Sharper

December 18, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

Yesterday was one of those days that I was on “receive” mode. As a pastor I usually spend more days in the “dispense” mode: teaching, counseling, advising. But yesterday I was blessed to sit back and soak in some great counsel. And I’m sharper for it.

It’s too bad that many people never take the time to allow others to advise them. Or, if they do go through the motions of “listening” to advice, they never put that counsel into action.

I met with a seasoned pastor yesterday morning. He asked me several questions to assess where I was personally and professionally, and then he gave me some invaluable insight. He’s one of those “been-there-done-that” guys who has learned the lessons of history well, and he was gracious to share with me.

Last night I invited my Impact teaching team over to my house. After sharing dinner together I listened as they weighed in on our upcoming series in our youth services. Since they are closer in age to our students, their insight into the teenage mind was so keen. They were able to help me better understand the challenges and culture of middle and high school students. And I’m sharper for it.

A few thoughts from some other wise counselors…

“A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels.” – Proverbs 1:5 (KJV)

“Those who will not be counseled, cannot be helped. More souls are ruined by pride than by any other sin whatever.” – Matthew Henry

“Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.” – Proverbs 11:14 (The Message)

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” – Proverbs 15:22 (NIV)

“To accept good advice is to increase one’s own ability.” – Goethe

Are you getting sharper? Are you listening to good advice?

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Relationship Trumps Religion

December 17, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

Last night in our Impact youth service we wrapped up this session of The Q Series: a time where our students submit the questions they want to have answered. I’m always challenged by the questions that get turned into me… they really make me dig deep.

Last night I answered a couple of questions that went like this: “Is Christianity all about keeping the right rules.”

I think there is a misconception that many people have about those who call themselves Christian. One of the most notable ones is: There are way too many rules to follow.

I answered this question with an analogy to my relationship with my wife. If I want a better marriage, would I be better off at following a list of rules, or in developing a more intimate relationship? I think the answer is easy: relationship always trumps rules.

When we begin to think of Christianity as a relationship with Jesus instead of a religion, there is a greater freedom. Look at the change in mindset from religion to relationship —

Clearly relationship with Jesus trumps trying to keep religious rules.

Our students got it. In fact, three of them got it for the first time, and they prayed and asked Jesus to step into a relationship with them! That never gets old for me… in fact, it’s the greatest thing I get to see.

I hope you’re not bound up by religion, but enjoying all of the benefits of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s the best decision you could ever make.

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Primal (book review)

December 16, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

It’s been quite awhile since I have been this excited about a book. Mark Batterson has given us a winner with the release of this third book entitled Primal. I highly recommend that you add this to your 2010 reading list, as this would be a great way to start your new year.

One of the knocks I hear non-churched people level at Christians is, “You have too many rules to follow. It seems like being a Christian is too restrictive.” Unfortunately, far too many people who call themselves Christian live like this. Their definition of Christianity boils down to We can’t do that or We don’t do that or These are the rules.

In Primal Mark Batterson takes us back to the life Jesus intended for His followers to live. Jesus is asked what it takes to be a follower of God, and He answers with this primal phrase, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” This is primal Christianity.

Mark then leads us through a reawakening of what it really means to love God fully in these four areas —

  • Passionate, God-directed and others-focused love.
  • Wide-eyed, awe-struck, transcendent wonder.
  • A searching, engaged, holy curiosity.
  • Energetic, all-encompassing, servant-hearted work.

It’s so simple. It’s so primal. And it’s so liberating to be reminded of the raw essence of living a Spirit-empowered life which is so God-glorifying and Christ-magnifying.

This book gets all five stars.

I am a Multnomah book review blogger (read my disclosure here).

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Grown Up Love

December 15, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

My work space in my office and even in the portable office of my briefcase is filled with special reminders. I have gifts from missionaries, mementoes from coworkers, souvenirs from friends. But my most precious treasures are those handmade expressions of love from my kids. They might be simple bookmarkers or more elaborate statues, but they are from my kids just for me. I wouldn’t trade the world for them.

