Blog Collection

Favorite Bible Verses to Comfort in Grief

"God’s Word provides powerful comfort in grief. Because scripture is alive and active, time in the Word settles our heart and anchors our emotions in loss. I’ve asked several friends who’ve walked through grief from various kinds of loss to share their favorite Bible verses to comfort in grief. These writers and ministry leaders each share a favorite scripture and how that verse impacted their grief." -Lisa Appelo
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5 years ago

How Do I Talk to My Kids About Sorrow?

Forewarning our kids about the realities of sorrow can forearm them to face it by faith. Christ said these seasons would come, and that we would find comfort, hope, and peace by looking to him when they do.
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5 years ago

Hope + Help for Counseling Children with Julie Lowe

In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, Christine Chappell interviews Julie Lowe about her book, Building Bridges: Biblical Counseling Activities for Children and Teens. During the conversation, Julie helps listeners to understand why counseling children is different than counseling adults, explains the importance of "wooing" children to Jesus, and discusses some of the benefits and challenges of collaborating with parents during the counseling journey. She also offers a biblical rationale for using "expressive activities" to enter into a child's world, unpacks how using Scripture as a story can better connect a child's life experience back to the Lord, and shares some of the top tools/props/resources she uses in her counseling room during sessions with youth counselees.
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5 years ago

Hope + Help for Identifying Abuse with Darby Strickland

In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, Christine Chappell interviews Darby Strickland about her book, Is It Abuse?: A Biblical Guide to Identifying Domestic Abuse and Helping Victims. During the conversation, Darby explains why domestic abuse is easy to miss and easier to minimize and shares why abuse merits the biblical label of "oppression." Darby also addresses question such as: • What damage does it do to label a situation as "abusive" when it isn't? • How can people helpers become more sensitive to identifying physical abuse, especially when victims are typically hesitant to ask for help? • How can we tell if what is taking place in the marriage bed qualifies as sexual abuse? • What do people helpers need to keep in mind when helping a victim bring their story to the attention of the local church? • What are some questions people helpers can use to better get to know the victim and to assess the emotional, spiritual, and physical damage they have sustained?
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5 years ago

Hope + Help for Practicing Affirmation with Sam Crabtree

In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, Christine Chappell interviews Sam Crabtree about his book, Practicing Affirmation. IBCD Executive Director Jim Newheiser also joins the conversation as Sam explains why bringing God into compliments is the best way to give them. He also discusses why people are more prone to complaining than commending, offers four characteristics of good affirmations, and how practicing affirmation on a daily basis serves to nourish personal relationships while glorifying God at the same time. Additionally, Sam suggests reasons to keep affirmation separate from correction, encourages listeners to utilize affirmation as a means of evangelism, and answers the tough question, How do we commend someone whose behavior is anything but commendable?
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5 years ago

Hope + Help for One-Another Care with Scott Mehl & Josh Stephens

In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, Christine Chappell interviews Pastors and biblical counselors Scott Mehl and Josh Stephens on the topic of one-another care. Topics covered in the conversation include: counseling adjustments in the wake of COVID-19, what makes biblical counseling unique, how the church is positioned to minister to people in the midst of global pandemic, how lay people can get themselves equipped to provide soul care for others, and suggestions for pastors interested in exploring what's needed to start a biblical counseling ministry at their church.
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5 years ago

Hope + Help for Discouraged Parents with Marty Machowski

In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, Christine Chappell interviews Marty Machowski about his book, Parenting First Aid: Hope for the Discouraged. During the conversation, Marty explains why parents sometimes feel isolated when walking through challenges involving their children, and offers practical insights on how to handle heated exchanges in the home. He also discusses the importance of keeping an eternal perspective when parenting trials come, comforts listeners with the reminder that God understands what they are going through, and exhorts discouraged parents to reflect on key gospel truths that can persevere them through seasons of heartbreak or disappointment.
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5 years ago

8 Facebook Live Videos on Counseling & Christian Living

I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to host a number of helpful conversations via Facebook LIVE over the past three months on a variety of topics related to Christian living in general, as well as biblical counseling in particular. This post offers the collection of previously recorded Facebook LIVE conversations in one spot, where you can watch the replays! Scroll below to view the guest names and topics addressed.
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5 years ago

Comforting Our Kids Through Hard Times • Women Encouraged Podcast

In today's episode, Christine M. Chappell joins Bethany for a conversation about how to give our kids true, biblical comfort when they’re hurting. This isn’t about empty platitudes or band-aid fixes, but rather acknowledging our children’s suffering while pointing them to the trustworthy and eternal promises of God. Christine and Bethany discuss how we should respond to our children in these situations, and take a look at the comfort God’s word offers.
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5 years ago

Hope + Help for Storms in Marriage with Jeff & Sarah Walton

In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, Christine Chappell interviews authors Jeff & Sarah Walton about their book, Together Through the Storms: Biblical Encouragements for Your Marriage When Life Hurts. During the conversation, Jeff shares biblical truths that sustained him during sudden job loss, as well as practical wisdom for men striving to be leaders of their home in the midst of future uncertainties. Sarah reflects on the walking through periods of hopelessness, living with chronic illness, and the grief that comes when life doesn't look like we expected. Together, Jeff and Sarah offer gospel hope for marriages strained by circumstantial difficulties, showing couples how to cling to Jesus—and to each other—through the storms.
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5 years ago

Hope + Help LIVE for Heart Change with Brad Bigney

In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, Christine Chappell interviews Pastor Brad Bigney via Facebook LIVE about his book, Gospel Treason: Betraying the Gospel with Hidden Idols. During the conversation, Brad defines idolatry, explains what it means to uncover "the sin beneath the sin," and cautions about the impact heart idolatry has on our relationships with God and other people. He also examines why it's so challenging to uproot idolatry once the Holy Spirit has revealed it to us, offers insights as to how a global pandemic has served to expose idolatry in our lives, and gives hope from the Scriptures for those seeking to experience true, meaningful heart change through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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5 years ago

Hope + Help for Pregnancy with Gloria Furman

In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, Christine Chappell interviews Gloria Furman about her book, Labor with Hope: Gospel Meditations on Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood. During the conversation, Gloria helps women see topics such as pregnancy, infertility, miscarriage, birth pain, and new life in the framework of the larger biblical narrative, infusing cosmic meaning into their personal experience by exploring how they point to eternal realities. She also reflects upon the forgiveness and mercy Christ offers post-abortive women, shares biblical comforts to pregnant women who are fearful about their impending labor, and highlights the importance of spiritual mothering as a high calling for those who do not have flesh-and-blood children of their own.
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5 years ago

Hope + Help for Bipolar Disorder with Dr. Charles Hodges

In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, Christine Chappell interviews Dr. Charles Hodges about his book, Good Mood, Bad Mood: Help and Hope for Depression and Bipolar Disorder. During the conversation, Dr. Hodges summarizes the current diagnostic criteria for depression and bipolar disorder, and describes the differences between "normal" and "disordered" sadness. He also explains why recent scientific findings pertaining to brain plasticity offer hope to those labeled with mood disorders and suggests why over-identifying with a psychological diagnosis can stunt spiritual growth. Lastly, Dr. Hodges highlights the importance of setting God-oriented goals with counselees labeled with bipolar disorder, and offers words of encouragement for sufferers feeling hopeless for meaningful life change.
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5 years ago

Hope + Help for Domestic Abuse with Chris Moles, Joy Forrest, & Ann Maree Goudzwaard

In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, Christine Chappell interviews authors and biblical counselors Chris Moles, Joy Forrest, and Ann Maree Goudzwaard via Facebook LIVE about domestic abuse care in today's COVID-19 context. Together, the panel discusses cautions for victim/counselor communications, the danger of handling domestic abuse situations as marriage counseling cases, various ways to get equipped for one-another care when face-to-face contact with high-risk women and children is restricted, the basics and importance of developing a safety plan, and much more.
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5 years ago

Hope + Help for Parenting Methods with Jim Newheiser

In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, Christine Chappell interviews author and IBCD Executive Director Dr. Jim Newheiser about his book, Parenting is More Than a Formula. During the conversation, Jim summarizes common Christian parenting methods and examines the dangers of adopting unbiblical or extra-biblical approaches to child-rearing. Jim also demonstrates how belief in "parental determinism" is contrary to the Scriptures, defines a biblical view of parenting "success," offers practical helps for pursuing gospel-centered parenting, and shares how he counsels married couples who find themselves in conflict over differing opinions pertaining to parenting methodology.
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5 years ago

