God loves His church. The church is God’s good design for where troubled believers can go to find lasting change. However, many people have stopped going to the church for help for their sin and suffering.
Today, I am joined by a table of guests: Rodney and Jenna Bahler, Josh and Bree Himan, and Monica Scheuer. They are all passionate about the life-on-life discipleship of fellow believers in the context of the local church. We discuss a beautiful testimony of a church fulfilling the role God designed it for in the life of believers.
From advocate friends in a small group to church leaders and elders, from casual conversations with coworkers to the commitment of formal counseling, our guests- and many other church members represented in the conversation- each play a pivotal part in ministering to counselees. They share a testimony of how God worked through the local church for His own glory and for the sanctification of His children.
We pray that through this episode you will be encouraged and a little more equipped to counsel your flock with confidence, conviction, and hope.
Listen in!
RESOURCES:
- Episode 69: What is the Apprenticeship Program? (with Chad Nightingale and Monica Scheuer)
- The Biblical Discipleship Continuum
- Reach out for more information about the Apprenticeship Program
- Read our Articles
- Follow us on Instagram
- Donate to support BCM
- Learn more about our 5-Project Biblical Counseling Blueprint Model™
- Explore the rest of our website – bcmnational.org
- Fill out a short listener survey. We are eager to hear from you!
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Transparency indicates humility. Be comforted and compassionate as a counselor when you see transparency in a counselee. Transparency is tied to humility and brokenness and is a glimpse of Christ’s work sanctifying the counselee. Humility is not in our nature and is only an attribute of walking in the spirit. (1 John 1:5-10)
- The root of all our problems is Genesis 3. Perhaps our struggle is because we have been sinned against and we are a sufferer, or we are sinning ourselves, or we are responding sinfully to being sinned against. Often, it’s a combination of those. We need to be reminded that sin is our ultimate struggle and that began in Genesis 3 when sin entered the world and mankind experienced brokenness in communion with God, brokenness in relationship with others, and brokenness in internal desires. The glimmer of hope in this solemn reflection is that Genesis 3 is also our first introduction to the gospel. Man receives his first promise that someday the serpent-crusher would come and redeem the brokenness. When you are caught in the mess and sorrow of struggle, remind yourself and your counselee of these big picture concepts. Sin has affected everything, but Christ has already overcome it. One day, sin and suffering will be no more, and we will worship our Redeemer forever. Hallelujah!
- Accountability is the loving role of the church. It is hard for us to clearly see our own sin, so we need each other. In a culture of authentic relationships, humility and transparency prompt us to confess our struggles to others. Together, we can fix our hearts on the glory of God, our redemption and new life through Christ, our power for lasting change through the Holy Spirit, our joy in the fellowship of believers, and our hope in His word revealed to us. We truly are better together!
Meet Rodney and Jenna
Rodney and Jenna Bahler have been married for nearly 20 years. They have three kids: Jackson (14), Lane (11), and Savannah (7). Jenna homeschools their three kids and runs an equine training and riding lesson business. Rodney works full time for a local insulation business and farm with family. They enjoy most outdoor activities and stay busy on the farm. They have been members of LCC since 2009. Jenna teaches preschool Sunday school and helps with the AWANA program. Rodney is a deacon at LCC and also teaches junior high Sunday School. They host a small group through LCC in their home.
Meet Josh and Bree
Josh and Bree Himan have been together for 15 years. They have three kids: Veronica (14), Chevyanna (almost 13), Titus (2 months old). They love being outside as a family. Bree used to work in retail and home health but is now back to being a stay-at-home mom. Josh and Bree have been attending LCC for 5 years and have been members for 4 years. They are active as much as they can be with the church, assisting in AWANA, volunteering in the nursery when possible, and volunteering as a family for the coffee bar.
Meet Monica
Monica Scheuer and her husband experienced God’s transforming work in their marriage and individual sanctification through biblical counseling in 2020. She is now a certified biblical counselor serving at Lexington Community Church in Lexington, IL. and is passionate about God’s good design of the church caring for his people.
