CCEF Podcast: Where Life & Scripture Meet

How do the treasures of Scripture connect with the troubles of life? As Christians, we have the privilege and challenge of exploring this question. Hosted by Alasdair Groves, this podcast considers how Scripture meets us in day-to-day life, covering topics such as emotions, rest, trauma, weak faith, insomnia, and more.

Jesus & Happiness 05/01/2024

Jesus & Happiness Is it okay to be happy? Was Jesus happy? Are you happy? Listen as Alasdair Groves considers these three questions. This is episode 5 in a miniseries on emotions, where we are considering how to understand Jesus’s emotions and how that helps us understand our own. Mentioned in this episode: we recently released our latest issue of the Journal of Biblical Counseling, which includes articles on topics such as trauma, the empty nest, faithfulness in marriage, and scrupulosity. . For more resources on emotions, including blogs, podcasts, videos, and more, . /episode/index/show/ccef/id/31039723

New Podcast: Introducing the CCEF Blogcast 04/22/2024

New Podcast: Introducing the CCEF Blogcast Today we’re excited to share with you a recent project we’ve been working on. We started a new podcast called the CCEF Blogcast, where CCEF faculty read their own blogs. We hope you enjoy this special episode as Ed Welch reads his blog, “Become a Psalmist.” For more content like this, check out the CCEF Blogcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Music: "Created by Design" by Cody Martin /episode/index/show/ccef/id/30932938

Jesus and Anger 04/01/2024

Jesus and Anger How can understanding Jesus’ emotions help us understand our own? Listen as Alasdair Groves focuses on one particular emotion which Jesus felt: anger, which we see in Scripture is often directed at the things that turn people away from him. “Jesus is angry about anything that pulls his people away from him, that pulls his people away from their home, the place of life, the house of the living God, where he is leading us to dwell forever and ever.” Mentioned in this episode: We recently released a new podcast called the CCEF Blogcast! Listen as CCEF authors read their own blogs on a variety of topics. You can find it on your favorite podcast app! This is episode 4 in a miniseries on emotions (listen to , , and ). Quick reminder: the final episode of this miniseries will be a response to listener questions. Do you have any questions about emotions? We'd love to hear from you! Email us your question at . Related resources: | Book by David Powlison | Blog post by Ed Welch | Book by Alasdair Groves /episode/index/show/ccef/id/30564333

Jesus and Compassion 03/01/2024

Jesus and Compassion How can understanding Jesus’ emotions help us understand our own? Listen as Alasdair Groves focuses on one particular emotion which Jesus felt: compassion, an ache on the heart that presses toward action to make things better.“ God sees our frantic bleating, living like sheep without a shepherd, harassed and helpless. He is a good shepherd, and he has compassion on his sheep, even especially where we struggle to have compassion for others.” Mentioned in this podcast: We're excited to announce the 2024 CCEF National Conference on the topic of rest. Learn more and register at . This is episode 3 in a miniseries on emotions ( and ). Do you have any questions about emotions? You can email us at , and we’ll spend the last episode of the miniseries answering some of your questions. Related resources: | Blog post by Alasdair Groves | Book by Mike Emlet /episode/index/show/ccef/id/30157428

Jesus and Dread 02/01/2024

Jesus and Dread How can understanding Jesus’ emotions help us understand our own? Listen as Alasdair Groves focuses on one particular emotion which Jesus felt, just hours before his crucifixion: dread. How does Jesus’ experience of dread encourage us in our own experience of it? Mentioned in this podcast: Head to to register for Dynamics of Biblical Change, one of our foundational courses, in the March 2024 term. Pricing increases after February 5, so register soon for the discount! This is episode 2 in a miniseries on emotions (). Do you have any questions about emotions? You can email us at , and we’ll spend the last episode of the miniseries answering some of your questions. Related resources: | Video by Alasdair Groves | Book by Alasdair Groves & Winston Smith /episode/index/show/ccef/id/29719758

