Smile Away

May 9, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

Sometimes the shortest distance between two people is a simple smile.

I love a scene in The Bourne Identity where Jason and Marie are hatching this highly-detailed plan to get an invoice from a hotel. Marie walks into the hotel lobby to execute their well-designed scheme, and before spy/assassin Jason Bourne has time to walk her through it, Marie is back outside. “What happened? What went wrong?” Jason asks. Marie simply replies, “The man at the desk was smiling at me, so I thought I would simply ask him for the invoice.”

When I was a kid we used to sing a little ditty in Sunday School that went like this —

If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it then your face will surely show it,
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.

Here’s what the Bible says about smiling faces:

Smiling faces make you happy. (Proverbs 15:30)

What a relief to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God! (Genesis 33:10)

When I smiled at them, they could hardly believe it; their faces lit up, their troubles took wing! (Job 29:24)

Don’t just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily, as Christ’s servants doing what God wants you to do. And work with a smile on your face. (Ephesians 6:6)

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God—soon I’ll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He’s my God. (Psalm 42:5)

George Eliot said, “Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl and have wrinkles.”

So if people feel miles away from you, perhaps they’re just a SMILE AWAY.

Try it. Smile! You’ll feel better and others will feel better about you too.

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

A Mother’s Prayer

May 6, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

“Youth fades, love droops, the leaves of friendship fall; a mother’s secret hope outlives them all.” —Oliver Wendell Holmes

I’m glad we get a special day to celebrate Moms. After all, none of us would be here without mothers! There is something unequaled in a Mom…

  • …her kisses heal
  • …her hugs reassure
  • …her counsel directs
  • …her touch soothes
  • …her prayers prevail

I can hardly wait for Mother’s Day to arrive so I can share the special day with my Mom. But I also have the privilege of being able to talk to all of the Moms at Calvary Assembly of God this Sunday about the power in A Mother’s Prayer.

We have a special gift for all of the Moms too! I hope you can join us for a special morning of celebration.

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

Generation iY (book review)

May 5, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I’m going to make a statement about Dr. Tim Elmore’s book Generation iY that I rarely make: This book is a MUST READ for parents and anyone who works with youth!

Yes, a must read. The subtitle of this book is not over-dramatized, but really is an understated truth: Our last chance to save their future.

People who are parents now mostly fall into either the late Baby Boomer or Generation X classification. Our world is so different now than it was when we were kids. The growth in technology use (the “i-world” that Dr. Elmore illuminates so well) makes this generation unique. If we try to parent our kids or mentor Generation iYers using the same techniques parents have used in previous generations, we will lose this generation.

Tim Elmore knows this generation well. He outlines the paradoxes, the marks of (im)maturity, the reasons for their apparent lack of motivation, the incorrect parenting techniques, and the ineffective teaching methods that characterize Gen iY. But Dr. Elmore doesn’t stop at just pointing out all of these things; he gives clear-cut ways we can capture this generation before it’s too late. I wish this book had been available when I first became a parent of a Gen iYer!

If I haven’t made it clear enough already, let me state it again: Generation iY is a must read! The issues are too complex and the stakes are too high for us to miss our opportunity to save the future of this generation.

I am a Poet Gardener book reviewer.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , . 6 Comments »

Thursdays With Oswald—Revised Views Of God

May 5, 2011 — 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.

Revised Views Of God

     The sign of dishonesty in a man’s creed is that he finds out defects in everyone save himself. … Trouble always arises when men will not revise their views of God. … It is a most painful thing for a man to find that his stated views of God are not adequate….

     The man who rests in a creed is apt to be a coward and refuse to come into a personal relationship with God. The whole point of vital Christianity is not the refusal to face things, but a matter of personal relationship.

From Baffled To Fight Better

Every time I read God’s Word I should be confronted with the reality that I don’t know it all. I don’t have it figured out. That’s because the Word is perfect, and I’m not. So the Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to point out flaws in my creeds and theology that need to change.

