Heath Lambert

Posted on by Greg E. Gifford

by Rachel Miller

I. Known for

Heath Lambert is the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church in Jacksonville FL, serving there as pastor since 2017.  He was the Executive Director of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) until 2018.  He is married to Lauren Lambert and the father of their three children.

II. Biography

Lambert was born on September 13, 1979 and grew up in Kentucky.  He was raised by an alcoholic and abusive mother who hated him and kept him from his father whom he loved.  He faced many near-death experiences at the hands of his mother and had an acute fear of going to hell when he died, but he did not know the message of salvation.  A lady at his high school shared the gospel with Lambert and he put his trust in Jesus as his Lord and Savior.  He soon came to understand that God required him to let go of his hatred and forgive his mother.  Over the course of many years, he shared the gospel with her. She eventually accepted it and was radically changed.[1]

Lambert attended Gordon College and received his Bachelor of Arts in biblical and theological studies and political science.  He went on to study at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) and received his Master of Divinity in Christian Ministry and his doctorate in biblical counseling and systematic theology.[2]  He also taught at SBTS and at Boyce College as an Associate Professor of Biblical Counseling.[3]

III. Theological views

Lambert pastors First Baptist Church of Jacksonville which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and holds to their doctrinal statement as published in 2000.[4]  He adheres to the biblical counseling methodology of soul care, which believes in the sufficiency of Scripture to equip believers to handle all problems they may face in a way that honors the Lord.  He served as the Executive Director of ACBC, whose doctrinal position can be read here.

IV. Works/Publications

A. Books

The Biblical Counseling Movement After Adams ­– Heath Lambert

Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace ­– Heath Lambert

A Theology of Biblical Counseling: The Doctrinal Foundations of Counseling Ministry ­– Heath Lambert

Transforming Sexuality: What the Bible Says about Sexual Orientation and Change – Denny Burk and Heath Lambert

Counseling the Hard Cases – Ed., Stuart Scott and Heath Lambert

B. Pamphlets

The Gospel and Mental Illness ­– Heath Lambert

Can Jesus Heal Mental Illness? ­– Heath Lambert

Sufficiency: Historical Essays on the Sufficiency of Scripture – Heath Lambert, Wayne Mack, Doug Bookman, David Powlison

C. Articles

A list of articles by Heath Lambert for the Biblical Counseling Coalition can be found here

He has also written many articles for the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors

D. Interviews

Heath Lambert’s Testimony

V. Influence on Biblical Counseling

Heath Lambert has written several resources contributing to the field of biblical counseling, such as A Theology of Biblical Counseling, and he serves on the editorial boards of The Journal of Family Ministry, and The Journal of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.[5]  He held the role of Executive Director of ACBC for many years, and he is a founding council board member of the Biblical Counseling Coalition.[6]  He aided in training the next generation of biblical counselors as a professor at SBTS and Boyce College for many years.

 

VI. Bibliography

Association of Certified Biblical Counselors. “I Will Bear Witness: Heath Lambert’s Testimony.” Published April 16, 2015. https://biblicalcounseling.com/i-will-bear-witness-heath-lamberts-testimony/.

Biblical Counseling Coalition. “Heath Lambert.” Accessed May 21, 2020. https://www.biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/person/heath-lambert/.

First Baptist Church Jacksonville. “Meet Our Pastor.” Accessed May 21, 2020. https://www.fbcjax.com/meet-our-pastor.

First Baptist Church of Jacksonville. “Who We Are.” Accessed May 23, 2020. https://www.fbcjax.com/who-we-are.

 

 

[1] “I Will Bear Witness: Heath Lambert’s Testimony,” Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, published April 16, 2015, https://biblicalcounseling.com/i-will-bear-witness-heath-lamberts-testimony/.

[2] “Meet Our Pastor,” First Baptist Church Jacksonville, accessed May 21, 2020, https://www.fbcjax.com/meet-our-pastor.

[3] “Heath Lambert,” Biblical Counseling Coalition, accessed May 21, 2020, https://www.biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/person/heath-lambert/.

[4] “Who We Are,” First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, accessed May 23, 2020, https://www.fbcjax.com/who-we-are.

[5] “Heath Lambert,” Biblical Counseling Coalition.

[6] Ibid.

