Pastoring | Craig T. Owens

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A Perilous Profession

January 3, 2014 — Craig T. Owens

My dear fellow pastor, please be on guard! Be careful to remain physically fit, spiritually full, emotionally strong, and mentally stimulated. Keep your relationships healthy and guard against the attacks of the enemy.

Heed these wise words of A.W. Tozer—

“Yet the ministry is one of the most perilous of professions. The devil hates the Spirit-filled minister with an intensity second only to that which he feels for Christ Himself. The source of this hatred is not difficult to discover. An effective, Christ-like minister is a constant embarrassment to the devil, a threat to his dominion, a rebuttal of his best arguments and a dogged reminder of his coming overthrow. No wonder he hates him. satan knows that the downfall of a prophet of God is a strategic victory for him, so he rests not day or night devising hidden snares and deadfalls for the ministry. Perhaps a better figure would be the poison dart that only paralyzes its victim, for I think that satan has little interest in killing the preacher outright. An ineffective, half-alive minister is a better advertisement for hell than a good man dead. So the preacher’s dangers are likely to be spiritual rather than physical, though sometimes the enemy works through bodily weaknesses to get to the preacher’s soul.”

What do you do to keep yourself healthy and on-guard?

Posted in Pastoring. Tags: A.W. Tozer, healthy, lifelong learner, mental health, ministry, Pastor, relationships, spiritual growth. 1 Comment »

No Self-Made Men

December 27, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

I get so tired of people calling themselves “a self-made man.” There is no such thing! It is equally as distasteful when pastors pat themselves on the back talking about “the ministry I have built.”

Dick Brogden

Here are important words to remember—

“Wherever we go in ministry and mission, we either benefit from the labor of others or we contribute to the future benefit of those that will follow. If we see fruit, we can be assured that it is not solely due to our dedication or vision but because others went ahead of us and did the hard work. Often prayer accomplishes this hard work. Regularly those on the ground preceding us did this hard work.” (Dick Brogden)

And this—

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. (1 Corinthians 3:5-9)

What do you think?

Posted in Pastoring. Tags: Apollos, apostle Paul, arrogance, Dick Brogden, hard work, humility, pastoring, prayer. 1 Comment »

Pastor, Stop Competing!

December 13, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Whenever I’m with other pastors and they ask me, “How’s your church going?” I know the answer I give is not the answer they want. For most pastors “How’s your church going” is really code for “How many people are coming to your church services.” I have always had a sneaking suspicion that if I answered the “How’s it going” question with an attendance figure, that I have missed something.

This quote from A.W. Tozer convinced me that my suspicion was correct—

“Dear Lord, I refuse henceforth to compete with any of Thy servants. They have congregations larger than mine. So be it. I rejoice in their success. They have greater gifts. Very well. That is not in their power nor in mine. I am humbly grateful for their greater gifts and my smaller ones. I only pray that I may use to Thy glory such modest gifts as I possess. I will not compare myself with any, nor try to build up my self-esteem by noting where I may excel one or another in Thy holy work. I herewith make a blanket disavowal of all intrinsic worth. I am but an unprofitable servant. I gladly go to the foot of the class and own myself the least of Thy people. If I err in my self judgment and actually underestimate myself I do not want to know it. I purpose to pray for others and to rejoice in their prosperity as if it were my own. And indeed it is my own if it is Thine own, for what is Thine is mine, and while one plants and another waters it is Thou alone that giveth the increase.” —A.W. Tozer (emphasis added by me)

A gutsy prayer! O Lord, may I always be able to pray this prayer in absolute integrity.

Posted in Pastoring. Tags: A.W. Tozer, church growth, competition, gifting, humility, integrity, modesty, pastors, prayer, rejoice. Leave a Comment »

The Joy Of Serving

December 6, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

God told the Levites, “I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift” (Numbers 18:7). So, pastor, a simple question: Does serving seem like a gift to you?

The service I get to do for God, and for my congregation, and for my city is a gift from God. May I never, ever feel it a burden, a task, or an obligation. It should always be a joy to serve!

In order to serve God and others in a manner that is God pleasing and God glorifying, I must keep fit spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally. “You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you” (Numbers 18:29).

A good prayer for pastors—

Search me, Holy Spirit, test my heart’s attitude on this: am I giving You the best and the holiest? Am I serving with joy or merely serving out of duty? You have given me this responsibility as a gift. May I accept this gift with overflowing joy!

Posted in Pastoring. Tags: God's glory, joy, Levites, pastoring, pastors. Leave a Comment »

A Pastoral Prayer

October 25, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Daniel Payne

I love this prayer that Bishop Daniel Payne (1811-1853) prayed for himself. Pastor, do you think you could pray this? Could you pray to become invisible so that only Jesus Christ is seen and heard?

“Lord, Thou knowest my weakness—be Thou my strength. Thou knowest my ignorance—be Thou my wisdom. Teach me, that I may not be a blind leader of the blind, but a scribe well instructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven. O, let not the people see me; let them see You in Your vesture dipped in blood. Let them not hear me; let them hear You in Your voice of saving truth!”

Lord, may I be able to live this out in my pastoral ministry!

