Craig T. Owens

April 2026
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Winning Souls, Not Arguments

March 20, 2024 — 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.

The men who were guarding Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. They blindfolded Him and hit Him again and then demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit You?” And it wasn’t just the physical abuse, but they heaped mocking insult upon mocking insult upon Jesus (Luke 22:64-65).

All four of the Gospel writers recount how Jesus responded to both the physical and verbal abuse:

To the false charges before the Sanhedrin, Jesus remained silent (Matthew 26:57-63)
To the spitting and hitting by the members of the Sanhedrin, Jesus remained silent (Matthew 26:67-68)
To the physical abuse of the guards, along with their mocking insults, Jesus remained silent (Mark 14:65; Luke 22:64-65)
To the mocking He endured before King Herod, Jesus remained silent (Luke 23:9-11)
To the false charges announced to Governor Pilate, Jesus remained silent (Matthew 27:12-14)
To the insults and mocking thrown His way as He hung on the Cross, Jesus remained silent (Matthew 27:38-44; Mark 15:29-32; Luke 23:35-36)

His only verbal response was after being slapped in the face by one of the officials in the Sanhedrin. Jesus said, “If I said something wrong, testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike Me?” (John 18:22-23).

These are what we call an ad hominem attack. That is attacking the person, instead of confronting the ideas or arguments the person is presenting.

The self-control of Jesus here is absolutely astounding! Peter records, “When they held their insults [and their fists and their spit] at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).

Even as His trial got underway, Luke records, “the council of the elders of the people…met together, and Jesus was led before them” (Luke 22:66).

Dr. Henry Halley points out that extra-biblical sources have told us that this trial violated at least four of the Sanhedrin’s own rules:

Meeting on the morning of a festival
Meeting in Caiaphas’ personal residence
Trying a defendant without defense
Passing the verdict of a death sentence in one day instead of two days

I would add a fifth rule which is found in Scripture: At least two witnesses need to be in agreement with their testimony for there to be a death sentence (Deuteronomy 17:6, 19:5; Mark 14:55-59).

When the Sanhedrin then hauled Jesus before Pontius Pilate, even their charges made before the governor in Luke 23:1-2 were flimsy at best:

Subversion—there is no proof for this
Opposing taxes to Rome—this was false (see Luke 20:20-25)
Jesus was a rival to the Roman throne—not true

And still Jesus remained almost completely silent! He only spoke when asked a direct question, but He remained silent throughout the false accusations, the verbal taunts, and the physical abuse.

When I am treated unfairly, when the rules are bent against me, when false charges are lodged against me, I get angry! I want to defend myself! I want to put my accusers or abusers in their place!

Could Jesus have prevented His arrest? Yes (Matthew 26:53)!

Could Jesus have defended Himself before the Sanhedrin, Pilate, and King Herod? Yes!

Could Jesus have come down from the Cross to prove His power? Yes!

But Jesus wasn’t trying to win a momentary argument; He was winning souls for eternity!

Jesus came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). So, “for the joy set before Him He endured the Cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

When anger boils up because of the mistreatment we are enduring, we must “consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:2-3).

Like Jesus, let’s not try to win just a momentary argument that may result in the loss of a soul for all of eternity. There is a time to speak and there is a time for silence. As we keep our eyes on Jesus, we will know what time it is.

(You can check out all of the Scriptures I referenced in this post by clicking here.)

P.S. You may also be interested in a previous blog post Winning the Argument or the Battle or my short video How Should Leaders Handle Pushback.

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

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: 1 Peter, abuse, argue, attack, debate, Deuteronomy, Gospel of John, Gospel of Luke, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Matthew, Hebrews, Henry Halley, Herod Antipas, insult, Jesus Christ, joy, persecution, perseverance, Pontius Pilate, Sanhedrin, silence. 2 Comments »

The Most Effective Leadership Tool

March 19, 2024 — 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.

One of the most effective leadership tools is, sadly, one of the tools that is used the least by most leaders. Let’s figure out how to make it work for you.

Check out this episode of The Podcast.

Some resources from this episode:

I shared a clip from a Craig and Greg Show episode. You can check out that full episode here.

The Scripture I referenced is John 10:3-5. I unpack this idea in much greater depth in my book Shepherd Leadership: The metrics that really matter.

My new book When Sheep Bite is available for pre-order!

Here are a bunch of ways to get in touch with me and follow along with other projects on which I am involved

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

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: availability, Gospel of John, Jesus Christ, leadership, shepherd leadership, teammates, video. Leave a Comment »

A Christlike Response To Skeptics

March 18, 2024 — 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.

