Hope Is Here

Below is a complete list of all of our downloadable materials, listed alphabetically by topic. These free downloads are provided by June Hunt and Hope For The Heart and are 3-4 page summaries of the Biblical Counseling Keys. These Keys are often used as a tool to help people breach spiritual barriers on their way [...]

The Snare of an Affair Has your life been gripped by the agony of adultery? Has your life been forever changed because of the snare of an affair? Marriage was God’s idea. A lifelong commitment to marriage is God’s requirement. According to His Word, God will judge those who break the marriage covenant. The painful [...]

Breaking Free & Staying Free When the fans saw Mickey Mantle—a power hitter with the speed of a sprinter—they were in awe. Yet did the average fan see the symptoms of the alcoholism? Most did not, but his family did. Characteristics of Substance Abuse Mickey’s children spoke of his increasing inattention to his family while [...]

Facing the Fire Within Is your commute plagued by road rage? Do you battle difficult people every time you step into the grocery store? How often have you sat alone after an argument, regretting your harsh words? Do you try to control your emotions, but find yourself at the mercy of unpredictable anger? Anger can make you [...]

Truth on Trial “The Bible is the one supreme source of the revelation of the meaning of life.” —Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States Most Christians recognize the Bible as a book that is full of “good advice,” but the question remains as to whether or not Scripture has the inherent authority that [...]

A Privilege, Not a Prison Most people who require caregiving are part of an existing family who should be responsive to their family member’s needs. Different family members will meet needs in different ways. God’s plan for caregivers is summed up in the word “repayment” – God is giving you the opportunity to repay your [...]

The Secret Storm “Childhood sexual abuse” is an umbrella term that covers a variety of inappropriate actions with children for the sexual gratification of an older child or adult. Such exploitation is like a violent storm that leaves a chilling aftermath of fear and devastation. What Is Childhood Sexual Abuse? Childhood sexual abuse is any [...]

Balancing an Unbalanced Relationship “Why are my relationships so chaotic?” “I know I shouldn’t be treated this way, but I’m afraid of being alone.” If this sounds familiar, you may be a codependent − someone who looks to another person for fulfillment. A codependent relationship consists of a “weak” person who needs to feel connected and [...]

The Heart of the Matter It’s at the heart of everything you do. It builds relationships, and it destroys them. No matter how much you try, you can’t avoid it. Whether you’re speaking or silent, you’re communicating. But even with so much practice, effective communication isn’t easy. “Why is it often difficult to have healthy [...]

Solving Your People Problems Conflict is unavoidable, but it doesn’t have to be unbearable. God promises that we’ll clash, but He’s also shown us how to find resolution. Maybe you’ve always seen the Bible as a rulebook. Look again. At its heart, the Bible is about relationships. It is a collection of stories about people relating [...]

Challenging Others to Change Have you ever known that you were on the wrong path and needed someone to help guide you? Have you unknowingly been wrong and, looking back, wish someone had intervened? Confrontation is a loving and appropriate challenge. It’s not pointing a finger at sin. It’s pointing to the truth that sets [...]

Be an Encourager – Not a Critic The phrase “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me!” couldn’t be further from the truth. Words can be catastrophic, tearing through your heart like a tornado roaring down a residential street. While there may not be any visible destruction, the damage to your [...]

The Truth Twisters Why are people fascinated with cults? What is their lure? What is their hook? If the apostle Paul was distressed by the Greeks’ fascination with the newest religious fads (Acts 17:16, 21), he would be dismayed over the potpourri of false gospels flourishing today. Many seekers of truth are ensnared by Christian counterfeits … drawn [...]

Discerning the Will of God Everyone is confronted with countless decisions throughout life. Many decisions are of little significance, but some may change your life forever. Sometimes just deciding what to eat for lunch seems difficult, but decisions that have weighty consequences can give you grave concern. Take a step of faith and trust God. [...]

Walking from Darkness into the Dawn Does getting out of bed seem to be harder each day? Is visiting with friends a challenge? No matter how much you try, do you feel “stuck”? You’re not alone. Millions of people suffer from depression, including Christians. Feeling weighed down by stress is normal, but God designed your heart [...]

