Dr Paul Allen

Scott Harrower When I first met Marcel, he was slowly rubbing the side of his head, a small figure sitting alone at the back of our church. Tears streamed from his eyes as he told me the sermon had moved him. Over the next few weeks, I began to get to know Marcel, his dog Winkie, and his dislike of loud noises. Having been a nurse for a decade before I became a pastor, I slowly came to understand that Marcel was suffering from severe depression and anxiety. One day, he asked if I could help him stop feeling so “worthless and nervous.” I was faced with how to best care for Marcel. Should I refer Marcel to healthcare professionals and basically leave his mental health issues to them to care for? Or would it be best to care for his mental illness within the church community alone? Or could we develop a hybrid approach: a therapeutic model whereby our pastoral team and the wider church played a vital role within a more extensive professional approach to his care? What would it look like if...

Jesus is considered by scholars such as Weber to be an example of a charismatic religious leader. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.” ( 2 Corinthians 5:9 ) Paul’s great ambition was to please his Lord and Savior. In our text, the Greek for “accepted” often also is translated “well-pleasing,” and this is the real meaning of the word. Since this also is the great desire of every sincere Christian, let us look at a few of those passages where the Lord tells us specifically how we can please Him. Consider, for example: “But to do good and to communicate [i.e., to ‘share what you have with others’] forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” ( Hebrews 13:16 ; see also Philippians 4:18 ). There is a special admonition to children: “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord” ( Colossians 3:20 ). For adults: “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier ...

English: Visual dictionary of parts of the body. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) How we view our bodies will determine whether our plans to change them are God -honoring or self-elevating. Do we see our bodies the way our Maker does? With that in mind, here are five lies our culture tells us about how we should perceive our bodies—and five truths from Scripture to help shift our perspective. * * * Lie #1:  Your body is decorative.  It should be used to attract the attention of men and the envy of women. What matters most is how it looks. Truth:  Your body is useful.  It should be used to accomplish the  good works  that God ordained for you to do. What matters most is what it does. * * * Lie #2:  Your body's appearance is flawed but fixable.  You are not the right size, shape, or color. But you can (and should) go to enormous effort and expense to change that. Truth:  Your body's appearance is designed by God.  You are...