Why Can’t I Control My Emotions? 01/01/2024

Why Can’t I Control My Emotions? “The heart poured out to the Lord is actually a form of trust.” Sometimes we find ourselves unable to control our emotions. Often this produces guilt, and we wonder, “What does that say about my faith?” How do we navigate such an experience? Listen as Alasdair Groves discusses this experience and what faithful living looks like in this first episode of a miniseries on emotions. Related resources: | Book by Alasdair Groves & Winston Smith | Blog post by Ed Welch | Blog post by Ed Welch | Podcast episode by Alasdair Groves /episode/index/show/ccef/id/29153433

A Host of Scriptures for Every Hardship 12/01/2023

A Host of Scriptures for Every Hardship Sometimes Scripture feels dry, distant, or impersonal. How do we apply Scripture in these times? How do we take hold of a cup of cold water when we are most thirsty? Listen as Alasdair Groves discusses what it looks like to bring Scripture to bear on our sufferings and struggles, using several examples from his own life. Related resources: Shaking Off Some Lifelessness with the Psalms | Blog post by Ed Welch How Do You Personally Engage with Scripture? | Podcast episode by Alasdair Groves & Mike Emlet Take Heart: Daily Devotions to Deepen Your Faith | Book by David Powlison /episode/index/show/ccef/id/28873103

Weak Faith 11/01/2023

Weak Faith Do you ever feel guilty about how small or weak your faith is? Listen as Alasdair Groves talks about weak faith, primarily considering an example from Peter, one of Jesus’ own disciples. “It's not about the strength of your faith. It's about the strength of the Savior. It's about the strength of the one who can pull you out of the dark waters and bring you back to the boat. Even the tiniest little bit of faith is God's gift to us anyway.” Related resources: The Way of Wisdom in Weakness & Self-Doubt | Conference talk by Esther Liu What can I do to strengthen my weak faith? | Video by Winston Smith An Open Letter to a Discouraged Saint | Blog post by Mike Emlet /episode/index/show/ccef/id/28477433

Laziness 10/01/2023

Laziness “We can become blind to the goodness of what God is calling us to, the fact that his call to obedience is a call to the path of life, not the path of death. When our drudgery becomes our view of what’s happening here, if we see it as him against us or calling us to something that’s not good for us, we’ve lost some ability to perceive what is true.” Why do we struggle to do the things God has given us to do? How do we fight laziness or procrastination and move forward into the hard but rewarding task of the work that God has set before us? Listen as Alasdair Groves shares about his own struggles with laziness and how God can grow us in perseverance in our work."Related resources: "Why Bother?" | Blog by Ed Welch "Psalm 90 and 'Doing the Best That I Can'" | Blog by Todd Stryd More information about the 2023 CCEF National Conference here: /episode/index/show/ccef/id/28146809

The Physical Comfort of Words 09/01/2023

The Physical Comfort of Words “When you offer normal, mundane, simple, best-you-can-do words of love and encouragement to somebody in their struggles, there is actually a physiological impact you are having on that person. When you offer words of comfort, you are literally changing something about their body.” We’re excited to launch season 4 with a discussion on how the words we speak to one another can actually have physical effects for good. Related resources: Words of Counsel | JBC article by Pierce Taylor Hibbs The Power of Words | JBC article by Paul David Tripp Edit Your Counseling | Blog by Ed Welch Speaking Words that Bring Life | Conference talk by Darby Strickland /episode/index/show/ccef/id/27880929

Making Sense of Self-Pity 06/01/2023

Making Sense of Self-Pity “It is hard to speak to the Lord about your sufferings and to lament and to honestly go to him and say, ‘Lord, this is hurting in my heart, on my soul.’ We rarely step into relationship in that way, and it's a struggle. It's a challenge, and it's a good, right, excellent challenge to come to him as the one who really does care.” What is self-pity, and how should we view it? How can we turn our self-pity into godly lament that engages honestly with the Lord? Listen as Alasdair Groves discusses self-pity and considers what to do when we or others are struggling with it. Related resources: How Precisely Can I Sort Out My Emotions? Part 4 | Blog post by David Powlison /episode/index/show/ccef/id/26883498

