Overcoming Anxiety

June 6, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

God's answersI 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.

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

June 5, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

The Seven Laws Of Love

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:

  1. Love requires commitment (read the quotes here)
  2. Love selflessly sacrifices (read the quotes here)
  3. Love speaks truth (read the quotes here)
  4. Love conquers fear
  5. Love offers grace
  6. Love brings healing
  7. 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.

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

June 4, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

The Seven Laws Of LoveIn 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:

  1. Love requires commitment (read the quotes here)
  2. Love selflessly sacrifices (read the quotes here)
  3. Love speaks truth
  4. Love conquers fear
  5. Love offers grace
  6. Love brings healing
  7. 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.

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4 Quotes On Selfless Sacrifice From “The Seven Laws Of Love”

June 2, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

The Seven Laws Of LoveIn 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:

  1. Love requires commitment (read the quotes here)
  2. Love selflessly sacrifices
  3. Love speaks truth
  4. Love conquers fear
  5. Love offers grace
  6. Love brings healing
  7. Love lives forever

From law #2, here are some quotes on selfless sacrifice—

“That’s the beautiful irony of love. The only way we can truly keep it is to give it away.”

“First Lieutenant Alonzo Cushing was a twenty-two-year-old officer in the Union Army during the Civil War when he made the ultimate sacrifice. The young West Point graduate was in charge of six cannons and more than one hundred men during the Battle of Gettysburg. His small force found itself trapped in the middle of the battlefield during the Confederate Army’s infamous assault known as Pickett’s Charge. The full force of the rebels was closing in on Cushing and his men. The young officer had already been shot twice and was critically wounded. He had every right to retreat to safety, but he recognized the magnitude of the moment. Instead, he ordered the cannons moved to the front lines, and he limped forward to lead a counterattack. His courage and tenacity inspired the men around him, and they fought back valiantly before Cushing was shot again. The final shot proved to be fatal. The sacrifice of one young man turned the tide of a battle, which turned the tide of war, which ultimately held a nation together.”

“We don’t make our sacrifices for recognition; we make our sacrifices for love. When love moves you to sacrifice, you can rest assured that lives will be changed and eternity will be impacted.”

“Many people believe they have put their faith in Jesus, but they also believe they have to earn what He did for them on the Cross. Here’s the good news: when Jesus was hanging on that Cross, dying to save you, He did not use His dying words to say, ‘Earn this.’ Do you know what He said instead? He said, ‘It is finished!’ Did you catch that? It is finished. That means done, complete, sealed, finished! That’s God’s gift of grace. Jesus has done all the work already. You couldn’t possibly earn it even if you tried with everything you had, and God never expected you to.”

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.

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Thursdays With Oswald—What Prayer Does In Us

June 2, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

Oswald ChambersThis 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.

What Prayer Does In Us

     Prayer is the point where the reality of God merges with human life. Until we are born from above, prayer with us is honestly nothing more than a mere exercise; but in all our Lord’s teaching and in His own personal life, as well as in the emphasis laid on prayer by the Holy Ghost after He had gone, prayer is regarded as the work (see John 14:11-13). … 

     If prayer is the highest reach of communion possible between Almighty God and the Son of Man, what part ought prayer to play in our lives? … 

     Prayer is not meant to develop us, but to develop the life of God in us after new birth.

From The Psychology Of Redemption

In another lesson, Chambers reminds us that prayer is easy for us because it cost Jesus so much to make it possible for us.

Jesus knew the value of prayer, which is why it was an essential priority all throughout His earthly life. Now we have access to the same Almighty God through the name of Jesus. Yes, Jesus is interceding for us, but we don’t have to stop there—we should never stop there!—because Christ’s death and resurrection makes a way for us to go right into Almighty God’s presence.

Prayer is powerful! Prayer brings the life of God right down into our own souls.

So… what part ought prayer to play in your life?

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Psalms Of Ascent

June 1, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

The Psalms Of AscentEvery year, Jews from around the world made four pilgrimages to Jerusalem for various feasts and sacrifices. These journeys reminded them of God’s goodness as they went to the Temple to worship, and they helped refocus on God’s ways as they returned to their regular routines.

Jerusalem is over 2500 feet above sea level, so the pilgrimage there was a physical workout as well as a spiritual workout. So these times climbing up into God’s presence were beneficial for God’s people, preparing them to minister in their cities in the following months.

The Book of Psalms contains 15 songs that these pilgrims would sing to and with each other as they traveled up to Jerusalem. These Psalms of Ascent are still instructive for Christians today.

Please join me this Sunday as we begin a look at the life-changing truths these pilgrimage songs can still teach today to all of God’s people.

Here are the psalms we looked at:

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6 Quotes On Commitment From “The Seven Laws Of Love”

June 1, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

The Seven Laws Of LoveIn 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:

  1. Love requires commitment
  2. Love selflessly sacrifices
  3. Love speaks truth
  4. Love conquers fear
  5. Love offers grace
  6. Love brings healing
  7. Love lives forever

Dave writes in the introduction to his book, “God wants love to flow through our lives like a mighty river. The laws of love are the invisible banks God has placed around love for our prosperity and protection. When our relationships live with in those boundaries, everyone involved is enriched. When we dismiss or disregard the boundaries, our relationships can quickly become unhealthy and unsustainable.”

From law #1, here are some quotes on commitment—

“God created love to be a transformative force in every aspect of our lives. … Before that can happen, though, there must be commitment. Without a real commitment, there can be no real love.”

