"No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly." — J.R.R. Tolkien
Joined November 2010
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27 Oct 2025
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.
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I love this new article by Hannah Sink!! It's focused more for women who struggle, but guys often have similar difficulties with our identities as well! This is worth your time to read!
Hannah's story in 1 Samuel 1:1-2:11 offers a vivid example of the tension between shame, longing, and where true identity is found.
New article from BCA by Hannah Sink!
biblicalcounselingaz.org/blo…
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I'm always confused when I excitedly share with counselees that they get God Himself, and they act disappointed. "Joe, that's great...but I need something more."
You don't understand. God is not the lesser gift but the greatest! He will take care of the rest in His time.
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Jun 14
I'm loving the Europeans discovering America! I'm curious how long until American influencers start sporting British and French accents to make "American food is amazing!" videos to catch the wave? 🤔
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Jun 13
USA! USA!!
Jun 13
USA soccer player Mark McKenzie leads the entire team in a prayer after the stunning victory tonight!
This is what it’s all about!!! 🇺🇸🙏🏽
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Jun 13
I have met many people who think they have not really done very many bad things in their life and so they do not need a Rescuer from their sin. Yet they do not realize that their evil choices, no matter how small, were enough to send Jesus to the cross. In essence, even though He gave His life freely, it was our sin and evil that nailed Him to the tree. You, my self-righteous friend, are a murderer. You killed the One who was truly innocent. You still don't think you need Jesus as your Savior?
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Jun 12
I've had offers to show how to "capitalize" on the moment of attention for building my platform...and...I just don't care.
For me, I'm like...that was fun...now back to the regularly scheduled counseling stuff, dad jokes, and quirky bits of stuff that I'm not sure what to call.
Jun 8
I did. It was a horrible experience.
Full of factual errors (Jesus being born in Jerusalem, horses in America before the Spanish brought them, etc.), poorly written, hundreds of "and it came to pass" and other statements making it obvious that it is the same writer in each book,tells of a group being cursed with being black, Jesus telling the Nephites he is the "Alpha and Omega" when they would never have known Greek, quoting Latin words from the King James and other Biblical passages (which were the best parts of the reading), describing places and people that do not reflect the archeological and DNA evidence at all...and that's just the highlights and doesn't include the theoligical statements that directly contradict the Bible....
It's an absolute mess.
But lastly...it promises another testament, which demonstrates it to be a different religion than Christianity. If it's just a different denomination, no new scriptures would be needed. You would never become LDS from reading the Bible alone.
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Jun 12
Let's GO!!!
Jun 12
A very good morning to everyone except the nation of Paraguay.
IT’S OFFICIALLY MATCH DAY IN THE USA 🇺🇸 🦅
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Jun 12
Hear hear! God bless America!!
Jun 11
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Jun 11
Honored to help you in the battle. Reach out if you need support!
Christian, the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you (Romans 8:11). The battle is real, but the victory has already been secured. Christ didn't just forgive your past failures. He broke the power that held you captive.
biblicalcounselingaz.org/blo…
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Jun 11
I know of no one who has repented and believed the Gospel because they were shown the creeds. It is the preaching of the Gospel from the Word that the Spirit uses to bring faith and repentance.
One of the reasons I am thankful for my Baptist background is that in talking to the LDS the last few days, there has been no need not appeal to creeds but to the very words of the Bible itself.
The Bible is our sole authority for faith and practice. Creeds are great, but it is far more important to show those outside of the faith what the Bible says call them to any statement or creed.
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Jun 10
Good word.
Jun 9
Starve a conflict entrepreneur. Feed an earnest and respectful engager.
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Jun 9
"If you want to see faith at work, watch for someone who does anything simply because of Christ. Apart from Christ, they would be inert or disappear, but because of Christ they trudge through the day. This is heroic faith." - Ed Welch
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Jun 9
These LDS apologists are so confusing. They base so much of their outreach on their own personal experience and ask you to have your own experience with their texts. But when your experience of the Book of Mormon is negative, they try to accuse you of lying, conjuring up old talking points, or place the blame on you for not experiencing it correctly.
Ironically, it's very similar to faith healers who blame you for not having enough faith.
Jun 9
You obviously copied this from Reddit 😂
"Jesus being born in Jerusalem"? The Book of Mormon says He would be born in the land of Jerusalem. Bethlehem was in that region. Not the devastating contradiction you think it is 😂
"Alpha and Omega"? You're attacking a translation choice. If Joseph Smith translated ancient concepts into familiar biblical English, then of course biblical titles appear in the text. That's how translation works.😂
"And it came to pass"? Seriously? Repetitive phrasing is your evidence against authenticity? The Bible is filled with repetitive literary formulas. If repetition proves a book false, you're going to have problems with scripture generally.
As for horses, archaeology, and DNA... Notice how quickly your argument jumps from "there are unresolved questions" to "therefore the entire book is a fraud." Ridiculous 😂
The biggest problem with your post is that you judge the Book of Mormon by standards you don't apply consistently elsewhere. The Bible contains textual difficulties, archaeological debates, translation issues, apparent contradictions, and historical questions. Yet Christians routinely argue that such issues don't automatically invalidate divine revelation. Suddenly, when the Book of Mormon is involved, every unresolved question becomes proof of fraud.