These gifts remind me how blessed I am to be loved as a Daddy, and “love reminders” are good for anyone at any age.

What would happen, though, if my 15-year-old was still giving me gifts that looked like the gifts he gave me when he was a budding 5-year-old artist? What if my daughter’s gifts looked the same when she was 21-years-old as they did when she was a preschooler? Wouldn’t we say that there might be a development problem?

The great love chapter of the Bible contains this line —

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

Love is supposed to grow up. In other words, our expressions of love should mature.

  • Do I express love to God the same way I did as a “baby” Christian? Or are my expressions maturing?
  • Do I tell Betsy I love her the same I said it nearly 20 years ago when we got married? Or am I finding new ways to say it?
  • Do I express my love to all three of my kids the same way? Or am I learning each of their unique love languages?

How about you: Is your love — and the expression of your love to others — growing up?

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‘Tis The Season

December 14, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

 Just want to get a couple of great family-friendly events on your calendar.

On December 24 is our annual Candlelight Christmas Eve service at 6pm. This is an intimate family time with some hot chocolate, cookes,

Christmas carols, special music and Christmas stories. Make this one-hour service a part of your family tradition.

On December 31 we’re going to rock out the old year and Rock In The New Year. We’ve got several local Christian bands that are going to join us for the fun. Doors open at 7pm. We’ll have lots of games, prizes, food, fun and music. And, best of all, we’re using is as a fundraiser for a great ministry that we support: Latin America Child Care. The cover charge is just $2, and all of our profits are going to LACC.

Two great events… two great nights. Come and join us.

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Nothing Left But Ashes

December 14, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

In the “Your Gift To God” series at Calvary Assembly of God, we have been following the pattern of the gifts that the Magi gave to Jesus as a pattern for the gifts that we, too, should give to God.

First, the Magi gave gold. The king of metals for the King of kings. They acknowledged that this was the Eternal King. Gold is a gift for a king.

The second gift is a bit of a head-scratcher gift: frankincense. This type of incense was used in the Old Testament in worship and sacrifices in the Tent Of Meeting. Incense is a gift for a priest. But would the Magi give a priestly gift to a king?

Jesus came as both King, Priest, and Sacrifice. The frankincense was used as the high priest went from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place to offer the sacrifice of atonement. But look what the Bible says about Jesus —

…Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

And because of what Jesus did for us —

And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.

When we offer a sacrifice of frankincense to Jesus our High Priest, we’re saying, “I trust You with this. I don’t want to carry this any longer. I give it to You completely.” That means what we offer to Him is completely consumed.

Yesterday our congregation wrote down their burdens and concerns and challenges on a slip of paper. Then we brought those concerns to Jesus and burned them up like frankincense in His presence. As I smelled the aroma, I could only imagine the incredible scent that Jesus detected.

All of the concerns people wrote down were reduced to ash yesterday morning!

I believe people were set free! The concerns were burned up like a sacrifice before our High Priest! No longer do they have to carry these heavy loads —

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

Your greatest gift to God could be all of the things that have burdened you for way too long. Give them to Him because He cares for you. Let them be consumed completely, and never pick them up again.

Live free!

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ABC URL Game

December 12, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

Saw this on the ChurchCrunch blog and thought it was fun — and informative. Type the first letter of the alphabet in your browser window and record the first thing that pops up. If you do this too, please share your results in the comments below.

Here’s my list…

Now it’s your turn!

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I Went Back To Middle School

December 11, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

Yesterday morning was the second annual Parent Shadowing Day at Cedar Springs Middle School, so I got to follow my daughter for a couple of hours. It was a little weird being back in middle school after 30+ years, but I had a lot of fun being with my daughter.

Here are a couple of thoughts on my day —

First hour band

  • Got to sit in my old section: percussion. It was all I could do to keep from jumping in on the marimba!
  • A little painful to listen to middle schoolers working their way through a song, but slowly Feliz Navidad and Greensleeves begin to emerge.
  • I love the way band teachers explain music verbally. Mr. Green said to the brass, “You’re supposed to start with a strong staccato ‘Tah!’ but you’re giving me a slurred ‘Blaaah.’”

