Living in Christ Ministries

Discipleship Counselors can greatly benefit from the teaching ministry of Bob Hoekstra.

Pastor Bob Hoekstra [1940-2011] was the founder and Director of Living in Christ Ministries. Bob was in ministry since 1967, including pastoring fourteen years in Dallas, TX and eleven years in Irvine, CA… Bob graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1973 with the Master of Theology degree.

Bob’s involvement with the Calvary Chapels began in 1971, when he and his wife Dini visited Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa on a Sunday evening…Upon returning to Dallas, they regularly obtained Pastor Chuck Smith’s teaching tapes and eventually became daily listeners of the Word for Today on the radio.

Bob taught at many church fellowships across the country and overseas (including, Seminars, Pastors’ Conferences, Church Services, Leadership Conferences, Retreats, and Schools of Evangelism/Ministry). He also taught numerous classes at Bible Colleges in California.[1]

Of particular interest to Discipleship Counselors is Bob Hoekstra’s course on Counseling God’s Way. Note how many of the course’s topics correlate with Grace Fellowship’s emphasis:

  1. The Lord as Counselor – Part 1
  2. The Lord as Counselor – Part 2
  3. Counseling and Discipleship
  4. Counseling and Sanctification
    God’s Way in Counseling
  5. God’s Word in Counseling
  6. The Holy Spirit in Counseling
  7. Prayer in Counseling
  8. Church-life in Counseling
    Counselors and Their Equipping
  9. Who is to do Counseling
  10. Equipping for Counseling Ministry
  11. Vital Issues for Counseling – Part 1
  12. Vital Issues for Counseling – Part 2
    Foundational Truths for Counseling
  13. In Adam or in Christ
  14. United with Christ
  15. Walking According to the Flesh
  16. Walking According to the Spirit
  17. Who We are in Christ
  18. Renewing of the Mind
  19. Spiritual Warfare
  20. Victory in Spiritual Warfare
    Major Threats to Counseling God’s Way
  21. Forsaking Our Wonderful Counselor
  22. Turning to Worldly Counsel
    Counseling Session Guidelines
  23. Counseling Session Guidelines – Part 1
  24. Counseling Session Guidelines – Part 2

The course (text and audio) is online here:
www.blueletterbible.org/audio_video/hoekstra_bob/counseling24/counseling-gods-way.cfm The full outline document is here.

Another valuable resource for personal edification and counselee “homework” is his devotional Day by Day by Grace. Each devotional has substantial biblical content with a grace orientation. The full year of devotionals is online as an index, or by creating an account at BlueLetterBible.org, one can subscribe to it as a daily email.
www.blueletterbible.org/devotionals/dbdbg/view.cfm
It is also available in paperback and ebook formats. livinginchrist.org/devotional/

For personal enrichment and reinforcement in the truths of living in Jesus Christ, check out Bob Hoekstra’s many legacy resources at BlueLetterBible.org and LivingInChrist.org.

JBW


[1] livinginchrist.org/about/

Bob’s memorial website is www.bobhoekstra.com/