Alasdair Groves

Posted on by Greg E. Gifford

Alasdair Groves

By Alyssa Rodriguez

I. Known for:

Alasdair Groves is most known for being the executive director for the New England branch of the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation, also known as the CCEF. He is also known as the director of the Christian Counseling Educational Foundation School of Biblical Counseling. [1]

 

II. Biography:

Alasdair was born son of Alan and Libbie Groves, his father was the late Westminster Theological Seminary professor who was an Old Testament professor at Westminster. He grew up outside of Philadelphia and went to college at Dartmouth them later attended Westminster and  the Christian Counseling Education Foundation school to get his master’s degree of divinity and counseling emphasis. Between both schools he met his wife Lauren and they ministered together for two years with the Navigators. When Alasdair finished seminary, he spent a whole year on staff as a counselor with the CCEF and was also a interim director of pastoral care at Westerly Road Church in Princeton. He finally became a faculty member at Christian Counseling education Foundation in 2010 but then soon left Philadelphia to found CCEF in New England on the border of New Hampshire and Vermont. Alasdair still lives there today with his wife Lauren and three kids, Emily, Adara, and Alden. He served as a director of the Christian Counseling Education Foundation School of Biblical counseling in addition to his teaching role for the last two and a half years. He published his first book Untangling Emotions earlier this year by Cross way, he also published more than six articles in the Journal of Biblical Counseling and helped achieve a chapter to an e-book for pastors that was published by Covenant Eyes. In New England and even beyond, he taught many seminars, Christian Counseling Education Foundation  podcasts, and produced several videos, audio resources and blogs. Fun facts about Alasdair is that is a fiction enthusiast, loves to produce good music and food, and loves ultimate frisbee[2][3]

 

III. Theological views:

His belief is what prompted his book Untangling Emotions, were he talks about how we engage with God. He believes that we must listen to our emotions and see what they are telling us about what we value, see what we are doing with them or what we are doing to escape them, letting ourselves sit and examine what is happening in our heart and what we value, and how we are overall handling it. Then realizing that we cannot examine our own emotions without bringing them to the Lord. He believes that once we bring them to the Lord, they backfire because our emotions were made help us share God’s heart. To love what He loves and hate what He hates, to be passionate about what excites God and grieve the things He grieves, and delight in what delights Him. This being said He believes that our emotions are fundamentally an opportunity for us to share in His heart, so then every emotion whether it is sadness, guilt, anxiety, or joy it is the perfect opportunity  for us to hear His promises speaking into the situation. Hearing God’s heart of compassion or lovingness, whatever it might be. He believes that all emotions are meant to lead us into a relationship with the Lord just as we are to connect with each other through sharing of emotion. Because of this belief Alasdair also sees it as seemingly impossible to experience true joy of anything [4]including a sunrise or sunset without acknowledging that this is what Christ has made and that He is greater than us all.

 

IV. Works/Publications

Alasdair Groves most well-known publication is his book Untangling Emotions published on March 14, 2019 by Crossway with 240 pages only found in the English language. It is under the genre of Self-help and Christian Literature. This book was completed with Alasdair and a man named Winston T. Smith as the authors. On the CCEF page he has over ten articles published. His most recent article was published on March 11,2020 that he called Anxiety, Waiting and the coronavirus. All of these articles are three to ten minutes long about practical things such as ways to deepen time in your devotions, treasuring others, parents who have lost their children, mothers, friendships, and anger. He has several other digital books that he wrote with others. Him and three other men wrote a book on Apologetics published in 2016 by the CCEF with 159 pages. He also helped write another book published in 2016 on Methodology, and Lastly, he helped publish as co-director a third “Must Read” on Sexuality once again published in 2016 with a total of 123 pages by the CCEF. [5]

BOOKS:

  • Untangling Emotions
  • Must Reads on Apologetics
  • Must Reads on Methodology
  • Must Read on Sexuality

ARTICLES:

  • Anxiety, Waiting on the Corona Virus
  • Five Ways to Jump Start Your Devotions
  • Help! I Keep Losing My Temper
  • Family Devotions
  • Treasuring Others
  • Engaging Our Emotions, Engaging with God
  • The Ultimate Treasure Hunt
  • To Parents Who Have Lost a Child
  • Do You Listen When You Apologize?
  • A Few More Thoughts for Moms at Home This Winter
  • For the Moms Stuck Inside
  • Hungry for Friendship with God? Me Too

COURSES TAUGHT:

  • Dynamics of Biblical Change

 

 

V. Influence on Biblical Counseling

Alasdair Groves has influenced Biblical Counseling in Northern England as the co-founder where has served for over ten years as the executive director. He also served for three years as the director of CCEF’s school of Biblical Counseling for 3 years. [6]

 

VI. Bibliography

“Alasdair Groves.” The Gospel Coalition. Accessed April 24, 2020.

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/profile/alasdair-groves/

“J. Alasdair Groves.” Crossway. Accessed April 24, 2020.

https://www.crossway.org/authors/j-alasdair-groves/.

