Steve Murrell's Blog, page 4

Three Sequential Steps for Effective Missions

In today’s Think Like a Leader, I talk about how to think biblically as a mission leader.

 In Acts 14, Luke describes the apostolic mission pattern of Paul and Barnabas. Their mission strategy included three sequential steps that we would be wise to follow:

Preach the GospelMake DisciplesEmpower Leaders

 If we want to do apostolic mission on the campus, in the community, across the street, or around the world, we must boldly preach the gospel, relationally make disciples, and quickly empower leaders.

We Believe by Beyond Music

Every Nation Tshwane in South Africa recently released a new EP called We Believe, drawing inspiration from our We Believe book. I love seeing how leaders and churches around the world use this resource in their local context. Enjoy.

Faith Challenge by Juray Mora

I have worked alongside Bishop Juray for more than 40 years. (I have also had multiple two-wheel therapy sessions in the mountains of Tennessee and the Philippines with Juray. See our group photo.) He has proven, time and again, to be a seasoned leader, a man of the Word, and a man of faith. I was privileged to read the pre-order version of the book, and I found myself both encouraged and challenged. I have no doubt that it will become a resource I return to on a regular basis. You will, too.

His word is all we need to journey through life. God’s word has something to say, God’s word has all the power, and God’s word is always the truth above all.

Merit Versus Mercy

To think like a leader means understanding the difference between merit and mercy—between earning something due to what we’ve done and receiving something regardless of what we’ve done. In Psalm 143, David makes ten bold requests of God. Is he making his requests because he is worthy, faithful, or righteous? No. In verse one, David lays out the basis for his bold requests: God’s mercy.

To think like a spiritual leader means to trust in the mercy, faithfulness, and righteousness of God. More in today’s message.

The Unseen Realm and Supernatural by Michael S. Heiser

View book here →

View book here →

Both books by Dr. Michael Heiser reveal fifteen years of research into what the Bible says about the supernatural, unseen realm. He looks at things such as, “Who were the ‘sons of God?’” and “What relation does Jesus have with the rest of the supernatural world?”.

The Unseen Realm provides a deeper theological study on the subject, while Supernatural is written with the layperson in mind.

Whichever book you choose, you will be challenged to see the unseen realm in a new light.

The members of God’s heavenly host are not peripheral or insignificant or unrelated to our story, the human story, in the Bible. They play a central role. But modern Bible readers too often read right past, without grasping them, the fascinating ways the supernatural world is present in dozens of the most familiar episodes in the Bible.

“Baba (Father)” by ENFC Music

Here’s a new release from Every Nation Faith City in Potchefstroom, South Africa. Enjoy.

When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin

Charles is an outstanding storyteller. When Crickets Cry is one of his most compelling novels. At its core this is a story about recovering divine purpose and calling.

I first read this book twenty years ago, and I recently reread it on a long overseas flight. It was better the second time.

View book here →

Fatherless No More by Tim Johnson

Pastor Tim Johnson, Senior Pastor of Orlando World Outreach Church, has a new book coming out in December, Fatherless No More, about understanding our true identity in Christ. I encourage you to buy it, read it, and share it with others. It’s available for preorder right now.

View book here →

. . . I found out my father didn’t die until 2007. That meant he was alive all those years when I was growing up, without ever seeking me out. The revelation sucker punched me in the pit of my stomach. . . . Thankfully, I was spared emotional wreckage because some years earlier I had come to know the love of the Father, who created me for Himself, which is what this book is ultimately about.

The Loom of Time: Between Empire and Anarchy, from the Mediterranean to China by Robert D. Kaplan

Robert Kaplan has spent decades writing about foreign affairs and the various political struggles being engaged in across the globe. In The Loom of Time, Kaplan explores the region’s history and the impact empires have had in defining the region, as well as the impact resulting from the fall of empires across the region.

Pastor Jim Laffoon recommended this book from a prophetic viewpoint. I’ve read this from a missiological lens. Either way, it’s worth a read.

View book here →

It is time to explore further this harsh geography that will be a register of future great-power struggles across the globe, as it always has been in the past. And like in the past, thousands of years of imperial rule will continue to cast a long shadow on politics as it is practiced today, in a region where stability remains a prized commodity.

Five Habits of Faith

We see so many extremes about what faith is in the church world today. As leaders, we need to think biblically to see what Jesus said about faith.

In Mark 11, Jesus describes what faith in God looks like with what I call five habits of faith:

SpeakDon’t DoubtAskBelieveForgive

I pray that God will not only help grow and strengthen your faith but that you will also impart and encourage that faith in those around you.