Strengths Formula

June 11, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

God wants you to be yourself, but not as you can make you. But to be the “you” He created you to be. Part of what He implanted in you was certain gifts, talents, and abilities. To the extent that you allow the Holy Spirit to (1) reveal these gifts to you, and (2) turn these gifts into strengths, you will find more joy in being “you” as your “you” builds up the Body of Christ.

Just before listing some of the innumerable spiritual gifts God reveals in humanity, the apostle Paul says this:

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. (Romans 12:3)

Does that sound contradictory at all: Do not think…but rather think?

The root word is the same in each usage (phroneo in the Greek), but the prefix is what sets them apart from each other.

  • The first has the prefix hyper-. That means it’s overly analyzed, overly concerned = self-focused. 
  • The second time the prefix is soph- (meaning “wise”). This is sound thinking, big-picture thinking = others-focused.

The Holy Spirit gives you sophroneo thinking to reveal your God-implanted gifts and talents to benefit others—to benefit the whole Body of Christ. He helps us turn our talents into strengths by using a formula like this:

Passions + Talents + Your Obedience = Strength for the Body

Pay attention to your passionate responses to situations, as they will reveal to you some of your gifts.

Listen to areas where others say you are talented. This will help you know how God has wired you.

Then you must be obedient to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in how to use your talents. If you let them sit on the shelf, they will never become strengths. Strengths develop when you passionately and obediently use your God-given talents for God’s glory.

The Holy Spirit wants to help you in all of these areas. Will you let Him?

If you’ve missed any of the messages in the Immersed series, you can find them all here.

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What Would Jesus Read? (book review)

June 10, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Many people are familiar with the phrase that goes with the acrostic WWJD: What Would Jesus Do. But I was very intrigued to see WWJR, which turns out to be an interesting book What Would Jesus Read? by Joe Amaral.

The premise behind the book is a historical setting. As the Jews were dispersed into captivity after Jerusalem fell, there was no longer a Temple to serve as the gathering place for religious worship, nor was there a central location for the storing and preservation of the scrolls which made up what we now refer to as the Old Testament of the Bible. The Jews themselves were now going to be the keepers of Scripture, and their homes would be the places of worship. So the Jewish rabbis divided up the biblical texts into daily reading portions, and distributed these among the scattering Jewish families. So each day of each week, a different portion of Scripture was read, and meditated on, and memorized so that it could be passed on to future generations.

So by following the reading plan in What Would Jesus Read you will be participating in a 2500-year-old tradition. It’s pretty cool to think of Bible reading that way!

Each day includes a portion of Old Testament scripture to read, and a brief devotional thought from Joe Amaral. It’s a great way to join your heart and thoughts to a tradition that started so long ago, and still continues today.

I am a FaithWords book reviewer.

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Scriptural Surprises

June 10, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Charles Spurgeon wrote:

“Scripture grows upon the student. It is full of surprises. Under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, to the searching eye it glows with splendor of revelation.”

I love this!

I cannot count how many times I read my Bible and do a double-take. I look again and think to myself, “I don’t think that was there the last time I read that passage!” That’s probably because I wasn’t ready for it earlier.

In the comments below, share something surprising you’ve read in the Bible recently.

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God’s Truth, Not Your Comfort

June 8, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Some time ago I was asked to speak in a church setting outside of my church. The audience was a blend of people from all different church backgrounds, and perhaps even some without any church background. I talked about the hopelessness of trying to pay-off our sin debt on our own, and the amazing love that Jesus showed when He paid our debt in full.

After the service, a couple of pastors in the audience wanted to speak with me about my message. They were moved by what they called “the impact” of the message, and especially about the way I called sin “sin.” As I spoke with them further, I discovered that they were somewhat hesitant to speak so openly and plainly about sin, because it unsettled some people in their congregations.

But here is the sober reality—

The Word of God IS unsettling because we cannot read it or hear it and remain unchanged.

Our job as pastors or preachers is to speak the Word. When we do, the Holy Spirit will bring the necessary conviction and pull hearts toward repentance. Here’s what Oswald Chambers wrote about this:

“When we preach, we are not simply proclaiming how people can be saved from Hell and be made moral and pure; we are conveying good news about God.