God is precise in His promise making and promise keeping. He doesn’t just fulfill promises in a vague way or in “the spirit of the law,” but He attends to the jots and tittles of every single detail.

Last week we saw the example of Jesus going into a dark place to bring the light of hope. It’s the same for us: God uses circumstances to direct our steps into dark places because people need to see the light.

But people living in darkness sometimes don’t like the light.

When we feel like our message of hope is being ignored or rejected (or we’re even being persecuted for sharing the truth) we have a natural emotional response that begins to bubble up. That emotion is anger. How do I know this? Because Jesus experienced this too.

We can do two things with our anger:

We can blast skeptics with righteous judgment <or>
We can follow the example of Jesus

In The Pilgrim’s Progress, Faithful told how a man came and beat him because he had broken the law. Even when Faithful begged for mercy the man said, “I don’t know how to show mercy to anyone.” This man was Moses the Lawgiver. Faithful explained what finally gave him relief: “He would have finished me off, but then One came by, and told Him to stop. I did not know Him at first, but as He went by, I saw the holes in His hands and in His side and I concluded that He was Jesus.”

Moses had every right to be angry, and he expressed it a way that tried to finish off Faithful.

Jesus also got angry, but let’s see what He did with it.

(Check out all of the Scriptures I list below by clicking here.)

In Matthew 12:9-10 we see the motive of the skeptics: catch Jesus doing something wrong. This opposition came from the religionists—they weren’t interested in the truth, they were interested in proving themselves right and righteous.

As they are asking their entrapping question, Luke tells us that “Jesus knew what they were thinking” (Luke 6:8). And Mark tells us that Jesus then asked a question of His own (Mark 3:4-5). These religionists refused to answer His question, and their stubborn hearts made Jesus deeply angry!

So Jesus answered His own question, concluding that the Sabbath was the day that god intended for healing and helping. To prove this point, Jesus then healed the shriveled hand of the man who stood before Him (Matthew 12:11-14). In response to this, the Pharisees plotted with the Herodians on how to kill Jesus (Mark 3:6).

Matthew then writes, “Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place (Matthew 12:15). He didn’t withdraw in fear, but in complete awareness of His Father’s plan. Part of that plan was not for Jesus to win argument, but for Him to win souls.

Perhaps in His anger in the moment, Jesus would have spoken words that were too harsh. There is a time to speak, but it’s usually not in the heat of the moment. In fact, Laurence J. Peter rightly said, “Speak when you are angry, and you will make the best speech you’ll ever regret.”

So in fulfillment of another prophetic word given in Isaiah 42, Jesus withdrew to continue His teaching and healing ministry (Matthew 12:17-21).

What does this mean for us today? I think we can see five important responses in these prophetic words:

I am to serve others as Jesus did—even those who want to silence me.
I can let the Holy Spirit use this opposition to bring greater fruitfulness out of my life (Galatians 5:19-26).
I don’t need to win an argument with skeptics.
I can be a peacemaker that points people to the Prince of Peace (1 Peter 2:8-12).
I should live in the assurance of ultimate victory, just as Jesus did (1 Peter 2:23).

God gets the final word, the decisive word, and the best word, so I don’t have to try to win arguments with skeptics. Like Jesus, I can love and serve in a way that leaves them an unmistakable testimony.

To check out the other messages in this series called Jots and Tittles: Why it matters that God is in the smallest of details, please click here.

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

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: 1 Peter, anger, angry, argument, Calvary Assembly of God, criticism, darkness, debate, Galatians, God's promise, Gospel of Luke, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Matthew, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, Pilgrim's Progress, sermon, skeptic, video. 6 Comments »

Links & Quotes

March 16, 2024 — Craig T. Owens

Don’t let fear keep you standing still. Take a swing and give yourself or your coach something to tweak. Check out this full conversation here. I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“Our human minds cannot comprehend the immensity of [Christ’s] task and His sacrifice. We simply know that it was to save us, and that Jesus’ suffering is the most blessed influence the world has ever known.” —Dr. Henry Halley, Halley’s Study Bible

The Hill, though high, I covet to ascend,
The Difficulty will not me offend;
For I perceive the Way to life lies here.
Come, pluck up Heart, let’s neither faint nor fear;

Better, though difficult, the Right Way to go,

Than wrong, though easy, where the End is Woe. —Christian in John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress

“Nearly half the Law of God is devoted to directing God’s people in how to worship Him. And while the specific practices of that portion of God’s Law have been replaced (Hebrews 7:11-18), the emphasis on worship and the idea that worship and life are related remains. The more faithful we are in worshiping the Lord the more we will love our neighbors with the justice His Law prescribes.” —T.M. Moore

The deaths of Nadab and Abihu is a tragic story, but I think there are some important leadership insights to be gleaned from it. I shared an exclusive video with my Patreon supporters. Will you prayerfully consider joining?

