Joseph Leavell

Eleven Personal Resolutions as a Biblical Counselor Seeking to Evaluate the Scientific Understanding of Mental Health Through the Lens of Scripture 1. Resolved: Not to stake my position, my theology, or my reputation as a biblical counselor on a contrarian posture that presupposes the science of mental health always gets it wrong. 2. Resolved: Not to stake my position, my theology, or my reputation as a biblical counselor on a conformist posture that presumes the science of mental health is always right. 3. Resolved: Always to evaluate every truth claim impartially through the lens of God’s authoritative and sufficient Word, remembering that while Scripture is always right and true, human scientific understanding of the body and mind is limited and fallible, and my own knowledge and interpretation of that data as a non-medical professional is even further restricted. 4. Resolved: To take a posture of respectful trust toward those who serve in the medical and scientific fields, recognizing their work of understanding the body is progressing as a gift of common grace, yet to test all claims carefully and embrace only what accords with both sound evidence and the truth of God’s Word. 5. Resolved: Through it all, never to surrender the authority or sufficiency of God’s Word to any other field of study, whether science, archaeology, history, or any other discipline. 6. Resolved: To remain humble and teachable, acknowledging that growth in true wisdom requires both reverence for God’s Word and subsequent attentiveness to the expressive reality of God’s created but fallen world. 7. Resolved: To recognize that insights from scientific research, when consistent with Scripture, may reflect accurate and helpful descriptions of God’s design and the noetic effects of sin on the human body and mind. 8. Resolved: Never to call a physical or mental calamity sin, nor to label a sinful failure as a medical condition, but to discern each according to Scripture and evidence, acknowledging the interrelated ways the body can affect the soul and the soul can affect the body. 9. Resolved: To remember that biblical counseling is not merely an exercise in doctrinal precision but an expression of patient Christlike compassion and care toward those who suffer and struggle both physically and spiritually. 10. Resolved: To depend continually on the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit, who alone enables true understanding, discernment, and transformation in our lives. 11. Resolved: To pursue lifelong learning in both Scripture and human experience, so that my counsel may grow in depth, accuracy, understanding, and grace.

Please never tell someone grieving their spouse that it’s going to be OK because Jesus is there with them as their true spouse anyway. (yes, this happens) “Jesus is here” is not sufficient, because Jesus was there with Adam as they walked together in the cool of the garden, and the text still says, “It is not good for man to be alone.” God did not view His own presence with Adam as enough to fulfill His creative design, so why do we? Jesus does not cuddle us in bed late at night. He does not laugh with us as we cook dinner. He doesn't welcome us home from a long day at work. Jesus isn't there to hold our hair when we throw up in the toilet when we're sick. This is where a grieving spouse's mind goes when you tell them that Jesus is there and should be enough. I wouldn’t go up to someone who lost an arm and say, “Jesus is enough!” and expect that to somehow make the loss of their arm okay. We are designed for two arms. In the same way, you were designed to have a spouse, and children were designed to have that missing parent. The loss of God’s design is REAL pain and REAL loss. Part of why Jesus came was not only because of sin, but because of the real pain of the curse. “Jesus is enough” is MEANT to mean that Jesus sustains us when loss is real and we have nowhere else to turn. It’s like when Jesus said "man does not live by bread alone", but that doesn’t mean his going without food for 40 days is somehow minimized. Saying, “Jesus is enough, so what’s your deal?” honestly makes me angry. That’s why I appreciate C.S. Lewis’s description of loss as an amputation. An integral part of your life or family is simply gone, and it cannot be replaced. No one else can be that child’s missing parent, even if others can still influence and love them. That loss is real and should never be placated with trite words meant to placate pain. Paul and Peter describe real groaning and real suffering. They do not minimize it. They put it in perspective, yes, but they never pretend it isn’t devastatingly hard. Paul’s pain was so intense that he repeatedly expressed his desire to be loosed from his earthly bonds in death. His heavenly perspective made him groan more, not less. Today, he’d probably be rebuked by some for “not trusting Jesus enough.” I think people often resort to trite sayings because grief makes them uncomfortable. They want the grieving person to feel better so they can feel better. Frankly, it's selfish to try and make someone grieving feel better because you're uncomfortable with their pain. Also, too often we use the Gospel to mask sadness, as if acknowledging grief somehow weakens our faith. Too many have absorbed a kind of Christianized health-and-wealth mindset that says even if everything is falling apart, we shouldn’t actually feel any of it because we're Christians with eternal hope. But that is not what the Gospel does. Jesus took our sorrow and grief as the Man of Sorrows. NO one understands and acknowledges our grief more or better. We do not grieve as those who have no hope...but we still grieve real loss. The Gospel gives hope and endurance in the middle of real pain and real loss which is exactly why it is such good news for those who are struggling through grief.

