Doug Spriggs’s Bio
I am a big fan of Jesus, the husband of Kristy, the Dad of Lisa, Garret and Kim, & the Senior Pastor of Grace Fellowship, in Duarte, California.
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Doug Spriggs’s Answers RSS Feed
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What do you consider to be the difference between Biblical Counseling and Christian Counseling. Thanks for your time!
This is a very simple question, but I do not have a simple answer. To even give a glimpse of what I believe to be true will take more discussion than this forum allows. However, I will try to offer a summation of my basic understanding of the issue and invite the asker to contact me for further discussion, if that would be helpful.
First of all, we need to be aware that these terms (Biblical Counseling & Christian Counseling) are common terms, but not everyone uses them with the same meaning in mind. So we should all be careful about sweeping statements or judgments, which may actually have more to do with semantics than differences of opinion.
For me, the distinction, at its most basic level is fairly simple: "Christian Counseling" is any type of counseling that involves Christians and may refer to Christian ideas in an effort to help a counselee. It is a very broad category and would include what is technically called Biblical Counseling as well as other types of counseling that are aimed at helping someone live well as a Christian. This may include counseling perspectives based primarily in Freud, Jung, and others, rather than based upon scripture. Freud believed that humans are animals driven by instincts such as the sex drive and other so-called ego needs. His theories and those of his followers are not based upon scripture, but are based upon what might be called "human reasoning and wisdom". Many Christian counselors seek to help people using theories based upon these flawed and unbiblical assumptions. Scripture may or may not be added to the mix as the counselor sees fit.
"Biblical Counseling" (also known as Nouthetic Counseling) also seeks to help people live successfully as Christians. However, the starting point is different and the major assumptions are different. The "Biblical Counselor" believes that God's word contains the truth we all need to live successfully (i.e. in a way that pleases God). The foundational principles for successful living come from God's word. The goal of life comes from God's word (2 Cor. 5:9). The principles of truth that must be applied come from God's word. God's word is the central teacher and counselor in this form of counseling. Accountability to obey God and seek to please Him are emphasized in this type of counseling. God's word is the primary tool for confrontation, for encouragement, for instruction, and for hope. Man's problems are understood to be grounded in sin and the answers are found in repentance and worship. The glory of God (not merely self-actualization) is seen to be the point of life. So the approach to counseling is significantly different. Biblical counseling is not merely pop psychology, flavored with Christian terms and ideas. It is a sincere effort to help people succeed in life in the ways that God says are most important. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, scripture is the primary tool used by the counselor to help people live successfully. This is in keeping with the teaching of God' word.
"How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word." (Ps. 119:9
"Your testimonies also are my delight. They are my counselors." (Ps. 119:24)
"Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine. I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, because I have observed Your precepts. I have restrained myself from every evil way, that I may keep Your word." (Ps. 119:98-101)
"All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
The belief of the Biblical counselor is that scripture is a better teacher than human wisdom (1 Cor. 3:19), that scripture can do more to positively impact the human heart than any human idea or therapeutic method (Heb. 4:12), and that the Spirit of God uses the word of God to impact the human heart, which is the only permanent means to transformation of human behavior (see the Sermon on the Mount).
So, the Biblical counselor seeks to apply 1 Thessalonians 5:14 ("... admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.") by employing the word of God and prayer as the primary means of helping someone experience the holy life that Christ came to give us. The counselor teaches scriptural truth, relevant to the issues being discussed and instructs with regard to the application of those principles, helping the counselee to experience the fruit of the Spirit in his/her life. The Bible is the main tool here.
A "Christian Counselor" may or may not lean so heavily on the word of God as the answer for men's problems. To me that is the greatest, fundamental difference between the two approaches.
I hope that helps. if I can be of more help, give me a call or an email. -
Did you have to use google to come up with a name of your "favorite" Jonas brother? ;)
His was the only name I knew. It's because i saw him on that show the other night, where he pretended not to be himself. I have no ides what the other ones are named.
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Do you love only getting asked controversial religious questions on your formspring?
It is a thrill. Doesn't anyone want to know my favorite color or my favor type of pizza or my favorite Jonas Brother? But seriously, I don't mind challenging spiritual questions, but I think that some things are better asked more directly, through an email or face to face, so that I can have a clue as to where the person is coming from and how to help them understand something. There have been sometimes when i have wondered if someone is just trying to be controversial or pick a dispute with me. i don't have time for that, so I hope that the if someone has a sincere question that they need help with, they will contact me with it. Formspring is not a great place to hash things that have caused controversy among God's people for centuries. BTW, my favorite Jonas Brother is Nick. I like his hair.
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as for the question which was incomplete, it was asking what you thought of the standpoint that the catholic church, is the beast spoken of in the end times.
Don't know.
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and also what do you think of the Pope's support for the 'new world order'
I wonder if people ask the Pope questions about me on his formspring.
