CCEF Podcast: Where Life & Scripture Meet

Would you consider donating to CCEF to help us continue to provide the church with resources that mine the treasures of Scripture for the troubles of life? You can give at ccef.org/donate. Today’s episode is a session from our national conference a few years ago on anxiety. This session is by Ed Welch and is titled “Daily Bread: Today’s Strength for Anxious People.” Ed talks about God’s invitation in anxiety to come to him and find strength for today.

Explore the challenges of seasonal depression and discover the power of community and faith in coping with winter's gloom. Personal stories and biblical insights provide practical strategies for navigating difficult times. The podcast also reflects on the journey towards a deeper connection with scripture and God, using the metaphor of ocean undertow to illustrate the struggles of faith. Tune in for inspiration and encouragement this season!

Today’s episode is a free session from the 2024 National Conference: Rest. The session is by Aaron Sironi and is titled “Created to Do Good Work.” It considers the goodness of work and how it relates to rest in the cycle and rhythm of our lives. You can find more audio from our rest conference at ccef.org/2024.

Explore the profound connection between prayer and processing negative emotions. Discover how expressing fears and doubts to God can be a powerful act of faith. The discussion gives practical insights on how to incorporate biblical perspectives into emotional healing, emphasizing that pouring out your heart is not just acceptable, but vital.

Today’s episode is an audio lecture from one of our online courses, Helping Relationships, which is taught by Ed Welch. This lecture is titled “Pursue & Know People” and it covers one of the foundational ideas to this course and to all of biblical counseling: that we aim to know people well and pursue them like Jesus. Registration for this course is open through December 3. Register at ccef.org/school. The CCEF School of Biblical Counseling offers 6 courses that make up 2 certificates designed to equip you for biblical counseling. Our students include pastors, elders, ministry leaders, counselors, and any Christian wanting to grow in wise soul care. You can learn more at ccef.org/school.

Dive into the intriguing discussion on whether it's acceptable for Christians to feel negative emotions like anger and sadness. The complexities of human emotions are explored, emphasizing that such feelings aren't sinful. Discover how acknowledging these emotions can lead to personal growth and a stronger faith. The conversation highlights the importance of expressing sorrow to God, paving the way for deeper connections during life's challenges.

Mike Emlet, a speaker from the 2020 CCEF National Conference, dives into enhancing intimacy with God through Scripture and prayer. He challenges misconceptions about devotional practices, emphasizing the balance between discipline and dependence on God. Emlet shares personal insights, including how college life shaped his faith. Listeners learn the transformative power of meditation on biblical texts and practical tips for daily reflection, such as the Ignatian Prayer of Examen, to stay connected with God amid distractions.

This fall we’re taking a longer break from the podcast while we work on a new format with more frequent episodes. We’re excited to launch that in 2025! In the meantime, we’ll be sharing some previously released resources with you. Today’s episode is a rerun of an episode we released a few years ago titled “Rest.” We hope you’re encouraged by this episode to draw near to the God of rest. Mentioned in this episode: We’re thinking a lot about rest as we prepare for our national conference on the topic. We hope you’ll join us for the conference this October, whether online or in Chattanooga, TN. You can learn more at ccef.org/2024.

Clinical psychologist Ed Welch discusses trauma and scripture, emphasizing the importance of understanding trauma, practicing compassion, and finding strength in God's word. He explores the impact of suffering on individuals and the role of community support in times of adversity.

In this last episode of our miniseries on emotions, Alasdair Groves answers 11 questions submitted by our listeners. We hope these answers are edifying to you! You can read a transcript of this episode here.   Mentioned in this episode: We’re excited to be doing a giveaway of some CCEF-branded items! To enter, visit ccef.org/podcast-giveaway. Winners will be chosen and notified via email on July 5.   Are you looking for an answer to a particular question? See timestamps below to jump to that part of the episode. How does a Christian deal with a tendency to struggle with joy and happiness even when life is relatively good? [3:50] Is it a good thing when we can’t control our emotions? [11:56] Is the emotion of frustration a sin? [18:08] What about people who don’t know what they feel? [23:50] What about when a woman’s monthly period or menopause, where emotions “happen” to us and are not “our fault”? [28:00] How do I manage or overcome strong romantic emotions that are misleading? [35:22] What’s your encouragement for someone who says he’s a thinker, not a feeler? [39:48] What do you do with emotions that you should not act out on, but are still important to process? [42:02] How do you have empathy but also encourage resilience? [45:36] How do we handle anger, jealousy, negative emotions, and other things that may lead to bitterness? [50:55] Can you speak to rumination and sadness over relationships that are over? [54:12] For further study on emotions, we want to recommend to you Untangling Emotions, a book by Alasdair Groves and Winston Smith, where they seek to biblically frame emotions and consider how to wisely engage with them.