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<\/a>).<\/p>\nTo my thought today: As you will learn, I am praying that you will depart our course with a biblically faithful, theologically informed, and Christ-centered model for pastoral care and counseling. The Spiritual Diagnostic Model is a six-step plan to identify the spiritual pathology of the human soul according to the Scriptures and to appropriate the Truth through the means of grace (Word, Sacrament, and Prayer). In pastoral counseling, we move from Assessment and Diagnosis to Pastoral Treatment, which can include a \u201cpastoral plan of ministry.\u201d I have written an article that includes a specific plan\u2014i.e., a \u201ccovenant\u201d for spiritual renewal\u2014for a case study involving addiction. I ask you to read this brief online article (and feel free to subscribe for free) paying particular attention to the actual \u201ccovenant\u201d for renewal. In this case, I felt the addictions were filling spiritual places for essential virtues and driving harmful choices in his life. Using scripture and prayer I sought to help the parishioner acknowledge the missing or corrupted \u201ccommunicable attributes of God\u201d and move to tangible expressions of practicing new life (\u201dteaching them to be obedient in whatsoever\u201d the Lord instructed) emanating from receiving God\u2019s grace in Christ.<\/p>\n
You might think, \u201cWo, horse! We haven\u2019t even got to learning the basic outline!\u201d I understand. However, throughout the course, I will seek to add practical elements, examples, case studies, and products that could be of help to you later. So, some ideas might come early and demand research just to put them in context. Precisely! And research and integration into your own life and ministry bring \u201cdeep learning.\u201d And insights gleaned and applied from \u201cdeep learning\u201d \u00a0will \u201cstick to your ribs\u201d like hot oatmeal on a cold morning.<\/p>\n