And your final point is simply mistaken.
You say another testament proves Mormonism isn't Christianity. By that logic, the New Testament proved Christianity wasn't Judaism. Early Christians accepted additional scripture because they believed God had spoken again.
Latter-day Saints don't claim to be another Protestant denomination. They claim a restoration of Christianity through new revelation. You can reject that claim if you want, but pretending that "additional scripture exists" is somehow a refutation just begs the question.
The reality is that nobody becomes LDS by reading only the Bible because LDS theology explicitly teaches that God continued to reveal scripture after the Bible.
What your post ultimately demonstrates is not that the Book of Mormon has been disproven, but that you've already decided it cannot be true and are reading everything through that conclusion. Lazy 🐂💩
😂
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Jun 9
I'm very thankful that my local LDS friends and neighbors are much nicer to talk to and engage with than those on Twitter.
Jun 8
I did. It was a horrible experience.
Full of factual errors (Jesus being born in Jerusalem, horses in America before the Spanish brought them, etc.), poorly written, hundreds of "and it came to pass" and other statements making it obvious that it is the same writer in each book,tells of a group being cursed with being black, Jesus telling the Nephites he is the "Alpha and Omega" when they would never have known Greek, quoting Latin words from the King James and other Biblical passages (which were the best parts of the reading), describing places and people that do not reflect the archeological and DNA evidence at all...and that's just the highlights and doesn't include the theoligical statements that directly contradict the Bible....
It's an absolute mess.
But lastly...it promises another testament, which demonstrates it to be a different religion than Christianity. If it's just a different denomination, no new scriptures would be needed. You would never become LDS from reading the Bible alone.
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Joseph Leavell retweeted
If some Mormons today choose to identify the religion as a form of Christianity, the best refutation is to point out that the later putative revelation, "Another Testament," sets out to correct & expand the Bible. Mentioning the Nicene Creed? A strategic communication error.
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Jun 8
I did. It was a horrible experience.
Full of factual errors (Jesus being born in Jerusalem, horses in America before the Spanish brought them, etc.), poorly written, hundreds of "and it came to pass" and other statements making it obvious that it is the same writer in each book,tells of a group being cursed with being black, Jesus telling the Nephites he is the "Alpha and Omega" when they would never have known Greek, quoting Latin words from the King James and other Biblical passages (which were the best parts of the reading), describing places and people that do not reflect the archeological and DNA evidence at all...and that's just the highlights and doesn't include the theoligical statements that directly contradict the Bible....
It's an absolute mess.
But lastly...it promises another testament, which demonstrates it to be a different religion than Christianity. If it's just a different denomination, no new scriptures would be needed. You would never become LDS from reading the Bible alone.
Jun 7
Read the Book of Mormon.
Cover to cover.
Pray about it, asking sincerely to know whether it’s true (the final chapter provides specific guidance on this point).
Then tell me whether Latter-day Saints believe in Jesus Christ.
Will you accept that challenge?
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Jun 8
There are foundational differences between Christianity and the LDS faith to consider.
x.com/LowerLeavell/status/20…
Jun 7
The hard truth is that the LDS church promotes a system closer to atheism than Christianity. Let me explain:
Without an infinite God, you are left with is an infinite regress of natural beings confined within an infinite system that came from nothing known, who, through hard work and devotion to their own father and mother, some were promoted to superior beings. You will find no worship of absolute infinite Creator of everything, no Uncaused Cause who alone rules over all. You are left with a myriad of functional department heads who have matured and graduated into more powerful deities who are each worshipped only be their own underlings and exercise control only over their own entrusted section. These all work together to vote on how the universe is to function as a whole. There is no ultimate Deity. Only underlings locked within an eternal system that their deity did not create.
The "God" that they are worshipping is merely one of the conglomeratation of gods who was given authority by the others to populate with his own spawn over this particular region of which he is responsible and we are a part.
With a lot of work, and some gracious help from your big brother, you too can become your own regional manager...or at least an assistant to the regional manager. 😉
That is not Christianity or even Monotheism and shares more in common with atheists who believe in an infinite universe or regression of universes than with Christianity. When your god is locked inside the box that he did not create, he no longer The Ultimate Creator who creates out of nothing but a proximate creator who is one is admirable, but not the God of the Bible.
We worship the God of all that is seen and unseen, not just in this particular district, but everything that is made. There has never been a god before Him, with Him, or who will be promoted to another region alongside Him. There is no planet, region, or molecule in this or any other location of which He is not Lord and Sovereign God of all. He is not worshipped as the direct proximate creator but as the sole Ultimate Creator of everything.
Hope this helps.
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Jun 8
Thankful and hopeful that no matter how viral a post of mine goes, this will likely the most viral post I ever have on social media and for all of the best of reasons!
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Jun 8
Well said. Absolutely beautiful!
Jun 8
Man, this is beautiful. A life adorning the gospel.
Listen to what @StevenBartlett—host of one of the world’s most popular podcasts—says to Christian apologist John Lennox.
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