Overcoming Bitterness

Moving from Life’s Greatest Hurts to a Life Filled with Joy

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"This book brims with hope."--Randy Patten, Director of Training Emeritus, Association of Certified Biblical Counselors; president, TEAM Focus Ministries


In a world full of struggle and disappointment, each one of us will wrestle with bitterness at one time or another. But left unchecked, bitterness is a destructive poison that steals our joy and the joy of those around us. We must take care not to feed a bitter spirit within us.

In this honest and hopeful book, pastor and counselor Stephen Viars shows us how to avoid the pitfalls of a bitter heart as we walk through our fallen world. He shows us how to process bitterness biblically and effectively, so that we can move from life's greatest hurts to a life filled with joy.


"This wonderful volume helpfully addresses an all too common heart issue by carefully and comprehensively walking us through biblical teaching and examples that show how the grace of God in Christ can enable us to overcome bitterness."--Dr. Jim Newheiser, director of the Christian Counseling Program at Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte; executive director of the Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship

"With a pastor's heart and a counselor's skill, Viars brings biblical clarity and practical counsel for this common issue. Readers will be surprised, encouraged, and convicted."--Jonathan D. Holmes, pastor of counseling, Parkside Church; executive director, Fieldstone Counseling


Stephen Viars has served as a pastor and biblical counselor at Faith Church and Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries in Lafayette, Indiana, since 1987. A frequent speaker at conferences, colleges, and seminaries, he also serves on the boards of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, the Biblical Counseling Coalition, Vision of Hope, and the Faith Community Development Corporation. The author of Loving Your Community, he and his wife, Kris, have three children and four grandchildren.


Endorsements

"This wonderful volume helpfully addresses an all too common heart issue by carefully and comprehensively walking us through biblical teaching and examples that show how the grace of God in Christ can enable us to overcome bitterness. It often reads like a good biblical counseling session and will be of great help to both counselors and counselees."

Dr. Jim Newheiser, director of the Christian Counseling Program at Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte; executive director of the Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship

"Pastor Steve's latest offering, Overcoming Bitterness, tackles a much-needed but oft-neglected topic. People from all walks of life can carry and harbor pockets of bitterness, and we can all too frequently ignore the fruit of bitterness in our life. With a pastor's heart and a counselor's skill, Viars brings biblical clarity and practical counsel for this common issue. Readers will be surprised, encouraged, and convicted by the helpful counsel contained in this brief book. I commend it to you heartily!"

Jonathan D. Holmes, pastor of counseling, Parkside Church; executive director, Fieldstone Counseling

"This book brims with hope for the bitter person and for those who live with them. This will be an extremely helpful resource for biblical counselors."

Randy Patten, Director of Training Emeritus, Association of Certified Biblical Counselors; president, TEAM Focus Ministries

"In Overcoming Bitterness, Pastor Steve Viars provides practical biblical counsel for an issue that everyone faces at one time or another. Yet, few of us truly understand bitterness biblically. Steve artfully, compassionately, and comprehensively addresses bitterness both as a lament over suffering to be brought to our caring Father and as a heart issue of sin to be brought to our forgiving Savior. Overcoming Bitterness will be a wonderfully beneficial equipping tool for individuals and small groups, and for pastors and counselors." 

Bob Kellemen, academic dean, Faith Bible Seminary; author of over twenty books, including God's Healing for Life's Losses

"Guiding people to see bitterness from behavioral, conditional, and heart perspectives is brilliant! Dr. Viars writes with the precision of a theologian and the practicality of a pastor. This is a great read and very helpful for people who truly want to address bitterness."

Dr. Nicolas Ellen, Senior Pastor of Community of Faith Bible Church, and Senior Professor of Biblical Counseling at the College of Biblical Studies, Houston, TX


The Author

  1. Stephen Viars
    Erika Wetterlin

    Stephen Viars

    Stephen Viars has served as a pastor and biblical counselor at Faith Church and Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries in Lafayette, Indiana, since 1987. A frequent speaker at conferences, colleges, and seminaries, he also serves on the boards of the Association...

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