“In the teachings of Jesus Christ the element of judgment is always brought out—it is the sign of the love of God. Never sympathize with someone who finds it difficult to get to God; God is not to blame. It is not for us to figure out the reason for the difficulty, but only to present the truth of God so that the Spirit of God will reveal what is wrong. The greatest test of the quality of our preaching is whether or not it brings everyone to judgment. When the truth is preached, the Spirit of God brings each person face to face with God Himself.”

Pastor, just speak the truth. You’re not trying to win a popularity contest, but to share with people how to step into a deeper relationship with God Almighty!

One final thought from Chambers: “Never water down the truth of God. Let it have its way and never apologize for it.”

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Thursdays With Oswald—Practice, Practice, Practice

June 7, 2012 — 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.

Practice, Practice, Practice 

     If we do not go on practicing day by day and week by week, working out what God has worked in, when a crisis comes God’s grace is there right enough, but our nature is not. Our nature has not been brought into line by practice and consequently does not stand by us, and down we go and then we blame God. We must bring our bodily life into line by practicing day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment, then when the crisis comes we shall find not only God’s grace but our own nature will stand by us, and the crisis will pass without any disaster at all, but exactly the opposite will happen, the soul will be built up into a stronger attitude towards God. 

From Biblical Psychology

Allen Iverson (in)famously said, “We’re talking practice. Not a game, not a game, not a game. We’re talking practice.”

Guess what? As Christians, we cannot skip practice.

If we want to be victorious in the big things, we have to practice doing the little, moment-by-moment things right. We cannot just flip a switch and win a victory.

Do you want to be successful? You’ve got to practice!

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

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The Land Of Gospel Gall

June 6, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Guest Blogger Dick Brogden

This Saturday Jenn and I took the boys to the dollar theatre to see the claymation film Pirates: Band of Misfits. A half-hour in I was in so much pain (could have been the British humor). I left the theatre and walked around the parking lot, vomiting a few times. I tried to tough it out but the pain got worse so I went back in and asked Jenn to take me to the hospital. Dignity seems to be an optional thing. I was writhing in the car and karate kicking the air until the medics could get some pain medicine into me. My gall bladder had declared war. I was admitted to the hospital, and Sunday morning the surgeons went in and Mr. Gall is gone.

Being wheeled on the stretcher to my room, exposed and vulnerable, I noticed my attendant was from the Middle East. His name was Mohammed and he is from Cairo. I told him I loved his country, loved Muslims, loved Jesus, and wanted him to go to Heaven. We had a nice little conversation about the Gospel and Jesus the only sin bearer. I dug him no well, I gave him no water, I taught him no English—he in fact was serving me kindly and gently, but I was able to tell him about Jesus. Who knows, maybe for the first time.

A YWAM friend of mine in Egypt some years ago, decided to take the Gospel literally by not taking anything. He made an exception for a toothbrush which he stuck in his pocket and then he began to walk through the desert, from village to village. Some villages were distant and he would stumble into them hot, thirsty, dirty, and fatigued. The Muslims would take him in, feed him, host him, give him a white robe, wash his clothes, and care for him. He had nothing to give them, nothing to offer back—except everything. He sat with them in their living rooms and shared with them the Gospel—what God has done in Christ.

I am not the gospel. You are not the gospel. The gospel is what God has done, is doing, and will do in Christ. We (in the West) increasingly believe in the Gospel plus. Embarrassed of the exclusive claims of Christ, some of our action (not all) is because we want to self-adorn the gospel. Truth is, God is true and the gospel stands whether or not I am false or laid out on a stretcher. The gall of the Gospel is that it is not about me, it’s not about what I do—the Gospel is all about what God has done in Christ.

Do not read this as a call to license, to falsehood, or to removal from the world. We attack evil wherever we find it, we minister in word, sign, and deed to body, soul, and spirit—but let’s remember that we and what we do is not the gospel. Let’s proclaim the good news about what God has done in Christ. Let’s do it from weakness—Gospel Gall—it really is not about us or what we can give. God gave His only Son. What can we possibly add to that?

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Filled To Be Emptied

June 5, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

This is a post especially for my pastor friends. 

