June | 2016 | Craig T. Owens

June 2016
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5 Quotes On Love’s Endurance From “The Seven Laws Of Love”

June 11, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

In The Seven Laws Of Love, Dave Willis gives us some highly practical, biblically-based counsel for investing in all of our relationships. Normally when I share quotes from books, I share all of them at once, but for this book I felt like it would be good to share these quotes a bit more slowly, to give you time to read them and apply them.

The seven laws Dave identifies are:

Love requires commitment (read the quotes here)
Love selflessly sacrifices (read the quotes here)
Love speaks truth (read the quotes here)
Love conquers fear (read the quotes here)
Love offers grace (read the quotes here)
Love brings healing (read the quotes here)
Love lives forever

From law #7, here are some quotes on how love lives forever—

“Make a deliberate decision right now to stop wasting time and start putting first things first. Give the very best of yourself to your loved ones, not the leftovers after you’ve given your best to everyone and everything else.”

“Don’t take yourselves too seriously, but don’t take your commitments too lightly. Live life with conviction and purpose, but make plenty of room for fun. Laughter should be the soundtrack of your relationships.”

“Fight for each other, but never fight against each other. In every disagreement, remember that your relationship is much more important than whatever you’re arguing about.”

“Love isn’t a story with a happy ending. Love is a story with no ending!”

“Don’t treat others the way they treat you; treat others the way God treats you.”

Check out my review of The Seven Laws Of Love by clicking here.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: book review, Dave Willis, disagreement, eternity, fun, God's love, laughter, love, love others, priority, quotes, relationships. Leave a Comment »

7 Quotes On Healing From “The Seven Laws Of Love”

June 9, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

The seven laws Dave identifies are:

Love requires commitment (read the quotes here)
Love selflessly sacrifices (read the quotes here)
Love speaks truth (read the quotes here)
Love conquers fear (read the quotes here)
Love offers grace (read the quotes here)
Love brings healing
Love lives forever

From law #6, here are some quotes on healing—

“Love requires vulnerability, and when we feel like we’ve been in an exposed position and then experienced rejection, our defense mechanisms can actually work against us and sabotage our current relationships. We tend to militantly safeguard certain parts of ourselves in order to prevent the same kind of humiliation or rejection we have felt in the past.”

“The more you love someone, the more ability that person will have to hurt you; but until you give a person the ability to hurt you (vulnerability), you’ll never be able to truly experience love. This reality keeps some people from wholeheartedly committing to a relationship, because they’re trying to protect their hearts from being wounded again. But if were not careful, our wounds from the past can create new wounds in the present. It is a catch-22 that can keep us in perpetual dysfunction in our relationships until we become intentional about healing from the past and moving forward in a healthy way.”

“Sometimes we can subconsciously do things to make ourselves seem ugly or intimidating to drive people away, because were afraid if we let others close to us, we’ll only be hurt again. This kind of behavior might give us the illusion of power and safety that comes from isolation, but it will also hold us captive in a prison of solitude where we never experience true love. Whatever you may have done or whatever may have been done to wound you in the past, healing is possible. God wants you to live a life of love. He wants you to experience rich, meaningful relationships. He wants to bring you to a place of healing so you can experience life and love in all of its fullness.”

“Healing from a broken heart isn’t the result of mere time and effort. It comes when we put our trust in the Healer of our hearts.”

“Don’t let your love be an unspoken assumption. Make sure your loved ones know exactly how much you love them because your words and actions make it clear.”

“An encounter with Jesus always has the power to bring healing. When love is present, healing is present. It won’t always look miraculous, but it will always make a difference.”

“Sometimes God uses prayer to change the situation, and sometimes He uses prayer to change our own perspective about the situation, but either way, He’s always doing something positive through prayer.”

Check out my review of The Seven Laws Of Love by clicking here.

Watch for the last set quotes from the other laws of love explained in this book later this week.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: book review, Dave Willis, dysfunction, fear, healer, healing, humiliation, hurts, Jesus Christ, love, prayer, quotes, rejection, relationships, subconscious, vulnerability, vulnerable. Leave a Comment »

Thursdays With Oswald—Is Jesus Worth It?

June 9, 2016 — 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.

Is Jesus Worth It?

With regard to all the pleasures and sciences and interests of this life, push this simple consideration, “Is this the kind of thing the Son of God is doing in the world, or is it what the prince of this world is doing?” Not, “Is it right?” but “Is it the kind of thing the Son of God would be doing in the world?” If it is not, then don’t touch it.

