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Heritage Christian Counseling Ministries

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Mansfield, OH
Heritage Christian Counseling Ministries

Tom Russell grew to know and love the Lord at an early age. In high school he began to date the young lady that he would eventually marry.

His early marriage consisted of both of him and his wife going to Ohio State University, but after an unsuccessful experience, he quit and worked to help his wife finish. After she graduated she encouraged him to try schooling one more time. All it took was her emphasizing to him that she believed in him, and he was back at school. He graduated after completing eleven straight quarters with a degree in elementary education. During his years as a teacher their three biological children were born, and they got full custody of their then, foster son. Throughout his teaching career he thoroughly enjoyed the teaching aspect and making a significant difference in young people's lives, but he always felt there was more that God had in store for him. It was also during this time that he had an incredible passion to help marriages. Because of that passion, he became involved in his church's marriage retreats. There were also times when he would be sitting at his desk after school grading papers and a fellow teacher would walk in and want to talk about their marriage. It was experiences like those that made him think that God had another plan for his life. Finally, after much prayer and wisdom from those he trusted most in life, he resigned from teaching and enrolled at Ashland Theological Seminary to pursue a degree in pastoral counseling. It was during this time that the Lord helped him start the origins of Heritage Christian Counseling Ministries. Tom would work at his job forty hours a week, attend seminary full-time, and still spend about ten hours a week building Heritage. After graduating from seminary in 1997, Heritage became a full time ministry. In 1998, Heritage became a Prepare/Enrich ministry and in 1999, it became a member of The American Association of Christian Counselors, and It has been on a steady growth pattern since.

04/13/2026

Devotionals for Daily Living

Let Us Throw off Everything that Hinders Us

It is so easy in life to become involved in sin that keeps us distant in our relationship with Jesus. Paul made the comment in Romans 7, “.... at times I do the very things that I don’t want to do.”

Paul also wrote in II Corinthians 12:9-10, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Our weakness happens when we try to muster up our own mental strength to do better, or we become prideful and deny any problems. It is important to let the power of Christ be our strength.

It is important that we focus on the strength and power of the Holy Spirit in us to help us. One could say calling on Him is important, but also, it is so important for us to rely on Him.

Psalm 62:5-8 says, “I depend on God alone; I put my hope in him. He alone protects and saves me; he is my defender, and I shall never be defeated. My salvation and honor depend on God; he is my strong protector; he is my shelter. Trust in God at all times, my people. Tell him all your troubles, for he is our refuge.”

Action Point
It is in our weakness that He is made strong. Are we relying on His strength and the power of His word in our lives today?
(Tom Russell)

04/12/2026

Devotionals for Daily Living

More On The Spiritual Battle

The enemy attempts to make the sinful nature inviting. He also tries to deceive us into believing that we are all alone and distant from God. The enemy tries to make us believe that because we are sinful people we have no relationship with God.

Paul has this to say in Romans 8, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

Paul makes it clear that we have no obligation to the flesh. But if we walk by the spirit we will have life.

It is very encouraging to hear if we are led by the Spirit of God we are the children of God. That makes us joint heirs with Christ and we can cry out, “Abba Father”.

Action Point
Are you led by the Spirit? Take time to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If you are not walking close to Him right now, take time to re-commit your life to Him so you can experience being joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

(Tom Russell)

04/11/2026

Devotionals for Daily Living

Comparison

One important area that the enemy deceives us is in our comparison of how we act compared to others. It is in this comparison that we make of ourselves more than we should. We are capable of saying, “I don’t act like that!” or “I don’t say the things that they say.”

Those kinds of comments are a means to reassure ourselves of our salvation. Paul writes this in II Corinthians 10:12, “Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.”

He teaches in Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Paul calls us to be humble and count others more significant than ourselves. If we do, we will not be in an intense rivalry where we are comparing ourselves to others.

Action Point
As Paul writes In II Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. . . . .”
(Tom Russell)

04/10/2026

Devotionals for Daily Living

The Great Throne of Witnesses

It is reassuring to think there are so many great people of faith who went before us, and who ran the race to win.

The writer of Hebrews uses this word picture to help us see the importance of approaching life with endurance.
Hebrews 12:1-7 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Running the race of life, as the book of Hebrews states, can be very tiresome and grueling;
however, it does feel good to know that we are not alone. Some of the most faithful people of the Old Testament, as well as Jesus, Himself, struggled with enduring the race.

There are times in life when it seems as though our God isn’t protecting us; however, He disciplines those He loves.

In Hebrews 12:4–8 we read that God does discipline His children. “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, ‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?”

It is important to realize that even though we, as God’s children, might be disciplined, it doesn’t mean He doesn’t love us. The very opposite is true. He disciplines us because He does love us.

Action Point
It’s important to realize that in His love, God will discipline His children. It is important that we continue to rely on Him when the race seems difficult to run.
(Tom Russell)

04/09/2026

Devotionals for Daily Living

Run This Race To Win

The writer of Hebrews 12:1 has this to say about running the race of life, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” It is important that we be prepared for the race God puts before us. That means spending time practicing for the race. That means spending time in God‘s word and being anchored in His word. It is important to run the race with proper nourishment. On the other hand, it is very difficult to run the race without having prepared ourselves and without the appropriate nourishment in our bodies.

It is also important to know what direction we are going in the race. What if we get away from the course we are supposed to be on?

Paul writes this important message in I Corinthians 4:17 about how to run the race. “For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.”