 

Lowe, Julie, Alasdair Groves, and Aaron Sironi. “Alasdair Groves: Authors.” Christian

Counseling & Educational Foundation, April 23, 2020.

https://www.ccef.org/people/alasdair-groves/.

Lowe, Julie. “Board Appoints Next Executive Director.” Christian

Counseling & Educational Foundation, September 4, 2019.

https://www.ccef.org/board-appoints-next-executive-director/.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

 

  • External Links

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=067cjgGDizk

https://www.ccef.org/video/meet-counselor-alasdair-groves-goes-new-england/

   [7]        https://www.biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/podcast-episode/1514-ep-113-alasdair-groves-rebroadcast/

[1] Alasdair Groves https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/profile/alasdair-groves/

[2] Board Appoints New Executive Director https://www.ccef.org/board-appoints-next-executive-director/

[4] Engaging with God in our Emotions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=067cjgGDizk

[5] CCEF Alasdair Groves https://www.ccef.org/people/alasdair-groves/

[6] Alasdair Groves https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/profile/alasdair-groves/

Edward T. Welch

Posted on by Greg E. Gifford

Edward T. Welch

By Elisa Hurley

I. Known for:

Edward T. Welch M.Div., Ph.D. or better known as Ed Welch, is known for being a biblical counselor and author of many well-known Christian books, his most popular being When People are Big and God is Small[1].

II. Biography

Dr. Ed Welch grew up in a Christian home with a believing father who struggled with depression and had to be hospitalized on and off throughout his childhood[2]. Although, Welch grew up in a Christian home, he was not interested in the Christian life. In an interview with IBCD, he said, “Throughout most of my life I believed that the facts were true, I believed that Jesus was the Messiah and I believed that He came to conquer death, but I didn’t want to follow Him.” It wasn’t until the end of his time in University, when looking at the life ahead of him, things seemed to have less meaning, purpose and depth than he anticipated. Between that and reading through the Scriptures, over the course of a few months he found himself confessing sin and coming to Christ.

Shortly after his conversion, he decided to go to seminary, not necessarily because he wanted a career in ministry, but he knew that no matter what he was going to do he wanted Scripture to be the foundation. “The bible changes people and I wanted to study it more.” His second year at CCF, he took a counseling course, and “it just took me.” Welch said, “I enjoy speaking with people individually, probably more than publicly. It was suited to me.” Because of his interest in counseling, he decided to take a detour into graduate school for a few years and then returned to CCF after that.

Ed Welch went on to earn a Ph.D. in counseling (neuropsychology) from the University of Utah and also a Master of Divinity degree from Biblical Theological Seminary. He has been working for Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF) outside of Philadelphia since 1981, as a teacher, counselor, and writer[3]. About which he said, “I couldn’t imagine a better job. To consider how does this ancient text come alive in our present struggles… to have that as my job description for 35 years and to have people who come to me for counseling. I’ve always found that to be an odd thing that people to simply come to me not even knowing how I am and yet at the same time I’m honored by that and to have an opportunity to see the Spirit working in the details of people’s lives is just invigorating.”[4]

Welch and his wife Sheri have two daughters, two sons-in-law, and eight grandchildren[5].

III. Theological views

Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation, that Ed Welch is a part of believes that:

  • “The triune God—Father, Son and Spirit—have always known reciprocal fellowship and unity, and he has created us to participate in that fellowship. He welcomes us to himself through Jesus Christ. The Spirit connects us to Jesus, and Jesus is the only way to the Father.”

“The Spirit presses the very word of God into our hearts. He reveals Jesus. In Jesus, we find all wisdom and goodness. No one else can so deeply nurture and sustain us.The Spirit applies Scripture to our hearts. “The Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God” (1 Cor 2:10)”[6]

 

IV. Works/Publications

A. Books

·      Men: Pursue Others Like Jesus Pursues You

·      Samson: For Us

·      10 Things You Should Know about the Priesthood

·      Desire for Approval

·      Is Scripture Sufficient for Counseling?

·      Listening is…

·      Faith as Sight

·      The Solid God

·      “A time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Eccl 3:4)

 

  • Desiring God

·      Two Underused Strategies for Addiction

·      Doubt Your Own Anger

·      Six Ordinary Lessons for Mental-Health Issues

·      Darkness Does and Will Descend

·      Does God Really Love You?

D. Interviews

·      CCEF for Pastors with Ed Welch

·      Anger with Ed Welch and Myriam Hertzog

·      Pathological Liars with Ed Welch

·      029 Interview with Ed Welch

 

E. Audio

V. Influence on Biblical Counseling

Edward Welch as an author has written books that are very widely used throughout the biblical counseling movement. He is also a speaker at biblical counseling conferences and assists in training younger biblical counselors.

