Life Over Coffee With Rick Thomas

Shows Main Idea – The process of a hard heart begins when we want something so much that the desire for that thing starts to manage our minds. It’s not that the desire is evil, but it controls us so much that we lose sight of the God-centered, God-managed life. Even good desires can send us down the wrong path. If we don’t change our thoughts about the things we want, the end of this process leads to a hard heart, as Rick explains. Show Notes: https://rickthomas.net/podcast/ep-427-the-ten-step-process-to-a-hard-heart/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/

One of the kindest things we can do is introduce a biblical sin plan to our families so they can enjoy the full benefits of the gospel. If we do this, we will begin to release an entire generation of people who will sin but quickly remove it, eliminating the lingering effects of sin which so many of us had experienced from those who had gone before us as they tried to hide the obvious in plain sight while effecting us generationally. We will sin before our families and friends, so let’s demonstrate what we are supposed to do about it. Let them see how we may be ashamed of our sins, but we are not ashamed of the gospel. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/the-wisdom-of-introducing-sin-to-our-families/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/

When I was a single man during the 90s, I worked a third shift, dead-end job at a glue factory. There were about thirty employees, three of whom were practicing lesbians. I was grateful to have the job, but it was a difficult place to work for many reasons. Two of them had no interest in me, but one did, so I asked her out on several dates. She accepted. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/i-dated-a-lesbian-2/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/

Shows Main Idea – In the last three episodes, I talked about the danger of the biblical counseling movement passing its prime. I also brought a few practical solutions that could help change current course positively. (Those podcasts stirred a lot of conversation in the biblical counseling world.) One of the reasons I mentioned this possibility is that there has been a lack of innovation in the movement over the past two decades. In this episode, I will share with you one way we can innovate by maturing in our understanding and practice of listening in counseling contexts. Show Notes: https://rickthomas.net/podcast/ep-426-the-four-types-of-transformative-listening/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/

A lesbian walked into my counseling office looking for help. She had grown weary of her lifestyle, had a remote association with God, and thought maybe He was in her problems somehow, some way, and she needed help sorting things out. It’s a great story, and I trust my retelling of it will be an encouragement to anyone with children or friends who have walked away from the Lord. There is hope. There is no life or any sin that is outside God’s grace to redeem. Here’s what happened. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/a-lesbian-walked-into-my-office-ready-for-help/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/

There are two objective positives from being part of a group. One is that you all believe the same things. It’s the upside to “groupthink.” Not necessarily bad. The second is a psychological positive of feeling good to be part of the group. You believe the same things and there are psychological benefits like acceptance, approval, significance, respect, and love from the relationships that flow out of those groups with shared beliefs. The dangerous dark side of these communities is when the benefits, e.g., finding approval, become more crucial to you than whatever the group believes. The temptation is to compromise what you believe because the benefits of connecting with a relational community are more vital. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/the-dangerous-dark-side-of-a-shared-belief-system/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://ri

Shows Main Idea – My past Life Over Coffee two episodes are a response to different perspectives in the biblical counseling movement regarding its future. I stated part of the problem in our movement is that there is a lot of redundancy and little innovation. Some folks took issue, offering what they believe to be innovative from their perspectives. In this third episode, I aim to clarify what I mean by innovation, how it differs from a few others, and a path forward. Show Notes: https://rickthomas.net/podcast/ep-425-seven-ways-biblical-counselors-can-innovate/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/

Depression is a complicated problem that is the center of much debate within counseling circles. Though those discussions will not subside anytime soon, there are a few things we can do to help those struggling with depression. As an added bonus, we may learn a few ideas that will help ourselves when we spiral into the dumps of despair. It happens. Unannounced! I trust these practical and biblical suggestions will give you hope and help for your soul while guiding your care for your friends. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/hope-and-practical-help-for-those-struggling-with-depression/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/

Think with me for a moment about what it means to be a bit player in a grander epic. The Christian life is God inviting us into His story that is coming true. We are not inviting Him into our story, hoping He will make our stories come true. As you ponder these thoughts, what difference does living in a larger story make? How does the knowledge of having a small part in a more fabulous narrative shape and influence your life? Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/learning-how-to-trust-the-author-of-your-story/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/

Shows Main Idea – Ironically, my podcast last week about the decline of the biblical counseling movement found affirmation in a most unusual place—integrationists. Though I was not writing to the integrationists who are adjacent (their word, not mine) to biblical counseling, they took my episode, ran it through their hermeneutic and began game planning about bringing more innovation to their integrationists movement, not the biblical counseling movement. I think I need to clarify, so here goes. Show Notes: https://rickthomas.net/podcast/ep-424-a-few-integrationists-affirm-my-point-about-bcs-decline/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/