If you only give up wrong things for Jesus Christ, don’t talk any more about being in love with Him. If you want to do a thing all the time, it is no virtue not to do it! Jesus Christ takes the “want to” out of us and enables us to do in this world the things He would be doing if He were here.

We say, “Why shouldn’t I? It isn’t wrong!” What a sordid thing to say! When we love a person, do we only give up what is wrong for him? Love is not measured by what it gets, but by what it costs, and our relationship to Jesus Christ can never be on the line of, “Why shouldn’t I do this?” Our Lord simply says, “If any man will be My disciple, those are the conditions” (see Luke 14:26-27 and 33). Is He worth it?

From The Psychology Of Redemption

What do you think: Is Jesus worth it?

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: discipleship, Gospel of Luke, Jesus Christ, love, Oswald Chambers. Leave a Comment »

8 Quotes From “The Mathematical Proof For Christianity”

June 8, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

Dan Delzell uses not only math, but many other sciences as well to give some great conversation-starters. Check out my full review of his book by clicking here.

“I live in Nebraska where I serve as a pastor. Imagine someone covering this entire state in silver dollars 6 feet deep. Then mark one coin and bury it anywhere across the state. Next, blindfold a man and have him choose one coin. The odds that he would choose the marked coin are the same odds as getting 8 prophecies all fulfilled in one man. God fulfilled about 300 prophecies in the Person of Jesus Christ. … There is no way one man could have fulfilled all 8 of these prophecies unless God was making it happen. Who else controls history? Who else could give us such irrefutable proof for Christianity? The odds are one in one hundred quadrillion. Here is what that number looks like: 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. (This mathematical proof was calculated by Professor Peter Stoner.)”

“What if jurors were presented with 300 pieces of evidence that all pointed to the same person, just like the 300 biblical prophecies all point to Christ. And so you see, you really can come face to face with reality, logic, reason, facts, evidence, and mathematical certainty before you decide whether to accept or reject the Bible.”

“The excessive skepticism shown toward the Bible by important historical schools of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, certain phases of which still appear periodically, has been progressively discredited. Discovery after discovery has established the accuracy of innumerable details, and has brought increased recognition to the value of the Bible as a source of history.” —William Albright, biblical and archeological scholar who mastered more than 26 ancient and modern languages

“The order is for Christianity is: (1) Evidence; (2) Faith; and then (3) Assurance. Christianity stands upon evidence. It is personally received through faith that Jesus died for your sins on the Cross. It brings comforting assurance to those who have stepped out in faith to trust Christ. You will never have the assurance of salvation until you take a step of faith based on the evidence.”

“Jesus didn’t come here to merely provide man with one more option.”

“It may be stated categorically that no archeological discovery has ever controverted a single biblical reference. Scores of archeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or in exact detail historical statements in the Bible.” —Nelson Glueck, Jewish archeologist

“Archeological work has unquestionably strengthened confidence in the reliability of the scriptural record.” —Millar Burrows, University of Yale archeologist

“In addressing the manuscript evidence for the New Testament, John Warwick Montgomery correctly states that ‘to be skeptical of the resultant text of the New Testament books is to allow all of classical antiquity to slip into obscurity, for no documents of the ancient period are as well attested bibliographically as the New Testament.’”

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: apologetic, archeology, book review, Christianity, Dan Delzell, evidence, Jesus Christ, jury, logic, mathematics, New Testament, quotes, Scripture, William Albright. 1 Comment »

5 Quotes On Grace From “The Seven Laws Of Love”

June 7, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

In The Seven Laws Of Love, Dave Willis gives us some highly practical, biblically-based counsel for investing in all of our relationships. Normally when I share quotes from books, I share all of them at once, but I felt like it would be good to share these quotes a bit more slowly, to give you time to read them and apply them.

The seven laws Dave identifies are:

Love requires commitment (read the quotes here)
Love selflessly sacrifices (read the quotes here)
Love speaks truth (read the quotes here)
Love conquers fear (read the quotes here)
Love offers grace
Love brings healing
Love lives forever

From law #5, here are some quotes on grace—

“If we deserved forgiveness, it wouldn’t be called grace. If we can earn it, it wouldn’t be real love.”

