- Philosophy of Christian Counseling
- How to Choose a Counselor
All around us, voices are crying out from the ruins of a crumbling society. Victims are everywhere. Even in the churches, among second- and third-generation Christians as well as the newly saved, there are many suffering people. Distraught by broken relationships, unsettled emotions, or uncertain goals, they naturally seek professional counsel, and such counsel is easily found. Within reach are pastors, lay counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and others. Of these, who is best able to help?
- lesson 1
- The intellectual context of modern psychology
- Freudianism
- Behaviorism
- Rogerianism
- Marks of untrustworthy counsel
- Failure to acknowledge Satan and his angels
- Failure to exalt the power of God
- Openness to excuses
- Indifference to sin
- Applause for the expression of negative feelings
- Belittlement of achievement
- Support for rebellion
- A preference for escapist solutions
- A hedonistic philosophy of life
- lesson 1
- Critique of Dobson's Film Series Focus on the Family
Although in recent years James Dobson has done valuable work in crusading against such social evils as pornography, he has never, to my knowledge, repudiated the unscriptural teaching in the film series that catapulted him to stardom.
- lesson 2
- The strong-willed child
- Shaping the will
- The parenting of older children
- Body consciousness
- Teenage lust
- The female dilemma
- The male dilemma
- Gospel ministry
- lesson 2
- How to Choose a Counselor
- Philosophy of Christian Education
- Promoting a Balanced Growth of the Whole Person
Philosophy is the study of truth fundamental to understanding reality and meeting its demands. In a secondary sense, philosophy is a system of thought emerging from such a study. Since, by definition, truth lies at the core of philosophy, it is evident that the term cannot properly be used of any system of thought infused with error. Thus, we should regard the expression "Christian philosophy of education" as redundant. There can be no philosophy of education except it be Christian.
- lesson 3: Guiding Principles
- Elements of Christian education
- Progressive education
- Resurgence of Christian apologetics
- Shortcomings of Christian schools
- The Biblical mandate
- lesson 4: Goals
- Intellectual maturity
- Physical maturity
- Spiritual maturity
- Social maturity
- lesson 5: A Schedule of Courses
- lesson 6: Educational Assessment
- Rationalistic assessment
- Empirical assessment
- Pilot trials
- Field trials
- Regression analysis
- Outcome-based education
- Academic freedom
- lesson 3: Guiding Principles
- The Best Option in Education
- lesson 7
- Four Advantages of a Christian School
- A good Christian school does not teach the contemporary "isms" hostile to Christianity.
- A good Christian school emphasizes the most important subjects.
- A good Christian school offers good academics.
- In a good Christian school a child enjoys the teacher's personal attention.
- Comparison of Church Schools and Home Schools
- Four Advantages of a Christian School
- lesson 7
- Strategy for Successful Christian Education
- lesson 8
- In our church and school, we must make Bible instruction a platform for convincing our young people that the Bible is true, dependable, reliable, a sure foundation for life.
- We must build our young people's ability to read and think.
- We must shield our children from the destructive influence of contemporary culture.
- lesson 8
- Promoting a Balanced Growth of the Whole Person
- Christian Philosophy of Government
- A Christian’s Duty to Obey Government: Exposition of 1 Peter 2:12-17
Therefore, what stance would I have taken during the American Revolution? I could not have been a vocal supporter of King George’s policies, because they were unreasonable and unjust. My obligation to obey my civil ruler does not require me to say that black is white. Under the laws at that time, I had every right to criticize the British government’s handling of colonial affairs. But also I could not have leveled my rifle at some poor British foot soldier and shot him dead. For all I knew, he might have been no scoundrel, but a God-fearing man with a family longing for his safe return. Bloodshed merely to achieve a change in government is never God’s will, in my opinion.
- lesson 9
- Honest conversation
- Obeying civil authorities
- Which rulers must be obeyed
- Which laws must be obeyed
- The divine right of rulers
- Good deeds as good public relations
- Soul liberty
- The American Revolution
- The political theory embraced by our founding fathers
- The social contract
- The doctrine of human rights
- Consent of the governed
- Critical distinctions
- Between fellow man and fellow believer
- Between king and God
- The dilemma of duty to a wicked ruler
- lesson 9
- A Christian’s Duty to Obey Government: Exposition of 1 Peter 2:12-17
- Philosophy of Christian Music
- Music for the Lord: A Defense of Forty-Eight Standards for Christian Music
One sign of the decay in Christianity is its failure to resist recent trends in so-called Christian music. During the last generation, the music made for a Christian audience has shifted dramatically toward a popular sound with blatant elements of jazz and rock. As a result, the special music in many churches today is no longer recognizably sacred, but could with different words be played in a night club. The music targeted for Christian homes is even worse. The recordings available in a Christian bookstore may be as raucous as the Top 40, and a broadcast on Christian radio may offer the same groans, thumps, and wailings heard elsewhere on the dial.
The reason today's music for a Christian market is youth-oriented and closely imitative of worldly styles is not hard to find. Most of it is made by business ventures under secular ownership and control. The energizer of such companies as EMI, Sony, and Warner is, naturally, the profit motive. In all their decisions they seek no goal except money.
- Music for the Lord: A Defense of Forty-Eight Standards for Christian Music
- Christian Philosophy of Literature
- An Unreliable Compass: A Critique of The Golden Compass
by Wes Rickard
A few years ago, a movie entitled The Golden Compass was released to theaters. From New Line Cinemas, the same company that produced The Lord of the Rings trilogy, it featured an all-star cast and won popular success, especially with youthful audiences. Although we have not seen the movie, we are issuing this warning to parents because we do know the content of the book that the movie is based on. Parents should be aware that the book blatantly attacks a Biblical world view.
- lesson 16
- Playing the serpent
- Beware of the Christians
- It's just fantasy, isn't it?
- Unlabeled poison
- lesson 16
- An Unreliable Compass: A Critique of The Golden Compass
© 2007, 2012, 2018 Stanley Edgar Rickard (Ed Rickard, the author). All rights reserved.