Does Love Always Trust? 05/01/2023

Does Love Always Trust? “Only the Lord is deserving of full, utter trust. We have a God we can trust 100% in every situation to be who he says he will be. And that means we can always trust whatever he’s up to in another person.” What does it mean that “love trusts all things,” as 1 Corinthians 13:7 says? How do we show an appropriate level of trust in others, and when are the times we shouldn’t? Listen as Alasdair Groves discusses what it means that “love always trusts.” Related resources: Rebuilding Broken Trust | Journal article by Alasdair Groves How can I repair broken trust? | Ask the Counselor video by Aaron Sironi /episode/index/show/ccef/id/26675538

Bonus Episode: Collin Hansen on Tim Keller 04/14/2023

Bonus Episode: Collin Hansen on Tim Keller Alasdair Groves speaks with Collin Hansen about his new book, Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation, and the influences on Tim Keller, which included CCEF and David Powlison. Collin Hansen is the vice president for content and editor in chief of The Gospel Coalition, as well as executive director of The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics. Mentioned in the podcast: "Idols of the Heart and 'Vanity Fair'" | Journal article by David Powlison. Read it here for free: /episode/index/show/ccef/id/26521464

The Church Is Doing Better than We Think 04/01/2023

The Church Is Doing Better than We Think When we think about the state of the church today, the negatives often come to mind. While there is much to be grieved about and much change that needs to take place, there is much to be encouraged by when you look at how God is working through local churches around the world. Listen as Alasdair Groves considers some of the reasons not to give up on the church. "The church has been through a thousand seasons where it's torn itself apart over the ages. But grace is always the center. God's love is always the center that draws his people back together. Let your eyes look for the ways where truth and hope and love and kindness and fellowship are gifts to you through your brothers and sisters, from Jesus himself." Related resource: How Is the Church Doing at Caring for One Another? | Video by Ed Welch The Local Church Is THE Place for Biblical Counseling | Blog post by David Powlison /episode/index/show/ccef/id/26332950

Are You Over It? 03/01/2023

Are You Over It? What does it mean to “get over something”? After enduring a difficult situation, how do we know if we’ve processed it wisely? Listen as Alasdair Groves discusses some steps we can consider as we grieve and heal. Check out our free resource included with this podcast! Use the code “podcast” at checkout to receive your free article. “‘I’ll Never Get Over It’: Help for the Aggrieved” by David Powlison /episode/index/show/ccef/id/26059467

When You Feel Numb 02/01/2023

When You Feel Numb What do we do when we don’t seem to feel much emotion? How can we understand this experience, and what is God’s call to us in it? Listen as Alasdair Groves talks about the experience of numb emotions. “Each one of us will face different struggles, but for each of us, there's an opportunity to walk toward the Lord and walk toward each other. If you experience a lack of emotion, that in and of itself is always an opportunity to speak to the Lord and to speak to others.” Related resources: Untangling Emotions | Book by Alasdair Groves and Winston Smith Strong Emotions, Extreme Confidence | Blog post by Ed Welch Engaging Our Emotions, Engaging with God | Blog post by Alasdair Groves /episode/index/show/ccef/id/25783710

Redeeming Your Smartphone 01/01/2023

Redeeming Your Smartphone Most of us are familiar with the ways our phones can be detrimental to our spiritual lives. But how often do we consider ways they can be of spiritual benefit? Listen as Alasdair Groves talks about how smartphones can actually enrich our relationship with God. “My phone was pointing me directly to the glories and the riches and the treasures of God's promises to us, fulfilled so directly and so richly through the Holy Spirit, even in things as simple as what I was doing as I swiped or scrolled or sent a text or did a hundred other things that we do every day.” Related resources: “Why Do We Pray?” blog post by David Powlison “Eyes That See More” blog post by Ed Welch /episode/index/show/ccef/id/25383834

