Love Is… (part 3)

February 25, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Love Is… worsheet 3True love—or the Greek word agape—is a hard-working verb. It’s not mushy. It’s not puppy love. It’s not even romantic. It’s a love that is determined to love another no matter what! It’s the kind of love God extended toward us when we weren’t doing anything worthy of His love, and it’s the kind of love Jesus told we as us His disciples would be known for.

We just wrapped up a series called Loving The Unloveable where we explored what the Bible says about how we are to live out this agape love, especially to those who seem “unloveable.” We went through a list of 15 facets of this love spelled out in 1 Corinthians 13.

You can read about the first five facets by clicking here.

You can read about the second set of attributes by clicking here.

Here are the final five—

Love is protecting

  • The King James Version says love bears all things. So we need to ask, “What does love bear?”
  • The Greek word means: “protecting by covering with silence.”
  • In other words, we bear with the insults of an unloveable/unloving person by refusing to talk about them in a negative way.
  • Agape doesn’t talk about people (unless it’s a conversation with God); agape only talks lovingly to people. Agape protects their reputation.

Love is trusting

  • Love has a high confidence in success. Not my success, but God’s success. So we keep believing for a breakthrough; keep trusting God to accomplish something; keep doing our part in pointing out the best (or the best that is yet to be) in others.

Love is hopeful 

  • The Amplified Bible says: love’s hopes are fadeless under all circumstances.
  • So we work now, but we are always looking forward to the future with joy and full confidence.
  • Think about a farmer: After he plants the seed, he doesn’t see it any more. But his outlook remains hopeful. So he waters a seed he cannot see. He fertilizes a seed he cannot see. He works the ground for a seed he cannot see.
  • Our acts of love may be planting a seed, or fertilizing, or watering. Every part is vital; no part can be skipped. And we remain hopeful of a harvest.
  • Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)

Love is persevering

  • I love the Greek definition: “enduring through every circumstance without ever weakening.”
  • Never let your love waver. Keep on being patient, and kind, and forgiving, and all of the other characteristics of agape listed in 1 Corinthians 13. All of them are irreplaceable and effective! 

Love is maturing

  • Love continues to grow up.
  • Agape is creative, never stagnant or stuck in a rut. Agape finds new ways to express itself.

Here’s where the real test comes in: How will you apply these attributes of love to someone in your life? More specifically: to someone you think is “unloveable”?

I know you have someone in your life that you think is unloveable. With that person’s face clearly in mind, how will you fill in the blanks:

  1. I can protect their reputation by…
  2. I believe God is working in this…
  3. I need to not give up in this area…
  4. I must remember this…
  5. I can how my love more maturely by…

If you would like a downloadable PDF of this worksheet, click here -–> Love Is… worsheet 3

If you would like to download the other worksheets, or if you missed any of the messages in our Loving the Unlovable series, you can check them all our here.

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They All Agree

February 24, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

It’s extremely rare that a 19th-century pastor, Jesus Christ, and a noted atheist would all agree on something. But as we wrapped up our series on love today, I had to share these quotes (the added emphasis in the quotes is mine)—

“Never offer men a thimbleful of gospel. Do not offer them merely joy, or merely peace, or merely rest, or merely safety; tell them how Christ came to give men a more abundant life than they have, a life abundant in love, and therefore abundant in salvation for themselves, and large in enterprise for the alleviation and redemption of the world. … Only this fuller love can compete with the love of the world.” —Henry Drummond

“If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! … By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you truly love one another.” —Jesus (Luke 6:32-33; John 13:35)

“Nothing can penetrate the loneliness of the human heart except the highest intensity of the sort of love the religious teachers have preached.” —Bertrand Russell

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Who Do You Think You Are? (book review)

February 5, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Who Do You Think You AreIf you’ve ever heard Mark Driscoll speak, you know that he pulls no punches as he unashamedly uses the Bible to address the situations we all face. Who Do You Think You Are? is no exception.

Your friends, Madison Avenue, your colleagues, even your family members are all trying to influence you. They all weigh-in on who you are, or who they think you should be. But Pastor Mark Driscoll wants to show you who the Bible says you are. So using the book of Ephesians in the Bible, Pastor Mark convincingly and lovingly will show you that you are…

  • In Christ
  • A saint
  • Blessed
  • Appreciated
  • Saved
  • Reconciled
  • Afflicted
  • Heard
  • Gifted
  • New
  • Forgiven
  • Adopted
  • Loved
  • Rewarded
  • Victorious

Pastor Mark writes in a very readable, conversational style as he uses the powerful words of Ephesians, along with some personal stories from his own life, as well as the lives of others he has known, to make sure you know how God sees you. In a world where everyone else wants to squeeze you into a different mold, how freeing it is to discover how God sees you, and to know that God loves you because you’re you!

