Today’s topic touches on a question many struggle with: “Will God forgive me?” Thinking that the good Lord will not forgive us typically comes from an inward-focused, insecure person who needs a gospel recalibration: Who the Son has set free is free indeed (John 8:36). The gospel liberates us from all of our past sins, no matter how hideous or overwhelming they seem. Jesus has already completed the work of forgiveness—you don’t have to live under the weight of guilt any longer.

Read, Watch, Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-19-teen-devotion-will-god-forgive/

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Day 19 – Living Boldly: "Will God Forgive Me?"

Your conscience that God gave you acts as an internal moral thermostat. It’s your inner voice that sounds off when you have done well or poorly. Your conscience can be a powerful tool for aligning your life with God’s Word, but it can also become distorted if not biblically trained. The conscience is malleable. Let’s talk about how to care for and train your conscience so it reflects God’s truth—the ultimate sweet spot is when your inner voice and God’s Word are in tune.

Read, Watch, Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-20-teen-devotion-voice-training/

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Day 20 – Living Boldly: Voice Training

An essential first step in discipleship is how you view others. If your disappointment in people is greater than your desire to help them, your ability to disciple effectively will run into many hindrances. Jesus had some strong language for those who made the log/speck mistake.

Read, Watch, Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-23-teen-devotion-first-step-start/

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Day 23 – Living Boldly: The First Step Before You Start

Overcoming the fear of others disapproval is a universal struggle for those who base their identity on what others think of them. When we act like this, we give others power over us. We’re nothing more than puppets on a string, always managed by the fickle approval of others. The Bible calls this the fear of man, but you might recognize it better as peer pressure, codependency, or insecurity.

Read, Watch, Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-26-teen-devotion-opinions-others/

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Day 26 – LIving Boldly: Controlled By the Opinions of Others

Mable presented herself as an ideal counselee: open, honest, and seemingly eager for change. In your first session, she shared her struggles with remarkable transparency, leaving no detail uncovered. Her vulnerability moved you, and her apparent willingness to receive correction quickly filled you with hope for genuine transformation.
 
Read, Watch, Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/case-study-counseling-the-un-counsel-able/

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48 Case Studies 06: Counseling the Un-Counsel-Able

Shows Main Idea – I often get asked about our next speaking engagement—as if speaking from a stage is central to our ministry. It’s not. In this episode, I want to walk you through our philosophy of public speaking and why we don’t model our approach after the typical speaker circuit. For me, speaking is not a performance or platform-building opportunity—it’s about long-term discipleship and real relationships. I don’t have a few canned messages that I drop into a new location every weekend. Instead, we serve churches through a slow, intentional process that begins months before the conference and often continues for years afterward. We don’t stay in hotels. We live with the people. We eat with them, learn from them, adapt our content to their lives, and build connections that last. This episode unpacks our convictions around sanctification, discipleship, and the church—and why relational ministry, not performance ministry, is our model.

Show Notes: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-553-a-relational-philosophy-for-local-church-engagement/

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Ep. 553 A Relational Philosophy for Local Church Engagement

Shows Main Idea – Forgiveness is not a sentimental release of offense; it’s a Christ-exalting act of worship. In this episode, I will unpack why biblical forgiveness is essential for the church, for families, and for the good of your own soul. Drawing from the gospel model, I’ll explore the difference between attitudinal and transactional forgiveness, examine common misconceptions that blur the process, and explain how rightly practiced forgiveness protects unity and glorifies God. If you’ve ever struggled to know how to forgive—especially when the offender won’t repent—this episode will give you a clear, gospel-shaped roadmap.

Show Notes: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-554-why-we-must-forgive-and-how-to-do-it/

Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Ep. 554 Why We Must Forgive and How to Do It

Shows Main Idea – Dying to self is the most painful and ongoing task the Christian will ever face. It’s not a single moment of surrender at the altar or a tear-filled confession at a retreat—it is a continual, lifelong submission to the will of God. It is the daily call to lay down our rights, our self-reliance, our perceived strength, and our functional savior of autonomy. But there is good news: God does not leave us to accomplish this death alone. He is actively, patiently, and purposefully working in the background of our lives, undermining every form of self-sufficiency so that we might trust Him more deeply. In His mercy, He systematically dismantles our illusion of control and replaces it with the deeper reality of dependence on Christ. Yes, this means that at times, the Lord will sabotage our self-reliance. He will put to death the idol of self-salvation. Why? So that we might learn to rely not on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead (2 Corinthians 1:9). That’s the heart of gospel transformation: not the removal of weakness, but the divine use of weakness to reveal His strength. Let me explain.

Show Notes: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-556-boasting-in-weakness-a-primer/

Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Ep. 556 Boasting in Weakness—a Primer

Shows Main Idea – Question: Our leadership and pastoral staff have identified a need to support those in our midst who experience challenges with living in this world. If you were to launch a local biblical counseling ministry, what training or resources would you recommend? It would be most ideal to have curricula that could be completed in a group setting. Any tips or suggestions are welcome.

Read, Watch, Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-560-nine-tips-for-launching-a-counseling-ministry-at-your-church/

Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Ep. 560 Nine Tips for Launching a Counseling Ministry at Your Church

Shows Main Idea – In this episode, I talk with Molly Bertles—biblical counselor and author of You Are Not Alone: A Biblical and Hopeful Approach to Women Struggling with Masturbation. Molly shares her journey from hidden sin to gospel-centered transformation, offering clarity, compassion, and truth for women trapped in shame and silence. This conversation confronts misplaced worship, identity, and sexual desire with the hope and power of Christ.

Watch or Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/561-molly-bertles-counsel-for-women-struggling-with-masturbation/

Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Ep. 561 Molly Bertles: Counsel for Women Struggling with Masturbation

Rick launched the Life Over Coffee global training network in 2008 to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. His primary responsibilities are resource creation and leadership development, which he does through speaking, writing, podcasting, and educating.

In 1990 he earned a BA in Theology and, in 1991, a BS in Education. In 1993, he received his ordination into Christian ministry, and in 2000 he graduated with an MA in Counseling from The Master's University. In 2006 he was recognized as a Fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).

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