 

VI. Bibliography

CCEF. “About us.” https://www.ccef.org/people/ed-welch/. Accessed April 23, 2020

CCEF. “Ed Welch.” https://www.ccef.org/people/ed-welch/. Accessed April 23, 2020

Welch, Edward T., “Interview with Ed Welch.” Interview by Jim Newheiser and Bob       Goudzwaard, IBCD Website, Date accessed: April 23, 2020.

 

YouTube.  “CCEF’s Ed Welch shares why he studied depression.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLugnOKNlVA.  August 22, 2013

 

  • External Links

https://www.bookreporter.com/authors/edward-t-welch

https://www.ccef.org/people/ed-welch/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/18168.Edward_T_Welch

https://smile.amazon.com/Edward-T-Welch/e/B001H6QS02?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1587774476&sr=8-1

 

[1] CCEF. https://www.ccef.org/people/ed-welch/

[2]“CCEF’s Ed Welch shares why he studied depression”, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLugnOKNlVA, (date accessed: April 23, 2020)

[3] IBCD. https://ibcd.org/029-interview-with-ed-welch/

[4] Edward T. Welch, “Interview with Ed Welch.” Interview by Jim Newheiser and Bob Goudzwaard, IBCD Website, accessed: April 23, 2020.

[5] “About us,” CCEF, accessed April 23, 2020, https://www.ccef.org/people/ed-welch/.

[6] Ibid.

George C. Scipione

Posted on by Greg E. Gifford

George C. Scipione

by Hannah Caranta

I. Known for

George C. Scipione was involved in biblical counseling for about fifty years, founded and directed the Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship (IBCD), pastored for forty-four years in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, and directed the Biblical Counseling Institute of the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary. [1] He has written books both on theological matters and on biblical counseling (see list of books below).

II. Biography

A. Early Life

Scipione was born on May 21, 1946. [2] He attended Temple University and graduated in 1967. July 8th, 1972, Scipione married his wife Eileen, who has also done work in biblical counseling. They have five children and two grandchildren. [3]

B. Education

AB from Temple University, BD from Westminster Theological Seminary, MA from Temple University, ThM from Westminster Theological Seminary, PhD from Whitefield Theological Seminary, DMin studies from Westminster Theological Seminary. [4]

C. Death

Scipione died January 22, 2020 at the age of 73 in Pittsburgh, PA. [2] His death has been honored by online tributes from various institutions, students, and friends.

III. Theological views

George C. Scipione’s theological views are primarily Presbyterian, but is Protestant Christian at large. According to a tribute from ACBC by Jim Newheiser, Scipione’s theology is committed to God’s Word as supreme and authoritative in counseling. In addition to the supremacy of Scripture, Scipione had a commitment to the church being Christ’s work now and that translated into his teaching. [5]

IV. Works/Publications

A. Books

Timothy, Titus & You: A Study Guide for Church Leaders, 1975.

Timothy, Titus & You: A Workbook for Church Leaders, 1975.

The Battle for the Biblical Family, 2000.

The Sword and the Shovel, 2002.

The Pauline Concept of SUNEDEISIS

B. Articles

The God of All Comfort, 2019.

JBC Volume 7:4 PDF, Psychological Seduction by W. E. Kilpatrick Book Review.

JBC Volume 10:1 PDF, Self-Esteem is Sweeping over America.

JBC Volume 9:4 PDF, Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo: Is Biblical Counseling It or No? George C. Scipione

JBC Volume 8:3 PDF, Who Owns the Children of Divorce?

JBC Volume 7:2 PDF, The Limits of Confidentiality in Counseling.

C. Interviews

Counseling Difficult Cases, 2010.

Confessing our Hope: The Podcast of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, #183- Author Interview with Dr. George Scipione.

Care and Discipleship Podcast: 034 Interview with George Scipione.

D. Audio

The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Counseling.

Identity Crisis (TI19): You are a Prophet, Priest, and King.

Identity Crisis (TI19): You are Your Gender.

Identity Crisis (TI19): You are Your Calling.

Addictions (SI17): The Necessity of Individualized Counseling.

Addictions (SI17): The Attributes of a Christ-like Counselor.

Disordered Desires (SI16): Gender Blending and Confusion.

Disordered Desires (SI16): Keys to Evangelism in a Sexualized Culture.

Disordered Desires (SI16): Male Leadership in a Genderless World.

Equipped to Counsel (SI15): Difficult Cases and Wisdom in Counseling (Part 1).

Equipped to Counsel (SI15): Difficult Cases and Wisdom in Counseling (Part 2).