There is an interplay between truth and freedom that dynamically changes your life. The more the truth of God’s Word anchors you, the freer you are. Our example, as always, is Jesus Christ. He was supposedly the freest man ever to live. People’s opinions did not manage or entangle Him because the truth of God’s Word ran surveillance over of His mind. I’m not suggesting He dismissed views as though people did not matter, but Jesus weighed all opinions by the ultimate truth. This process of not letting other so-called truths manage Him made Him free. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/the-interplay-of-truth-and-freedom-that-sets-you-free/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/

Moving forward in faith—believing God can do all things well for me— is one of the hardest things to do in our fallen world, especially when the decisions are difficult. Because of the complexity of deciding big things to move forward with life, the main thing I must do is make sure I have God’s perspective on the thing I’m thinking about doing. Without His sovereign clarity, my sight-lines will lower to a man-centered view, which will spell disaster. Thus, to move forward while guided by God’s perspective, I must understand and practice these three essential, sequential steps. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/three-tips-for-moving-forward-when-things-are-hard/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/

Shows Main Idea – There is a difference between biblical counseling and the biblical counseling (BC) movement. Biblical counseling is a modern word for New Testament discipleship, God’s way of doing soul care. The BC Movement has been a vital means for elevating the need for every Christian to “counsel” others, and their usefulness has been substantial. But their relevancy has declined for many years. I will give you four reasons why. Show Notes: https://rickthomas.net/podcast/ep-423-four-reasons-the-bc-movement-has-passed-its-prime/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/

A friend asked me, “When you and Lucia realized you hadn’t asked for forgiveness for several years, how did you work out the gospel in that situation? You couldn’t go back and cover all your past sins against each other at that time, correct? So how do you handle forgiving sin over such an extended period?” His question is vital because we all have a history with people. Sometimes, history includes sinful interactions. Let’s suppose you “come to your senses” and want to resolve past conflict with someone one. How do you go about it? Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/now-that-i-want-forgiveness-how-do-i-handle-my-past-sins/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/

Forgiveness is one of the most challenging concepts for Christians to come to terms with, especially when someone has hurt them. Recipients of unjust and unkind actions experience legitimate disappointment. Fortunately, we have the unjust suffering of Christ as a template for how to think about and respond to when someone sins against us. And as you might imagine, the pathway to follow Him has complexities and challenges, but there is grace for this. Let me explain. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/when-i-wont-forgive-someone/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/

Shows Main Idea – When you think of fasting, where does it rank on your list of disciplines you employ regularly? I would imagine that going without food for an extended period is low on the list of most Christians' pursuit of holiness. I think we all know why. But what if I told you it's one of our most vital of the spiritual disciplines? Show Notes: https://rickthomas.net/podcast/ep-422-the-grace-that-comes-to-those-who-practice-fasting/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/

Pride is a catch-all word for sin. You could say that pride is sin, and sin is pride. Pride is a helpful word in that it accurately describes our fallenness. It is a word we know and a word we understand. For example, when I say that I am proud, everyone immediately knows that it is unacceptable and I need help. Pride is like a warning alarm that calls the gospel-centered person to action. The term gets you thinking and moving in the right direction, but pride also fails in its analysis because it misses my fallenness specifics that need gospel solutions. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/why-it-is-hard-to-repent-of-pride/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/

Our minds are an integral part of ourselves. The mind establishes a definitive trajectory for how we live in God’s world. Did you know the Christian mind is a progression into four different ones? Like mile-markers up the interstate, you begin with one type; it evolves into something better, aiming for the purest kind of mind a person can have, the mind of Christ. What kind of mind do you have? Where are you in this progression? Are you ready to analyze the evolution of the Christian mind? Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/an-analysis-of-the-evolution-and-superiority-of-the-christian-mind/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/

Shows Main Idea – Everyone knows about toxic masculinity, and there are just as many opinions to defend it as there are that denounce it. Have you ever thought about toxic femininity? Is it possible for a woman to be toxic? How do they become that way, and what is a path forward? The reasons they fall into the trap are real, and the dangers are tempting, but there is hope to become un-caught from this blinding sin of Christian, toxic femininity Show Notes: https://rickthomas.net/podcast/ep-421-ten-steps-leading-to-toxic-christian-femininity/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/

One of the primary responsibilities of a wife is to disciple her husband. She is the number one sanctifying human agent in his life. Nobody knows more about him than she does. To disciple any person well, you must know them well, and who knows a husband better than his wife? She has seen him during his best days, and she has experienced him on the worst days. What he does to keep others from knowing him is more apparent to her. Thus, the million dollar question is, how does a wife provide soul care for her husband? Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/nine-effective-ways-to-disciple-your-husband-while-submitting-to-him/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/