Tuesday, August 30, 2011

A View from Steve Arterburn's Window

It was a true priviledge to be able to sit down with Stephen Arterburn in Atlanta last month and listen as he shared his heart about the many facets of his life and ministry. Walking Into Walls is his latest release, but he has many other projects that we as readers can eagerly anticipate.

I hope you will give a warm welcome to Steve Arterburn and we catch a view from his Window!



What projects are you currently working on?

My current project is Walking Into Walls by Worthy Publishing. Next will be the release of The Encounter, a novella by Thomas Nelson, and as all of that is taking place I will be working on another project with Zondervan about the things you need to address before you get married. I forget the exact title, but it’s something like Last Days Before I Do or Is This The One? There are a lot of projects going on right now.


Can you tell us a little about the novella?

The Encounter is about a mother who has abandoned her son, and the son discovers she is not as evil as she was once portrayed to him. The story is based on two true stories that are included at the back of the book. Non-fiction is much easier for me to write, so I had some help on this project. I’m pleased with the end results.


You are a teaching pastor, writer, radio-show host, counselor – how do you balance the many roles of ministry that God has called you to?


I have a lot of great people who help me. God has really brought some very talented people to manage a lot of facets of the ministry, and that frees me to write, speak and teach. The radio show is live for one hour a day, five days a week, and we have to pray and depend on God to provide the answers people need. My teaching pastorship gives me opportunity to meet scriptural challenges and grow in my knowledge of the Word.


What would you consider to be the most prominent ministry need today?


I think that pornography and sexual addiction is a very dangerous problem. The internet has created a private and easy-to-keep-secret problem that people struggle with for a long time before the problem becomes evident. The results of these addictions are devastating, and without a transformation program it is almost impossible for people to recover.


What’s the most exciting thing God is doing in your life right now?


He has allowed me an opportunity to tape an episode of Wheel of Fortune with my daughter. This will be a great memory that we will always share, and I’m really excited about it!


How many children do you have?


I have a 20-year-old daughter, 13 and 12 year old sons from my wife’s previous marriage, a 4-year old son and a 2-year old daughter. And I have a t-shirt that I like to wear that says, “No, I’m not the grandfather.”

Steve was a very delightful person to talk to, and he leads a life that is blessed with God's leadership. He had a real heart for all those whom he serves in ministry, and it was a true honor to be able to spend some time together.





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