People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change

Honest about the need for all Christians to change. Straightforward about the sufficiency of Scripture to bring counsel to those who need help. Compassionate in the approach. Reliant on Christ as the changer of hearts. Rebuking in calling out our fears about using the Word as the instrument of change. Worth reading for all Christians who desire to be used by God to aid in the sanctification of others.

"We must not let ourselves become comfortable with the casual, where ministry is limited to offering general principles that would fit anyone's story. The genius of personal ministry is that it is personal. It can take the grand themes of the Great Story and apply them with utter specificity to the particulars of an individual's life. Personal ministry is not preaching to a very small congregation. It is the careful ministry of Christ and his Word to the struggles of heart that have been uncovered by good questions from a committed friend. This means that an effective, God-honoring, heart-changing personal ministry idependentnt on a rich base of personal information. You cannot minister well to someone you do not know". p165

"When we approach moments of personal ministry, we do not come empty-handed, but with the theology of Scripture. The theology of the Word not only describes God's plan of redemption, it explains people as well. The Bible knows us, even to the deepest thoughts and motives of our hearts. It dramatically depicts our suffering and our joy, untangling the complexities of human relationships. It depicts human feeling, knowing, and communicating. If you read the Bible, you will know and understand people". p168

"Rebuke is the word the Bible uses for brining truth to where change is needed, yet most of us don't react positively when we hear it. For example, if I called you one night and said that I would like to come over the next morning and rebuke you, how would you respond? Would you run to a friend and say, 'The most wonderful thing is going to happen to me tomorrow! Paul is coming over to rebuke me. I can't wait! It has been so long since I have been rebuked.' That would not likely be your reaction. Many of us would rather go to the dentist and be drilled without Novocain. When we think of rebuke, we think of harsh words, red faces, ultimatums, and threats. We don't think of an act of patient and committed love. So it is important to consider what a biblical model of rebuke looks like. It is part of the Speak component of personal ministry, and we need to know what 'speaking the truth in love' is all about". p200

"Confronting people should not only confront them with failure and sin, it should also confront them with the gospel. We cannot forget this! We need to remind people of their identity in Christ (2 Peter 1:3-9; 1 John 3:1-3). We need to remind them of God's amazing promise of forgiveness (1 John 1:5-10), and the wonderful gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Eph. 3:20), who gives us strength to obey. These truths give believers the courage to examine their hearts, confess their sin, and turn to Christ. If we are speaking as agents of repentance, the law is not enough. We must come with the gospel as well". p213-214

"When we see Christians who do not exhibit Christian character or produce good fruit, we ought to ask why. What is missing? Peter's answer is, 'These people have forgotten who they are' ([2 Peter 1] v9). They have lost sight of their identity in Christ, so they do not realize the resources that are theirs. Because of this, they fail to live with hope, faith, and courage. Their problems worsen and new layers of difficulty are added. This heightens their potential to walk through life with a problem based identity. There are probably more people living like this than we would ever imagine. When I work though this passage with people, I am frequently impressed by how often they respond as if they have never heard these truths before. Their sense of who they are has usually been shaped by their problems". p262