Lead us, evolution, lead us Up future’s endless stair;
Chop us, change us, prod us, weed us.
For stagnation is despair:
Groping, guessing, yet progressing,
Lead us nobody knows where. —C.S. Lewis
Links & Quotes
September 21, 2015 — Craig T. Owens
“The message that needs to be shouted from the houses of high finance is this: Secular man, you are not nearly hedonistic enough! Quit being satisfied with the little 5 percent yields of pleasure that get eaten up by the moths of inflation and the rust of death. Invest in the blue-chip, high-yield, divinely insured security of heaven. Devoting a life to material comforts and thrills is like throwing money down a rat hole. But investing a life in the labor of love yields dividends of joy unsurpassed and unending: ‘Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. [And thus] provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail.’ (Luke 12:33)” —John Piper
This is sadly funny: there are churches (and other organizations) around the globe who think they can be completely transformed without making any changes!
When you are reading your Bible, you can be praying your Bible too. Here are 4 prayers for Bible reading.
A good reminder from George Whitefield on what will cause Christianity to flourish.
Stuff Christians Like (book review)
May 17, 2011 — Craig T. Owens
As a fourth-generation Pentecostal, I’ve grown up in the church. I readily recognize that Christians (like any other group) develop their own vocabulary and set of “acceptable” behaviors. But can you spot them? Jon Acuff has spotted them, and puts them on display in Stuff Christians Like.
This book is funny! I know some people think every discussion about anything related to the Bible and church needs to be stone-faced serious. I don’t happen to be one of those people. I see some great comedy in Scripture, and I have certainly seen even more in the church.
Jon writes—as any comedian does—in exaggerated terms. This is what makes his topics so enjoyable to read. He comes close to being irreverent, but never quite crosses the line. But in the process, Jon helps us to see what we often miss, but what those who don’t regularly attend church see so clearly.
If you’re easily offended, or don’t think Christians should laugh at themselves, stay away from this book. But if you enjoy lighthearted comedy with an underlying purpose, you will enjoy Stuff Christians Like.
So, It’s That Easy, Huh?
January 10, 2011 — Craig T. OwensI’ve been in full-blown praying/planning/dreaming mode for the last couple of weeks. I’m really looking forward to what God has in store for our church in 2011!
Somehow I thought all of this vision “stuff” was going to be a lot of work. But I just discovered a 13-page book that is going to revolutionize my church in just a matter of minutes! I just ordered my copy, and you should too.
(Don’t you wish it really was this easy?)
(Um, for those of you who haven’t figured it out yet: this is a joke. At least the “easy” part is; the “hard-work-and-lots-of-praying” part is for real.)
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