Making Peace with the Past (SI14): Confessions of a Biblical Counselor: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

Making Peace with the Past (SI14): Help for Jesus, You, and Your Counselees.

Making Peace with the Past (SI14): Hope for Peter, You, and Your Counselees.

Making Peace with the Past (SI14): Help and Hope for You and Your Counselees in the Midst of Overwhelming Hopelessness.

Churches Equipped to Care (SI13): Counseling People with Psychological Disorders.

Churches Equipped to Care (SI13): The Inner Man and Outerman Balance in Counseling.

Churches Equipped to Care (SI13): What is Man?

Changed by Grace (SI12): The Importance of the Local Church.

Changed by Grace (SI12): A Biblical View of Personality.

Changed by Grace (SI12): The History of the Biblical Counseling Movement.

Keeping a Passion for Christ (SI10): Abiding in Christ.

Keeping a Passion for Christ (SI10): Help for Hoarders.

Keeping a Passion for Christ (SI10): A Breath of Fresh Air for Chokers.

Keeping a Passion for Christ (SI10): Repentance – Don’t Counsel Without It.

Making Peace in a World of Conflict (SI09): Nouthetic Gentleness.

Making Peace in a World of Conflict (SI09): Problems that Prevent You from Being a Peacemaker.

Making Peace in a World of Conflict (SI09): Sexual Purity in Men 1.

Making Peace in a World of Conflict (SI09): Sexual Purity in Men 2.

Helping the Hurting (SI08): Counseling People Struggling with Life-Dominating Sin.

Helping the Hurting (SI08): Counseling Men Struggling with Sexual Sin.

Helping the Hurting (SI08): Counseling the Hurting from 1 Peter.

Helping the Hurting (SI08): Ask the Counselor.

Blame It on the Brain (SI07): The Heart of the Issue is the Issue of the Heart.

Blame It on the Brain (SI07): Preparation for Counseling from the Pastoral Epistles.

V. Influence on Biblical Counseling

George C. Scipione has contributed greatly to biblical counseling. He worked in the biblical counseling field for most of his life. He taught at various institutes, directed his own institutes, wrote theological works, and provided resources for biblical counselors around the world. He was a member of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) and was a Supervising Fellow, board member, and member of the Academy. His work in founding the Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship (IBCD) trained both ministers and laymen to counsel. A quote found in the faculty list for Scipione at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary (RPTS) shows his beliefs about counseling: “I believe counseling is a subset of discipleship. Therefore, counseling is a spiritual duty and for select persons, the exercise of a spiritual gift. The elders are God’s main counselors, while gifted laymen will help them, and all exercise this duty. All non-organic problems must be solved biblically under the oversight of the elders. Organic problems need the best available medical care in conjunction with the pastoral care of the elders.” [4]

VI. Bibliography

[1] “George Scipione”, George Scipione, https://georgescipione.com/.

[2] “George Charles Scipione Obituary”, Legacy, https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/george-scipione-obituary?pid=195162700.

[3] “Today in OPC History”, The Orthodox Presbyterian Church, https://opc.org/today.html?history_id=445.

[4] Academic Catalog 2019-2020, Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Volume 48, 111, http://www.rpts.edu/Catalog.pdf.

[5] “George Scipione- A Tribute”, ACBC, https://biblicalcounseling.com/george-scipione-a-tribute/

Paul David Tripp

Posted on by Greg E. Gifford

Paul David Tripp

by Hannah Stokes

I. Known For

Paul David Tripp is a world renown Christian author, pastor, and event speaker.  Paul has published best-selling and award-winning books and has written over 30 books on what it looks like to live as a Christian.  Paul Tripp has planted a church, founded a Christian school, and has written worship songs.  His primary goal in life is to “connect the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life”.

II> Biography

Paul Tripp was born to Bob and Fae Tripp, on November 12,1950 in Toledo, Ohio.  Bob and Fae had been saved by grace not long before Paul was born, and they were thrilled to raise their child in a Christian home.  His parents held a time of family worship each day, and they were at church for every event that was held there.  Although his family strived to live in a home that was honoring to God, they went through a few very hard times.  Through these hard times, Paul grew a desire to see the gospel play out in a broken world.  At the age of nine, Paul understood and grasped the truths of scripture, and was saved by the Lords grace. After years of making friends, going to school, being involved in the church, and doing a variety of different things in Toledo, when Paul went to college, his parents moved to Southern California, therefore, Toledo was no longer home to him.