Second hour computers

  • When I was in middle school we had precisely zero computers… in the whole building! Now each student is sitting at their own work station.
  • I’m amazed at how fast these students are on the computer… but I’m still faster :-)
  • Some kid just sneezed into the sleeve of his sweatshirt. Nice catch! He says, “Eww, gross!” I say, “Better your sleeve than your computer monitor!”
  • My overachieving daughter just completed her project that isn’t due until Dec. 22!

Third hour writing

  • I used to dread going to writing class in middle school, but now I love writing. I’m thankful to Mr. Cochrane who encouraged and invested in my writing skills.
  • The class welcomed a new student who just moved to Cedar Springs. It’s got to be tough to be “the new kid.” I need to remember how that feels so I can make new people feel welcomed.
  • Cool! This class throws around a Koosh ball to help identify who’s supposed to be talking. It’s like having gym in writing class.
  • I love the peer-to-peer editing of each other’s research papers. They have to write down PATS: Praise, Ask a question, Tell something that sticks in their mind, and give a Suggestion. Encouraging encouragement is way cool.
  • The students here are much more quiet and respectful of their teachers than we were in middle school. I’m just saying….

Fourth hour science

  • Fascinating how a folded piece of pre-printed paper and a brass brad can help students learn the position of the sun relative to our latitudinal position in Michigan. And I’m amazed at how quickly the students grasp the concept.
  • We got to leave science early to wish student teacher Miss Nicki a fond farewell. She’s graduating and now looking for a full-time teaching assignment. We celebrated with Tootsie Pops.

What a wonderful experience. It’s so cool to “walk in someone else’s shoes.” I need to make that a more regular discipline in my life.

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Power To Serve (book review)

December 10, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

Smith Wigglesworth: funny-sounding name, but he spoke such powerful, confronting words. Power To Serve was not actually written by Wigglesworth, but spoken by him. This book — like most books that bear his name — are a series of his sermons transcribed for us.

I liked the feel of this book. Instead of the fine polished writing of an accomplished author, these words feel like they are coming right from the mouth of this fiery Pentecostal preacher. Wigglesworth is an expositor of God’s Word with few peers. He takes a passage of Scripture and finds the many facets of life in which to bring its holy application.

This book (as its title suggests) challenged me to think about leadership in terms of servanthood. The greatest of leaders are the greatest of servants. And the best servants are those who serve like Jesus.

This is not a book I could speed-read, but had to digest it slowly as I thought about the application to my own life. Here’s a quote which sums up the head-on, no-holds-barred challenges that these words bring to me —

“The Bible is the plumb line of everything. And unless we are lined right up with the Word of God, we will fail in the measure in which we are not righteous. And so, may God the Holy Spirit bring us into that blessed ministry of righteousness.”

I’m trying to line up to God’s Word. These sermons are a great reminder of just how far I still have to go.

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Confusing Signals

December 9, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

The other day I met a friend for coffee at Biggby Coffee and noticed this sign. In reality the door did take you behind the counter (that’s the “Employees Only” part), and from the behind-the-counter area is the only other exit door from the coffee shop that could be used in case of an emergency (that’s the “Emergency” part).

But when I put the two parts together, it struck me funny. “Are they saying only employees can use the emergency exit? What happens to the rest of us?”

Is this the message Christians send? “Only Christians who know how to behave themselves in a Christian way can come into the Christians-only area of our church and hear how to exit this world.” Sadly, many Christians act this way.

Or should I call them “Christianists”? After all, true Christ-followers act like Jesus and invite everyone behind the counter to hear the good news. All those who truly love Jesus want everyone to know how to find the exit from all the baggage they’ve been carrying around.

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Did you catch that? All of you. The good news about Jesus is for everyone everywhere. Let’s not put a confusing sign on the door, but invite them in to freedom in Christ.

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