Big, Big World

September 15, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

Bigger Than Me“The smallest package in the world is a person who is all wrapped up in himself.” —Billy Graham

We have a tendency to get so wrapped up in ourselves. If we are feeling down, no one is happy. If we don’t like our job, everyone has a lousy job. If we have a toothache, the whole world is hurting. But as John Maxwell says, “The whole world—with one minor exception—is made up of other people.”

On Wednesday in our Impact youth service, we’re beginning a new series called Bigger Than Me. It’s a reminder, a wake-up call, an eye-opener to remind our students that the world is big. Bigger than them. And in need of someone who is not all wrapped up in himself.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , . 1 Comment »

Back To Tentmaking

September 14, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

“Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was. Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike.”

I can relate to this story.

For 10 years I worked in Grand Rapids doing sales work in our family-owned business. I left our business and West Michigan when God called me into full-time ministry. Now I’m back home in West Michigan, thrilled to be pastoring Calvary Assembly of God. And for this season in my life, I also need to be a “tentmaker.”

My “Aquila and Priscilla” are two brothers named Chuck and Steve Russell. They own Eradico Services, and have graciously offered me a job back in my old “tentmaking” field of sales in the Grand Rapids area. I am so grateful to these men for this opportunity.

Just as Paul made tents during the week and was at church each Sabbath, I will be doing the same thing. It was not a coincidence that Paul had an occupational skill that he could use, nor that God provided a job for him in Corinth. This kept Paul in Corinth doing what he was called to do: telling others about Jesus. So too for me. None of this is coincidence or luck, but God has opened these doors, and I am praising Him for it as I begin making tents again today!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , . 2 Comments »

Smarter Work

September 11, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

I met this morning with my teaching team. These are some great leaders-in-training who are helping me both think through what we need to talk about with our students in our youth group, and they help teach some of these points as well. This morning we refined the next series that we want to deliver. I had a pretty good idea going in, but my teaching team made it so much better!

I love leadership teams. The New Testament frequently uses the phrase one another to show that “all of us” is a lot better than “one of us.”

  • My team helps me think of things I may have missed on my own
  • My team challenges me to clarify my words
  • My team gives me perspectives that I wouldn’t have caught
  • My team makes my good ideas better
  • My team gives me a chance to invest in and train up the next generation of leaders

Do you have a good team around you? Do you have people challenging you to think in new ways? Do you have people who can sharpen you? Do you have people around you that pour into your life, and allow you to invest in them too?

Two great team quotes from some coaches who knew what they were talking about:

“The freedom to do your own thing ends when you have obligations and responsibilities. If you want to fail yourself, you can, but you cannot do your own thing if you want to have responsibilities to your team members.” —Lou Holtz

“The main ingredient in stardom is the rest of the team.” —John Wooden

I promise you “all of us” makes you look a whole lot smarter than just “one of us”! If you’re not already, start developing a team—you’ll be glad you did.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , . 1 Comment »

Living Sculptures

September 10, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

Last night in our Impact! youth service we played a fun game called “Living Sculptures” (pictures are here). It was a whole lot of fun watching the groups invent and then reinvent one another within their group.

Sculptures are works of art. A person or a point in history captured in solid three dimensions for all time. The sculpture doesn’t change. At least it doesn’t usually change in a positive, beautifying way. The sculpture may erode or be broken or crumble, but that’s not a good change. The sculpture ceases to be what the artist intended it to be.

However, our lives are living, breathing sculptures. We change, or rather The Artist changes us. And the change is good when we are in the hands of the right Artist: our Creator.

Michelangelo’s famous David sculpture came about because Michelangelo said he saw David in the marble and just released him. So too with God, the Artist of our lives: He sees what we can become and is in the process of releasing our beauty, our potential.

God began sculpting your life even before you were born…

Oh yes, You shaped me first inside, then out;
You formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank You, High God—You’re breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
You know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, You watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before You,
The days of my life all prepared
before I’d even lived one day.

…and He is continuing to form you into something beautiful…

As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand.

…until you become the masterpiece that He saw in you all along…

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

God is the perfect Artist. Let Him work on you today to make you into His masterpiece: a one-of-a-kind creation that brings glory to the Artist.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Stuff

September 9, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

We’re almost done unpacking. Just 10 days after moving into our new home in Cedar Springs, we’ve just about got the unpacking done. Notice I said, “almost done.”