Paul married his wife, Luella Jackson in 1971, after meeting at Columbia Bible College, where they both studied.  In the same year that he married Luella, Paul started his first pastoral position at a local church.  After completing college, Paul decided to go back and complete his Master of Divinity degree at what is now called the Philadelphia Theological Seminary.  From the time that he and his wife got married, and when he completed his degree in Divinity, Paul and Luella had four children.  As Paul grew in his Christian walk, his love for ministry grew also.  This caused him to have a desire to help plant a church in Scranton, Pennsylvania through 1977-1987, and during this same time, he founded a Christian school.  Another thing that Paul did during his years in Scranton, was becoming involved in music, where he traveled with a Christian band and developed a love for writing worship songs.  As time went on, Paul also developed a love for biblical counseling, which resulted in him deciding to enroll in the D.Min program in Biblical Counseling at Westminster Theological Seminary, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  After going through yet another few years of studies, Paul used what he had learned and joined the CCEF (Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation).  He also decided to teach at the Westminster Theological Seminary and was a visiting professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Paul, his wife, and children moved to Philadelphia in 1987, where they built the rest of their lives.  They are currently and have for years, been involved in their local church (Tenth Presbyterian Church) where Paul preaches each Sunday and leads a ministry that they have that goal is sharing the gospel with people in the inner city.  Paul’s children have had joy in the fact that their father and mother have raised them in the church.  As a family, they have served together and have been involved in daily devotions, similar to how Paul was raised.  Paul’s wife, Luella, manages a commercial art gallery in the city, where she uses her talents to advance the gospel to people who have not ever heard it.  Paul as well as his wife, loves painting and has committed himself to using painting as yet another way for him to help people understand the Bible.

In the beginning of June, 2006, Paul started a nonprofit organization named Paul Tripp Ministries, which has reached millions of people across the world.  Paul is also the president of this ministry whose goal is to connect the transforming power of Jesus to daily life.  A year and a half later, in January 2007, Paul became part of the pastoral staff at the church that he has been preaching and faithfully attending to this very day.  Paul is also a Professor of Pastoral Life and Care at a seminary in Dallas, Texas.  He also works as an Executive Director of the Center for Pastoral Life and Care in Fort Worth, Texas.

 

III. Important Theological Views

Tripp’s denominational affiliation is Presbyterian, and although there are many types of Presbyterian, this specific church (Tenth Presbyterian) believes that God’s Word is without error and is the ultimate authority in the Church.  They teach that scripture is the only way that we can know who God is, who we are as humans, and how we can be saved.  When they said that their church is confessional, they mean that their church subscribes to the ancient Christian creeds and to historic, protestant, and Reformed theology as is taught in The Westminster Confession of Faith.  This church is also Presbyterian, which means that they are a church that is governed by elders who are called by God and elected by people in the church.  They believe that the governors of the church emphasize the character of the Church as is shown in the New Testament.  They preach the truth that humanity is inherently sinful, and that everyone who is living in the world deserves the wrath of God.  The church also believes and teaches that Jesus was a real person in history and that He came to the earth to die for his children (those he elected) because he loves us.  They believe in the Divine Trinity, and that each member of the Trinity is incredibly important and plays different roles in a believer’s life.

 

IV. Works/ Publications

Paul David Tripp has written over 30 different books, which are all written on theological views of lifestyle.  The most famous of which are; Instruments in The Redeemers Hands, How People Change, War of Words and Age of Opportunity. He writes each of his books with the purpose of encouraging others in different stages of life as they are striving to walk with the Lord.

 

Bibliography:

 

“About Paul Tripp” PaulTripp.com

https://www.paultripp.com/about

“Presbyterians: 10 Things to Know about Their History & Beliefs” Christianity.com

https://www.christianity.com/church/denominations/presbyterians-10-things-to-know-about-this-historic-denomination.html

 

“Our Beliefs” Tenth.Org

https://www.tenth.org/about/our-beliefs

 

“Paul David Tripp” Last.fm

https://www.last.fm/music/Paul+David+Tripp/+wiki

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tedd Tripp

Posted on by Greg E. Gifford

Tedd Tripp

by Matthew Jones

 

  1. Known for
    1. President of Shepherding the Heart Ministries (shepherdingtheheart.org)
    2. Books on children and parenting centered on heart change, juxtapose behavior change by itself
    3. Pastor at Grace Fellowship Church in Hazleton, Pennsylvania since June 1983 – 2012 [9].

