Biblical/Pastoral Counselling (Page 2)
Do You Love Sport More Than Christ?
By Andy Constable Like most men, I love sport. It is something that has always been part of my life from an early age. I especially enjoy playing or watching football! Sport is a great creation by God and is something we should enjoy. However, many men, including myself, need to watch that sport doesn’t become an idol. When we think of idols we usually think of Hindu or…
Self Esteem: Fact or Fiction?
Good post here on the Biblical Counselling for Women blog
You never marry the ‘right’ person
Great article here on Justin Buzzard’s blog concerning Tim Keller’s book on marriage.
Coping With Terminal Illness
This is an extremely emotive topic and anybody who has been in ministry for a length of time will have faced this particularly painful scenario. I have dealt with several sudden deaths in Niddrie, from overdoses to accidents, young and old. It is a brutal reminder of our mortality and the preciousness of life. Families are left, often bereft, with many questions and the…
Are You a Porn Addict?
by Andy Constable We live in a highly sexualised culture with a multi billion pound sex industry. In the USA, 3000 dollars per second is spent on pornography. Sadly, this is a problem that many Christian men struggle with. They try to escape the reality of their lives through sexual fantasising. They give in to their lusts and seek fulfillment through sexual…
Men: Are you being lazy?
by Andy Constable One of the biggest struggles for Christian Men is the sin of laziness. It is a difficult term to pin down because it comes out in so many different forms. The dictionary gives us characteristics of laziness, such as ‘unwilling to work or use energy’. In the New Testament laziness is defined as a failure to use the gifts that God has given us…
Christian Men: Take Up Your Cross in Housing Schemes!
by Andy Constable One of the biggest problems in schemes across Scotland is the breakdown of male leadership. We have many young men without role models. We have lots of men living off the state to provide for their income instead of working. We have many men being bossed around by their…
Why Confrontation is Crucial for the Christian
by Andy Constable One of my biggest struggles in ministry is having ‘confrontational’ conversations with people. I find it almost unnatural to broach difficult conversations and offer biblical rebuke. In particular I find it hard to confront people on their sin issues. This is an area…
How Social Media is Changing the Way we do Youth Ministry
“I’d die if I didn’t have my BlackBerry.” Recent comment from young person According to the news, a UK survey shows that TV is being pushed aside by mobile internet devices in the lives of young people. Among 7-16 year olds, 61% have a mobile phone with internet access, and use that phone for an…
What does ‘real’ friendship look like in an inner city housing scheme?
By Andy Constable As I have worked in Cape Town and Niddrie a question that I have often asked myself is what does friendship look like in these places? What does it mean to be friends with people here? We naturally build relationships around our socio-demographic. We are friends, generally, with…