Ministry Minded: A Podcast by Step Up To Life
Hear stories from around the globe from ministry leaders, pastors, and individuals who are committed to sticking to Jesus' Message and communicating it with greater biblical clarity for genuine saving-faith in Christ Jesus.
Amazingly, 75% of "decisions" for Christ don't actually last, (*1) and 41% of regular church attenders show little evidence of being genuinely 'born again' Christians (*2).
In light of this staggering reality, Step Up To Life's mission is to eliminate temporary decisions and replace them with genuine conversions by presenting the Gospel with greater biblical clarity.
(*1)-David Frost - "Billy Graham - Personal Thoughts of a Public Man" p. 72
(*2)-George Barna - 2023 CBN Interview
Ministry Minded: A Podcast by Step Up To Life
Beyond the False Divide: Scripture, Counseling, and the Gift of Common Grace
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Modern psychology is often shaped by humanism and self-definition—frameworks that conflict with biblical anthropology. Many pastors sense that tension but feel unsure how to navigate it faithfully.
In this episode of Ministry Minded, Lincoln Murdoch and Nick Bank are joined by licensed therapist Joe Slabaugh of CityCare Counseling (Omaha, NE) for an honest, theologically serious conversation about Scripture, counseling, discernment, and the care of souls.
Joe draws from his background in ministry and clinical counseling to explain:
- Why the “Bible vs. counseling” tension persists in doctrinally serious churches
- How much of modern therapy is rooted in humanistic assumptions
- Why discernment—not rejection or uncritical acceptance—is the biblical path forward
- How the doctrine of common grace helps Christians evaluate counseling wisely
- The difference between distress, dysfunction, trauma, and ordinary pain
- Why shame is often the hidden root beneath anxiety, depression, and relational breakdown
- How confidentiality and structure make counseling distinct from casual pastoral conversations
- Why many pastors carry loneliness and emotional weight in silence
- What pastors and church leaders should actually look for when evaluating a counselor
- How Joe incorporates the Step Up To Life gospel framework in counseling when appropriate—without violating ethical or professional boundaries
This is not an argument for replacing Scripture with psychology.
It is a call to clearer theological thinking, wiser pastoral discernment, and more faithful care of human souls.
This episode is especially for:
- Pastors and elders who take the sufficiency of Scripture seriously
- Ministry leaders wary of secular ideologies
- Christians who care deeply about soul care, discipleship, and spiritual health
- Anyone trying to understand whether counseling can be approached biblically
You don’t need less conviction.
You need clearer discernment.
Guest: Joe Slabaugh, Licensed Therapist – CityCare Counseling
Featuring: Lincoln Murdoch, Executive Director – Step Up To Life
Host: Nick Bank, U.S. National Director – Step Up To Life
CityCare Counseling:
https://www.citycarecounseling.org/
www.StepUpToLife.com