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

I also need to remember that a creed is a cold, impersonal thing. But my relationship with Jesus Christ is vibrant and personal. Just as I continue to learn new things about my wife (even after 21 years of marriage), I continue to learn new things about my Savior (even after 40+ years of walking with Him).

Changing and revising my creeds is a sign of a mature, healthy relationship.

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

Do You Speak “Teen-ese”?

May 4, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I highly respect the work that Dr. Tim Elmore does with teenagers. Since I have two teenagers in my home, one of his latest blog posts about communicating with teens caught my attention. He asked 16- to 24-year-olds their preferred method of communication. Their response:

1. Text messaging

2. Internet (i.e. Facebook.com)

3. iPods and Podcasts

4. Instant messaging

5. Cell phone

6. DVD / CD

7. Books

8. Email

Email is last? Yep! Not only last, but described by one teen as the method for communicating with “old people.”

Ouch!

But as a parent, if I truly want to communicate with my teenagers, I have to learn to speak Teen-ese. It’s selfish of me to try to ask my teenager to communicate the way I’m most comfortable (that would be email, if you hadn’t guessed). If I’m going to get their attention, I need to speak the way they speak.

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth that he did the same thing. He said, “I try to find common ground with everyone.” Paul’s native language—his most comfortable language—would have been speaking to Jews in the synagogue about Christ fulfilling Old Testament law.

But he stretched himself. He learned to speak to non-Jews … to those who knew nothing about the Hebrew Old Testament … to those who worshipped idols … to those who were humanistic philosophers … to soldiers … to slaves … to government officials … to everyone.

Parents, don’t try to make your teenagers talk to you in your comfortable language.

Learn Teen-ese. Make it a goal to understand them, instead of trying to make them understand you. By this, you will show your love and earn their ear.

(Watch for a review on Dr. Elmore’s latest book—Generation iY—coming later this week.)

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , , . 5 Comments »

A Mighty Fortress

May 3, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

“I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord’s side.” —Abraham Lincoln

I agree with President Lincoln. Prayer changes things. Prayer changes me. Prayer changes my outlook. Prayer keeps me aligned with God’s principles.

Now more than ever, our nation needs Christians to pray. The Apostle Paul said it loud and clear:

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. (1 Timothy 3:1-2)

If our nation is to remain on the Lord’s side we need to be praying for our elected officials. We need to pray that they will have godly wisdom in carrying out their responsibilities. We need to pray that God will keep them safe.

Please join me on the National Day Of Prayer (NDP) this Thursday, May 5. Calvary Assembly of God will be open for prayer from 9am-7pm, and there will be special prayer times at noon and at 6pm.

If you cannot join me at the church, please pray on your own. You can get more information from the NDP Task Force by clicking here.

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

Three For Pastors (book reviews)

May 3, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I consider it such an awesome privilege—and a heavy responsibility—to be called to be a pastor. Despite the challenges, I love doing what I’m doing! And although I don’t want this message to become diminished by over-use, I truly do mean it: I ♥ My Church!

Because I want to be the best pastor I can be, I frequently study the lives of historical pastors, and I try to keep current on thoughts from my contemporaries as well. So, if you are a pastor (or if you want to better support your pastor), here are three books I recently read which I would highly recommend to you.

The Heart Of A Great Pastor by H.B. London and Neil B. Wiseman emphasizes how pastors need to take personal responsibility to make sure they are continually giving their best. From revisiting the call of God on their lives, to maintaining a vibrant private prayer and devotional life, to organizing ministries in the church, pastors can never coast. I love this insight from the authors:

“The God-initiated summons takes us [pastors] into life’s main arena where people wrestle with ultimate issues such as birth, life, death, sickness, broken relationships, health and hope, as well as ambiguities and apprehension. This partnership with God takes us to private and public places and to sorrowful and cheerful places. It is our lifetime ticket to represent Jesus at weddings, hospital waiting rooms, grave sites, baptisms, Holy Communion and life-shaping questions that good people have reason to ask, such as ‘Where is God now?’”

