In this episode, we sit down with several of our Step Up To Life champions from across Asia—pastors serving in Pakistan, Myanmar, India, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Japan. Through a series of honest, hope-filled conversations, they share how they continue to press forward in ministry amid persecution and ongoing financial challenges, while faithfully bringing the gospel into prisons, their local communities, and school children. You’ll hear how they are using Step Up To Life as a simple, powerful tool to communicate the gospel more clearly and effectively within their own cultures and networks. As you listen, we invite you to join us in praying for a smooth, fruitful season of ministry as these leaders return home and multiply what God is doing through them.

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https://youtu.be/oFhq-9ucRSc?si=x7LMx8gNoxMIarNJ

Support the show

www.StepUpToLife.com

Modern psychology is often shaped by humanism and self-definition—frameworks that conflict with biblical anthropology. Many pastors sense that tension but feel unsure how to navigate it faithfully.

In this episode of Ministry Minded, Lincoln Murdoch and Nick Bank are joined by licensed therapist Joe Slabaugh of CityCare Counseling (Omaha, NE) for an honest, theologically serious conversation about Scripture, counseling, discernment, and the care of souls.

Joe draws from his background in ministry and clinical counseling to explain:

• Why the “Bible vs. counseling” tension persists in doctrinally serious churches
• How much of modern therapy is rooted in humanistic assumptions
• Why discernment—not rejection or uncritical acceptance—is the biblical path forward
• How the doctrine of common grace helps Christians evaluate counseling wisely
• The difference between distress, dysfunction, trauma, and ordinary pain
• Why shame is often the hidden root beneath anxiety, depression, and relational breakdown
• How confidentiality and structure make counseling distinct from casual pastoral conversations
• Why many pastors carry loneliness and emotional weight in silence
• What pastors and church leaders should actually look for when evaluating a counselor
• How Joe incorporates the Step Up To Life gospel framework in counseling when appropriate—without violating ethical or professional boundaries

This is not an argument for replacing Scripture with psychology.
It is a call to clearer theological thinking, wiser pastoral discernment, and more faithful care of human souls.

This episode is especially for:

• Pastors and elders who take the sufficiency of Scripture seriously
• Ministry leaders wary of secular ideologies
• Christians who care deeply about soul care, discipleship, and spiritual health
• Anyone trying to understand whether counseling can be approached biblically

You don’t need less conviction.
You need clearer discernment.

Guest: Joe Slabaugh, Licensed Therapist – CityCare Counseling
Featuring: Lincoln Murdoch, Executive Director – Step Up To Life
Host: Nick Bank, U.S. National Director – Step Up To Life

CityCare Counseling:
https://www.citycarecounseling.org/

Support the show

www.StepUpToLife.com

What started as gathering of believers has become a living picture of what God can do when generations say yes together. In this episode, C.J. Greiner and Nick Failla share the story behind an unexpected church gathering that began drawing Gen Z—and quickly revealed a deeper calling neither of them saw coming. What they thought was a moment turned into a mandate: to shepherd a community where older and younger believers walk side by side as one family.

C.J. and Nick unpack how God invited them into leading together, bridging generational gaps so that seasoned saints could step into their role as spiritual mothers and fathers, and younger believers could be formed, grounded, and sent. They challenge the modern idea of “revival culture,” explaining that revival isn’t about chasing the next emotional high, conference, or moment—but about cultivating Christian discipline, shared life, and faithfulness rooted in ancient community and the practices of the early church.

This conversation is a call back to something deeper:

• A church shaped by relationship, not hype
• Spiritual formation over spiritual consumption
• Intergenerational discipleship as God’s design
• Revival as a sustained way of life, not a fleeting experience

If you’re hungry for a faith that lasts, a church that feels like family, and a vision of revival grounded in history, humility, and holiness—this episode is for you.

Pastor C.J.'s Book: https://a.co/d/70HqU9Q

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www.StepUpToLife.com