Our bodies, relationships, culture, suffering, work, spiritual battles, and life experiences all shape us in significant ways. Yet none of these influences alone defines who we are. As image bearers created by God, we are embodied souls who live before him, responding to both blessings and hardships in a world full of competing influences. In this episode, Mike Emlet, Jonathan Holmes, and Gunner Gundersen continue CCEF's series on our seven distinctives by exploring the third distinctive: We are embodied souls shaped by a world of influences. Together they discuss:

Why our bodies matter for faithful care
How relationships, culture, and suffering shape our lives
Why spiritual warfare remains an important reality in counseling
The danger of reducing people to a single explanation or diagnosis
How slowing down helps us care for people more wisely
Why the local church is uniquely equipped to know, love, and walk alongside people in all their complexity

This conversation invites us to see people more fully—and to reflect the patient, compassionate care of Christ as we walk with them. Mentioned in this episode: - Download three free talks on anger at ccef.org/free-audio-for-anger- Learn more about our beliefs and distinctives at ccef.org/about - Descriptions and Prescriptions | Book by Dr. Mike Emlet