Prayer After Preaching

June 23, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

My fellow pastor, many times we pray before our sermons, but have you considered praying after your sermon too? These words from Andrew Murray challenged me to do so—

Andrew MurrayPreaching must always be followed up by prayer. The preacher must come to see that his preaching is comparatively powerless to bring new life until he begins to take time for prayer, and according to the teaching of God’s Word, he strives and labors and continues in prayer; and he takes no rest and gives God no rest until He bestows the Spirit in overflowing power.

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The Holy Spirit’s Power

June 23, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Holy Spirit as powerHere are some of the quotes I used in my message this morning…

“The Holy Spirit is not a luxury, not something added now and again to produce a deluxe type of Christian once in a generation. No, He is for every child of God a vital necessity, and that He fill and indwell His people is more than a languid hope. It is rather an inescapable imperative.” —A.W. Tozer

“There is nothing so still and gentle as the checks of the Holy Spirit if they are yielded to, emancipation is the result; but let them be trifled with, and there will come a hardening of the life away from God. Don’t quench the Spirit. … Guard as your greatest gift the anointing of the Holy Spirit.” —Oswald Chambers

“Jesus doesn’t say we will baptized with the Holy Spirit and power (see Acts 1:8), but that we will be baptized with the Holy Spirit AS power. There’s a huge difference! It means we will have everything we need to always overcome, to never be at a loss!” —CTO

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Bright Lamps

June 21, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

photoPastor, please carefully consider these words from Charles Bridge (1794-1869)—

“It is indeed a ‘neglect of the gift of God that is in us,’ to trifle either in the study or in the pulpit. God will bless our endeavors—not our idleness. Our Master, and our people for our Master’s sake, have a just claim to our best time and talents, our most matured thoughts, and most careful studies. To venture upon this infinite work of God with slender furniture, proves a guilty unconcern to our high responsibility.” 

These words remind me of Christ’s words at the end of the parable of the wise and foolish virgins (Luke 12): Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their Master to return.

We cannot be idle. Even our “down time” should be preparation time for renewed ministry.

Don’t neglect the gift God has given you to minister to others, to glorify Him, and to be a servant working to hear his Master say, “Well done!”

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Thursdays With Oswald—Appealing Control

June 20, 2013 — 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.

Oswald Chambers

Appealing Control 

     We have to be so controlled by the Holy Spirit, to so submit our intelligence to Him, that Jesus Christ is presented along the line that appeals to those to whom we talk. 

From Bringing Sons To Glory 

God has given humans the amazing capacity of intelligence to think and reason, and to communicate our thoughts persuasively and creatively to other humans. This is a gift, but it can also be a hindrance. My intelligence is only going to glorify God when it is under the control of the Holy Spirit.

It is not my responsibility to convince others about God; it is my responsibility to be controlled by the Holy Spirit so that He can convince others. So the question I need to ask myself about my conversations with others is: Who’s in control?

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No Apologies Needed

June 19, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. 

Jesus spoke.
A lot.
In fact,
He’s called the Word.
He told stories,
He quoted Scripture,
He used nursery rhymes.
He laughed,
He cried,
He thundered.
He spoke to the religious,
And the irreligious;
To Jews,
To Gentiles,
To Samaritans.
His words excited,
And angered,
Healed,
And restored.
But…
Not once did He misspeak,
Or stumble,
Or apologize.
How could He do this?
“I did not speak of My own accord,
But the Father who sent Me
Commanded Me what to say
And how to say it …
So whatever I say
Is just what the Father
Has told Me to say” (John 12:49-50)
You and I can speak like this too:
We, too, can slow down, listen, and then speak only those Holy Spirit-directed words. If we can do that, we won’t ever need to apologize.

Check out my video called Time To Check The Mirror where I talk about so-called Freudian slips, and my blog post A Leader’s Sincere Apology.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

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Outliers (book review)

June 18, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

OutliersOutliers by Malcolm Gladwell is, hands-down, one of the most fascinating books I’ve read in quite awhile.

I’ve read all sorts of books about success: what it looks like, how one attains it, and even how the arguments of nature versus nurture bring about success. But Malcolm Gladwell tells stories about successful and unsuccessful people—supported by loads of “hard data”—that turn all of those fine theories about success on their head.