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Leviticus 19:28 says not to tattoo one's body. Christians are under the New Covenant; does that mean Lev. 19:28 is void? Is it a sin for Christians to get tattoos?
Well, I suppose it depends on the tattoo. If it is a "USC" tattoo or a "Raiders" tattoo or something else abominable like that, then of course it would be sinful.
But seriously folks, the Levitical law is not binding for those under grace. The civil law of the Old Testament applied to the nation of Israel and had to do with their government and other practical legal statutes. That does not apply to those who do not live in ancient Israel (that's all of us). The ceremonial law had to do with religious practices and rituals and does not apply to us today, since Jesus was the fulfillment of the law. The moral law (The 10 Commandments and their derivatives) still apply to us today. In the immediate context of the passage you mention in Leviticus, is a rule about hairstyles and beard trimming. It does not apply today. Neither does the law against tattoos. This regulation regarding gashing the body and marking the body with markings was given because in those days, these practices were a sign of paganism. These things had spiritual meaning. For the most part, that is not the case today. However, if you were to get a tattoo that had pagan significance (or was in some other way dishonoring to God), this would be a bad idea. But if you were to get a tattoo that said, "Go Bruins", or "Pastor Doug is really cool", then i am sure that would be fine. -
What if, the rapture is not a physical salvation from tribulation. What if, the false prophet has already come and gone. What if, it[religion] is all just a piece of the great deception. How will we be judged, if it is impossible for us to know all the r
Your question wasn't complete on the form. I can't tell if it is serious or not. If it is, email me about it and I will try to answer.
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Does God hold people accountable for the thoughts of their subconscious? This is a purely hypothetical example...dreaming of hurting someone.
To the best of my knowledge, the Bible doesn't mention the "subconscious". While it does refer to dreams, it doesn't deal with this question directly. On the other hand, the Bible does speak of the "heart" - a more general description of the inner person (may include mind, will, emotions, etc. depending on the context). The Psalmist cries out to God in prayer, asking God to make even the thoughts of his heart pleasing to God (Psalm 19:14). In the New Testament, we are told to let our minds dwell not on evil things, but instead on pure and good things (for example, see Philippians 4:8). So what we do with our minds is very important to God. Now onto the question of accountability ... I guess since the subconscious is thought to be out of our control, we are not accountable for what happens there. However, since what goes on in the subconscious is thought to be related to conscious thoughts and attitudes, we should work hard to control those things and bring them under submission to God. That will likely go a long way in solving the problem. But if a person murders someone in a dream, they are not guilty before God of murder. Nevertheless, the fact remains that Jesus tied outward acts like murder and adultery to inner thoughts and attitudes like hatred and lust (see the Sermon on the Mount). If we aim at removing things like hatred and lust, we are changing on the inside and becoming truly different people. So let's try to control what we can and leave the rest in the hands of our loving, all-powerful God.
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Krysten wants to know where do babies come from?
sorry for the delay. Very few questions lately, so i have not been checking. Anyway, I can't be sure, but based on my experience, babies come from the hospital.
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I realize Christian hope is when God has promised that something is going to happen and I put my trust in that promise. Therefore, how can I hope that God will save my unsaved loved ones when God hasn't promised that?
Great question! Remember, there is more than one kind of hope. There is the kind of hope that we can have about many things ... "I hope I pass this test" ... "I hope I don't run out of gas before i get home" ... "I hope i get married and have kids" ... These are all statements of hope, but there is no guarantee that they will happen. In that sense, they are really wishes about the future. The hope we have in Christ is different. As you stated in your question, "Christian hope is when God has promised that something is going to happen." Therefore, we "hope" in Christ ( see Romans 5:3-5; Titus 2:13; Ephesians 1:12; and many other passages). We have a guarantee from God that our hope will be realized. because He cannot lie, our hope is sure. But we need to be careful not to hold Him accountable (in our hearts) to deliver on promises He has not made. He has promised that He will save all those who call on Him in submissive faith. But as we know, not everyone will do that and some will perish. Does this mean we should not hope that our loved ones will be saved? of course not! But it does mean that we can only hope for that in the same way that we hope to pass an algebra test or get hired after a job interview. It is appropriate to hope for the salvation of our loved ones and to pray for it. But we must fall short of trying to insist that God keep a promise He has not made. I HOPE that helps.
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Pastor, it is exciting that God has provided a temporary home for our worship while construction is underway. I know you have said the other church is allowing us to use their facility for free. I hope our leaders are thinking of some way to thank them.
It is really cool to see the Body of Christ serving each other in this way. We have already met with the leaders of New Creation Fellowship to look for ways to serve them. We painted their nursery this past weekend and are looking for ways to help them with their sound system and any other things we can do to help. I trust that as we work together, God will show us more ways to serve. Thanks for the input.