When God Is Silent 12/01/2022

When God Is Silent “Sometimes, we will listen and we will hear silence. We will look around, and we will not see him or what he is up to, and we will not know what to make of our circumstances, but here’s what we do know: we walk with the God who preserves his people. The God who stores our tears in a bottle is the God who knows our names and who shapes our names and our circumstances and will always be among us.” What do we do when God is silent? How do we have hope when it feels like he is absent? Listen as Alasdair Groves considers God’s seeming silence for 400 years of history between the Old and New Testaments, and how even then, God’s care is never diminished. Related resources: Where Was God? | Blog post by Ed Welch Why Prayer Is Hard for Me | Blog post by Laura Andrews /episode/index/show/ccef/id/25148775

Don’t Lead Your Wife; Serve Her 11/01/2022

Don’t Lead Your Wife; Serve Her “One of your greatest goals as a man whom the Lord has called into marriage is to maximize your wife’s opportunities to use her gifts within the context of her life and community. You ask, 'How can I help her flourish?' That is serving her; that is leading her." Scripture calls husbands to lead their wives. But what does this look like? How do we know if we’re leading our wives well? Listen as Alasdair Groves talks about what it looks like to focus on serving our wives rather than focusing on our role as leader. Related resources: Manliness for Every Husband | Journal article by Ed Welch Spiritual Leadership in the Home | Podcast episode by Alasdair Groves & Robyn Huck /episode/index/show/ccef/id/24857670

When You Can't Sleep 10/01/2022

When You Can't Sleep “We have a God who loves, cares, and knows, and I can rest utterly in the hope that he will be with me, he will walk with me, and he will provide. He will care for every last moment of my day tomorrow as I am exhausted.” Do you ever have nights where you can’t sleep? Whatever the reason may be, struggling to sleep is a form of suffering. Alasdair Groves explores what it looks like to lean on the Lord when we can’t sleep, assured that he is near and he cares. Related resources: “Rest” | Podcast episode by Alasdair Groves “Cares and Consolations” | Blog post by Mike Emlet “Fear and Faith Conjoined” | Blog post by Ed Welch /episode/index/show/ccef/id/24492735

Grief Is Worship 09/01/2022

Grief Is Worship “We do grieve, but we don't grieve without hope. Our grief is a hopeful grief. The losses we sustain and experience in this life are hope-filled because of Jesus, because we have a hope that transcends death itself. We have a God who is redeeming all of creation.”In the first episode of season 3, Alasdair Groves talks about how grief is not something to run from, be ashamed of, or try to get rid of, but grief is an invitation to worship God as the giver of every good gift. Related resources: “Grief Undone: Walking through Grief alongside the Spirit” | Conference audio by Libby Groves “Is It Right to Feel Grief for What is Grievous?” | Blog post by David Powlison “What do I do when I can’t seem to get over my grief?” | Video by Alasdair Groves /episode/index/show/ccef/id/24230808

Bonus Episode: A Counselor's View of Cultural Chaos 06/17/2022

Bonus Episode: A Counselor's View of Cultural Chaos Enjoy a bonus episode while we’re on break over the summer! This episode is a recording of Alasdair Groves’ plenary session from the 2021 National Conference: Modern Problems. This year's National Conference: The Way of Wisdom will explore Old Testament wisdom literature in light of Jesus, the true wisdom of God. Learn more and register at . To receive a $25 discount on your in-person registration, use the code “podcast” at checkout. This discount is valid through the end of August 2022. Find all the sessions from our 2021 National Conference: Modern Problems here: . /episode/index/show/ccef/id/23463356

Can We Love Someone but Not Like Them? 05/05/2022

Can We Love Someone but Not Like Them? “We should never be content with, ‘I love that person but I don’t like them.’ That should always be a call to press deeper, to seek to love in ways that lead us toward a greater tenderness and affection.” In our 8th and final episode of season 2, Alasdair Groves explores the phrase, “I love you but I don’t like you.” Is it helpful, harmful, or potentially both? How can we engage with someone whom we love but don’t “like” in a particular moment or season? How can we both love someone and be passionate for their growth in godliness? How did Jesus model this wise love? Related resources: “Treasuring Others” | Blog post by Alasdair Groves “Treasuring Others” | JBC article by Alasdair Groves “Love is Inconvenient” | Blog post by Mike Emlet “Authentic Love” | Conference audio by Mike Emlet “Side by Side” | Book by Ed Welch /episode/index/show/ccef/id/22983428