We’re trying to find a place for everything that we brought with us. But the closets are a bit smaller, there aren’t quite as many cupboards in the kitchen, and there’s one less bedroom and one less bathroom than our previous home. That means we still have quite a few boxes that have been moved to the garage. These are the we’ll-hang-on-to-this-for-awhile-to-see-if-we-need-it things.

After 19 years of marriage and three kids, we’ve accumulated quite a bit of stuff. And do you know what I’ve found? I don’t need or use much of the stuff I so carefully packed up and moved with me.

So I have been thinking,

  • How much stuff do I have packed away in my heart and mind that I don’t really need?
  • How many unkind words do I continue to keep packed away in case I need to pull them out?
  • How many painful memories do I keep packaged up just in case I need to feel sorry for myself?
  • How many mistakes from my past do I keep pulling out and packing up again?”

Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception (Ephesians 4:22).

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1).

I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back (Philippians 3:12-14).

It feels really good to get rid of the old stuff. I’m enjoying not having so much cluttering up my life, so I think I’m going to make it a regular practice to clean out the unused stuff.

Do you have any stuff you need to clear out today? I promise you: It will feel so wonderful when you do!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment »

Fearless (book review)

September 8, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

Max Lucado has always had a unique way of turning a phrase, of capturing a moment in Scripture that makes biblical truths pop off the page. I’ve always appreciated the way he can bring first-century truths into twenty-first-century applications. Fearless is no exception to this.

Fearless is also exceptionally well-timed in its release. Lucado quotes Frank Furedi’s findings that the appearance of the term “at risk” was printed in US newspapers more than 18,000 times in the year 2000. A ninefold increase over the previous six years. A ninefold increase! We are a fear dominated society:

“Fear loves a good stampede. Fear’s payday is blind panic, unfounded disquiet, and sleepless nights. Fear’s been making a good living lately.” —Max Lucado

In his unique style, Lucado unmasks thirteen fears that have been “making a good living.” He unmasks these fears by countering each of them with Christ’s admonishment to us to “Fear not!” This is not a fear-denying book, nor is it a run-for-the-hills-because-the-sky-is-falling book.

Lucado presents a straightforward look into our most besetting fears and shows the fears for what they really are: monsters in the dark. And once these “monsters” are exposed to the light of Jesus Christ, they become toothless, harmless shadows.

A great read for anyone! I also loved the discussion questions at the back of the book. These helped me confront some fears head-on. They would also be an excellent springboard for a Bible study group.

I’m giving this book five unreserved stars! Imagine your life without fear— you can do it—this book will help.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , . 5 Comments »

Biodegradable Words

September 7, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

The day has been a good one so far: There’s been a lot of traffic through the store, all of the employees showed up for their shifts on time, and the manager is feeling great. Then because of one complaint from a finicky customer, the whole day seems to crumble.

The day has been a good one so far: You got up on time, found the right outfit to wear, got to school on time, smiled at your classmates, and got right down to business. Then a teacher points out a mistake you made yesterday, and your whole afternoon becomes gloomy.

Usually that’s all it takes. Just one complaint, one correction, one unkind word, one angry look, one unfriendly email. Just one, and it’s hard to remember any of the good stuff which happened earlier. Just one, and the rest of the day seems so hard to bear.

That’s because good words are biodegradable. Kind words break down faster than unkind words. Compliments are quickly erased by complaints.

“One of the commodities in life that most people can’t get enough of is compliments. The ego is never so intact that one can’t find a hole in which to plug a little praise. But, compliments by their very nature are highly biodegradable and tend to dissolve in hours or days after we receive them—which is why we can always use another.” —Phyllis Theroux

Here’s how you can help today. It might take a couple of extra minutes, but the results are so worth it! Give three compliments today.

  • Tell the barista at your coffee shop how much you appreciate her smile every morning.
  • Mention to the building custodian how nice he keeps the office looking.
  • Say “thanks” to the band for playing one of your favorite songs.
  • Compliment your kids for doing their homework without you having to ask them.
  • Thank your school teacher for her informative lesson.
  • Tell your supervisor you appreciate their extra effort.

It’s not hard to find something to compliment about anyone. Your compliment may be just the antidote they need to counteract a complaint that has gotten them down. And when you treat others this way, you can be sure that compliments will be coming your way too!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , , . 6 Comments »

Investing Appointments

September 4, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

Here are a few definitions of investing from the dictionary:

  1. To commit (money or capital) in order to gain a financial return
  2. To devote for future advantage or benefit
  3. To devote morally or psychologically, as to a purpose
  4. To endow with authority or power

Commit … devote … endow. These are not half-hearted words. For an investment to be successful (that is, for it to give a good return on investment), the investor must be fully involved. No half-measures will do.

