Today is release day for a new children's book edited by Mike Emlet! Manny & the Garden of Gratitude helps children learn to grumble less and give thanks more. Purchase today at ccef.org/book. About the book: Manny Mole has everything he needs, but not quite everything he wants, exactly how he wants it. Instead of enjoying what he has, Manny often complains and fails to see the good around him, even though his family points out all there is to be thankful for. He can’t think of a single thing to paint on his stone for the meadow’s Garden of Gratitude. But when a storm destroys his family’s home, Manny starts to appreciate all of God’s blessings and decides exactly what to add to his stone. Edited by counselor Mike Emlet, Manny & the Garden of Gratitude highlights the value of contentment, gratitude, and trusting God. It is part of the Good News for Little Hearts series that brings gospel wisdom and biblical counsel to families. Based on CCEF’s model of hope and help, each story focuses on an animal family’s real-life issues, encouraging young readers toward a growing relationship with Jesus during challenging circumstances. #ccef #biblicalcounseling #christiancounseling #counseling

We’re excited to relaunch our legacy course with lectures from David Powlison! This audit-only, self-paced course considers how the Christian faith can meaningfully engage with psychological thought and practices. Grow in your ability to love others well and speak timely, relevant, persuasive truth. Course registration is open on a rolling basis! When you register, you’ll receive 6-month access to all 13 modules, including nearly 35 hours of lectures and additional recommended readings. Watch an introduction video from Todd Stryd at ccef.org/tsp.

"When we defend and attack, we live like orphans, assuming that if we don’t protect ourselves, no one will. The only way out of this pattern is to be startled by the God who remembers the concerns of his people. He loved us when we did not love him." From "Covering Up and Blaming Others: Sin’s Frightening Refrain," an article by Ed Welch in our latest issue of the Journal of Biblical Counseling. Learn more at ccef.org/jbc. #ccef #biblicalcounseling #christiancounseling #journalofbiblicalcounseling #jbc

"There is a simplicity to life in Christ. When we see our violations of love, we confess them. From our secure place in Christ, we do not feel compelled to defend ourselves." From "Covering Up and Blaming Others: Sin’s Frightening Refrain," an article by Ed Welch in our latest issue of the Journal of Biblical Counseling. Learn more at ccef.org/jbc. #ccef #biblicalcounseling #christiancounseling #journalofbiblicalcounseling #jbc

From "Covering Up and Blaming Others: Sin’s Frightening Refrain," an article by Ed Welch in our latest issue of the Journal of Biblical Counseling. Learn more at ccef.org/jbc. In this short but pointed essay, Ed Welch examines a pattern most people recognize but rarely name: the habitual, often unconscious instinct to deflect blame and accuse others when things go wrong. Concise and direct, the piece speaks to a tendency common to everyone, counselors and counselees alike. #ccef #biblicalcounseling #christiancounseling #journalofbiblicalcounseling #jbc

"Though our work of ministry may be a weight to carry, it is also a weight of glory. However we serve—paid or unpaid, formal or informal, on stage or behind the scenes—serving Christ, his bride, and his world is a sacred gift." From "No Small Thing: What Korah Can Teach Us About Discontentment in Ministry," an article by Gunner Gundersen in our latest issue of the Journal of Biblical Counseling. Learn more at ccef.org/jbc. #ccef #biblicalcounseling #christiancounseling #journalofbiblicalcounseling #jbc

"My hope is not in the soul-searching, the excavation process, or the introspective insights I might gain from a spiritual autopsy. Rather, I fix my eyes on the cross, where my hope is built on Jesus’s blood and righteousness." From "No Small Thing: What Korah Can Teach Us About Discontentment in Ministry," an article by Gunner Gundersen in our latest issue of the Journal of Biblical Counseling. Learn more at ccef.org/jbc. #ccef #biblicalcounseling #christiancounseling #journalofbiblicalcounseling #jbc

From "No Small Thing: What Korah Can Teach Us About Discontentment in Ministry," an article by Gunner Gundersen in our latest issue of the Journal of Biblical Counseling. Learn more at ccef.org/jbc. Ministry can quietly breed discontentment—unmet ambitions, comparisons, a desire for a name rather than faithful service. Gunner Gundersen turns to Korah’s rebellion in Numbers 16 as an unexpected mirror for the pastor’s heart, tracing how dissatisfaction with one’s calling can curdle into bitterness and self-promotion. The article calls ministry leaders to notice and repent of discontent and to recognize that what they’ve been given in Christ is no small thing. #ccef #biblicalcounseling #christiancounseling #journalofbiblicalcounseling #jbc

"God’s plans for your family do not rest on your perfection or your children’s choices. They rest on him. He holds you and your children in his redemptive care." From "Faithfulness in Exile: Counseling Mothers of Adult Children After Spousal Abuse," an article by Darby Strickland in our latest issue of the Journal of Biblical Counseling. Learn more at ccef.org/jbc. #ccef #biblicalcounseling #christiancounseling #journalofbiblicalcounseling #jbc