Posted in Pastoring. Tags: Daniel Payne, God's glory, humility, Jesus Christ, pastors, prayer. Leave a Comment »

God-Pleasing Sermons

October 18, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Lemuel Haynes

Sadly, I talk to far too many pastors who tell me their sermon topics have been selected by others. They don’t say this exactly in those words, but they talk about needing to prompt someone to do something differently, or of a parent who thinks the youth need some correction, or a board member who says the giving needs to be increased.

Sometimes it’s the opposite: pastors will say they won’t preach on a certain topic because it’s too sensitive, or it might make some people upset, or it might be offensive to some with an opposing viewpoint.

Whatever happened to preaching the Word as the Holy Spirit directs?

“A minister who watches for souls as one who expects to give account will have none to please but God. When he studies his sermons, this will not be the enquiry, ‘How shall I form my discourse so as to please and gratify the humors of men and get their applause?’ but ‘How shall I preach so as to do honor to God and meet with the approbation of my Judge?’” —Lemuel Haynes (emphasis added)

Posted in Pastoring. Tags: God's approval, Holy Spirit, influence, intimidation, Lemuel Haynes, man's approval, popularity, preaching, sermon. Leave a Comment »

Bible-Taught Or Spirit-Taught

October 11, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

“We must be willing to obey if we would know the true inner meaning of the teachings of Christ and the apostles. I believe this view prevailed in every revival that ever came to the church during her long history. Indeed a revived church may be distinguished from a dead one by the attitude of its members toward the truth. The dead church holds to the shell of truth without surrendering the will to it, while the church that wills to do God’s will is immediately blessed with a visitation of spiritual powers. Theological facts are like the altar of Elijah on Carmel before the fire came, correct, properly laid out, but altogether cold. When the heart makes the ultimate surrender, the fire falls and true facts are transmuted into spiritual truth that transforms, enlightens, sanctifies. The church or the individual that is Bible taught without being Spirit taught (and there are many of them) has simply failed to see that truth lies deeper than the theological statement of it.” —A.W. Tozer

What do you think, pastor? Is your church Bible taught, or Spirit taught? Is there a difference? If so, how can you move your church into this deeper place?

Posted in Pastoring. Tags: A.W. Tozer, Bible, church, Elijah, Holy Spirit, pastors, preaching, revival. Leave a Comment »

Caring For Your Soul

October 4, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

“The spiritual man puts the care of his soul before all else; and whoever diligently attends to his own affairs is ready to keep silence about others. You will never become interior and devout unless you refrain from criticism of others, and pay attention to yourself. If you are wholly intent on God and yourself, you will be little affected by anything outside this.” —Thomas á Kempis

My dear pastor, by the very nature of our position we are constantly giving out. We are ministering to the needs of others and it is physically, spiritually, emotionally and intellectually draining.

It’s a pretty simple statement: You cannot give what you do not have. You have physical, spiritual, emotional and intellectual limits.

So some simple questions for you to ponder this weekend:

What are you doing to care for your own soul?
How are you replenishing yourself?
After you have emptied yourself in ministry, how are you being re-filled?

If you’d like to share some thoughts in the comments, please feel free to do so.

Posted in Pastoring. Tags: emotions, health, intelligence, mental health, ministry, Pastor, preaching, refresh, soul, spiritual growth, Thomas a Kempis. Leave a Comment »

Unpopular Preaching?

September 27, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Walter Russell Bowie

“The Christian church does not need more popular preaching, but more unpopular preaching.”

—Walter Russell Bowie

What do you think this means? Is Bowie right?

The Apostle Paul said preaching about Christ would be a stumbling block (unpopular) to some. Even Jesus didn’t preach a popular message.

In my opinion, we preach the Word of God. Period. Not our opinion, not a message to gather a crowd, not a message to entertain. Just preach the Word. It will be unpopular with the self-satisfied and sanctimonious, but it will be a welcome message to the lost and desperate.

What do you think?

Posted in Pastoring. Tags: apostle Paul, Bible, Jesus Christ, popularity, preaching, sermon, Walter Russell Bowie. Leave a Comment »

Don’t Give Up!

September 20, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

My dear pastor, I know the ministry can seem to be unrewarding at times. Maybe you’re even wondering if all of your labors are even making a difference. Hear this loud and clear: Your ministry is making an eternal difference … Don’t give up!

Let these encouraging words from Charles Spurgeon sink into your heart:

Putting our hand to this plough and looking back will prove that we were unworthy of the kingdom. If there be a hundred reasons for giving up your work of faith, there are fifty thousand for going on with it. Though there are many arguments for fainting, there are far more arguments for persevering. Though we might be weary, and do sometimes feel so, let us wait upon the Lord and renew our strength, and we shall mount up with wings as eagles, forget our weariness, and be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might….

As the rain climbs not up to the skies, and the snow flakes never take to themselves wings to rise to heaven, so neither shall the word of God return unto Him void, but it shall accomplish that which He pleases. We have not spent our strength in vain. Not a verse taught to a little girl, nor a text dropped into the ear of a careless boy, nor an earnest warning given to an obdurate young sinner, nor a loving farewell to one of the senior girls, shall be without some result or other to the glory of God. And, taking it all together as a mass, though this handful of seed may be eaten of the birds, and that other seed may die on the hard rock, yet, as a whole, the seed shall spring up in sufficient abundance to plentifully reward the sower and the giver of the seed. We know that our labor is not in vain in the Lord. (emphasis added)

Keep preaching God’s Word: it IS making a difference.