I try to always remember this when I’m accepting or making an appointment to meet with someone. This is a person with great worth, and I want to invest my time, energy, emotions, and knowledge into someone that is going to yield a great return for the Kingdom of God.

I know that with some people it’ll just be a spending appointment. That’s okay. Sometimes you have to spend a little before there is an investment opportunity. But what I love is identifying those people who have an attitude to grow. In those people, I willingly and wholeheartedly make an investing appointment.

By the way, all of these definitions for invest come from the same root word. The original meaning was “the clothing of someone else.” In other words, I must be willing to take all that I have to complete someone else if I want the investment to be successful.

I’m grateful for the people who have invested in me. The return on their investment is showing up in the investments I have the privilege of making now. I’m blessed to be pouring all of me into some great leaders-in-training.

Before you schedule that next appointment, ask yourself, “Am I just going to be spending my time, or is this someone in whom I can invest.” Be careful about only putting spending appointments on your calendar. And when you do have a chance for an investing appointment, be sure you go all in.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Scarecrows In The Melon Patch

September 2, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

Think about the imagery: some old clothes stuffed with straw, perhaps a burlap bag with a funny face drawn on it, and maybe a raggedy hat on top. Then hang this creation on a wooden pole, arms all akimbo, in an attempt to scare away birds from a melon patch.

Are you scared? I certainly hope not!

Yet this is exactly the thing God used to describe the fear His people were experiencing—

Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.

The scarecrow doesn’t hurt anyone, but he doesn’t help either. God said His people were afraid of a scarecrow. But here’s the amazing part: they made their scarecrows!

These people had forgotten God—forgotten His goodness, forgotten His blessings, forgotten His mercy, forgotten His strength, forgotten His wisdom, forgotten His power. Since they had forgotten that He was the One in charge, that He was the One who could protect them, they tried to create their own protection. They built their own scarecrows, and then became afraid of what they created!

I think we have done the same thing today.

We have forgotten God’s goodness, forgotten His blessings, forgotten His mercy, forgotten His strength, forgotten got His wisdom, forgotten His power. To protect ourselves we have made scarecrows of economic systems, and governments, and elected officials, and medicines, and insurance companies. And just like scarecrows, they can do no harm nor can they do any good.

That’s why fear is so rampant in our hearts: We are looking to the scarecrows we have created instead of looking to the Creator who gave us life.

Are you fearful? Do you feel panicky? Does your future seem ominous? If so, perhaps there are a few scarecrows you need to dismantle. Rip them apart and scatter the straw to the wind. And then begin to read God’s Word. Jeremiah also records these words from God to us—

This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD.

Understanding and knowing God’s kindness, justice, and righteousness will destroy your scarecrows and set you free from fear. Get rid of those scarecrows today!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments »

Your Mission Field

September 1, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

Be honest: when you think of “mission field” what are the first images that come to your mind? Africa? India? Primitive living conditions? Non-English speaking people? I think that’s what most people think of. To tell the truth, that’s what I used to envision.

But notice what Jesus said to His followers just before He ascended into heaven:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

The first mission field Jesus directed His followers to was Jerusalem. This was their “home town.” Maybe not the city they grew up in, but it was where Jesus conducted much of His public ministry; a place that His followers were intimately familiar with; the city where they currently lived.

  • They knew the language.
  • They knew the customs.
  • They knew the layout of the city.
  • They knew the elected officials.
  • They knew the religious officials.
  • They knew the local merchants.
  • They knew where the synagogues and schools were.
  • They knew this town.

Jesus didn’t call them first to someplace totally outside of their comfort zone. He called them to begin in their immediate surroundings.

Ponder this: you live in your “Jerusalem” and Jesus has called you to look at your city as your mission field. Your job … your school … your neighborhood … your barbershop … your local restaurants … these are all your mission field.

Don’t misunderstand: Missions is a worldwide endeavor, but don’t miss the point that your hometown is just as much a mission field as the other side of the globe is. 

Strive to always be missionary-minded. Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you, and then go be an effective missionary in your Jerusalem first, and then allow God to expand your missions involvement to the ends of the earth.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , . 2 Comments »
« Older posts
Newer posts »