Steve Murrell's Blog, page 16

Faith to Live By by Paul Barker

I’ve reread Faith to Live By, and it remains a biblically accurate and theologically robust apologia of the Church’s historical stand on faith.

View book here →

Much of the discussion about faith centers on our individual needs and what is in it for us. That is the human side of faith, and it certainly is valid. But the primary focus of faith should be on God and what it means to him. This should be the central focus of our lives.

Preach Like Jesus

In today’s message, I want to talk about how to preach like a leader. To do that, we want to look at the greatest leader and preacher ever: Jesus.

We can see how Jesus preached in Luke 4, which gives us a three-part pattern. If we want to preach like Jesus, we need to:

Preach the text.Preach in the power of the Holy Spirit.Personalize the sermon for the audience.

“Abide in You” by Every Nation Music

Here’s another song from the Generations album. Enjoy.

Impossible Love by Craig Keener and Médine Moussounga Keener

This book should be a Hollywood (or Bollywood) movie! It has everything—romance, violence, war, refugee camps, seminary life—the whole kitchen sink. You won’t be able to put this down.

View book here →

. . . this is the story of two people struggling to hold on to the belief that God’s heart was bigger than our pain. Two people longing for closeness, but separated by continents, cultures, government regulations, and war. But two people who believed that faith, hope, and love can surmount even the most overwhelming obstacles.

The Cry of the Poor

I recently had dinner with David and Caroline Webb, American missionaries in South Africa and founders of Baby Haven. As I listened to their stories, something stirred in me that was later confirmed when I read Proverbs 21, and it made me think about how important it is to hear the “cry of the poor.”

As Every Nation leaders around the world, my prayer is that God would give us open ears to hear the “cry of the poor” and “generous eyes” that see through the lens of Scripture and that we would respond in a way that honors God when it comes to the poor.

The Leadership Runway Out Now

The Leadership Runway is out now! You can order it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. Available for Kindle everywhere, and physical copies are available in select countries. (If you preordered it, it should arrive in the next few days.)

Persecution on Steroids

Every Nation West Africa Regional Director Sam Aiyedogbon joins me in today’s Think Like a Leader.

His insights on affliction and persecution are both encouraging and convicting.

I pray that this discussion encourages you to stand strong and be a gospel witness no matter the cost.

“Yes & Amen” by Every Nation Music

Here’s another song from the Generations album. Enjoy.

End Times, Again

This video was shot in 2020 during the pandemic, but I think it’s still relevant today.

There have been a lot of knee-jerk reactions to the war happening in the Middle East, speculating that the war is a prophetic sign of the end times.

In this video, we look at three passages that highlight what our focus as believers and leaders should be. Whether we are in the end times, middle times, or a time out, our mission remains the same: “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel” (Mark 16:15).

“Miracle Working God” by Every Nation Music

I have played this song multiple times every day for the past two weeks. Enjoy.