Check out a recent podcast episode from Crossway featuring Gunner Gundersen, Dean of Faculty at CCEF: crossway.org/articles/podcas… For more on this topic, check out his new booklet: ccef.org/book/how-do-i-get-t…

"The Lord does not ask you to carry tomorrow’s burdens today; he gives daily bread, daily mercies, and grace enough for the next faithful step. The world prizes dramatic transformation, but the Lord delights in ordinary acts of trust." From "Faithfulness in Exile: Counseling Mothers of Adult Children After Spousal Abuse," an article by Darby Strickland in our latest issue of the Journal of Biblical Counseling. Learn more at ccef.org/jbc. #ccef #biblicalcounseling #christiancounseling #journalofbiblicalcounseling #jbc

From "Faithfulness in Exile: Counseling Mothers of Adult Children After Spousal Abuse," an article by Darby Strickland in our latest issue of the Journal of Biblical Counseling. Learn more at ccef.org/jbc. Mothers leaving abusive marriages often suffer a second, quieter wound: estrangement from their adult children who either resent them or side with their father. Darby Strickland frames this experience through the biblical lens of exile. She draws on God’s instructions to the Jewish exiles in Jeremiah 29 to guide these mothers toward spiritual growth. Instead of trying to change their children’s minds, this article offers a path forward rooted in faithfulness amid hardship. #ccef #biblicalcounseling #christiancounseling #journalofbiblicalcounseling #jbc

"Jesus did not leverage his position, status, or power. He did not insist on his rights or use his privilege. He used his position and power to benefit others, not himself. He humbly emptied himself of entitlement and served us." From our latest issue of the Journal of Biblical Counseling. Learn more and explore purchase and subscription options at ccef.org/jbc. #ccef #biblicalcounseling #christiancounseling #journalofbiblicalcounseling #jbc

From our latest issue of the Journal of Biblical Counseling. Learn more and explore purchase and subscription options at ccef.org/jbc. In this article, Aaron Sironi finds a fresh relationship paradigm for couples in Philippians' call to stand firm and live “in a manner worthy of the gospel.” He applies this framework to the unity spouses need amid differences and difficulties. Practical and refreshing, this article invites couples to bring a familiar text into unexpected territory. #ccef #biblicalcounseling #christiancounseling #journalofbiblicalcounseling #jbc

Our latest issue of the Journal of Biblical Counseling 40:2 is now available! Learn more and explore purchase and subscription options at ccef.org/jbc. In this article, Aaron Sironi finds a fresh relationship paradigm for couples in Philippians' call to stand firm and live “in a manner worthy of the gospel.” He applies this framework to the unity spouses need amid differences and difficulties. Practical and refreshing, this article invites couples to bring a familiar text into unexpected territory. "What motivation is powerful enough to spur you to maintain compassion for your spouse? Only one motivation escapes selfish ambition: the generous and self-giving love of Christ Jesus for you." #ccef #biblicalcounseling #christiancounseling #journalofbiblicalcounseling #jbc

New Ask the Counselor video with Lauren Whitman: "I gave my child a smartphone too early. What do I do?" Find more videos at ccef.org/video. #ccef #biblicalcounseling #counseling #christiancounseling

God is at work among his people, bringing hope and help into every corner of the world. We recently sat down with Ellina Lesnik, who serves at a biblical counseling center based in Ukraine, to hear her story and the ways CCEF’s training and resources have impacted her life and ministry. Watch the full video at bit.ly/4yMgXlq and learn more about the need to restore Christ to counseling and counseling to the church in Ukraine by We are grateful for our small part in God’s work to bring his Word to make an impact on his people all over the world. Would you give a gift today to equip us to continue this work? Give today at ccef.org/donate.

CCEF Distinctive 7: Biblical counseling engages with the voices around us. Biblical counselors are not alone in our desire to help others. There are many helpful Christian voices out there, and yet there are differences among us. Differences in practice usually reflect different theological emphases, particularly differences in how to understand people and how people change. There are also many secular voices whose differences in practice reflect more fundamental differences about who God is and his activity in our lives. Our view of science is not a primary difference with other Christian and secular voices. Like others, we make observations about people that are useful to our counseling practice. We are also intentional to learn from the observations and experience of others, which includes the burgeoning Christian and secular literature. Biblical counseling adds, however, that all these sources are then interpreted and refined by the question: Who is the Lord and what does he say? When we do find differences between biblical counseling and other counseling theories, we aim to identify the strengths in those theories and represent others and their viewpoints accurately. When we disagree, we want to engage with respect and a generous spirit, as if we were face-to-face. • We have come a long way in our journey to grow in counseling wisdom. And we still have a long way to go. We aspire to be continually refined and sharpened. As we go forward, we continue to explore how the riches of Scripture meet the complexities of life. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit bring real hope and a vision for change. May our God grant us ears to hear, eyes to see, compassionate and humble hearts, and a desire to grow together. Read more at ccef.org/about.