Dr. Ron Hawkins

I.The effective use of Scripture by the Biblical Counselor will be enriched when we consider the similarities between our caregiving opportunities and the situation experienced by Solomon in I Kings Chapter 3.

Reflecting on this passage requires us to consider each caregiving opportunity with a deep-felt appreciation for: A.The awesome opportunity we have to call persons to the reception of Christ and the experience of His lordship (Eph. 5:1). B.The necessity of confessing our felt limitations to move persons to embrace Christ as Savior and Lord. C.The necessity to appreciate God’s relentless concern to assist us with the challenges embedded in our opportunities. D.The necessity to petition for God’s presence and the gift of His wisdom at work through us as caregivers carrying out the counseling process (Ecc. 10).

II.The case for making the Bible the centerpiece of our counseling and spiritual formation ministries. A.The Scriptures give us wisdom (II Tim. 3:15-17). They give us direction (Ecc. 10). The wisdom gained through faithful applications of the Scriptures to our personal growth produces sharpness (Ecc.10). The truth found in Scripture offers real answers to the everyday needs of people living in a profoundly fallen world. B.The Scriptures instruct us in God’s other sources of Wisdom: 1.Wisdom found in the Son (I Cor. 1:30) 2.Wisdom experienced in God’s Giftings (James 1:5, I Cor. 12)

III.The pattern to follow for maximizing the effective use of the Scriptures in counseling and spiritual formation (Ecc. 12:9-12). A.Be steadfast in your Confidence in the Scriptures’ Ability to Speak to People’s Needs. 1.The gift of the one Shepherd 2.Words of Truth

B. Be steadfast in your commitment to instructing the people 1.Because He/She was wise---still taught the people 2.“Successful evangelism is sharing the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results with God” (Bill Bright). 3.“Successful counseling is sharing the truth of God revealed in Scripture in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results with God” (Ron Hawkins).

C.Be steadfast in your commitment to pouring over the Bible to find truth that answers real life problems for real people living in a profoundly fallen world. 1.Pondered, sought out, set in order 2.Study/ Give great energy (II Tim. 2:15)

D.Be steadfast in your commitment to the application of Scripture to real life needs. 1.Sought to find suitable words 2.Matching words to human needs/ Grace Based Ministry of Words (Eph. 4)

E.Be steadfast in your willingness to wear the hat of the comforter and the confronter/ do the easy and the hard work (I Thess. 2:11; I Thess. 5:14). 1.Scripture as nails/tent stakes/doctrine/comfort/ instruction/encouragement 2.Scripture as goading/correction/reproof/exhortation

F.Be steadfast in your faithfulness to the bottom line (Ecc. 12). 1.Model and require the fear of God. 2.Model and insist on obedience to the commandments. 3.Model and demonstrate a commitment to the duties imposed by God. 4.Model and demonstrate joy in the midst of life challenges. 5.Model and remind of the necessity for living life in view of the judgment of God.

G.Be steadfast in your commitment to fully honoring the role/presence/power of the Holy Spirit for effecting personal transformation in the lives of redeemed sinners. 1.The Holy Spirit working on persons (John 15) 2.The Holy Spirit working in persons (Acts 1:8) 3.The Holy Spirit working through persons 4.The Holy Spirit working through the Word/ a dynamic duo (Eph. 5:20; Col. 3:16)

H.Be steadfast in your commitment to insisting on the necessity of persons engaging relationships that promote encouragement and accountability within the grace- based/mercy-manifesting/loving community we call the Church (the Body of Christ). 1.Hebrews 10 2.I Thess. 5:14 3.Romans 15:14

Summation The accurate and effective use of the Scriptures in counseling occurs when the caregiver, in dependence on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, confidently seeks to engage the careseeker in a collaborative attempt to apply the truth found in the Word of God to real needs experienced by the careseeker, who is engaged in the pursuit of the imitation of Christ within a community of accountability we call the church.

Examples of Biblical Caregiving – Ephesians Chapters 4, 5 and 6:  A community of persons committed to the imitation of the Christ - Eph 5:1  A community of persons maturing one another by speaking the truth of Scripture to one another - Eph 4:15-16, 25

 A community of persons practicing dehabituation/rehabituation in the service of achieving the goal of the imitation of the Christ - Eph. 4:20-24  A community of persons dependent upon the power and person of the Holy Spirit for the power required for effectively engaging the dehabituation/rehabituation process - Eph. 5:18 and 4:30

 A community of persons who demand attention to specific sins and require specific outcomes (i.e. no stealing, go to work, give to someone in need, no cutting words, identify needs, minister grace/benefit/edification with your words) - Eph. 4:25-32; 5 and 6