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Pastor Doug,God has blessed you so much with the ability to preach and teach the word of god.I am blessed to have you in my life as my pastor. Steve Pickard
Thanks Steve. The blessing flows both ways. I am thankful for you too.
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Should I read the Bible like a Legal Constitution or a Community Library?
Unfortunately, I have no idea what you mean by that. I'm not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. Can you ask the question differently? Use small words. i do better with that (lol).
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What is one thing you regret in your life?
SIN! It makes great offers, but never pays off!
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How do I keep my heart from grumbling and complaining, even if I keep my lips in check?
Great question! One suggestion is to remember that grumbling and complaining is a heart issue. So, We need to set our hearts on the things of God. It is really hard to grumble and complain while thanking God for all your blessings. if you can focus on thanks and praise, your heart will stop wanting to grumble and complain. I find it interesting that the same New Testament book that commands us not to grumble and complain (Philippians 2:14) also tells us repeatedly to rejoice in the LORD (Philippians 3:1 et al). It also tells us to pray with thanksgiving, when we are tempted to be anxious (4:6-7) and finally to focus our minds on things that are good (see Philippians 4:8-9). All of these are practical things we can do to get our heart to stop grumbling and complaining.
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I am looking to spend intense personal time in worship and trying to grow closer to God and am wondering if you have an any devtionals or book studies in addition to the Bible that you would recommend?
Well, it depends on what you mean by "intense personal time". One of the best things I have done, in this regard is to set aside large chunks of time now and then (several hours to a few days) to devote my full attention to Him. As far as daily times with God go, I would suggest using your Bible more than any other book. Read God's word and respond to it in prayer - it can be a wonderful conversation with God that way. If you want to use a devotional book, I like the old ones a lot. Anything by the Puritans. One of my favorite Puritan devotionals is called "Valley of Vision". Give that a try, if you are looking for spiritual meat. One last suggestion, if you relate to God well through music, grab a good hymnal,and get all alone and sing songs to the Lord. if you prefer newer music, get a good worship CD and get by yourself in a dark room and sing the whole thing to God. Hope that helps.
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What's the deal with demons? Do they possess people/objects/places? Can they hurt me? Have you ever exorcised a demon? How would I know if I'm being attacked by a demon? Would they even be interested in attacking me?
I'm gonna keep this one short. There is a lot to be said on this subject, but not enough room here for a full discussion of the subject. So, I'll just say this ... Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. Demons are as real as angels. They hate God and everyone God loves (that's us). But they have no true power over a child of God. They tempt and tease, but they can't make us do anything. Scripture encourages us to call on God and ask Him to fight for us, when dealing with demons. That is what i have always done and God always wins!
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Recently, I've been having trouble keeping up a consistent time for personal Bible study. Do you have any suggestions? (I almost put "bile study")
You know, you could probably get a big government grant to do "Bile study", but I don't know much about bile, so you are on your own with that one. As far as Bible study goes, I think my advice depends on your type of struggle. If you are a young Christian trying to develop the new habit of personal Bible study, I would suggest that you just start somewhere. Find a book of the Bible that interests you (Maybe start with the book of John) and read it devotionally at the same time every day - try first thing in the morning, last thing before bed, lunchtime, or some other time that you can develop as a habit. I also recommend that you keep notes (maybe in a tablet that you keep with your Bible). If you are a more mature Christian, you may want to do something to switch up your times in the word. Try some different methods. Get a commentary or use an internet site like "Blueletterbible.com". You may want to team up with a friend and keep each other accountable by studying the same passages and discussing them together. I want to encourage you to keep trying. His word is worth the effort.
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What was the best part about yesterday?
OK. According to what I can tell, this question was asked on Tuesday evening. So, that means that "yesterday" really means Monday. So, the best part bout Monday was dinner out with the family. We have adopted Mondays as a "Family Pizza Night". We all come from our different directions and meet at the same pizza place every week. We all like pizza, so that is a good thing and it seems to provide an atmosphere for lots of laughing and enjoying each other. This has become something that i really look forward to every week. This past Monday night, we were joined by Derek Williams (who is an extended part of our family and is always welcome at family gatherings). We all laughed a lot and discussed How Lisa has become a movie snob. I think that was definitely the best part of my Monday. It usually is. Yay family!
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Have you ever regreted becoming a pastor?
There have been moments that I wished i was not a Pastor at that moment. Would have loved to have passed the responsibility onto someone else. And there is the sensation i feel every time i read James 3:1, where it says that Teachers will be judged with a stricter judgment. That part is not so thrilling. But in the end, i know this is what God has designed me for, so I am really great with it!!! It is a wonderful thing to be convinced you are in the ministry God had in mind for you from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 2:10). That's where I am, so I am really thankful for that. Bottom line: NO REGRETS. PRAISE GOD!
