Tribes (book review)

September 13, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

Seth Godin’s work is always thought-provoking. I know that he is mainly writing for a business audience, but I find his comments applicable to the church world (not to mention my personal world) as well.

I “read” Tribes in the audiobook format over a period of several weeks of drive time. I found myself frequently hitting the button which backs up the recording for 30 seconds. After I would replay a section, I would often press “pause” to reflect on the insights Seth had just read to me.

Instead of my usual book review format, I thought I’d just share with you some of the quotes which have been rolling around in my mind:

“Leaders don’t have things happen to them; leaders do things.”

“Faith is critical to all innovation. Without faith, it’s suicidal to be a leader. Religion, on the other hand, represents a strict set of rules that our fellow humans have overlaid on top of our faith. Religion supports the status quo and encourages us to fit in, not to stand out.”

“The best time to change your business [or church] model is when you still have momentum.”

“The tactics of leadership are easy; the art of leadership is hard.”

“Leaders challenge the status quo. Leaders create a culture around their goal, and involve others in that culture. Leaders have an extraordinary amount of curiosity about the world they’re trying to change. Leaders use charisma in a variety of forms to attract and motivate followers. Leaders communicate their vision of the future. Leaders commit to a vision and make decisions based on that commitment. Leaders connect their followers to one another.”

“You can’t manage without knowledge; you can’t lead without imagination.”

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , . Leave a Comment »

Rush Limbaugh: An Army Of One (book review)

September 13, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

I remember the first time I heard Rush Limbaugh’s baritone voice coming over the airwaves of WXYZ in Detroit. I was just coming back to my office from lunch, and I was compelled to stay in my car in the parking lot to listen to this man with the unusual name, and even more unusual delivery of ideas. Rush Limbaugh: An Army Of One by Zev Chafets is just as compelling as the radio personality he chronicles.

Like him or hate him, you cannot ignore him. Rush Limbaugh has single-handedly changed talk radio. He already holds places in the National Broadcasting Hall of Fame because his radio audience is larger than any other in history. For three hours every afternoon, Rush broadcasts from behind “the golden EIB microphone” to listeners anxious to hear his irreverent and convincing confrontation and refutation of liberal ideology.

Maybe, like me, you’ve wondered what made Rush the broadcaster that he is. Or maybe you wondered what Rush is like during the other 21 hours of the day. Zav Chafets book is a no-holds-barred, full-access, behind-the-scenes look at this conservative icon.

If you are a fan, this book will give you a greater appreciation of the genius of his delivery. If you’re a hater, well, this book won’t do anything to change your mind. Zav is clearly not a “Dittohead,” but he is clearly impressed by this radio giant.

As Zav states in his closing words:

Even after more than twenty years there are still many people who refuse to accept that Limbaugh is more than an entertainer, a pitchman, or a hot-air balloon. These are the same people who mistook [Ronald] Reagan for an amiable dunce. Two decades should have been enough to convince even the most obtuse that Rush Limbaugh is someone you underestimate or ignore at your own peril. He can’t be wished away or shouted down or sniffed into irrelevance. Smart liberals will listen to him, even if they hate what he has to say. The easily outraged, will be. Those with a sense of humor will find themselves laughing despite themselves. Presidents and politicians come and go, but Rush Limbaugh, equipped now with a clean bill of health and accompanied by a lovely new wife (and, who knows, maybe a future Rush Hudson Limbaugh IV), and in undisputed control of the conservative movement, is ready for the next act. He has often said that he doesn’t intend to quit until he has convinced every liberal in the country. He’s not in a hurry, either. His grandfather, the original Rush Hudson Limbaugh, didn’t retire until he was 103 years old.

A very informative, enjoyable read.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Outlive Your Life (book review)

September 10, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

When I hear “Max Lucado has a new book coming out,” I’m like a kid waiting for Christmas! And just like those kids on Christmas morning, when I received Outlive Your Life, I tore into this book, and scarcely put it down until I devoured it.

I love the concept: The impact your life makes can live on far after your physical life has ended here. To make his case, Max uses the example of Jesus’ first disciples whose dedication to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ has far outlived their first-century lives. Specifically, Max uses the first twelve chapters of Acts as the disciples begin this work right after Jesus has ascended back into heaven.

Max uses examples from 33 AD to show us a 2010 AD life application. What the original disciples did then, we 21st-century disciples can do now. As always, Max digs such timely truths out of the Scripture that makes it seem so relevant for today. For right now!

At the back of the book is a discussion and action guide which opens with the words, “Max wants you to do more than read about the book of Acts. He wants you to live out the twenty-ninth chapter, writing the story of the church for your generation.” I found both the discussion questions and action ideas personally challenging, and great conversation-starts for a small group or a Bible study.