This was a very encouraging read. I’d recommend this to anyone struggling with peer pressure or with their own self-identity. I also think this would be an excellent book to use in a small group setting, perhaps even among a recovery group.

I am a Thomas Nelson book reviewer.

I have shared some quotes from this book here.

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Furious Longing

January 23, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Furious longingThere is a passage of Scripture in the Book of James which has caused many people to propose many different explanations. I’m not a theologian, but here’s my take on this—

Or do your think the Scripture says without reason that the spirit He caused to live in us envies intensely? (James 4:5)

Envy in the Greek is a neutral word; it becomes a virtue or a vice depending on its context. I could long for a deeper relationship with my wife (virtue), or I could long for a drug that gives me a temporary escape (vice).

The Greek word for envy can mean pursue with love (virtue), or lust after forbidden desires (vice).

“The spirit [God] caused to live in us” came from a loving Creator, and was intended for us to long for Him. When God created man in His image, He said, “Let Us create man like Us” (Genesis 1:26). In the Triune God there is a furiously intense longing among Father, Son, and Spirit. Each part of the Godhead longs for the entire Godhead to be glorified—this makes the Godhead indivisibly and gloriously One. This is the same spirit God placed in man.

Of man God said, “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). The God-implanted spirit of man longs to give love and to receive love. Our God-implanted spirit longs to connect.

But for what do we long? We were made to long for intimacy with God. If we substitute or exchange this with a longing for temporary worldly things, we are rightly called by James “adulterous people” and “an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

“But God gives more grace” (James 4:6) that we will turn from our temporary longings to long after Him. James almost seems to be saying that those in the church have their hearts hanging in the balance. Of the other eight times this Greek word for envy is used in the Bible, they are in the positive (or virtuous) connotation.

James is imploring us—longing for us—to not be the exception. Longing for us to humbly admit our need for God and to receive even more divine grace. Longing for us to tip our hearts toward God and renew the passionate, furious longing for which we were created.

O God, I want my passion to burn furiously for You alone. Jesus, may I follow Your example to only do what pleases the Father. Holy Spirit, may I hear Your voice if my heart ever begins to turn toward anything but my Beloved.

(I explored this idea further in a whole series of messages called Craving.)

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God Chose You

January 9, 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.

Sometimes life is hard and we can lose sight of a very important fact. Through the trials, and the testings, and the difficult situations, and the valleys, and the times we’re tempted to throw in the towel, you must remember this one fact…

God chose to give you birth (see James 1:18).

You are not an accident.

You are not an after-thought.

You are not an unintended consequence.

God chose to give you birth.

He planned for you to be here.

Therefore He pours out His lavish gifts, including the greatest gift of all—eternal life.

Think about it: What greater proof is there that God chose you than He sent His Son to earth to make it possible for you to live with Him forever! 

Let those words sink in—GOD WANTS YOU WITH HIM FOREVER!

God chose to give you birth, and to give you a second birth—eternal life.

For God so loved you, that He gave His One and Only Son as a sacrifice for your sins. If you believe that, you will spend eternity with Him! 

God chose you!

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. Like some exclusive quotes from a book I just reviewed. ◀︎◀︎

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Labor Of Love

December 12, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Labor of loveGod is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them. (Hebrews 6:10)

I don’t work for God’s blessings. I work for God because He has already blessed me! My labor is a labor of love and gratitude!

How do I show I love God?

I help others.

Not just once, but continually. In the next two verses the writer of Hebrews goes on to say that my labor of love should be:

  • Diligent
  • Sincere
  • For as long as I’m alive
  • Without any laziness
  • Through faith
  • With patience

No coasting. No waiting for others to serve me first. No slacking.

God has blessed me so that I can be a blessing to others. This is how I show my gratitude for the blessings of God I have been given—

HARD WORKING LOVE

For those who have been loved by God there’s no other way to live and love.

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Are You Worthy Of God’s Favor?

December 10, 2012 — 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. 

Today some call her “the holy mother” and revere her as a saint. But 2000 years ago, Mary saw herself as only an ordinary, faceless, fame-less, Israelite girl.