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: courage, Craig And Greg Show, Henry Halley, initiative, Jesus Christ, John Bunyan, leadership, lesson, Nadab and Abihu, no fear, Passion Week, Patreon, perseverance, poem, poetry, quotes, video. Leave a Comment »

The Craig And Greg Show: Planning Vs. Spontaneity

March 14, 2024 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

Are you a person that likes to meticulously plan every detail, or are you more comfortable planning as you go? In this episode, Greg and I say leaders should strive for both! Join us as we discuss the art and science of balancing planning and spontaneity to hit the golden mean of the two.

[0:25] Most leaders haven’t thought through the balance between planning and spontaneity.
[1:46] This balance is usually more art than science.
[3:27] For some people, planning and spontaneity can be like trying to mix oil and water.
[5:43] Leaders need to work on flexibility in every situation.
[6:36] We need to know the temperament of our teammates so that we can keep everyone appropriately engaged.
[9:13] Regardless of whether you tend more toward planning or being spontaneous, you can supplement the others who are opposite of you.
[11:32] We can use the diversity on our teams to do amazing things for everyone.
[13:00] Debriefing with our teams after a spontaneous event can help prepare everyone for the next opportunity.
[13:45] Leaders need to learn how to read their teammates and the setting.
[16:08] Leaders need to earn trust with our teammates. One huge component in earning trusting is openness to input.
[18:05] Do we know what our teammates think of our leadership style? Are we willing to address this and make changes?
[22:00] Some important leadership takeaways.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: balance, Craig And Greg Show, Greg Heeres, leadership, planning, podcast, spontaneous, video. 1 Comment »

No Need To Prove It

March 13, 2024 — 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.

“Who gave You this authority,” the chief priests twice demanded of Jesus in Luke 20:1-8.

Worldly minded people are always looking for a résumé of accomplishments or the stamp of approval from a superior, so they can demand the unquestioned loyalty from those who report to them. In other words, they are looking for authority from their position that allows them to prove to others that they are in charge.

The “chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders” (v. 1) had earned their positions, or so they thought. They are, therefore, asking Jesus to, “Prove it!” They want to know why Jesus gets to say and do the things He says and does.

Jesus had every right to flex on them! But He knew that His words and deeds spoke for themselves. He “knew that the Father had put all things under His power” (John 13:3) so there was nothing for Him to prove to anyone.

In my book When Sheep Bite, I have a chapter about sheep questioning the authority of their shepherd. In that chapter I wrote—

When our conversation with criticizing sheep hasn’t gone well, and when those unhealthy sheep begin to gossip and then slander, it’s inevitable that they will eventually began to question your authority as a shepherd. Perhaps they think you’re too young and naive, or too old and out of touch. They may question your motives, or the vision you’ve imparted for the church, or your ability to follow through on what you have already shared. Whatever the case, these biting sheep seem to be implying that they know better than you do how this pasture should be run. During times like these, it is tempting to want to “prove” that we are qualified, that we do know what we’re doing, and that we can indeed successfully pursue the vision we’ve articulated for them. Once again, it’s natural to want to say, “I’ll show you just how qualified I am!”

Before we respond, we need to recognize the source of our authority. … Far greater than positional authority is moral authority. This is authority that comes not merely from a title or position, but from who conferred that title or position on the leader. If God has called us and appointed us to this pasture, that is all the authority we need.

Jesus didn’t answer the “Prove it!” demand, but went right on teaching and serving. We need to remember that there is only One to whom we must give an answer. There is only One who can say to us either, “Depart for Me,” or “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

A mark of a godly leader is one who is quietly confident of his moral authority.

As a result, that leader no longer feels the need to prove anything.

This is part 78 in my series on godly leadership. You can check out all of my posts in this series by clicking here.

You can order my book When Sheep Bite here.

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

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: confidence, Gospel of John, Gospel of Luke, Jesus Christ, leadership, moral authority, When Sheep Bite. Leave a Comment »

Unusually Usual

March 12, 2024 — 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.

If you want to experience something usually powerful in your life, you may need to add something usual to your life.

Check out this episode of The Podcast.

Some resources from this episode:

The Scriptures I reference: Luke 22:39-43; Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; Daniel 6:1-23; John 18:1-2, 12:49, 5:19; Luke 4:1-12

Here are a couple of blog posts about how Jesus prayed: 4 Practical Prayer Tips from Jesus and Pray Like Jesus.

My new book When Sheep Bite is available for pre-order!