Are we faithfully interpreting Scripture, or do we conveniently use Scripture to sanctify our own tribe over another? Those are not the same thing.

“Since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker.” -C.S. Lewis

Put in a Box I’ve been reflecting lately on what keeps happening in the modern nouthetic counseling world—and how it is actually quite different from the launch of the modern nouthetic counseling world. Jay Adams, whether you love him or you don’t, was creative. Jay Adams read widely. You may see him as having “borrowed” from extra-biblical sources. Or, perhaps you see Adams as having “redeemed” extra-biblical sources. Or, perhaps you insist that he simply “used extra-biblical sources as a catalyst” to return to Scripture for totally biblical approaches. Whichever your interpretation—Adams developed a lot of “novel” concepts and methods for pastoral counseling. A couple of examples. Halo Data: Adams coined the novel term halo data to refer to the indirect, non-verbal, and paralinguistic information a counselor gathers by observing a counselee. Dehabituation/Rehabituation: Adams did not coin these words. Instead, these words came directly from O. H. Mowrer, who Adams studied under. However, Adams definitely imbibed them with “Adamic” meaning. Adams pioneered the use of these twin terms in pastoral counseling. Nouthetic: Even the title for Adams’s model was self-created. Never in 1,950 years of church history did any pastor ever call what they did “nouthetic counseling.” Love the term or not, Adams was creative to coin a never-before-used-term from a word used only 11 times in the Bible. No one in all of church history defined that Greek word in the creative way Adams did: “confrontation out of concern for change.” Here’s My Point: Adams Was a Pioneer Adams would NOT be put in a box. As the founder of a movement, he got to create all sorts of new fangled toys, methods, and concepts that he used as he developed a 1960s-style model of pastoral care. Adams was a pioneer. Here’s My Bigger Point: Pioneer Slayers Today, some of Adams’s “warrior children” are pioneer slayers. Nothing novel can ever be allowed to enter the pristine garden of the modern nouthetic counseling movement. Novel is sinful. Novel is evil. Novel is worldly. Jay Adams? He was free to be novel. But once his model became institutionalized, then we ended up with “the sufficiency of the modern nouthetic counseling model.” No new method not created by Jay or his early followers is allowed. Oh, we’ll be told, “It’s fine as long as you can identify how you are connecting that method or concept back to Scripture.” However, unless you are among those accepted into the garden, no matter how much you link your pioneer spirit to Scripture, you’ll still be told, “No. You’re outside the bounds of nouthetic orthodoxy.” Pioneers who, like Jay Adams, read widely, think deeply, and create ingeniously are not welcomed. In fact, they are slain. Outside the Nouthetic Box What if we allowed one another to think outside the nouthetic box? What if we stopped long enough to listen to someone else as they described how they developed their approach—which may seem novel to you—from Scripture? Imagine if Adams came along now as a new-name-nobody, and introduced “halo data”! Do you really think if it did not have Jay’s name on it, that anyone would say, “That’s certainly directly from the Bible—halo data—yep, I have no questions about that being derived from the Bible.” Or, “dehabituation/rehabituation.” “Well, Mowrer and other atheistic, materialistic, monistic, secular behavioralist may have coined and repeatedly used those concepts, but surely this new kid on the block, Jay Adams, there’s no question that he is using those terms totally biblically.” What I’m NOT Saying Don’t twist this. I am NOT saying that novel is automatically biblical. I am saying that Jay Adams was quite NOVEL. I’m not saying that we should get a pass. I am saying: “A concept or method can still be biblical even if it was not derived from the direct genetic lineage of Adams.” What I’m saying is, “When you guard the garden, please be sure you are guarding the garden of biblical truth, not the garden of a man-made, human tradition established in the 1960s.” The Progressive Sanctification of a Modern Movement The progressive sanctification of the modern biblical counseling movement still has a long way to go. Let’s work together to more richly understand and to further develop creative biblical ways to engage in the personal ministry of the Word. No one segment of the modern biblical counseling world has cornered the market on studying Scripture and using their God-given giftedness to enhance the modern biblical counseling movement. Let’s return to Adams’s pioneering spirit.

