Gerald Murphy Encourages Revival

Gerald Murphy (’13) had one goal in mind for the campus of Ohio Christian University as he spoke during Fall 2019 Revival Week, and that was to have an encounter with Christ.

Murphy, a graduate of Ohio Christian, encouraged students to let go of their former selves and take on their new identity as sons and daughters of God. In order to take on this new identity, Murphy said that one must first stop self-identifying as a sinner saved by grace. “If you continue to call yourself a sinner,” he said, “you’re going to keep acting like one.”

Next, one must stop relying on their own actions or things outside of Christ to save them. “It wasn’t what you did that saved you, Jesus did that by dying on the cross,” Murphy said.

Lastly, Murphy explained that Christians must stop waiting for their insecurity to be gone before committing to following Jesus. “You’re going to give yourself to something. Why not give it to the One who made life?” he asked.

As a child of God, it is important to seek out and cling to His presence. “Whatever you get excited about, find out if God’s presence is really greater,” he said, referencing Psalm 84:10. If believers make the presence of God the most important factor in their lives, they can have a greater impact. “It wasn’t the shout that made the walls of Jericho fall,” Murphy said. “It was the presence of God that went before them.”

Murphy challenged students to remember they have an amazing opportunity to show Jesus to the people around them. It is the prayer of Ohio Christian that the events of Revival Week will continue to help students grow stronger in faith, causing a change in the community around them, as they develop into world-impacting servant leaders.