II. Biography

A. Early life

    1. Tripp was born in in 1946[2] in Toledo, Ohio.[10]

B.  Education

    1. Bachelor of Arts in history from Geneva College [2]
    2. Master of Divinity from Philadelphia Theological Seminary [2]
    3. Doctor of Ministry from Westminster Theological Seminary [2]

C. Significant life events that impacted person

    1. Prior to seminary, Tedd worked in industry and building trades [10]
    2. Tedd married Margy in 1968 [9]
    3. Tedd and Margy have three Children born in 1969, 1972, and 1973. [10]
    4. Tedd and his wife, Margy, founded Immanuel Christian School in 1979. Tedd served as a teacher and principal for four years and continues to serve on the school’s board.[10]

III. Theological views

A. Tedd Tripp holds to the view that people were created as worshippers. Humans were created to worship (Romans 1:18-25), either God or something else. Further, he would affirm people are born into sin and therefor have hearts that creates “idols” in place of God-. Therefore, exchanging proper worship of God for created things. Behavior- that is- outward and seen, is an outflow of one’s inward worship.

B. As noted above, Tedd Tripp formerly pastored at Grace Fellowship Church. This church is affiliated with the Reformed Baptist Network [5]

IV. Works/Publications

A. Books:

    1. Shepherding a Child’s Heart
    2. Instructing a Child’s Heart
    3. Hints for Parents

B. Articles

    1. “Communicate with Teens”, written July 13, 2010 [11]

C. Interviews

    1. Tedd was interviewed by Tony Reinke for a consecutive week on the, The Ask Pastor John Podcast (Desiringgod.org), on the following ideas and titles: Is Parenting Complicated or Simple? What is the Greatest Threat to the Christian Family? Helping Children Discover Heart Idols, Why Parents Spank, and lastly, Why Parents Don’t Spank [6]

D. Audio

    1. Drive By Parenting: A 31-Part Conversation about Shepherding a Child’s Heart, hosted by Todd Friel [2]
    2. Rejuvenating the Gospel in Your Marriage and Family– an audio recording in 2010 of seven Shepherd Press authors. The authors shared, “biblical wisdom with the power to renew your life and marriage”. Tedd Tripp contributed two lessons titled: Rejuvenating the Gospel in Your Marriage, and The Empty Nest Season of Marriage [7]
    3. Three lessons from Tedd Tripp: Shepherding Your Child’s Heart: Ages 0-5, Ages 6-12, and Teenagers [10]
    4. Sixteen various sermons and teachings from Sermonaudio.com [9]

E. Video

    1. Shepherding a Child’s Heart: A 12-Part Video on Parenting [2]
    2. Instructing a Child’s Heart: A 13-Part Video Series on Formative Instruction [2]

 

V. Influence on Biblical Counseling

    1. The greatest impact Tedd Tripp has contributed to Biblical Counseling is his best-selling child rearing book, Shepherding a Child’s Heart. Tedd proves that children as adults, live out of their heart, and need to learn to worship God and not idols [12]. Since 1994, Tedd has devoted most of his time and energy as a conference speaker. He primarily presents seminars related to his book, Shepherding a Child’s Heart [10]. Tedd applies years of experience in applying the principles of Biblical Counseling specifically to parents and children.

 

VI. Bibliography

[1] “About Shepherding The Heart Ministries.” Shepherding the Heart Ministries, 6 Dec. 1970, shepherdingtheheart.org/about/. Accessed 30 Nov 2019.

[2] “Author: Tedd Tripp.” Shepherd Press, 21 Nov. 2019, www.shepherdpress.com/store/authors/tedd-tripp/. Accessed 30 Nov 2019.

[3] “Beliefs.” Grace Fellowship Church, www.gfchazleton.org/about-us/beliefs/. Accessed 5 Dec 2019.

[4] “A Note from Dr. Tripp.” Shepherding the Heart Ministries, shepherdingtheheart.org/about/note-from-dr-tripp/. Accessed 30 Nov 2019.

[5] “REASONS FOR RBNet.” Reformed Baptist Network, reformedbaptistnetwork.com/about/.

[6] Reinke, Tony, and Tedd Tripp. Desiring God: Ask Pastor John Podcast, www.desiringgod.org/authors/tedd-tripp. Accessed 3 Dec 2019.

[7] “Rejuvenating the Gospel in Your Marriage and Family.” Shepherd Press, 20 Nov. 2019, www.shepherdpress.com/products/rejuvenating-the-gospel/. Accessed 3 Dec 2019.

[8] “ShepherdPress.” YouTube, www.youtube.com/channel/UCvjwUyZIScwmx_JHoKt1Wzg. Accessed 5 Dec 2019.

[9] “Tedd Tripp Sermons.” SermonAudio, www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?keyword=Tedd_Tripp&SpeakerOnly=true. Accessed 5 Dec 2019.

[10] “Tedd Tripp.” Monergism, www.monergism.com/topics/mp3-audio-multimedia/family-and-marriage/tedd-tripp. Accessed 1 Dec 2019.

[11] Tripp, Tedd. “Communicate with Teens.” Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation, 22 Feb. 2019, http://www.ccef.org/communicate-teens/.

