Jesus cares for addicts…  and corrupt politicians.  Jesus cares for the sick…  and adulterers. Jesus cares for the homeless…  and rich people. The left side of those three sentences would gain approval from most inside and outside the church. The right side might be harder for us to agree to. Jesus cared for all people in a complicated world, one where it often wasn’t obvious who was right and wrong. Doesn’t that feel like our present moment?  We often talk about “Caring Like Christ” as a counseling center, and it is more than just a slogan for BCC. It is a m ..read more

I recently met with a man devastated by the loss of his lucrative job and the career path he so carefully sacrificed for and cultivated. It felt unfair that his rival took the leadership position and laid him off with a minimal severance. Now he’s struggling to concentrate and provide as a day trader, drinking too many days away, completely depressed, and unwilling to leave the house. Ask any successful businessman; losing your career path that was carefully cultivated for over a decade is a bitter pill to swallow. Some people do better with life transitions, but most struggle t ..read more

“I didn’t want to move to Illinois. I hate it here, and my dad keeps moving us every time he gets promoted for his stupid job. Sure, we got rich, but I got more lonely. It’s not even worth it to try to make friends anymore. Life was so much better for my family in Tennessee. I find it hard not to hate him for moving us six times in the past 14 years.” Stories like this have been told numerous times in offices over the past 35 years from angry young people trying to adjust to a new life in Chicago. The story is often the same, a young person in isolation, making poor choices ..read more

Written by BCC Counselor Theron St. John Editor’s Note: As we’ve been discussing premarital counseling, this post reminds us that our primary identity is not found in our relationship status, but in our relationship with God. “Sweet and sanctifying.” This is my typical response to people who ask me how my first year of marriage to Esther has been. Marriage has been the sweetest as I have been blessed with a godly and beautiful wife. I have experienced intimacy on the deepest level. At the same time, marriage has been sanctifying because it has exposed my heart and revealed indwelling sin and i ..read more

Our counselors meet with a lot of married couples in difficult situations. I’ll confess a thought that sometimes goes through our minds is: “Why did you get married??” We probably wouldn’t ask that question out loud, but any experienced counselor will tell you it’s crossed their mind. A common denominator in many of these cases is that the couples had little or no premarital counsel. Many couples, families, and churches spend great time and energy preparing for the wedding day, but few adequately prepare for the marriage. We want to challenge churches, counselors, and even caring friends ..read more

Isn’t it odd that some Christians in the mental health field act like the Gospel and the Bible aren’t needed in the counseling office? The Gospel is good news for every person who chooses to trust Christ and accept the gift He offers: new life in Him. Life change happens when the broken begin living for God rather than self. The Gospel becomes personal, leading to peace and contentment in every circumstance. This article addresses whether biblical counseling is a viable (or even better) alternative than secular counseling. Part 1 of this article addresses the first two claims against bibl ..read more

Isn’t it odd that some Christians in the mental health field act like the Gospel and the Bible aren’t needed in the counseling office? The Gospel is good news for every person who chooses to trust Christ and accept the gift He offers: new life in Him. Life change happens when the broken begin living for God rather than self. The Gospel becomes personal, leading to peace and contentment in every circumstance. This article addresses whether biblical counseling is a viable (or even better) alternative than secular counseling. Many years ago, as I headed to an ACBC conference in Californ ..read more

Written by BCC Spanish Training Coordinator Esther St. John I remember the excitement of attending my first seminary course in biblical counseling. Originally from Honduras, I had already completed an undergraduate psychology degree from a college back home. I figured this biblical counseling class would build on the foundation of the secular psychology I had learned. What I came to realize was the faulty foundations of secular psychology and the firm foundation of biblical counseling. The Need for Spanish Biblical Counseling Training That first biblical counseling course impacted me deeply. S ..read more

The southern preacher powerfully concluded his sermon on marriage, “Nearly every marriage problem I see in my office is a failure of married couples to ‘leave and cleave’ – and ignoring this biblical principle simply ends in disaster.” It shook up my counselee because he listened carefully and took complete notes. The preacher even created a “warning checklist” – “living with your parents” or “having your parents pay your bills” were definite warning signs of a failure to “leave and cleave.” He wanted to know my opinion because it was concerning to him that he was disobedient to God’s Word. Tw ..read more

Many entered 2023 with optimism that a hard season of suffering was behind them and that better days were ahead. For some, this optimism was centered on personal concerns, perhaps in your own family or your soul. For others, it was for matters of global concern, that the dangers of plagues and politics seemed to be moving in a better direction. Looking around at the reality during year-end, many could easily conclude that this year is ending heavier than it started. Heaviness is undoubtedly how Mary and Joseph felt on their passage to Bethlehem. Heavy because of the physical exhaustion of preg ..read more