⏱️ Estimated Reading Time: 2 min read
Exposing Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, Standing Firm on Biblical Truth
Many appreciate the language of “emotional health,” yet Scripture calls us to submit our emotions to Christ. Dave Jenkins and Marcia Montenegro examine Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, show where contemplative practices and emotionalism depart from biblical sanctification, and point believers back to the sufficiency of God’s Word, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the ordinary means of grace in the local church.
Emotions matter, truth rules. Christ shepherds his people through his all-sufficient Word.
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Show Summary
This episode examines the assumptions behind Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, how it reframes sanctification around self-analysis and contemplative techniques, and why that shift undermines the sufficiency of Scripture and the work of the Holy Spirit. We offer a biblical path forward, emotions matter, yet they must be submitted to God’s Word within the life of the local church.
Key Scriptures
- John 17:17, Sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth.
- Romans 12:2, Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
- Hebrews 4:14–16, Our sinless High Priest sympathizes with our weakness.
- Psalm 119, Delight in the law of the Lord.
Topics Covered
- Why emotions are God given, and why they are not authoritative
- Contemplative practices, true self language, and misused proof texts
- The ordinary means of grace, Word, prayer, fellowship, and worship
- How biblical counseling addresses the heart with Scripture
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on your favorite podcast app, or at our YouTube channel. - Share this episode with a friend who needs biblical encouragement.
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