Here are a bunch of ways to get in touch with me and follow along with other projects on which I am involved

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

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Daniel, discipline, God's power, Gospel of John, Gospel of Luke, Gospel of Mark, habits, Jesus Christ, power, prayer, video. Leave a Comment »

Walking Boldly In Dark Places

March 11, 2024 — 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.

I was reading the results of a survey which said one of the top traits for exemplary leaders was: They keep their word.

But don’t we really mean, “They keep their word most of the time”? After all, we do allow those who have a track record of integrity an “out” for unusual or unexpected circumstances. And we would still say that leader had honesty and integrity.

God always keeps His word. He never needs an “out” because nothing is ever unexpected for Him! He is always the Promise Maker and the Promise Fulfiller (Isaiah 42:9, 46:10, 55:10-11; Jeremiah 1:12).

I like the way Jesus sums up these statement from His Father: For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled (Matthew 5:18 NKJV).

A jot is the smallest Hebrew letter (yodh). In Greek the word is iota. This tells us that God is concerned about the smallest of details.

A tittle is the precise difference between Hebrew letters like cheth and he, between daleth and resh, and between beth and kaph.

All of these are fulfilled—brought to their perfect completion (Luke 1:37, 22:37)!

When we see any of God’s promises made and kept, we need to ask ourselves three questions:

What did it mean then?
What does it mean now?
What does it mean for me today?

For example, look at the promise that was made about people living in a very dark place seeing the Light of God. The prophecy is first made in Isaiah 8:19-9:7 that the people of Zebulun and Naphtali would get to see and experience the light of the Messiah.

Matthew 4:11-17 tells us that after Jesus endured the temptation of the devil for 40 days, He went to Capernaum—the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. But before He arrived there, He was first rejected by the folks in His hometown of Nazareth (see Luke 4:14-31).

Our God who knows the end from the beginning never makes a mistake; nothing is ever random or inconsequential. We should develop the habit of praying, “Now that this is happened, what would You have me do?” As Jesus was rejected by the people who should have been so excited to see His ministry flourish, He wasn’t dismayed or discouraged, but He directed His steps toward Capernaum.

In my heart, I may plan a course for my life, but I must trust God to direct my steps. My life has a purpose. Just as the Holy Spirit directed the movements of Jesus, He is directing my steps.

Even when God seems to have directed my steps into a dark place, He has sent me there as His light. I am sent on purpose. I walk a path Jesus has already walked, and a path that He is still walking with me—He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me (Psalm 23:3-4).

I don’t walk into the darkness in my own strength or as a way to fulfill my own plans but instead I trust that “the zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this” (Isaiah 9:7)!

Because Jesus is fulfilling every jot and every tittle, I can live confidently in Him!

If you would like to follow along with all of the messages in this series called Jots and Tittles, you can find them all here.

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

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Calvary Assembly of God, encouragement, fulfilment, God's promise, God's Word, Gospel of Luke, Gospel of Matthew, Hebrew, Isaiah, Jeremiah, prophecy, Psalm, sermon, video, Word of God. 4 Comments »

Links & Quotes

March 9, 2024 — Craig T. Owens

God’s blessings are not primarily for me, but they are through me for His glory. This is a short clip from an exclusive video I shared with my Patreon supporters. Become a supporter today! I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“What to do with a mistake: recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it.” —Dean Smith

Until the mid-1800s, the historicity of King Sargon II (mentioned by Isaiah) was in doubt. Not only has archeology again affirmed the historical statements made in Scripture, but “the way Isaiah spelled Sargon’s name is an indicator that the prophet lived at the time of Sargon II, and that the book was not penned hundreds of years later.” Check out this archeological biography of Sargon II.

And then there is this archeological report about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Fascinating!

How sweet and gracious even in common speech,

Is that fine sense which men call Courtesy!

Wholesome as air and genial as the light,

Welcome in every clime as breath of flowers—

It transmutes aliens into trusting friends,

And gives its owner passport round the globe. —James T. Fields

“A person always doing his or her best becomes a natural leader, just by example.” —Joe DiMaggio

Not using the spiritual gift God has given you is selfish. He gave you these gifts on purpose so that His kingdom could be made more visible and desirable.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: apologetic, archeology, biblical history, courteous, example, God's blessing, Gomorrah, historicity, Isaiah, leadership, lifelong learner, manners, mistake, poem, poetry, quotes, Sargon II, Sodom, video, world history. Leave a Comment »

Influencers Give Away Their Power

March 7, 2024 — 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.

If God has given you influence as a leader, it is never to further your agenda but to help others grow. Leadership is about servanthood. If we try to make leadership about others serving us, we will quickly get ourselves in trouble.