ministering to families after suicide on this edition of Truth and Love.

I'm Dale Johnson and you're listening to Truth and Love, a podcast of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors,

where we seek to provide biblical solutions for the

problems that people face. Today I'm joined with Jim Neuheiser, Associate Professor of Counseling

and Practical Theology at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Jim is a board member for ACBC, and we are so delighted that he's here to help us walk through a really difficult subject today. Jim, we're so thankful that you're here with us.

It's a privilege to be included, although you've picked a very difficult subject for me. I will say as we talk about a difficult subject,

I have confidence that you'll help us to walk through this very difficult situation

with much grace and truth from the wisdom of God's word.

Amen.

Jim, help us to think through when a suicide and a crisis like this occurs,

when you walk in to that room where

the family is is sitting as a counselor what are some of the things that you're evaluating in that

room as you're trying to understand what's going on you know dale the first thing that occurs to me

is when I hear of a suicide and a dear friend or someone in our church

in terms of their family, I'm tempted to be selfish and think, I'm afraid I'm going to really

mess this up.

I'm afraid that if I go, I'm going to say just the wrong thing that they'll tell everybody else.

Can you believe what he said?

And the main first thing I've learned is that when someone close to you is experienced a tragedy like this,

you've got to trust God and go.

You draw near to them.

...