How Do We Think Biblically About Personality Tests? 04/07/2022

How Do We Think Biblically About Personality Tests? "Anything that presses us forward towards each other with a desire to know the Lord and know his people and know how to love better is going to be helpful. Better to be thinking and reflecting more rather than less if you’re doing it with love and humility and the desire for wisdom.” How do we think biblically about personality tests? Are they helpful, harmful, or potentially both? Does Scripture have anything to say about personality? In this episode, Alasdair Groves discusses these questions and more. Related resources: “Personality Tests” podcast episode by Ed Welch: “What does temperament have to do with biblical counseling?” video by David Powlison: “Psychological Tests: Are You For or Against?” blog post by Ed Welch: “Describe a Person Well and You Win that Person” blog post by Ed Welch: /episode/index/show/ccef/id/22622627

How Do We Think Biblically About Conversion Therapy? 03/10/2022

How Do We Think Biblically About Conversion Therapy? What is conversion therapy and how do we think biblically about it? How do we engage with and offer the hope found in Christ to those struggling with same-sex attraction, transgenderism, and other LGBTQ+ issues? How do we navigate our role as disciplers in a world where the definition of “counselor” is increasingly broad? In this episode, Alasdair Groves discusses these questions and more through the lens of a biblical counselor. Check out other CCEF resources on these topics: “The Silence is Deafening: Understanding and Welcoming Those with Same-Sex Attraction” conference talk by Mike Emlet: “Gender Identity” podcast episode by David Powlison and Alasdair Groves: “When Your Child Says ‘I’m Gay’” conference talk by Michael Gembola: “Five Ministry Prioriites for those Struggling with Same-Sex Attraction” JBC article by Mike Emlet: “A Recent Question I Was Asked About Homosexuality” blog by Ed Welch: /episode/index/show/ccef/id/22392281

What Does It Mean to "Look for the Good"? 02/10/2022

What Does It Mean to "Look for the Good"? Through the specific example of video game addiction, Alasdair Groves illustrates a broader skill fundamental to biblical counseling: learning to see and draw out what is good, even in the midst of someone making a mess of their life. “In Hebrews 10, the Lord calls us as Christians to spur one another on to love and good deeds. That's an invitation to an incredible wealth of creativity as believers in thinking about how to apply this passage. Finding the traces of good in someone's bad decisions is one way of growing and being able to spur people on to love and good deeds. It’s a microcosm for seeing the surprising-ness of the hope and power of the gospel.” Related Resources: “An Open Letter to a Discouraged Saint” blog by Mike Emlet: “Seeing the People in Front of You” blog by Darby Strickland: /episode/index/show/ccef/id/22062767

How Do I Deal With Seasonal Depression? 01/06/2022

How Do I Deal With Seasonal Depression? "We are never outside of the tender care of God. It's true when we sleep. It's true when we struggle to get out of bed. It's true when we fail to read the Bible. It's true when we aren't eating healthily. It's true when everything just feels bleak." /episode/index/show/ccef/id/21672275

Why Should I Read Leviticus? 12/02/2021

Why Should I Read Leviticus? "Leviticus is probably not the first place that people think about life meeting scripture. Most of us don't get to January 1st, planning to read through the Bible this year, and put the day on their calendar that we get to start Leviticus. That's not how most of us tend to function. Of course, if you have read the entire Bible, you have a sense that the book of Leviticus is quite important." /episode/index/show/ccef/id/21344921

What if Counseling Isn't Encouraging? 11/04/2021

What if Counseling Isn't Encouraging? "Think about Psalm 103. That beautiful phrase, "For the Lord knows that we are dust." He sees our frailty, He knows how fragile we are, and He meets us in that." /episode/index/show/ccef/id/21026036

Is It Okay to Want Affirmation? 09/30/2021

Is It Okay to Want Affirmation? "The problem is not that our desires need to stay constantly small and in check to make sure they don't threaten our feeble love for Christ. It's rather, we want our love for Christ to grow and grow" /episode/index/show/ccef/id/20614595

CCEF Podcast: Where Life & Scripture Meet

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