Embracing positive emotions is easy, but the same is not typically true for sadness, pain, and anger. Emotions and the Gospel: Created for Connection by Heidi Goehmann reminds all believers that emotions are not something to hide from, but they are gifts from God.

“It’s a different way of looking at emotions when we stop seeing them as inconveniences or problems to solve,” writes Goehmann. “It may seem dangerous to let them have more space even in a discussion, let alone in the practices of our daily lives. Yet, God is faithful, and grace through Jesus Christ is what saves us, not doing emotions ‘correctly.’”

Readers will join Goehmann on a journey through the complexities of human emotions, and use His Word to discover what God has to say about them. The book also features discussion questions and real examples of emotions frequently found throughout Scripture.

“God did not create us in His image to be repressed zombies or exuberant phonies,” writes Rev. Dr. Nathan Jastram, professor of theology at Concordia University Wisconsin. “Heidi Goehmann refreshingly validates human emotions as a good gift of God, neither to be repressed nor faked, but to be received gratefully as necessary tools for authentic interactions in a fallen world. In so doing, she not only teaches us about ourselves but also about God, who created us to be like Him.”

For more information on Emotions and the Gospel or to order the book, please visit books.cph.org/emotions-and-the-gospel. Contact Erica Sontag, Public Relations Specialist, to interview the author or to learn more.  

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About the Author

Heidi Goehmann is a licensed social worker and mental health care provider, theologian, writer, and advocate. She can always be found at heidigoehmann.com advocating and providing resources for mental health, genuine relationship, and hope for each day. Heidi’s other books with Concordia Publishing House include Altogether Beautiful: A Study of the Song of Songs, Finding Hope: From Brokenness to Restoration, and The Mighty and the Mysterious: A Study of Colossians.

What Others Are Saying

I love this book! Heidi builds masterful bridges between the current research on emotion and the beauty of Scripture. Her books are known for being intensely practical and intensely theological, and Emotions and the Gospel is exactly that! I am excited to read this book together with my college students. This is a must read for any leader striving to build emotionally healthy disciples.

—Megan Barone, director of campus discipleship and outreach, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Kearney, Nebraska

Ever since the angels proclaimed, “Fear not!” Christians have struggled with what to do with emotions. Are they good and godly, or are they bad and of the devil? What‘s a faithful Christian to do: express them or stuff them? In her wonderfully transparent way, Heidi walks with us into the world of emotions: through the Scriptures, her own feelings, and her therapeutic approach. Using a solid biblical basis, she invites to explore more deeply our thoughts, beliefs, and feelings about emotions. I love this book! You will, too!

—Rev. James Otte, MDiv, MEd, LPC, associate pastor, Messiah Lutheran Church, Plano, Texas, and director of congregation and worker care, Texas District

This book engaged me from the beginning. I am an emotional person, and I overanalyze most situations. Heidi mingles personal experiences with professional insights to bring understanding and acceptance to emotions. I thank Heidi for recognizing that we are works in progress, designed by God, and covered by His grace. As we struggle with balance, she recognizes that the struggle is real—and that’s okay.   

—Debbie Larson, president, Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML), 2019–2023

Heidi teaches us the importance of searching through Scripture when our cultural experiences come up short. She takes the emotions that we have tried to cram into neat little boxes and helps us give them the space that God intended them to have in our lives. This book helps us reexamine our emotions, not as good or bad, but as helpful, necessary, and purposeful. Heidi gently emphasizes that there is always grace and compassion when we bring our emotions before God, but most important, she helps us build a foundation based on who we are in Christ Jesus, the emotions we experience, and our Creator. The body of Christ and the overall church will benefit greatly from Heidi’s careful unpacking of emotional research and the importance of emotions rooted in biblical truth.

—Elizabeth Warren, author, artist, wife, and mom

In a world of emotional polarization, Heidi Goehmann invites us into a deep and practical exploration of emotions as a gift from God. Drawing on biblical truth, professional understanding, and personal experience, Emotions and the Gospel is a timely, holistic, and refreshingly relevant resource for navigating the complexities of life and relationships.

—Matthew Hein, senior pastor, NewLife Community Lutheran Church, Swart Creek, Michigan

Emotions and the Gospel is a must read for anyone involved in ministry. I can‘t wait to read it again. Heidi writes like she is having a conversation with you at a local coffee shop, letting you into her own life and experiences, struggles and joys, all while pointing back to the Gospel every step of the way.

—William “Shurphyl” Jackson, retreats program manager, Camp Luther

The next generation of Christians is crying out for authenticity and connectedness. We can’t have either without emotion. Heidi not only explores our God-given emotions but qualifies them as gifts, even the ones we don’t like to talk about in church. The Church gets weird regarding emotions. This book is the antidote. If we desire a deeper relationship with God and a growing ability to connect and love others, that wholeness must include a deep dive into our emotional world. This book is not a substitute for that dive but a toolbox to get the most out of every venture into it.

—Josh and Sarah McKinley, area directors, youth ministry and outreach, Young Life