Dear Friend,

I know you have a lot on your mind. You’re probably reviewing how Sunday went and thinking about what you’re going to share next Sunday. You’ve probably got a pretty full agenda this week: staff meetings, board meetings, maybe a counseling appointment or two, and a hospital visit. There’s lots happening (there always is, right?).

Can I break into your week to ask you a simple question: What did you read in your Bible this morning for you? You know, your personal devotional time—what was God’s Word saying just to you?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote this:

“We are reading the Word of God as God’s Word for us. Therefore, we do not ask what this text has to say to other people. For those of us who are preachers that means we will not ask how we would preach or teach on this text, but what it has to say to us personally.”

Here’s a simple principle: You cannot give to others what you have not received yourself. So you need to be filled up so that you can be emptied out.

Although your week may be busy, please, please, please take the time to read God’s Word for yourself. It will help you and your congregation as well.

May God fill you and then empty you, my friend, for His glory!

Cheering you on, I am your friend,

Craig

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Why Would You Go Through It?

June 4, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

The process we call sanctification is usually not a lot of fun. At least not in the moment the Holy Spirit is doing His work on us.

I like to remember the definition of sanctification by saying it this way: saint-ification. Literally, the Holy Spirit is making us into saints.

So why would you or I want to go through that saint-ification process?

Is it so others will admire us? Is it so we will become the example for everyone else to follow? No!

We go through it because it glorifies God when we become saints.

And notice this: the word is saintS (plural, not singular). If you search through the New Testament you will find that this word is always in the plural. There are no singular saints. The Holy Spirit saint-ifies us to bring unity to the Body of Christ.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:5-6)

Think of your physical body. You go through the process of dieting or exercising for the benefit of the entire body. Your tastebuds may really want to savor some junk food, but for the good of the whole body, you go through the discipline of eating the healthy food. Your legs may not want to go for that jog, but for the good of the whole body, you push through your exercise routine.

It’s the same way spiritually: The Holy Spirit helps you become saint-ified for the good of the whole Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit wants you to mature as a saint so that you can help other saintS, and together the unified Body of Christ can glorify God.

So allow the Holy Spirit to take you through the saint-ification process, because other saintS need your help. And God will be glorified as you do!

If you’ve missed any of the messages in the Immersed series, you can find them all here.

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Sinful Nature Versus Spiritual Nature

June 3, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

As a part of our Immersed series, I handed out a sheet contrasting the sinful nature and the Spirit-led nature, as seen in Romans 8. Several folks have asked if they could have an electronic version of this, and I’m more than happy to make this available.

Click this link to download the PDF version of this graphic → Sinful versus Spiritual ←

If you’ve missed any of the messages in the Immersed series, you can find them all here.

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Give All Your Concerns To God

June 2, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall. (Psalm 55:22)

“Care, even though exercised upon legitimate objects, if carried to excess, has in it the nature of sin. The precept to avoid anxious care is earnestly inculcated by our Savior, again and again; it is reiterated by the apostles; and it is one which cannot be neglected without involving transgression: for the very essence of anxious care is the imagining that we are wiser than God, and the thrusting ourselves into His place to do for Him that which He has undertaken to do for us. We attempt to think of that which we fancy He will forget; we labor to take upon ourselves our weary burden, as if He were unable or unwilling to take it for us. Now this disobedience to His plain precept, this unbelief in His Word, this presumption in intruding upon His province, is all sinful. Yet more than this, anxious care often leads to acts of sin. He who cannot calmly leave his affairs in God’s hand, but will carry his own burden, is very likely to be tempted to use wrong means to help himself. This sin leads to a forsaking of God as our Counselor, and resorting instead to human wisdom. This is going to the broken cistern instead of to the fountain; a sin which was laid against Israel of old. Anxiety makes us doubt God’s lovingkindness, and thus our love to Him grows cold; we feel mistrust, and thus grieve the Spirit of God, so that our prayers become hindered, our consistent example marred, and our life one of self-seeking. Thus want of confidence in God leads us to wander far from Him; but if through simple faith in His promise, we cast each burden as it comes upon Him, and are careful for nothing because He undertakes to care for us, it will keep us close to Him, and strengthen us against much temptation.” —Charles Spurgeon 

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