“The strength of your commitment will always determine the strength of your relationship.”

“God brought His own Son through the lineage of a poor young woman named Ruth who understood the power of commitment in the meaning of love. God wants to create a generational impact through your life as well. The level at which you’ll make an eternal impact is defined by your level of commitment to the people God has placed in your life.” 

“Our commitment to others is evident in the consistency with which we serve them. Grand, one-time gestures can be nice, it’s what we do with consistency that will ultimately shape our relationships.”

“We’ve traded true intimacy for porn. We’ve traded committed marriages for commitment-free cohabitation. We’ve traded having children for having pets. We’ve traded meaningful conversations for text messages. We’ve traded ‘till death do us part’ for divorce. We’ve traded the pursuit of holiness for the pursuit of happiness. We’ve traded love for lust. We’ve attempted to exploit all the benefits and pleasures of love without investing the commitment and self-sacrifice that love requires.” 

“Your life and your relationships will be defined by the commitments you make and how well you keep them.”

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.

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The Seven Laws Of Love (book review)

May 31, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

The Seven Laws Of Love“Love is an unconditional commitment to selflessly serve, truthfully communicate, fearlessly protect, gracefully forgive, compassionately heal, and enduringly remain in relationship with and for the sake of another.” What a great definition of love from Dave Willis in his book The Seven Laws Of Love!

This quote is only the introduction to seven laws of love which Dave unpacks from the Scripture to fill-out that hefty definition. You’ll discover the principles which make loving relationships so rich, fulfilling, and God-honoring. Principles like commitment, sacrifice, truth and grace.

The first part of the book gives us the seven laws, and the second part of the book gives us practical ways to put these laws into action. In action loving your spouse, your friends and enemies, God, and even loving yourself.

Dave does a masterful job of weaving together biblical examples, personal stories, and down-to-earth applications to make this a very readable book. You will discover ways to improve or strengthen all of your relationships almost immediately. I could hardly put this book down! I think you’ll love it too.

I am a Thomas Nelson book reviewer.

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Poetry Saturday—Wits’ End Corner

May 28, 2016 — Craig T. Owens
Wits' endAre you standing at “Wits’ End Corner,” 
   Christian, with troubled brow? 
Are you thinking of what is before you, 
   And all you are bearing now?
Does all the world seem against you, 
   And you in the battle alone?
Remember—at “Wits’ End Corner” 
   Is where God’s power is shown.


Are you standing at “Wits’ End Corner” 


   Blinded with wearying pain,


Feeling you cannot endure it, 


   You cannot bear the strain,


Bruised through the constant suffering 


   Dizzy and dazed, and numb?


Remember—at “Wits’ End Corner” 


   Is where Jesus loves to come.




Are you standing at “Wits’ End Corner” 


   Your work before you spread.


Or lying begun, unfinished, 


   And pressing on heart and head,


Longing for strength to do it, 


   Stretching out trembling hands


Remember—at “Wits’ End Corner” 


   The Burden-Bearer stands.




Are you standing at “Wits’ End Corner”? 


   Then you’re just in the very spot


To learn the wondrous resources 


   Of Him who faileth not!


No doubt to a brighter pathway 


   Your footsteps will soon be moved,


But only at “Wits’ End Corner” 


Is the “God who is able” proved. —Antoinette Wilson






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Thursdays With Oswald—Christ’s Temptations And Ours

May 26, 2016 — Craig T. Owens 




Oswald ChambersThis 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.


Christ’s Temptations And Ours


     The first temptation of Our Lord comes to us on this line—“Be sensible, You are here for the service of men, and surely it is the most practical thing to feed them and satisfy their needs.” The clamor abroad today is all on this line, “Put man’s needs first; never mind about the first commandment, the second commandment is the all-important one” (see Mark 12:29-31). … The insistent demand in the world today to put men’s needs before God’s will is the outcome of the reasoning of human wits and wisdom…. So long as our wits and human solutions are on the throne, to satisfy the needs of men is ostensibly the grandest thing to do. … 


     Our Lord was then asked to compromise: “You will become the King of men and the Savior of the world by judicious compromise; build Your kingdom on broad-minded lines; be judicious, You know there is evil in the world; then use it wisely, and don’t be so intense against sin; don’t talk about the devil and hell; don’t be so extreme and say a man needs to be born from above. Tolerate my rule of the world, call things ‘necessary evils’; tell man sin is not anarchy, but a disease; fall down and worship me and my way of looking at things, and I will withdraw and the whole world will be Yours.” … Will the Church that bows down and compromises succeed? Of course it will; it is the very thing that the natural man wants. … 


     satan tried to put Jesus Christ on the way to becoming King of the world and Savior of men in a way other than that pre-determined by God. The devil does not tempt us to do wrong things; he tries to make us lose what God has put into us by regeneration, the possibility of being of value to God. When we are born from above the central citadel of the devil’s attack is the same in us as it was in Our Lord—to do God’s will in our own way. … 


     Every temptation of satan will certainly seem right to us unless we have the Spirit of God. Fellowship with our Lord is the only way to detect them as being wrong. 


From The Psychology Of Redemption


Wow! Lots to contemplate here!


What do you think about the temptation of Jesus? Have you seen the same sort of temptations come your way?


One more thought from Chambers: “Temptation must come, and we do not know what it is until we meet it. When we do meet it, we must not debate with God, but stand absolutely true to Him no matter what it costs us personally, and we will find that the onslaught will leave us with higher and purer affinities than before.”










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