“Jesus was the perfect embodiment of both love and truth. He never told a lie, but at the same time He was never cruel or judgmental with the truth. Every word He spoke was wrapped in love, so even when the truth hurt, He never broke anyone’s trust. Jesus not only modeled how to speak the truth in love, but He also showed us how to offer grace when trust is broken. … Jesus loved Peter enough to give him the opportunity to be forgiven and rebuild trust. That opportunity for grace wasn’t an exclusive offer for Peter; it’s an opportunity God freely extends to all of us who have broken trust (which is everybody). It’s also a command. We can’t receive God’s grace without being willing to extend grace to others.”

“Some people get stuck in a cycle of grudges and mistrust because they wrongly assume that forgiveness and trust are the same thing. It’s vital that we understand their distinctions. Forgiveness can’t be earned; it can only be given freely. That’s why it’s called grace. Trust, however, can’t be given freely; it can only be earned. When someone breaks your trust, you should give your forgiveness instantly, but give your trust slowly as it is earned through consistency of actions by whoever broke your trust. During this period of rebuilding, fight the urge to punish or retaliate. Those actions won’t do anything to promote healing, and healing always needs to be our ultimate objective. Love, after all, is a healing force. You don’t have to trust someone in order to forgive, but you do have to forgive someone in order to make trust possible again.”

“When you’ve broken trust, you must be willing to take immediate action to rebuild it. When someone has broken your trust, you must be willing to provide that person the opportunity to rebuild. Giving someone the chance to reestablish trust is one of the most loving acts you can do for someone.”

“Our responses to present difficulties will often determine our level of future opportunities.”

Check out my review of The Seven Laws Of Love by clicking here.

Watch for the last few quotes from the other laws of love over the next couple of days.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: book review, Dave Willis, forgiveness, grace, healing, Jesus Christ, love, mistrust, opportunity, quotes, reconciliation, relationships, truth. Leave a Comment »

The Mathematical Proof For Christianity (book review)

June 7, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

The Mathematical Proof For Christianity by Dan Delzell is really just one part of the big picture he presents. Dan uses mathematics, archeology, textual examination, logic, and sound semantics to present a compelling case for the authenticity of Scripture, and the Deity of Jesus Christ. But Dan is quick to add, “Mathematical proof for Christianity is powerful. But without faith in Christ, all the proof in the world won’t save your soul and bring you to heaven one day.”

If you are already a Christian, this book will do much to help you “be prepared to give an answer” (1 Peter 3:15) to seekers and skeptics. But I think the greatest value of this book would be as a conversation-starter with those who are seekers and skeptics. Giving them a copy of this book to read along with you will be a great way to have a meaningful conversation about your faith in Jesus. The subtitle of this book is “along with other reasons to believe,” and Dan does give many, many reasons.

No book written by a man will convince anyone to place their faith in Jesus (only the Bible can truly do that), but The Mathematical Proof is well-grounded in Scripture to help you use it as an effective tool in sharing your faith.

Check it out!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: 1 Peter, apologetic, archeology, Bible, book review, Christianity, Dan Delzell, Jesus Christ, mathematics, prophesy, science, Scripture, testimony, witness. 3 Comments »

Lifewalk 2016

June 6, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

Alpha Family Center provides some amazing services for families in Cedar Springs. Every year on the Saturday before Father’s Day they hold their annual Lifewalk fundraiser.

I would be most appreciative if you would consider giving a financial gift to support Alpha. You can donate via PayPal by clicking on the “Donate” tab to the right of this post. I promise you that all of the money you give will go toward promoting pro-life and pro-family work in Cedar Springs.

Thank you!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Alpha Family Center, Cedar Springs, charity, fundraiser, Liferun, Lifewalk, pro-family, pro-life. Leave a Comment »

Overcoming Anxiety

June 6, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

I remember visiting Denver, Colorado. The scenery was so breathtaking, so I decided to go for an early morning hike. Quickly I discovered that my hike became breathtaking in more than one way! Even though I was in good shape, I had a hard time getting my breath because of the mile-high atmosphere.

I learned later that this is why many top athletes train in high elevation: it increases their lung capacity and endurance so that they now have an advantage when they compete against others.

God trains us on His mountains, but He made us to live and minister in the valleys. Our ascent into God’s mountaintop presence is so important for godly maturity!

In the first song of ascent, I noticed something unusual in the very first verse. Some Bibles translate the verbs in the present tense (I call on the Lord and He answers me), but some translations use the past tense (I called on the Lord and He answered me). Which is correct? Actually both of them are correct!