David Powlison and Ed Welch on the nature of discourse and disagreement among biblical counselors - and integrationists. I appeal to my brothers and sisters - let us aim for this kind of humble and edifying dialogue👇

"If any of those allegations are documented to be true, then the accused person would be responsible to address them publicly. If any of those allegations are proven to be undocumented and/or false, then the accuser would be responsible to repent of them publicly." Helpful post by Dr. Kellemen!

All gave some. Some gave all. Freedom comes at such a high cost. Honor the price that was paid!

Our culture's Anti-beatitudes shared at church: - Blessed are the gossips, for they'll be called the inner circle. - Blessed are the slanderers, for they'll be called unfiltered. - Blessed are the divisive, for they'll be called truth-tellers. - Blessed are the faction-builders, for they'll be called loyal friends. - Blessed are the peace-breakers, for they'l be called courageous. @Seth_Troutt

Remember how we were, like, dead in our trespasses and sins and because of His great love, Jesus, like, made us alive through his work on the cross and blessed us with every spritiual blessing in the heavenly places? That was awesome!

Achievement is a very dangerous place to find identity. You will disappoint yourself, others will disappoint you, and your list of successes won't satisfy the craving of your soul. Only the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ will.

This was fun to make! Definitely can tell its AI....I don't have a Mac. Lol

Most Christians know the phrase, "Flee youthful psssions!" but how many of you know the phrase that comes after? Christians struggle with lust because they only flee and do not "pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." We must flee AND pursue to find lasting freedom through Christ!

Just a reminder: if someone holds to a position that is contrary to yours but that person can hold to it and be on their way to heaven, the issue is not fundamental/primary. It might be really important, but discuss in humility as brothers/sisters rather than sheep/wolf.

@jasonkovacs @pastordemer Well, in fairness, when I would see the price or tickets I usually just bought the CD. Lol

@pastordemer @LowerLeavell wow - that is quite a list Demer! Joe gets the prize for most Christian list! :)

Introduce yourself with 10 bands you've seen live: - Boston Pops - Victor Borge - Phoenix Symphony - Josh Groban - Chris Tomlin - Mercy Me - Passion - Rend Collective - Danny Gokey - Tim Hawkins 😀

@pastordemer Those are huge names!!

@LowerLeavell seen a lot more than 10 but being a radio dj gave me an unfair advantage. 1) Bon Jovi 2) DC Talk 3) Leonard Skynard 4)P.O.D. 5) KISS 6). Third Day 7) Newsboys 8) Petra 9) Whitecross 10) Hall & Oates

Man, I miss this guy and his perspective on natural revelation!

@TulsiGabbard @ODNIgov Prayers for you and your husband!

I am deeply grateful for the trust President Trump placed in me and for the opportunity to lead @ODNIgov for the last year and a half. Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation, effective June 30, 2026. My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer. He faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months. At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle.

@jasonkovacs Wow! That's awful!

My high school son just went for a job interview he was excited about. Got a confirmation txt earlier in the day with the time. Walked in and workers were confused and said the hiring manager wasn't in. Showed them the txt and they said "Oh that's AI." Incredibly frustrating🤦‍♂️

There’s no more secure and joyous identity than being “in Christ” - we just need help remembering. So today, humbly admit that you’re an amnesiac. God is near and active; he won’t stop working until the job is done.