[12] Tripp, Tedd. Shepherding a Child’s Heart. Shepherd Press, 1995.

 

 

 

Elise Fitzpatrick

Posted on by Greg E. Gifford

Elyse Fitzpatrick

by Julie Carroll

Fitzpatrick

1. Known for

Elyse Fitzpatrick is known for her work in the area of biblical counseling—writing and speaking on the subject.

2. Biography

Fitzpatrick was born in 1950 with the place of her birth is unknown, although she currently resides in Escondido, CA.

A. Parents

Fitzpatrick’s parents are unknown, but Fitzpatrick has stated that she grew up in a ‘marginally Christian home.’

B. Education

She holds a bachelor’s degree in theology, a master’s degree in biblical counseling from Trinity Theological Seminary and was the first person to be certified through the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation. She also became a member with the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors (now the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors) in 1989.

C. Significant life events that impacted person

Elyse Fitzpatrick was raised in a secular home; therefore, she never really heard the Gospel message until right before her 21st birthday. She was befriended by a woman named Julie who is still her friend today. Julie shared the Gospel with Fitzpatrick, and the message was revolutionary since she was saved shortly after hearing it for the first time. After becoming saved in June of 1971, she began bible school in September of that same year. The Gospel revolutionized her life once more just recently as she was realizing that it had become secondary in importance to her counseling work. This took place during the writing of Because He Loves Me.

In her book Home, Fitzpatrick talks about several tragic events that impacted her greatly. A ministry she had involved herself in fell apart. Her home church went through certain issues that brought her great pain. Two acquaintances left their pastoral positions. Then her uncle, who had been a father figure in her life, died.

III. Theological Views

Fitzpatrick’s believes in the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is the Creator of the universe; Jesus is the One Who died for our sins and offers us free eternal life; and the Holy Spirit is the One Who empowers us.

Fitzpatrick believes that the Bible is ‘God’s revelation of truth.’ It is ‘the only book that can correctly diagnose our sin problem.’

Fitzpatrick has stated that man is sinful: ‘We sin. Others sin against us. We live in a sin-cursed world.’

IV. Works/Publications

A. Books

Elyse Fitzpatrick’s books can be found at this link:

https://www.christianbook.com/page/christian-authors/elyse-fitzpatrick?event=Christian-Authors|1002162

B. Pamphlets

C. Articles

Elyse Fitzpatrick’s own website is a great resource for her writings:

https://www.elysefitzpatrick.com/blog/

Some of her articles can be found at The Gospel Coalition:

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/profile/elyse-fitzpatrick/

Another great resource for finding articles written by Fitzpatrick would be the Revive Our Hearts website:

https://www.reviveourhearts.com/authors/elyse-fitzpatrick/

D. Interviews

Interviews with Elyse Fitzpatrick can be found at this link:

https://ibcd.org/?s=elyse+fitzpatrick

E. Audio

Video references can be found at RightNow Media:

https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/Speaker/999693

F. Influence on Biblical Counseling

Fitzpatrick, being the first certified counselor by Christian Counselor’s Educational Foundation, has had a great influence on the area of biblical counseling. From the very start, she has been very influential to the style in which counselors are taught. She is an outspoken supporter of women counseling women; she believes that women should seek degrees and certification in order to counsel solidly.

G. Bibliography

A list of her books are as follows:

Overcoming Fear, Worry, and Anxiety

Idols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone

Comforts from the Cross: Celebrating the Gospel One Day at a Time

Love to Eat, Hate to Eat: Overcoming the Bondage of Destructive Eating Habits

Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women

Answering Your Kid’s Toughest Questions: Helping Them Understand Loss, Sin, Tragedies, and Other Hard Topics

Good News for Weary Women: Escaping the Bondage of To-Do Lists, Steps and Bad Advice

When Good Kids Make Bad Choices: Help and Hope for Hurting Parents

Finding the Love of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation

Home: How Heaven and the New Earth Satisfy our Deepest Longings

The Afternoon of Life: How to Find Purpose and Joy in Midlife

Helper by Design

A Steadfast Heart: Experiencing God’s Comfort in Life’s Storms

Doubt: Trusting God’s Promises

You Never Stop Being a Parent: Thriving in Relationship with Your Adult Children

Women Counseling Women

Comfort from Romans: Celebrating God’s Word One Day at a Time

Will Medicine Stop the Pain? Finding God’s Healing for Depression, Anxiety, & Other Troubling Emotions

Because He Loves Me

Giving Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus

Found in Him: The Joy of the Incarnation and Our Union with Christ

Exploring Grace Together: 40 Devotionals for the Family