The verbs are written in the perfect tense—something done at a specific point in the past, but still relevant and powerful in the present. In other words, we can say it like this, “I called on the Lord in the past and He most definitely answered me. That gives me confidence to call on the Lord today, knowing that He will answer me again.”

Past answers lead to present power and future hope.

But—oh wow!!—check out how God answers us! The word literally means that God answers us in song. God so loves it when you trust Him enough to bring all your cares to Him, that He sings His answer to you. For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty Savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs (Zephaniah 3:17).

If we don’t continue to recall how God has answered us in the past, we’re missing out on the blessing of hearing Him sing His answers over us again today. As a result, we begin to live in the world’s valley-level turmoil and anxiety.

Peace is longed for in verses 6 and 7. The Christian wants to live in peace, but the world loves turmoil. Want proof? Just look at what makes the headlines today! The solution is to keep going back to God again and again and again—

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Check out the full message to find the peace you are longing for!

If you don’t have a home church, please join us this Sunday as we continue our look at the psalms of ascent, or you can tune in to our live Periscope broadcast from wherever you are.

If you’ve missed any of the messages in this series, you can access the complete list by clicking here.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: anxiety, Bible study, Calvary Assembly of God, hope, love song, music, peace, Philippians, power, psalms, Psalms of Ascent, sermon, song, video, YouTube, Zephaniah. 1 Comment »

7 Quotes On Conquering Fear From “The Seven Laws Of Love”

June 5, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

The seven laws Dave identifies are:

Love requires commitment (read the quotes here)
Love selflessly sacrifices (read the quotes here)
Love speaks truth (read the quotes here)
Love conquers fear
Love offers grace
Love brings healing
Love lives forever

From law #4, here are some quotes on how love conquers fear—

“Fear may be something natural, but love represents something supernatural. Love has the power to set a positive course for your life and chase away your fears in the process.”

“We do have the power to shape the future, but unless you actually own a time machine, worrying about the past is a complete waste of your time and energy. If you want to live a life of love and the freedom it brings, you’ve got to make peace with your past. We should learn from our past and build on our past but not ever dwell on our past. Just like the rearview mirror in your car, looking at the past gives us perspective; but if you’re staring at it all the time, you’re going to cause a wreck. We need to embrace the moment we are in. Don’t let regrets from yesterday or worries about tomorrow rob you of the peace and blessings God has for you today!”

“The truth is that your past has helped shape your character, but it has nothing to do with your identity. Your identity comes from God alone, and He loves you unconditionally.”

“Don’t get trapped trying to recreate the good old days when your best days are still to come.”

“There isn’t enough room in your heart for both fear and faith, so each day you must decide which one gets to stay.”

“Your character should always be stronger than your circumstances.”

“Your struggles always lead to strength.”

Check out my review of The Seven Laws Of Love by clicking here.

Watch for more quotes from the other laws of love explained in this book throughout this week.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: book review, character, circumstances, Dave Willis, faith, fear, freedom, future, God's love, love, maturity, past, perspective, quotes, supernatural. Leave a Comment »

6 Quotes On Speaking Truth From “The Seven Laws Of Love”

June 4, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

In The Seven Laws Of Love, Dave Willis gives us some highly practical, biblically-based counsel for investing in all of our relationships. Normally when I share quotes from books, I share all of them at once, but I felt like it would be good to share these quotes a bit more slowly, to give you time to read them and apply them.

The seven laws Dave identifies are:

Love requires commitment (read the quotes here)
Love selflessly sacrifices (read the quotes here)
Love speaks truth
Love conquers fear
Love offers grace
Love brings healing
Love lives forever

From law #3, here are some quotes on truth speaking—

“The truth isn’t always comfortable, but it’s always necessary.”

“Honesty always paves the way to intimacy.”

“Selective honesty is the same as dishonesty.”

“The truth might be expensive at times, but it’s always worth it.”

“We all tend to craft a self-focused view of the world where we emerge as either a hero or a victim in every scene. We’re never the villains in the story. The truth is, though, that we’ve all been the bad guy more often then we’d like to admit. A life of love requires that we look in the mirror and give an honest and humble self-assessment.”

“What kind of legacy do you want for your own life? What stories do you want people telling about you a generation after your death? The decisions you are making right now are shaping future generations. Your legacy will be measured by your relationships, and your relationships will only be as strong as the trust your loved ones have in you.”

Check out my review of The Seven Laws Of Love by clicking here.

Watch for more quotes from the other laws of love explained in this book throughout the next few days.