  • She came from Nazareth (a town of which people said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?!”)
  • Nazareth was in the region of Galilee (an area of which people said, “No one special has ever come from Galilee”)
  • She was pledged to be married (probably a marriage that she had no say in)
  • And she was a young teenager

What did Mary think of herself? We can infer her self-image from what went on her mind when God’s angel greeted her with the words, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

She was greatly troubled and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. Psychologists today would describe Mary’s response as inner dissonance—the feeling that something is not quite right, but she couldn’t put her finger on exactly what was wrong. The phrase greatly troubled is a single Greek word which means agitated and perplexed by doubts.

In short: the way the angel greeted Mary didn’t jive with the way Mary saw herself (see Luke 1:26-38).

Mary, like many of us still today, didn’t think she was worthy of God’s attention, let alone His special blessings.

But the word the angel used when he said she was highly favored is a wonderful word! It’s root word is grace, and it only appears twice in the New Testament. This word means God’s grace which is constantly reaching out to us, even when we’re unaware of it. Look at the other passage where this word is used—

God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son. (Ephesians 1:5-6 NLT)

How amazing! God wants to adopt you! It’s something that brings Him great pleasure, so He constantly pours out the blessing of His grace on us!

Are you worthy of God’s favor? YES!! Not because you did anything to earn it, but because Jesus paid the price for you on the Cross.

Now you need to respond the way Mary did. The angel told Mary to “Fear not!” The verb tense implies that Mary needed to stop fretting about her (un)worthiness, and simply accept the grace that God was extending to her. In other words, she needed to see herself as God saw her.

Mary’s response should be our response: “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”

If you have missed any of the messages in our Fear Not! series, you can find them all by clicking here.

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

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Absolutely Amazing

November 28, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

I know I’ve read this verse before, but today it just seemed to leap off the page…

Both the One who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. (Hebrews 2:11)

Did you catch that word BOTH? This places me in the same category as God Himself!

I am the one made holy because Jesus died in my place. Jesus paid the price for the forgiveness of my sins, and for the righteousness of God to be given to me!

Then notice it doesn’t say we are being made holy, but made holy. It is finished.

Now Jesus is pleased to call us His brothers and sisters!

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!

When I read something like this, an important question comes to mind: How should I now live?

Confidently—because I am accepted into God’s family.

Humbly—because I didn’t pay the price, but Jesus paid it on my behalf.

Thankfully—because there is no greater gift I could ever receive.

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Thursdays With Oswald—What Motivates My Service?

November 1, 2012 — 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.

What Motivates My Service?

     If my love is first of all for God, I shall take no account of the base ingratitude of others, because the mainspring of my service to my fellowman is love to God. The point is very practical and clear. If I love someone and he treats me unkindly or ungenerously, the very fact that I love him makes me feel it all the more, and yet Paul says loves “takes no account of evil,” because self is absorbed and taken up with love for Jesus Christ. 

     If you are going to live for the service of your fellowman, you will certainly be pierced through with many sorrows, for you will meet with more base ingratitude from your fellowman than you would from a dog. You will meet with unkindness and “two-facedness,” and if your motive is love for your fellowman, you will be exhausted in the battle of life. But if the mainspring of your service is love for God, no ingratitude, no sin, no devil, no angel, can hinder you from serving your fellowman, no matter how they treat you. 

From Biblical Psychology

The Bible tells me to love my neighbor as I love myself. But I also know that my heart is naturally evil, that I am naturally self-centered and self-absorbed. I can only love myself correctly if I see myself correctly, and that can only happen if my heart has been made new through the forgiveness of my sins.

That’s why the first greatest command is: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength (Mark 12:29-30). When I love God first and best, I can see myself correctly: As a trophy of His grace. Then—and only then—can I love others in a way that will never be exhausted, nor offended; nor will my motivation to love my fellowman be diminished by others’ ingratitude.

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God Takes The Burden Of Suffering

September 23, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

It’s always been a difficult verse for me. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds (James 1:2).

I am still wrestling with this verse and probably will be for as long as there is suffering. But I trust God. I believe He is working out something which will bring Him full glory. I know, as the apostle Paul said, that I only see through a dim glass now. But what I see of God’s love and goodness is more than enough for me to continue to trust Him.

This video is an amazing story of how suffering and disability actually brought a family to Christ—and they brought glory to God.

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