Learning from the Heroes of Black Church History:

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Learning from the Heroes of Black Church
History Growing as Culturally-Informed,
Comprehensive Biblical Counselors
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Addressing the Elephant in the Room
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Co-Authors
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Co-Editors
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Hebrews 121-3Cloud of Witnesses
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a
great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off
everything that hinders us and the sin that so
easily entangles us, and let us run with
perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us
fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of
our faith, who for the joy set before him endured
the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at
the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him
who endured such opposition from sinful men, so
that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
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Helping Hurting and Hardened People Can Feel Like
a Maze!
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Need Some Directions?
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Some Signs Are Spot On!
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Some Signs Are Spot On!
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Some Signs Are Confusing!
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Some Signs Are More Helpful Than Others
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We Need a Biblical GPS
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Our GPS Suffering and Sinning
Pastoral care is defective unless it can deal
thoroughly both with the evils we have suffered
and with the sins we have committed.
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Our Biblical Counseling GPS Sustaining and
Healing for Suffering

• Sustaining Its Normal to
• HurtEmpathize (Romans
• 1215)
• Healing Its Possible to
• HopeEncourage
• (Genesis 5020)

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Our Biblical Counseling GPS Reconciling and
Guiding for Sinning

• Reconciling Its Horrible
• to Sin, but Wonderful to Be
• ForgivenEnlighten
• (Romans 520)
• Guiding Its Supernatural
• to MatureEmpower
• (Philippians 310)

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Our GPS Sustaining, Healing, Reconciling, and
Guiding
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Sustaining

• Its normal to hurt.
• Permission to grieve.
• Life is bad.
• The earthly story.

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Listen to Their Earthly Story
It was in the fall of 1879 that I met Charlotte
Brooks. I have spent hours with her listening to
her telling of her sad life of bondage in the
cane-fields of Louisiana.
Do Not Be Ignorant of One Anothers Suffering 2
Corinthians 13-9
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Empathize with Their Earthly Story
Poor Charlotte Brooks! I can never forget how
her eyes were filled with tears when she would
speak of all her children Gone, and no one to
care for me!
Climb in the Casket!
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Empathize with Their Earthly Story
Aunt Charlotte, my heart throbs with sympathy,
and my eyes are filled with tears, whenever I
hear you tell of the trials of yourself and
others.
Shared Sorrow Is Endurable Sorrow
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Point Them to the Word in Their Earthly Story
La, me, child! I never thought any body would
care enough for me to tell of my trials and
sorrows in this world! None but Jesus knows what
I have passed through.
Jesus with Skin On!
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Point Them to the Word in Their Earthly Story
Aunt Jane used to tell us that the children of
Israel were in Egypt in bondage, and that God
delivered them out of Egypt and she said he
would deliver us, too.
The Living Word and the Written Word
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Healing

• HealingIts possible to hope.
• Encouragement to grow.
• God is good.
• The eternal/heavenly story.

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Stretch Them to the Eternal Story
I may say with Joseph that whatever evil
intentions and bad motives those insidious
robbers had in carrying me away from my native
country and friends, I trust, was what the Lord
intended for my good.

• Crop Christ Back into the Picture
• Celebrate the Empty Tomb

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Stretch Them to Gods Story
The deep sounding groans of 1000s, and the great
sadness of their misery and woe, are such as can
only be distinctly known to the ear of Jehovah
Sabaoth.
Cling to Our Image of Gods Holy Love and
Affectionate Sovereignty
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Stretch Them to the Scriptural Story
I early accustomed myself to look at the hand of
God in the minutest occurrence, and to learn from
it a lesson. After all, what makes any event
important, unless by observation we become better
and wiser, and learn to do justly, to love
mercy, and to walk humbly before God!
Weave in the Truth We Are More Than Conquerors
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Stretch Them to the Scriptural Story
I acknowledge the mercies of Providence in
every occurrence of my life.
See Life with Spiritual Eyes
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Reconciling

• Sin and Sanctification Grace!
• ReconcilingIts Horrible to Sin but Wonderful
• to Be Forgiven!
• Romans 520

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Load the Conscience with Guilt
I came to see you, not to discuss a point of law
as to the nature of your trial, for that is all
useless, my friend, and I must tell you that
today, at 12 oclock you will be executedyes,
you will be shot. Now, let you and myself kneel
down and address a throne of grace where you may
obtain mercy and help in time of need.
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Load the Conscience with Guilt
I told him to stand up and walk with me. I took
his arm, and went out to the gate where thousands
of persons had assembled to see him. He entered
the wagon, and sat on his coffin. I then got in
with him, took a seat by his side, and
commenced talking about the Gospel and praying
all the way.
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Expose the Heart Sin False Worship
I was a lost sinner and a slave to Satan and
soon I saw that I must make another escape from
another tyrant. I did not by any means forget my
fellow-bondmen, of whom I had been sorrowing so
deeply, and travailing in spirit so earnestly
but I now saw that while man had been injuring
me, I had been offending God . . .
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Expose the Heart Sin False Worship
. . . and that unless I ceased to offend him, I
could not expect to have his sympathy in my
wrongs and moreover, that I could not be
instrumental in eliciting his powerful aid in
behalf of those for whom I mourned so deeply.
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Lighten the Conscience with Grace
Do you believe that Jesus will be with you?
Yes. Do you put all your trust in him? I
do. Do you believe that you will be saved? I
do for though they may destroy my body, they
cannot hurt my soul.
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Lighten the Conscience with Grace
Forgive, himforgive, O thou Blessed Jesus, for
Thou didst die for all mankind, and bid them to
come unto Thee, and partake of everlasting life.
Save him, Lordsave him, for none can save but
Thee, and Thee alone. Amen. Good-by, my brother,
good-by.
Be a Dispenser of Grace
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Provide Tastes of Grace
Have you forgiven me? Yes, Mars. How can
you forgive me, Charlie? I love you as though
you never hit me a lick, for the God I serve is a
God of love. I am sorry for what I did. I
done left the past behind me.
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Provide Tastes of Grace
I love you as though you never hit me a lick,
for the God I serve is a God of love.
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Guiding

• GuidingIts Supernatural to Mature

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Maria Stewart
Enlighten to Their Identity in Christ
Many think, because your skins are tinged with a
sable hue, that you are an inferior race of
beings but God does not consider you as such. He
hath formed and fashioned you in his own glorious
image, and hath bestowed upon you reason and
strong powers of intellect. . . .
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Maria Stewart
Enlighten to Their Identity in Christ
. . . He hath made you to have dominion over the
beasts of the field, the fowls of the air, and
the fish of the sea (Genesis 126). He hath
crowned you with glory and honor hath made you
but a little lower than the angels (Psalms
85).
Gospel Indicative
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Encourage to Live Out Their New Life
I had felt the power of God and tasted his love,
and this had killed all the spirit of hate in my
heart years before this happened. Whenever a man
has been killed dead and made alive in Christ
Jesus, he no longer feels like he did when he was
a servant of the devil. . . .
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Encourage to Live Out Their New Life
Sin kills dead, but the Spirit of God makes
alive. I didnt know that such a change could be
made, for in my younger days I used to be a
hellcat.
Gospel Imperative
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Guiding

• Guiding Pictured Stir Up the Gift of God

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Homework for the Biblical Counselor
What have you learned from the heroes of the
Black Church that you can add to your ministry
so that your biblical counseling is more
culturally-informed and comprehensive?
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Learning from the Heroes of Black Church
History Growing as Culturally-Informed,
Comprehensive Biblical Counselors