Our ultimate goal and encouragement is to focus on the prize that awaits those of us who live by faith: ”....looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

Action Point
Are you running the race to win? Have you stayed the course? It is important to take the time to reflect on the race before it is over.
(Tom Russell)

04/08/2026

Devotionals for Daily Living

Loving Yourself

Jesus taught two very important lessons in Matthew 22:37-39. When challenged, He spoke of the two greatest commandments. “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

This is so different from hearing that loving yourself is wrong and prideful. We are led to believe that we are stuck on ourselves if we love ourselves.

Proverbs 11:17 tells us, “The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.” When we are well with ourselves, we are empowered to look at others and look past their outer shells and look at the heart of the person. I become more motivated to look past their circumstances and see them as Jesus has seen me in my fallen nature - with love.

If I am to work on the log in my eye before I speak to the speck in someone else’s eye, as it says in Matthew 7:5, doesn’t it suggest that if I do I will feel better about myself?

The book of Daniel 4:27 says, “Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.” If we focus on a healthy view of ourselves, we will be in position to extend mercy to our “neighbors”.

Action Point
It is healthy to focus on ourselves to be healthy in Christ, so that we can focus on being a “good neighbor” to others.
(Tom Russell)

04/07/2026

Devotionals for Daily Living

Sin's Power is Broken

There is a mindset today that basically states, "It doesn't matter what I do, as long as I ask for forgiveness I will be fine." The problem in that is the enemy is deceiving people into believing it.

Paul makes it clear in Romans 6:1-4, "Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives."

Paul brings out a very important point when he says, “How can we continue to sin when we have died to sin?” Sin was removed from us when we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Because we have been forgiven, then it becomes very important that we confess our sin whenever we are aware that we have sinned. It is this kind of attitude that we should embrace. Because we asked Jesus into our heart and have turned from sin, we should no longer continue in it.

Action Point
It is important to retreat and reflect on where in your life you continue to sin and ask Jesus to forgive you and help you.
(Tom Russell)

04/06/2026

Devotionals for Daily Living

The Battle for our Minds

The enemy is deceptive in his attempt to distract us with things that are not necessarily sinful, but also not necessary for our ministering to others. Paul writes in I Corinthians 10:23, “All things are lawful, but all are not profitable; all things are lawful, but all do not edify. All things are lawful, but not all things are beneficial.”

There are a lot of things that we do that are not sinful, but consume our time. Watching TV Is an example. Playing games on a cell phone isn’t necessarily wrong or sinful but it consumes a person’s time that could be put to better use in our walk with the Lord. The average American spends 7 hours and 4 minutes a day on the internet. Some of those hours involve harmless games, but they consume large amount of time. They cause the Christian to be more distracted from spending time in scripture and worship.

Brother Chris Sermon and John Eldredge explain three important ways that the enemy uses screens to distract us:

The Spiritual Stake - It is not only about stealing our time, but also our affection. The enemy wants to distract us from a closer walk with Jesus by shifting our love toward worldly pleasures and idols.

The Digital Distraction - Algorithms, media and cookies continually cause things that will hold our interest to be placed in front of us, tempting us to spend more and more time on a screen instead of with the Lord.

War on our Minds - Temptation creates distraction that keeps us from controlling our minds, which eventually can lead to sin.

Psalm 37:3-6 offers an important help, “Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn your vindication like the noonday sun.”

Action Point
If we delight more in the Lord we will be more motivated to focus our minds on Him.
(Tom Russell)

04/05/2026

Devotionals for Daily Living

“I am the Resurrection and the Life”

Jesus summarized the most important message that has ever been shared when He said in John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.”

In spite of the fear, violence, riots, disrespect of police and authority, and general rebellion, there is hope. We can feel so much better as we embrace the power of the resurrection.

Think where we would be if in this day of uprising the resurrection had never happened. There would be no hope. We would be left to face the turmoil on our own. What a disaster that would be!

But the good news is that Jesus did rise again, defeating sin and death for us. In the midst of this unrest we can call upon the power of the resurrection.

God is not surprised by what is happening but is in the midst of it. He will be glorified in it. He will take this season as an opportunity to develop our trust in Him. In the process, we will discover another part of His character, power and wisdom.

Action Point
Is Jesus the resurrection and the life for you?
(Tom Russell)

04/04/2026

Devotionals for Daily Living

Living in Victory and Freedom

We have the opportunity to live in the victory and power that comes from the cross. It is such a blessing and is so securing to realize that because we have received Jesus, our sins are removed as far as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:12 reports, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” We can rest assured that we will never be held accountable for those forgiven sins. They will never come back to haunt us.

If our sins are forgiven and removed as far as the east is from the west, what stops us from living in freedom from the bo***ge that we would experience without the forgiveness of our sins?
Paul puts it into perspective in Romans 6:17-18, “But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.”

Paul continues to teach about freedom in Galatians 5:13-14, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Action Point
The victory of the cross through Jesus our Lord, provided us with freedom. Are you living in that victory?
(Tom Russell)

04/03/2026

Devotionals for Daily Living

No One Is Righteous

Most people believe that they are good people. Often times, that is probably very accurate. The enemy has people deceived and blinded to the the point where they think just being good will allow them to enter Heaven.

Paul unpacks this deception in Romans 3:9-18. “What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes.’”

Paul shares the good news in Romans 3:23-24, "…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." To God be the glory! Once again, He shows us His love by sending His Son, Jesus Christ.

Action Point
What will you do with God's word today? If you have invited Jesus into your life and have a relationship with Him you have a lot to be thankful for. If not, what stops you from doing that today?
(Tom Russell)

Address

1066 Lexington Avenue
Mansfield, OH
44907

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 8pm
Tuesday	8am - 8pm
Wednesday	8am - 8pm
Thursday	8am - 8pm
Friday	8am - 8pm
Saturday	8am - 5pm

Telephone

+14195265523

Website

http://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com/

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