As it turns out, success is not about the right family, or a strong work ethic, or an outstanding education, or a lucky break, or being born in the right culture or in the right decade. It is all of these things. Success people are successful because of innumerable factors, but the stories that Gladwell uncovers that reveal these fact are astounding.

I recommend you add Outliers to your reading list as soon as you can.

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Lifewalk 2013 = Huge Success

June 17, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Lifewalk for Alpha Family Center was a huge success this year! Over 160 walkers representing 18 area churches raised $12,000 for this vital ministry! 

Huge thanks to Lorrie Shelton (Alpha’s director), the army of volunteers who helped with all the behind-the-scenes work, and our sponsors and underwriters for boldly making a stand for life.

Below are a few pictures from our day together, but you can see my full collection on Flickr by clicking here.

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God Chooses Dads

June 17, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

God chooses DadsThis is an amazing thing God says to Abraham:

When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what He has promised him.” (Genesis 18:16-18)

Notice some very important aspects in this passage especially for Dads.

(1) God chose Abraham to be a father. 

God doesn’t haphazardly give children to fathers; He places children in homes on purpose. God chooses Dads!

(2) God chose Abraham for a specific paternal responsibility. 

God chooses a Dad today for the same reason He chose Abraham: So that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. 

(3) Because God gave Abraham this responsibility, He revealed intimate details to him about Abraham’s household. 

God asks, “Should I hide this from Abraham?” And then answers His own question with a resounding “No!” by telling Abraham specifically what is about to happen that will affect Abraham’s household (vv. 20-21). God wants to tell you, too, what’s happening in our culture that will affect your children.

(4) Abraham used this insight wisely. 

Verse 22 tells us, “Abraham remained standing before the Lord.” Dads, there is no better place for you to be than in God’s presence. If God chose you to be your children’s Dad, and if He specifically gave those children to you, He is your best resource for help in raising God-loving children!

Billy Graham said, “Parenting is the most important responsibility most of us will ever face, and none of us does it perfectly.” But rest assured, God wants to help us do it better!

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God-Devoted Fathers

June 16, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Here are a couple of great quotes from Andrew Murray that I shared with our Dads (and future Dads!) at Calvary Assembly of God this morning.

God-devoted father“God seeks a people on earth to do His will. The family is the great institution for this object; a believing and God-devoted father is one of the mightiest means of grace.”

“O God, teach me to realize fully what this parental faithfulness involves that You ask of me. I would make this the one object of my family life, to train my child to serve You. By my life, by my words, by my prayers, by gentleness and love, by authority and instruction, I would lead them in the way of the Lord. Be my helper, Lord. Above all, help me to remember that You have appointed this parental training for the fulfillment of Your purposes and that You have made provision for the grace to enable me to perform it. Let my faith envision Your undertaking for me in all that I must do to raise my children to love you. I ask all this in the name of Your Son. Amen.”

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Politics In The Pulpit

June 14, 2013 — Craig T. Owens
John Witherspoon

John Witherspoon

Is there right time to address politicized topics from the pulpit? I believe there is, but I believe we must make sure we’re not promoting our opinion but standing up for biblical principles.

Pastors were pivotal in swaying public opinion prior to the American Revolution and in the abolition of slavery in the United States. One pastor that spoke forcefully and biblically about the independence of the thirteen colonies was John Witherspoon—

“If your cause is just—you may look with confidence to the Lord and intreat [sic] Him to plead it as His own. You are all my witnesses, that this is the first time of my introducing any political subject into the pulpit. At this season however, it is not only lawful but necessary, and I willingly embrace the opportunity of declaring my opinion without hesitation, that the cause in which America is now in arms, is the cause of justice, of liberty, and of human nature.”

Commenting on the decision of Rev. Witherspoon to address this topic from the pulpit, theologian T.M. Moore wrote—

“Preachers tend to stay away from sticky moral and political issues, simply because they know it riles up certain folks for them to do so. Witherspoon spoke out in his day because the cause of the nation was just. But so many unjust causes are afoot in our nation at the moment, that for pastors not to speak up and equip their people to understand the times and know what we as communities should do, is not only a betrayal of our Founders, but a betrayal of their calling and of the Word of God (Ezekiel 33).”

That’s a strong statement: Pastors that don’t speak out on the immoral issues of our time are betraying their calling. I tend to agree with him. What do you think? Is there a time and place for politics in the pulpit?

You may also want to check out my videos How Christians can live biblically in an election season and The Church should be pre-political. 

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