The Session with Tom Russell

The Session: Living the Empty Nest Life to the Fullest, from Michelle Howe, Focus on the Family Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Rev Up Your Marriage This could be a marriage retreat It could also mean planning more 24-72 hour getaways It may also include going on a crui...

The Session: The Need For Rest, from Amanda Idleman, Crosswalk.com By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work (Genesis 2:2) 3 Reasons Why it Is Crucial That We Rest  The inability to rest affects every part of our lives. It’s a lie from the enemy of our souls that we can do it all, that we can ignore our own…  1. God Commands U...

The Session: The Energy Vampire, by Dr. Mosunic Psalm 29:11 May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace! First, let’s define the energy vampire…bleh bleh bleh Different types of energy vampires? Energy vampires are people who suck the energy right out of you. After talking to them, you feel exhausted and are not real sure why. Dr. Mosunic would say that energ...

The Session: Family Issues Psalm 133:1 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!"  Family issues are when an actual or potential conflict between or related to family members becomes a constant source of negative emotions. When a family cannot resolve conflicts and and emotional intensity around the relationship becomes overwhelming, it can lead to symptoms of comm...

The Session:  Causes of Family Stress, from Better Help How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!" (Psalm 133:1) Parental relationship problems Constant parent fighting causes unnecessary and unproductive tension in children’s lives Finances Job loss, inability to work, uncontrolled spending, gambling problems, or another reason, stress and conflict related to mone...

The Session:  The Middle Child  Mark 10:13–16   People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.  When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a l...

The Session:  The Five Cylinder Intimacy Engine of Marriage & Goal Setting in Marriage Genesis 2:24: “Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” The Five Cylinder Intimacy Engine explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. 5.  Recreational ·  Hobbies ·  Sports 4....

The Session-Loneliness Psalm 68:5-6 ~ “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.”  God is always present and provides comfort; Psalm 34:18, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit," emphas...

The Session-Trust & Honesty in a Relationship  From Bellevue Christian Counseling  (John 8:31-32)  “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples . Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”   Today there is so much to be said about relationships being trust worthy. Often times if a relationship fails, it is often th...

The Session-Temptation 1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." Scott’s going to take us down a rabbit hole right out of the gate…Let’s talk about the original temptation…Eve in the...

The Session:  Living In The Victory Of The Cross The Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. If the same Holy Spirit lives in you, He will give life to your bodies in the same way.  So then, Christian brothers, we are not to do what our sinful old selves want us to do. (Romans 8:11-13)  Living In The Victory Of The Cross Gives Us Confidence In The Battlefield Of The Mind The weapons we fight with...

The Session:  Lessons From The Life of Jesus How Our Relationships Are Impacted by Jesus Romans 12:9-13 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction,faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s pe...

The Session:  Self Forgiveness  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31) What to Do When I Know God Forgives Me, but I Can’t Forgive Myself, by Becky Weber I Know God Forgives Me, But I Can't Forgive Myse...

DISCLAIMER:  IN THIS EPISODE, THERE IS A DISCUSSION ABOUT A.I. AND SUICIDE.  THIS EPISODE MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR YOUNGER, AND ESPECIALLY UNSUPERVISED, CHILDREN. The Session: Artificial Intelligence With info from: Focus on the Family, Daily Citizen, and “Artificial Intelligence will Never Compete with Our God-Inspired Imagination” by Paul Batura  Proverbs 9:10  The fear of the Lord is the begi...

Article by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin, Focus on the Family, Oct. 2023 Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Virtual Pitfalls Texting can be a very helpful tool as you get to know someone.  But there are some areas to avoid: B...

The Session: Dating Etiquette in a Digital Age Article by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin, Focus on the Family, Oct. 2023 Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Virtual Pitfalls Texting can be a very helpful tool as you get to know...

The Session / Love Month / Feb. 13 Release Expectations and The Communication Highway The communication highway primarily consists of the speaker and listener roles. Before the speaker makes an “I” statement. He or she can go before the Lord and ask Him for wisdom to make an “I” that is said lovingly and in a caring way. An “I” statement consists of a feeling followed by when it happens. An exampl...

The Session / Love Month / Feb. 6 Release Matthew 7:3-5 Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye' while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor&ap...

View the complete article from our discussion at The 5 Most Important Issues Christian Families Face - Beliefnet We WILL get through this in this episode!  Promise! 1. Divorce We’ve all read the statistics. Divorce rates have steadily increased over the past few decades, and splitting up is more commonplace and acceptable than ever before—sometimes even applauded. With the shrinking of religious t...

View the complete article from our discussion at The 5 Most Important Issues Christian Families Face - Beliefnet We won't get through all of this article in this episode.  Make sure you join us next time for the conclusion! 1. Divorce We’ve all read the statistics. Divorce rates have steadily increased over the past few decades, and splitting up is more commonplace and acceptable than ever be...

The Session:  Helping Aging Parents-Part 2 of 2 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12) It is a biblical mandate to honor elderly loved ones. Honoring parents is a way to love others as yourself and to love God. Prayer and meditation Prayer and meditating on Scripture can provide comfort, wisdom, and protecti...

The Session:  Helping Aging Parents-Part 1 of 2 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12) It is a biblical mandate to honor elderly loved ones. Honoring parents is a way to love others as yourself and to love God. Prayer and meditation Prayer and meditating on Scripture can provide comfort, wisdom, and protecti...

Did you make a New Year's resolution?  According to research, most resolutions have already been broken.  If that's you, don't give up!  Tom & Scott have a way to get you back on track! The Session: Goal Setting & Research Scripture: Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” 1.   SMART = Specific Measurable Vision Action Plan Who,...

This episode is going to be a bit different.  Rather than cover a heavy topic on this week of Christmas, we decided to talk about our favorite characters in the Biblical Christmas story, and some of our favorite movies/programs and other characters outside of the Biblical account.   Luke 2:7: “And she gave birth to her firstborn son,  and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger,...

You might recognize this episode from earlier this year.  As we looked back, it seemed like an important topic that doesn't get talked about enough.  Maybe a sub title would be, "Journaling....it's not just for 12 year-old girls anymore".  See what you think... The Session:  Journaling, A Helpful Treatment Strategy   Psalm 119:27 Cause me to understand the way of your precepts,...