It’s almost automatic that I give Max Lucado’s books an unreserved five-out-of-five stars, and this book is no exception. You’ll find so much in this book to apply to your life, your church, your ministry. And here’s another bonus: Max Lucado is giving 100% of his royalties to charities such as World Vision who are helping to make a life-changing difference in our world.

I am a Thomas Nelson book reviewer.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , . 1 Comment »

Thursdays With Oswald—Why Should I Do What I Ought To Do?

September 9, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Oswald Chambers. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Oswald” in the search box to read more entries.

Why Should I Do What I Ought To Do?

      We imagine that if we obey authority we limit ourselves, whereas obedience to authority is not a limitation but a source of power; by obeying we are more. Naturally we are built to command, not to obey; man was originally constituted by God to have dominion—“And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion…” (Genesis 1:26 ); consequently there is the natural desire to want to explain things, because everything we can explain we can command. Spiritually, we are built not to command, but to obey. Always beware of the tendency to want to have things explained; you may take it as an invariable law that when you demand an explanation in connection with a moral problem it means you are evading obedience.

From Biblical Ethics

“God, if You will just tell me why I have to do this, then I’ll do it” doesn’t work. I simply must trust and obey.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Others First

September 8, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.

I have a friend who has a photo album on Facebook called “Me.” The description says, “Sometimes it is just all about me.” And, sure enough, all of the pictures in that album are just her. I know her well enough to know that this is tongue-in-cheek, because she is not a self-absorbed prima donna.

Sadly, some Christian leaders exhibit the It’s-All-About-Me attitude. This really irks me, especially because we see the exact opposite characteristic in Jesus.

Let me key in on just one example from His public ministry. John the baptizer has just been martyred by King Herod. John was Jesus’ cousin. I’m not sure if you’ve ever had a loved one martyred or even murdered, but I’m sure we’ve all lost a loved one at some point. It might be a little easier to take if we saw it coming, but the sudden deaths always jar us the most. We have to have time to grieve our loss.

Jesus had all of the same emotional responses that you and I have, and He wanted some time away to grieve. He got into a boat with His disciples and headed to a remote place on the other side of the lake. Looking for a little time alone to grieve the death of His cousin, Jesus was met by a huge crowd. He would have been perfectly justified in saying, “Not today.” Or even in saying, “I’m going to let My disciples pray with you today.” Instead, Jesus put the needs of others first.

  • Jesus healed all who were sick
  • He taught them
  • Then He provided food for the nearly 10,000 people who were there
  • After the meal, Jesus sent His disciples (who also needed some grieving time) back across the lake without Him
  • Jesus stayed behind and dismissed the entire crowd. I sort of imagine Him hugging people, shaking hands, and continuing to listen to the questions and concerns of everyone

It was only after this that Jesus went up into the hills to spend some time alone in prayer.

Yes, leaders have to take care of themselves and their people. But good leaders take care of others first.

I unpack this idea in even great detail in my book Shepherd Leadership. If you want to be used as a leader, you must allow the Holy Spirit to cultivate this others-first attitude in you.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Happy New (School) Year

September 7, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

This is a new year for many people, especially students heading to college, or families with school-aged children. We’re all coming out of the fun-and-sun times of the summer, and it’s time to get back to a more normal routine.

With this return to routine, many people make New (School) Year’s resolutions. If you’re going to make them, you should do your best to keep them, don’t you think? So here are a few quick bullet points from my message on Sunday.

  • Check your motivation—be motivated by something which will last into eternity.
  • Set realistic goals—we often overestimate what we can get done in a day, and underestimate what we can get done in a year.
  • Don’t quit when you slip—there’s always slip-ups with new things, so be prepared for it, and don’t throw in the towel when it happens.
  • Start now—the Bible uses the word today twice as often as tomorrow, and uses now 1000 times more than later. Get the point? Don’t wait!

And two more tips that may help:

Guys—studies show you are more likely to follow through on your resolutions if you set specific goals (like: read one chapter a day, or exercise for 30 minutes three times a week).

Ladies—studies also show you are more like to stick with your resolutions if you tell a friend what you have resolved to do differently, and then ask that friend to follow up with you.

Happy new (school) year!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , . 3 Comments »

Permission To Speak Freely (book review)

September 7, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

I was first introduced to Anne Jackson’s writings through her blog. Something about the raw honesty in the way she wrote was instantly both compelling and confronting. When Mad Church Disease came out, I devoured it in a couple of days. With Permission To Speak Freely, I couldn’t put it down, finishing it the first day I received it.

I say that Anne’s writing is both compelling and confronting. Compelling because her words create in me a desire to want to be the kind of Christian that loves people and embraces them just as they are, just as Jesus showed us. And confronting because I know I am so far away from this.