Why God? Why? Why? “Why did this person do this?” “Why did this horrible tragedy take place?” “Why didn’t anyone do anything to prevent this?” … All these questions ultimately lead to the question: “Why does God permit such evil to exist in the world?” This question has plagued prophets, kings, philosophers, teachers, preachers and pundits alike. More [...]

No Longer Afraid Fear can be your foe or your friend. When you find yourself in the path of a frightening storm – whether figurative or literal – fear can be a paralyzing force spiraling you down into the depths of darkness … or a propelling motivator moving you to higher ground. As the storm [...]

The Freedom to Let Go When you forgive someone do you feel like you’re letting them off the hook? Do you feel like you’re making an excuse for their behavior? Contrary to what we may think, forgiveness isn’t any of these things. It’s not saying that what’s wrong is okay. It’s not forgetting hurt feelings. Forgiveness [...]

Living at Peace with Loss Empty. Angry. Alone. If you’ve endured a loss, you know these feelings. You know how grief rips through your heart, making you feel like life will never be the same. Truthfully, it won’t be. Time won’t erase all your of pain. You won’t ever slip back into your old routine. [...]

Living Guilt Free Are you in an emotional battle because of guilt? Is your guilt a loving instrument of God used to convict, correct and conform your character when you go astray? Or do you battle feelings of shame and condemnation when guilt strikes a blow to your heart? True guilt is your friend, a [...]

Living Free in the Power and Peace of the Spirit Have you been trying to overcome a habit, − but now realize that you have no power to do it? Have you looked at your life and thought, In my heart, I know something’s missing? Could it be that the Holy Spirit is missing from [...]

A Case of Mistaken Identity Perhaps you have felt an attraction to a person of the same sex, an attraction that led you to question your sexual identity. If so, you are not alone – this attraction is common for many young people during puberty. For a variety of reasons, these emotions may grow to [...]

The Anchor of Your Soul Does hope seem as distant to you as the horizon across the ocean? Are you wondering whether you can ever regain the stability of hope in your life? The popular understanding of hope is quite different from the powerful truth about hope that is taught in Scripture. If you lean on [...]

A Counterfeit Kingdom … or Not? The Jehovah’s Witnesses is a religious organization that witnesses to others by distributing Watchtower publications door to door and by evangelizing with three primary messages: Jehovah alone is God, and there is no Trinity. Governments and other organized religions are corrupt. The end of the world is imminent. “They [...]

Is the Deity of Christ Defendable? During His days on earth and throughout the centuries following, opinions about Jesus have varied greatly. Jewish dignitaries of His day saw Him as a deceiver. Roman officials saw Him as a threat to civil peace. His half brothers heckled Him. One of His followers betrayed Him. Another denied [...]

Finding the Peace God Promises Since everyone really wants to be fulfilled in life, why are so many people living unfulfilled? Many begin their search for fulfillment by discovering their roots – their heritage. And that is exactly what every Jewish person should do. … If you are Jewish, that should be your beginning point. [...]

Cutting the Strings of Control You probably don’t see yourself as being ”power-hungry,” but power plays an intimate role in each of our lives. We all have a need to control our circumstances. In childhood, we throw tantrums to get our way. By adulthood, we’ve mastered the art of manipulation. In fact, you could be a manipulator, [...]

A Different Gospel? A different God? Wholesome and hardworking, serious and sacrificial … the image of the people called Mormons is exemplary. Their personal discipline is praiseworthy. Their advertising is first class. Their business presence is booming. Their humanitarian projects get headlines. Their tithing commitment is commendable. Their young missionaries are meritorious. Men and women [...]

Demystifying the Deeds of Darkness Just how old is the occult? And what is its appeal? An appetite for supernatural knowledge and power is the same hunger that brought spiritual death to the inhabitants of Eden. Satan used the snake to deceive Eve, exposing the innate attraction we all have for the unknown. Since that [...]

Steps for Successful Parenting With all the changes that occur from infancy to independence, parents remain as one of the few constants in a child’s life. Though no job is more difficult, no reward is more fulfilling than to see your child blossom and grow “… in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God [...]

