Life Over Coffee With Rick Thomas

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/

What is contentment, and how do we acquire it? Did you know it is the gift of the person who can live well on any point of the abundance to emptiness spectrum? Finding contentment seems elusive in our frantic and distracted world. Other matters weigh in vying to control our hearts. Contentment becomes a memory, an old friend from another era when you reminisced, a day where quietness was commonplace, and needs were few. The question remains: how do you find it? Did you know contentment comes from learning how to live with everything or nothing at all? Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/contentment-comes-from-the-blessing-of-disappointment/ 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 – Pastoral ministry is one of the more complex vocations a person could choose. We all have our stories. We know the statistics, the burnout rates, and the aftermath of a failed pastor. But there are more of them who do it well. Extremely well. The successes far outshine the failures, though we hardly talk about those doing it the right way. Goodness is not as tweetable as badness, but it’s worth asking; what makes a good pastor? What are some things you should look for in a potential pastoral candidate? Show Notes: https://rickthomas.net/podcast/ep-420-how-do-you-assess-and-prepare-a-future-pastor-for-ministry/ 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/

Utopia does not exist. It’s a mirage in a desert, similar to the person who wants to be perfect. My goal here is not to rain on anyone’s parade but to help gain a better perspective on living well in God’s world while releasing ourselves from pursuing the unrealistic, nonexistent perfect life. My concern is that some of us are not comfortable in our own skin, and as we stare at imperfection in the face, we hope to find something a little more perfect. If you’re that striving soul, I have excellent news for you; God’s strength needs your imperfection to magnify His fame for your good. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/four-reasons-to-praise-god-for-your-imperfections/ 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/

Can a Christian walk away from God? To help work through this question, we must first recognize and accept that Christianity is not neat, and sin has never been respectful of our preferred categories. We also have to admit that this conversation is subjective in nature: we cannot know what is happening in a person’s heart or all the ancillary issues that contribute to why a person would “accept and reject” Christ. The Hebrew writer is suggesting there can be this kind of Christian—a believer who spurns the grace he once received for whatever reasons. What does that mean? How are we to think about friends who reject Christ? Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/i-met-a-man-who-refuses-to-walk-away-from-his-sin/ 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 – Divorce is an unending complexity. Even those who breathe a sigh of relief because it is over are not immune from the challenges. Suppose you were living through an unwanted divorce, or know someone who is. The ex-spouse has primary custody of the children. What are some key things you would want to know, common mistakes people generally make, and proper responses to your spouse, children, and new lifestyle? Here are a few thoughts for the spouse whose world just turned upside down. Show Notes: https://rickthomas.net/podcast/ep-419-your-ex-spouse-has-the-kids-and-youre-afraid/ 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/