Permission To Speak Freely addresses a real problem in the church: we don’t let people speak freely. At least, not people with “problems.” People who appear to have their act together, who know how to quote Scripture left and right, who never have a bad day, who always say and do the right things, those are the kind of people that can speak up in our churches. But those who are asking the tough questions, those who are hurting, those who aren’t sure Jesus is for them, those who don’t know how to “behave” in church, those are the kind of people who need to keep quiet. Tough words, I know; but sadly, they are true more times than not.

Anne goes first. She steps out from behind the I’ve-got-it-all-together façade and tells us what sort of struggles she had and has. She gives us “the Gift Of Going Second.” She breaks the ice, she pulls down the churchy barriers so that the rest of us can say, “Yeah, that’s me too.”

Part of this book reads like Anne’s memoirs. But then there’s the poetry, and the artwork, and the handwritten postcards with real people confessing real hurts and real questions. This book grabbed my heart and made me take a hard look at how I expect people to act in church. My kids are PK’s (preacher’s kids) just as Anne was, so I had to take a look at my expectations for them. I confronted my expectations for the families and individuals in our congregation.

I believe that is what this book will do most for you: cause you to confront the way you’ve always believed people should act in church. I looked at myself, and I found myself needing to extend more grace. Thanks, Anne, for being transparent enough to get me to take an honest look at my own life.

I highly, highly recommend this book to you.

I am a Thomas Nelson book reviewer.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , . 1 Comment »

Loyalty

September 6, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.

How would you define loyalty? All of the dictionary definitions have to do with faithfulness. It’s almost implied that there is a blindness (at worst), or a dogged persistence (at best), to remain loyal to a person or to an idea. The thinking goes, “If I’m loyal to someone, like it or not, I become their Yes-man.”

But I think…

Loyalty is not telling people what they want to hear, but what they need to hear.

For an example, take the prophet Nathan in the Bible. We don’t know how old he is when he steps on the scene, or even where he came from. There isn’t a clue as to his tribal ancestry or even his father’s name.

King David wanted to build a temple for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and he asked Nathan about this. Nathan immediately said, “Yes!” (kinda reinforces that idea of loyalty = Yes-man, doesn’t it?) But wait! That night, God speaks to Nathan and says, “Tell David he’s not the one to build the temple for Me.” So Nathan returns to David and loyally tells him no.

Later on, David steals another man’s wife and contrives a plan to have that man murdered on the battlefield. David thinks he’s gotten away with it until Nathan, the loyal friend, shows up to confront David with his sin. Nathan didn’t want to see David fail, but he wanted to give him a chance to confess and repent.

Near the end of David’s life, one of David’s sons, Adonijah, wanted to take the throne for himself. Many of the officials in David’s palace jumped on the bandwagon, but loyal Nathan did not. In fact, Nathan even got word to the King about Adonijah’s plans. As a result, David asked Nathan to anoint his son Solomon as king.

During David’s life, Nathan wrote David’s biography. If Nathan was just a mindless Yes-man, he could have easily left out the messy parts of David’s life. But the loyal friend wanted to show future readers that we all mess up, but God forgives and restores us when we repent.

Nathan’s name means the gift God gave or a giver. Both meanings fit this loyal man.

David was so blessed by Nathan’s loyalty that he named one of his own sons after the prophet.

Loyal friends give their friends the gift of life. They don’t let friends go down a destructive path. They don’t join with others when they attack. They remain constant, always-there, friends.

What a blessing to be called a loyal friend! And what an even greater blessing to have “Nathans” in our own lives!

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

They’re Both Dissin’

September 5, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

Check out these opening paragraphs from an article on WebMD (if you wish, you can read the full article here):

     People over 50 get a self-esteem boost when they read negative news about young adults, a study shows.

     Researchers also say young people, when given the choice, would rather read about people their own age and aren’t very interested in stories about their elders, whether the articles are positive or negative.

     “Our results reflect that the younger readers did not perceive older people as all that relevant,” study researcher Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, PhD, of Ohio State University, tells WebMD by email. “They’re more concerned with figuring out who they are and where they stand, and those in the same age group appear to provide the relevant comparisons for that.”

Okay, this disturbs me on several areas. Basically, each age group is dissin’ the other age group.

The senior citizens are projecting a snickering, see-I-told-you, father-knows-best, condescending attitude on youth. Why would anyone who is willing to learn and grow want to be around that kind of person?!

Then our youth have an I’ve-got-it-all-figured-out, I-don’t-need-you, you’re-out-of-touch attitude toward the senior citizens. Why would anyone who is willing to mentor someone ever want to be that kind of person?!

I think both of these generational groups could learn from this wise advice:

Children, do what your parents tell you. This is only right. “Honor your father and mother” is the first commandment that has a promise attached to it, namely, “so you will live well and have a long life.” Fathers, don’t exasperate your children by coming down hard on them. Take them by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Andy Stanley & Jim Collins

September 4, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

Powerful video for church leaders—

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , . Leave a Comment »
« Older posts
Newer posts »