Human Experiences with Lust

Below you will find an outline to guide your writing. The purpose in providing such a specific outline is not only to assist you in writing a quality paper, but also to train you how to think through a particular difficulty in life from a biblical framework. You will turn in a draft of Section 1: Intro & Thesis at the end of Unit 4. The final draft of the research paper is due Unit 8. The paper will be graded according to its associated rubric, which can be found on the Course Resources page.
Section 1: Intro & Thesis (1 paragraph, First Draft Due Unit 4)
Description:

Begin with a paragraph describing the relevance or importance of your topic. Place your thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph. The thesis is the central nervous system of the paper and should describe what you will be accomplishing in this paper about your chosen topic. It prepares the reader to move through the following sections of your paper with ease.

Example:

“Depression is usually experienced as (key points of section 2) and can be addressed biblically by (key points of section 3). I will close this paper by offering an example of how to speak directly with someone suffering from depression (a reference to section 4).”

Section 2: Experience of the Problem (3–4 pages)
Description:

Describe how a person may be experiencing this particular trouble. Use your research to discover common themes or factors in a person’s experience of the selected problem. You could use the dynamic heart framework from class to identify common problems in both response (belief, desire, choice) and in context (factors that often contribute to this particular trouble).
Appropriate types of sources for this section could include:

Articles/Books on Specific Counseling Issues
Case Studies

Example:

“Depression often involves…”
“A person experiencing depression often will do, say, etc…”
“The circumstances of a person experiencing depression often include…”
“Other people in a depressed person’s life often respond to them in certain ways…”

Section 3: Biblical & Theological Application (4–5 pages)

Description:

Describe how Scripture addresses this trouble. You can exposit specific biblical passages and/or describe larger themes of Scripture. The point is to apply Scripture not just to the generic label (depression, etc.) but to the elements of a person’s dynamic experience that you described in the previous section.

Appropriate types of sources for this section could include:

Bible Commentaries
Articles/Books on Theological Themes
Articles/Books on Discipleship Issues
Articles/Books on Counseling Issues

Example:

“A biblical theme that addresses the hopelessness often involved in depression is…”
“Another theme from Scripture that’s important to keep in mind is the stewardship of our bodies in issues like depression…”

Section 4: Speaking to the Heart (1–2 pages)

Description:

This last section will test your ability to articulate the above insights in personal ministry. What you have described theoretically, you will now convey practically to a suffering person. This section will therefore take on a different writing style. You must write this section in the first person (“I”), addressed to the second person (“you”). Think of it as a letter to a hurting friend who has just shared with you their experience of the selected issue.
Acknowledge the difficulties of their response and their context (from section 2). Then offer them biblical insights (from section 3) in this simple framework:

Offer her something biblical to believe.
Offer her something biblical to desire.
Offer her something biblical to do.

Remember, trusting in God through Jesus is the only way to change the heart. So make sure your advice is helping a person to know God in the midst of their troubles.

Example:

“I want to acknowledge all that’s involved in your depression…”
“It is hard to trust what God says in suffering. But let me offer a simple truth I think your depression is clouding you from seeing…”
“Your depressive feelings are telling you everything is hopeless. But God offers something deeply valuable and desirable…”
“Depression can really shut a person down and tempt them to be passive. But simple actions can really bring life…”