Elite Prayer Warriors by Dave Williams is a renewed call to prayer. I grew up with a cliché ringing in my ears and my heart: The church moves forward on her knees.  If this is true for the church (and I firmly believe it is), it is even more true for pastors who serves the church as her under-shepherd. Elite Prayer Warriors encourages pastors  to raise up a team of people who will commit to the spiritual battle of praying for their pastor.

Then Pastor Dave Williams addresses an area that can derail a church in Toxic Committees And Venomous Boards. I’ll let the cat out of the bag right up front: Pastor Williams states unequivocally that committees are unscriptural. After showing the biblical basis for his claim, he then makes the case for a scriptural form of pastoral support: teams. He says, “Committees meet; teams score!”

I also like this quote in the book from Rick Warren:

“Committees discuss it, but ministries do it. Committees argue, ministries act. Committees maintain, ministries minister. Committees talk and consider, ministries serve and care. Committees discuss needs, ministries meet needs.”

Three outstanding books to help you be the best pastor that God has called you to be.

I am a Decapolis book reviewer.

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

unPlanned (DVD review)

May 2, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

One of the most courageous stories I’ve read comes from an admission that few people will ever make. Abby Johnson, after working for years
as a director of Planned Parenthood, did an abrupt about-face by admitting, “I was wrong.” Her dramatic story is captured in a book and DVD called unPlanned.

In a moment I’ll tell you how you could win a free copy of this powerfully moving DVD.

Although I have heard Abby’s story before, I sat memorized by the story I watched on the DVD. Abby was sucked into the lies that Planned
Parenthood tells themselves and the unsuspecting young women who come to them for advice. The “advice” that is typically given is for these young ladies to have an abortion. Abby tried to reconcile what her employer was telling her with what her parents had taught her, and with what she was seeing in the lives of the pro-life groups praying on the sidewalks outside of her office.

With so many thoughts swirling in her head, it was the love of a pro-life volunteer and a horrific experience as a doctor performed an
abortion at which Abby was assisting, that woke Abby up and led to her staunch pro-life stance. This is a story that deserves all of the attention it can get!

Check out the trailer for this DVD —

I also want to encourage you to be a part of the Unite For Life webcast with Abby Johnson on May 17.

Okay, here’s how you can win a copy of this DVD. To be entered in the drawing (which will take place tomorrow, May 3, at 5pm EDT), do one or both of the following:

  1. Leave a comment below about what you may have already heard about Abby Johnson’s story.
  2. Send the following message via Twitter: Check out “unPlanned” about how @AbbyJohnson left Planned Parenthood …  http://wp.me/pmy10-17d #unplanneddvd

If you are the winner, you will be notified after the drawing on May 3.

I am a Tyndale reviewer.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , . 12 Comments »

Blessing Of Becoming

May 2, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

“When our Lord looked at us, He saw not only what we were—He was faithful in seeing what we could become! He took away the curse of being and gave us the glorious blessing of becoming.” —A.W. Tozer

The word blessing in the Greek is a compound word made up of good + words. Just as Jesus blessed us—said the good word that He prepared us for something more than a life enslaved to sin—shouldn’t we too say good words to others about what they could become?

There is ZERO excuse for anyone who calls themselves a Christian to ever say anything but good words to others. If God only says good words to you and about you, how much more so should Christians be speaking good words to and about others!

Jesus took away the curse of being trapped as we were, and gave us the blessing of becoming who He truly intends for us to be. Let’s do the same thing for other people.

Make a covenant: I will only use my words to bless others; that is, I will only say good words to them and about them. I will speak only those words that tell them about the masterpiece that they are.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , . 2 Comments »
Newer posts »