Essential Teaching About How People Change

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On June 22-23, 2015, I led a two-day biblical counseling conference in Powell, WY, at Trinity Bible Church. These are my notes from the second session of that biblical counseling conference.

Show Notes

The key idea for this session is, “The change process must begin at a place that is deeper than our behaviors. To change well is to begin in the heart while working out the behaviors. This session will take you on a journey through some of the primary dynamics of the change process.

Teaching Notes from the Conference

• Essential Teaching about How People Change
• How to Have Authentic and Transparent Relationships
• Non-negotiable “Musts” for Every Christian

Helpful Links

• Trinity Bible Church
• The Most Powerful Way to Help Someone Change
• Learn about Rick’s long-distance training program
• Find counseling resources

Helpful Graphics

Listening at two levels – In order to counsel well, you must counsel at two levels. The behaviors are motivated by the heart. Therefore, understanding the heart is essential for long-term, sustainable change.

Four components of a counseling session – No human counselor can bring change. That is the role of the Lord. Our job is to be faithful ministers of God’s Word as we pray for the “Counselor” to bring the necessary change.

From chaos to order – The Spirit of God speaks into the chaos of our lives. Through His work, He begins to bring order out of our chaos. He restores us from chaotic souls to well-ordered people.

The counseling window – Biblical counseling, in the traditional sense, has many limitations. One of those limitations is waiting on the Lord to grant repentance–the only way a person can truly change (2 Timothy 2:24-25).

Five ways a person can change – The Bible teaches five means of grace the Lord employs to bring change into a person’s life. All of them work differently for each person, situation, or season of life.

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Rick Thomas

Rick launched the Life Over Coffee global training network in 2008 to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. His primary responsibilities are resource creation and leadership development, which he does through speaking, writing, podcasting, and educating.

In 1990 he earned a BA in Theology and, in 1991, a BS in Education. In 1993, he received his ordination into Christian ministry, and in 2000 he graduated with an MA in Counseling from The Master’s University. In 2006 he was recognized as a Fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).