Busy women, while pursuing Biblical knowledge and growth, find confidence and comfort through God’s attribute of faithfulness. We will see how God’s faithfulness compels us to be faithful.

When our lives get challenging and difficult, we are tempted to ask, “God, what are you up to?” It is easy to begin to assign wrong motives to God or think that He is not attentive to our difficulty. In this workshop we will examine the incredible wisdom of God and discover the ways in which God’s wisdom is evident in our lives. When we begin to see His wisdom, our difficulties are transformed into occasions for trust and worship.

First John 4:7 tells us, “love is from God.” In other words, God is the ultimate source of any love that a husband and wife are to display toward each other. The nature of God’s love toward us should be reflected in the marriage relationship. Unfortunately, many people, even many Christians, do not truly comprehend the nature of God’s love. As a result, many couples fail to experience the fulfillment and blessing marriage can bring. In this workshop we will get to the depths of what it means to genuinely love your spouse. God’s kind of love in marriage must have six criteria to be genuine. Couples will be taught practical ways to reflect and apply God’s kind of love in the marriage relationship.

When we think of God, we usually think that He is “up there”, in heaven. We have a general sense that God is present in this world. But how often do we consider the fullness of what that means? How close is God? What difference does that make? And how would His presence give you power and strength for this pilgrim journey? Join this workshop to discover what to do when “the earth moves, the waters roar, and the mountains shake”.

One of the most important ways the Bible addresses God is Father. Yet our counselees often have a distorted view of “Father” because of their relationships with fallen men. We will attempt to clarify the importance of the term Father as used toward God and consequently his male image bearers. This will help both counselors and counselees trust and rely on our Father in heaven in spite of failures of some fathers on earth.

Finding out that your spouse has been unfaithful or overcoming a painful past can turn your world upside down causing distressing emotions and a broken heart. But for a Christian who comes to understand that God is love and that His love is everlasting these painful emotions can be healed. This workshop will help you give hope to the hurting by understanding the power of God’s transforming love and the importance of abiding in an intimate relationship with Christ.

In this session we will look at Christ and His example of completely exhibiting grace and truth, in their fullness simultaneously. Jesus was not more grace than truth nor more truth than grace. He was full of them both. (John 1:14) God calls us to be the same. He has enabled us by His word and spirit to be filled with grace and truth as we minister and counsel our friends and family. Grace and truth were at their pinnacle on the cross and without both fully in practice we can’t honor our savior as we should.

Paul says ‘Oh the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out. . .For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” The wonder of biblical counseling is being privileged to be able to point those who are hurting, questioning or struggling, to the comfort of God’s knowledge. For in knowing all things God promises His own that He is working out all the events of their lives according to His perfect wisdom. In a world that may seem out of control, counselees can be encouraged to know that God is ruling wisely.

God does not need us. For anything. Does that fact depress you? His independence from us reinforces and magnifies our dependence upon Him. This truth brings hope and security to us all. And a lack of an understanding of God in this attribute can produce a myriad of symptoms in counselees. Even worse, misunderstanding God’s independence can begin a downward spiral that erodes our confidence in His character and His other attributes. Don’t miss this workshop!

This workshop will help counselors and counselees learn how the attribute of God’s sovereignty is necessary to help sufferers understand their pain and bring glory to God in their suffering. Come discover how to glorify God in the midst of the ‘faith assignments’ He gives to His children!