Hope + Help for Evangelism with Becky Pippert

In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, Christine Chappell interviews Becky Pippert about her book, Stay Salt: The World Has Changed, Our Message Must Not. During the conversation, Becky recounts her personal journey from agnosticism to faith in Jesus Christ, and unpacks common reasons why Christians hesitate to share their faith with others.
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5 years ago

Hope + Help LIVE for Parents of Depressed & Anxious Teens

In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, we’re premiering Hope + Help LIVE, a periodic segment of the podcast that features unscripted, live recorded interviews previously broadcasted on Facebook. This conversation features authors Jessica Thompson and Joel Fitzpatrick. During the live chat, we talk about the various ways our respective households are navigating the coronavirus pandemic, and offer encouragements to parents of depressed and anxious teens who may be struggling to care for their child in today’s quarantine contexts.
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5 years ago

How Is God Working in My Teen’s Depression?

If you’ve found yourself caring for a depressed teen, maybe you’re wondering what God is up to in the midst of this heartbreaking time. While we cannot know all the ways that God intends to work in your teen’s despondency, the Scriptures do tell us what his goal is for you in this season.
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5 years ago

Equipping You in Grace Podcast: Help! My Teen is Depressed

On this episiode of Equipping You in Grace, host Dave Jenkins and Christine Chappell discuss how to walk with a teenager through depression, how the local church can help teenagers who are depressed and minister to them, along with her mini-book, "Help! My Teen is Depressed" (Shepherd Press, 2020).
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5 years ago

Hope + Help for Spiritual Warfare with Iain Duguid

In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, Christine Chappell interviews Iain Duguid about his book, "The Whole Armor of God: How Christ's Victory Strengthens Us for Spiritual Warfare." During the conversation, Iain unpacks various pieces of the spiritual armor Paul describes in Ephesians 6, inviting us to take up the armor each day, all the while resting in the finished victory of Christ and the assurance that our strength for the battle comes from him. Iain also offers relatable illustrations that demonstrate how the armor of God intersects with everyday challenges, and shares words of encouragement for those who find themselves weary and discouraged in their Christian walk.
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5 years ago

IBCD Book Review: Help! My Teen is Depressed

This new booklet is a practical guide for parents walking through depression with their children. It offers biblically-sound, wise advice for parents as they weather through a supremely difficult time.
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5 years ago

Discipling Our Children in Their Suffering

It’s disorienting when a child is suffering. Our parental instinct is to come to our children’s rescue and “make it better.” But life lived in a fallen world means that we cannot always protect our children from disease and death. Money and medicine has its limitations. The truth is that our children are not immune to experiencing the effects of the curse on this world, which means they will look to those charged with their care for comfort, hope, and help when suffering strikes.
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5 years ago

Hope + Help for the Age of Self with Jen Oshman

In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, Christine Chappell interviews Jen Oshman about her book, "Enough About Me: Finding Lasting Joy in the Age of Self," exploring how the gospel of Jesus Christ calls us to look away from ourselves in order to find the abundant life God offers us.
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5 years ago

Depression Testimony at Trinity Point Church

My family and I were honored to have been invited by our Pastor, Tracy Turner, to share about our journey through depression over the last 20 years. During this pastoral interview, I share my history with depression how I resolved to fix myself by faith when I became a new believer in Christ. My husband shares some of his perspective on what the challenges were when trying to walk alongside me during my depressive seasons. We talk about the dangers of idolizing healing (both physical and spiritual), the problem with pursuing personal goals rather than God's goals, and how the Lord worked through nearly two decades of our suffering sorrows in order to act as ministers of comfort to our teenager, who unexpectedly endured an intense period of autoimmune disease and despair herself. Pastor Tracy, Brett, and I seek to illumine the importance of being willing to comfort others with the same comfort that we ourselves have been comforted by God.
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5 years ago

Hope + Help for Loss and Grief with Paul Tautges

In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, Christine Chappell interviews Paul Tautges about his book, "A Small Book for the Hurting Heart: Meditations on Loss, Grief, and Healing," exploring how the gospel of Jesus Christ offers comfort and strength for those walking through seasons of mourning.
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5 years ago

An Interview with IBCD Podcast Host Christine Chappell

As the podcast completes its transition from The Hope + Help Project to IBCD's Hope + Help Podcast, this episode features a discussion between IBCD Director of Communications Ann Maree Goudzwaard and podcast founder Christine Chappell, exploring the various ways biblical counseling has personally impacted Christine's life and ministry.
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5 years ago