Are You Fit to Be Tied? Premarital counseling is practical advice given to a couple in preparation for marriage. How many couples choose their mates too quickly and then live their lives full of regret? In order to build a strong foundation for marriage, learn as much as possible about yourself, your future mate and [...]

Preventing the Decay of Delay “Late again! … How did this happen? … Why didn’t I start earlier? … What is the matter with me? The deadline has come and gone, but here I am again … feeling guilty, frustrated,and defeated. How can I get myself out of this pressure cooker and enjoy completing a [...]

Restoring Broken Relationships Are you a mother who doesn’t speak to her daughter? A husband who barely talks to his wife? A best friend who never answers the other’s calls? Courtrooms are full of litigation between families, coworkers and friends. You probably haven’t escaped the pain of a broken relationship. This pain is universal, dating back to the Garden of [...]

Healing a Wounded Heart Has your heart been broken? Your spirit crushed? Nothing cuts to the core of your soul like rejection. Even death, while devastating, doesn’t compare to the pain of knowing you’ve been abandoned. Rejection chips away your self-image, chisels down your confidence and leaves you feeling hopeless and unworthy as the horrible [...]

Discover Your God-Given Worth What happens when you long for your mother’s love, but your sister is the only one loved? What happens when you long for a gift, but your sister is the only one given a gift? What happens when you long to be held on your mother’s lap, but your sister is [...]

Balancing Your Passion with Purity Heroes are needed by every generation in every culture—heroes who possess what they profess, who reflect the moral standards they represent, who survive close scrutiny, who are worthy of imitation and  who have integrity. Others find hope and encouragement in these heroes whose lives withstand the stresses of life, who [...]

How to Be Single and Satisfied The word single means “consisting of a separate, unique whole” (an individual). Single suggests being exclusively attentive (an undivided heart). The word single comes from the Latin word singulus, which means “one only.” “She showed single devotion to her religion. To those whose views are single and direct, it [...]

Religion at It’s Worst Think about it. Who in our society offends us the most? It’s the robbers, the killers, the rapists – the flagrant law breakers. Now think about Jesus. Who offended Him the most? It was the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day – the legalistic law keepers. They upset Him the [...]

Strategy for the Battle History books tell us that from the beginning of civilization battles have continued to be waged between warring kingdoms. Some wars are so significant that they have changed the history of the world. The Bible tells us about the ongoing conflict that is taking place between two spiritual kingdoms … the [...]

Beating Burnout before It Beats You Are you at the breaking point right now? Do you feel that if you have one more pressure added to your life, you will break? Stress can be a monster, but stress can also be a motivator. “It matters not how great the pressure is, only where the pressure [...]

From Stumbling Stones to Stepping Stones Remember falling and scraping your knee so seriously that you had to quit the race and get take care of the wound? A little “doctoring” was usually required for the injury and for your broken heart as well. Perhaps you heard someone who was trying to buffet the pain [...]

For almost 12 years I was in a marriage that was physically, verbally and emotionally abusive. There were times when my ex-husband would leave for weeks with our family car. Living out in the country, my children and I would have no way to drive into town to buy groceries or run errands. He led [...]

What Do I Do Now? The story has been repeated a hundred different times in a hundred different ways: an unwed teenager learns she is pregnant. But, on this occasion, the stigma of being unmarried and with child looms especially heavy. The fact that she is engaged hardly deflects the eyes of accusation glaring at [...]

Victory over Verbal & Emotional Abuse “You’re worthless!” … “You’ll never amount to anything!” … “I wish you had never been born!” Words like these in childhood can wound the heart for a lifetime. And further wounding takes place in adulthood when “control” is the name of the game. Threats like … “If you leave me, [...]

Victory over the Victim Mentality Powerless. No word better describes the way a victim feels … and rightfully so! But that feeling can continue long after the abuse has stopped, creeping into relationships, destroying true intimacy and leaving the victim trapped in an imaginary prison. If you once suffered from abuse but still feel helpless, [...]

Assault on a Woman’s Worth He was prominent in the community. What woman wouldn’t feel fortunate to be his wife? She certainly had all the finer things in life. And the children … didn’t they have the best that money could buy? How could she think about destroying such a picture-perfect family or risk stepping [...]