Spiritual wake-up call prompts Shire Salvo to publish devotional

Sean Nolan (front left) with the Shire Salvos leadership team during a planning meeting for The Way He Walked series, in which congregation members will read the book together for three weeks.

BY LAUREN MARTIN

In 2024, Salvationist Sean Nolan had a heart-wrenching realisation: he was “educated beyond his level of repentance”.

The pastor, theologian and director of the Great Commission Institute in southern Sydney responded by getting on his knees and asking Jesus to show him how to get the basics of his walk with the Lord right.

The devotional is available to purchase now.

The result wa a change in his relationship with God, and the birth of a new book, The Way He Walked, a 21-day-devotional that invites people to move beyond just knowing about Jesus, to “truly walking with him”.

Territorial Commander Commissioner Miriam Gluyas has endorsed the new publication, saying it is a “heartfelt and practical guide for believers seeking deeper intimacy with God”.

The book takes people on a journey shaped by Jesus’ invitation to Peter to “follow me”. It outlines four key steps for walking with Jesus: hearing his invitation, leaving the past behind, learning his way, and leading others to him.

“We must grasp that the Holy Spirit comes to lead us to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which changes everything,” said Sean, who attends Shire Salvos Menai with his wife, Jenna, and their childen.

“Understanding this simple truth is the key driver of change in the Christian life and local church. That’s why I’ve written The Way He Walks – a 21-day journey to deeply experience the change Jesus offers.” 

Author Sean Nolan and the book’s editor, Julia Hosking, with the first copies of the 21-day devotional series, The Way He Walked.

Shire Salvos purchased a bulk order of the book for its congregation to go through as a church series. Other corps are also planning to do the same.

“The book can be engaged with in three ways, as a church-wide series, a life-group series, or for people to individually read the book,” said Sean.

“I’ve never seen pastors respond so favourably. I just gave some church leaders I know a book each and had a coffee with them, and a bunch of them have come back to me and put in significant orders to go through the three-week series with their church.”

Sean has been a pastor, church planter and denominational leader in Sydney for the past 25 years. He has also been on the executive of several evangelistic outreaches for the Billy Graham Crusade and Nicky Cruz.

Sean and his wife, Jenna.

He holds a doctorate in Theology and currently directs the Great Commission Institute, a Sydney College of Divinity-linked learning institution that offers a part-time online Diploma of Ministry and a part-time on-campus Diploma of Ministry in southern Sydney.

You can purchase Sean’s book at his website by clicking here.

If corps or churches wish to purchase in bulk, they can do so at a significant discount compared with buying the book individually. Individual purchases can be made on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Koorong.