Steve Murrell's Blog, page 21

“Never Change” by Echo

Every Nation Malaysia’s worship team, Echo, released their new album last week. Here’s one of the songs off the album.

Pastoral Theology: Essentials of Ministry by Thomas Oden

Here’s another required textbook in my Pastoral Theology class at Every Nation Seminary.

View book here →

The loss of center in Christian education is arguably due to a serious default of pastoral leadership; when the teaching elder does not teach, the effect is felt throughout the entire Christian congregation.

Dealing with Preacher’s Block

Whenever I find myself dealing with “preacher’s block,” I often rely on three handwritten symbols to get unstuck: a triangle (the nature of God), a stick figure (the nature of the human condition), and a cross (the impact of the gospel).

I applied this while reading Psalm 68 the other day, and it helped me see three important truths in the text.

God’s nature is relational, familial, and powerful.The human condition is weak and temporary.Because of the gospel, God gives his power to those he redeems.

“Hope in Christ” by Every Nation Namibia Music

Here’s a new song written by Every Nation Windhoek in Namibia. Enjoy.

Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work by Eugene Peterson

This is one of the four textbooks in my Pastoral Theology class at Every Nation Seminary. Peterson shares valuable insights and lays a solid foundation for pastoral ministry through five Old Testament books. I encourage every pastor to give it a read.

View book here →

It is the unique property of pastoral work to combine two aspects of ministry: one, to represent the eternal word and will of God; and, two, to do it among the idiosyncrasies of the local and the personal. . . . If either aspect is slighted, good pastoral work fails to take place.

Five Descriptions of Apostolic Leadership

In this “year of miracles,” I’ve been reading through the book of Acts over and over, and it’s hard not to see examples and results of apostolic leadership on every page. What does it really mean to be apostolic, and what do apostolic leaders produce?

Acts 16 gives us five descriptions of apostolic leadership:

Leaders are developed.Theology is clarified.Churches are strengthened.Numbers increase.The gospel is preached.

The Leadership Runway

We are almost finished with the longest book I’ve ever labored over, The Leadership Runway. Excited to see the finished product. Coming soon!

Sneak peek the cover here →

The ABCs of Empowering Leaders

An encounter with Jesus doesn’t always mean someone is quickly transformed into a world-changing leader. We see this through Saul’s life in Acts 9.

What was the change that happened between the intense persecution Saul inflicted on the Church in verse 1 to the peace and multiplication of the Church in verse 31? Saul was initially turned around because of a life-changing encounter with the resurrected Jesus. But that’s not all. Immediately, God sent Ananias to establish foundations, then Barnabas to provide leadership mentoring, and finally, a church community.

While none of us will ever be the next Apostle Paul, we can all be like Ananias and establish foundations for new believers. We can all be like Barnabas and share our platform with an emerging leader. And we can all be part of a church community that provides a place of belonging for emerging and established leaders.

And, there you go, the ABCs of empowering leaders: Ananias, Barnabas, and Church Community. (Or maybe the ABCCs.)

“Promised Land” by ENFC Music

This song was released last year by ENFC Music from Every Nation Faith City.

Books by Timothy Keller

I never met Tim Keller, but his sermons, books, articles, and life’s work have greatly shaped the way I do ministry. I recommend his many books.

View book here →

The gospel is that I am so sinful that Jesus had to die for me, yet so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. I can’t feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone.