What Gift Are You?

February 21, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

In our Living In The Zone series yesterday, we looked at the gifts God gives to us. These gifts are to help us find the “sweet spot” where God wants us to operate. They are specifically given so that God can use us.

I love this thought from Craig Groeschel: “God’s gifts in you equip you for your gift to the world.”

You are gifted to be a gift to the world.

Check out this video we showed yesterday morning…

Did you catch this exchange near the end?

“Do you think you’re a role model?”

“I hope so! I wanna be an encourager. To encourage people to do something with their lives, instead of doing nothing. Because so many people in the world in this day and time have no gumption, have no purpose, and they don’t want to get off the couch. They wanna sit there and say, ‘Woe is me! My back hurts, my this, my that,’ and wallow in themselves, when they could get out. The more you do for someone else, the more God’s going to bless you. Even if means giving someone a cup of coffee, or a hug, or something like that. That’s what it’s all about.”

What gift(s) has God given you? What gift are you being to the world?

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Baaaa!

February 18, 2011 — 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.

Of all the things God could have used as a picture of our relationship with Him, He used an animal. And, no, it wasn’t an animal that seems particularly powerful or smart or noble.

He picked a sheep.

A fuzzy, sometimes dimwitted, needs-a-lot-of-help animal.

I’m a sheep. Baaaa!

But then I have the great picture of God as my loving Shepherd. How wonderful to know that the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want!

As a pastor I am called to be the shepherd to God’s flock of sheep under my watchful eye. Jesus set the example for me:

But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.

And Solomon said:

Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds.

Pastors, here are the questions I’m asking of myself, and I invite you to ask them of yourself too:

  • Do my sheep recognize my voice? Or am I trying to sound like someone else?
  • Do I know all my sheep by name?
  • Are my sheep following me as I follow Jesus?
  • Am I willing to go first?
  • Do I find fresh pastures and clean water for my sheep? Or is it recycled food I’m serving them?
  • Am I spending enough time with my sheep to know the condition of each one?
  • Do my sheep get my undivided attention?

What a privilege to be a pastor! What a responsibility! What a joy to know my sheep and to be known by them!

Baaaa!

UPDATE: This post was one of the seed thoughts that went into fashioning my book Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? ◀︎◀︎

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Now That I’m Old(er)

February 17, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I love having the opportunity to speak to young(er) people. Especially now that I’m old(er), it gives me a chance to allow some of my hindsight to become someone else’s foresight. (That’s a fancy way of saying: I don’t want others to make the same mistakes I made!)

We’ve got a great group that meets at Calvary Assembly of God on Thursday evenings, called Unite. In addition to my short teaching time, there is also an open mic for local musicians (or poets, artists, comedians, etc.), a coffee bar, games, and lots of fun. If you are anywhere near Cedar Springs, come on out on Thursdays at 6:30pm.

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Thursdays With Oswald—Be Yourself

February 17, 2011 — 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.

Be Yourself

       God’s main concern is that we are more interested in Him than in work for Him. Once you are rooted and grounded in Christ the greatest thing you can do is to be. Don’t try to be useful; be yourself and God will use you to further His ends.

From Facing Reality

God doesn’t need you to try to be anything else than the you He created you to be.

You are a one-of-a-kind … unique … perfect just as He made you.

The greatest joy you will ever know is being yourself. But you can only be fully you when you find yourself in Christ. His life in you makes you you.

(And, by the way, we are exploring this idea further over the next couple of weeks in a series of messages called “Living In The Zone.” If you are in the Cedar Springs area, I’d love to have you join us!)

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A Treasury Of A.W. Tozer (book review)

February 16, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I find A.W. Tozer’s writings to be so thought-provoking. Even though his books were all published before I was even born, his writing always seems so applicable to me right now.

A Treasury Of A.W. Tozer is a good starter book for those new to Tozer. This collection gives selected chapters from over a dozen of Tozer’s books. It’s a good way to sample his writing, discover a topic that is especially convicting/enlightening/energizing to you, and then you know which full book to dive into headlong.

There are far too many quotes I highlighted in this collection to begin to share here, but let me close this review with one of my all-time favorite Tozer quotes. This is one which helps remind me that my agenda is not my agenda…

“The man with a cross no longer controls his destiny; he lost control when he picked up his cross.”

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Closed Door = Open Window

February 16, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

Yesterday God closed a pretty significant door in my life. It will mean some short-term changes, but I am confident that it also means some great long-term rewards! I’m not worried; just prayerful for the next steps I need to take.

Here’s where I base my confidence:

This didn’t take God by surprise: All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.

In fact, God was the One who closed this door: A man’s steps are directed by the Lord.

And now I’m just waiting: Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Or as Corrie ten Boom so beautifully said it:

“When God closes a door, He opens a window.”

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Holy Alphabet

February 15, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

Hat tip to John Saddington (via his Mom) for this one. I love the creativity…

Although things are not perfect
Because of trial or pain
Continue in thanksgiving
Do not begin to blame
Even when the times are hard
Fierce winds are bound to blow
God is forever able
Hold on to what you know
Imagine life without His love
Joy would cease to be
Keep thanking Him for all the things
Love imparts to thee
Move out of ‘Camp Complaining’
No weapon that is known
On earth can yield the power
Praise can do alone
Quit looking at the future
Redeem the time at hand
Start every day with worship
To ‘thank’ is a command
Until we see Him coming
Victorious in the sky
We’ll run the race with gratitude
Xalting God most high
Yes, there’ll be good times and yes some will be bad, but…
Zion waits in glory…where none are ever sad!

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What Is Valid Criticism?

February 15, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

Okay, I’ll need some help on this one.

Solomon, the wisest king ever, said in Proverbs 25:12:

To one who listens, valid criticism is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry. (New Living Translation)

I don’t really like criticism of any kind, but it says it right there in the Bible that valid criticism is good for me. So what is “valid criticism”? Look at this same verse in two other versions:

Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear. (NIV)

A wise friend’s timely reprimand is like a gold ring slipped on your finger. (The Message)

I’ll start…

Valid criticism comes from someone with wisdom and experience in the area they are critiquing.

Valid criticism is intended to help me get better.

Valid criticism comes in measured, well-thought-out words.

Now it’s your turn. In the comments below, please share with us how you define “valid criticism.”

Also check out 20 Helpful Thoughts On Criticism for some insights from other wise people.

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Maturing Love

February 14, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

Psst… I’m mostly speaking to the guys with this one (but you ladies can listen in too).

So I’m hoping you figured out before now that today is Valentine’s Day, right? Allow me to let you in on a little secret: this day may be a no-big-deal day for you, but it is a HUGE deal for the ladies in your life! So the most loving thing you can do is make today a big deal to you too!

Maybe you’ve already figured that part out, and you are trying to make today a special day. But let me ask you a question: Does this Valentine’s Day look just like last year’s? I sure hope not, because our love should be growing up.

Smack-dab in the middle of his great treatise on love, the apostle Paul says this about grown-up love:

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

Quite simply this means: your love is supposed to be maturing. You’re supposed to be getting better at expressing your love … more creative in your date night planning … more intuitive in your gift giving …

So how are you doing? Is your love growing up?

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Our Greatest Sin

February 11, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

He came into the very world He created, but the world didn’t recognize Him. (John 1:10)

“My fellow man, do you not know that your greatest sin is this: the all-pervading and eternal Presence is here, and you cannot feel Him?

Are you not aware that there is a great and true Light which brightly shines—and you cannot see it?

Have you not heard within your being a tender Voice whispering of the eternal value of your soul—and yet you have said, ‘I heard nothing’?

This is, in essence, the charge that John levels at human kind: Jesus Christ, the Word of God, was in the world, and the world failed to recognize Him.” (A.W. Tozer)

O God, I pray my eyes may see Your beauty in Your world around me every day.

I pray that my ears may hear Your unmistakable voice speaking to me every day.

I pray that my mind may glimpse more of Your majesty every day.

I pray that all of my senses may be enlivened to perceive Your presence surrounding me every day.

O God, may it never be said of me that I failed to recognize You each and every day.

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