Jesus showed us how to remain faithful as a shepherd even in the face of painful attacks. If you are a pastor—or if you love your pastor—please check out my books Shepherd Leadership and When Sheep Bite.
Every year I see the same unsubstantiated claims that the Christian celebration of Christmas is a hodgepodge of pagan and cultic myths cobble together and hijacked by Christians. Here are three myths refuted by archeological evidence.
Dr. Allen Tennison points out how Luke emphasizes the work of the Holy Spirit all throughout his Gospel, and then continues that theme as he moves into the Book of Acts.
“One of the first gospel blessings is that of complete justification. A sinner, though guilty in himself, no sooner believes in Jesus than all his sins are pardoned. The righteousness of Christ becomes his righteousness, and he is accepted in the Beloved.” —Charles Spurgeon
“For the apostle Paul, as, indeed, for all the apostles and early Christians, the Church is the Body of Christ, the continuing incarnation of the reigning and conquering King of Glory. The Church, according to the apostles, is the centerpiece of Christ’s historical agenda (Matthew 16:18). Whatever Christ intends to do on earth prior to His imminent return, the focal point of that work will be in and through His Church. … We do not have the mind of Christ if we are not thinking the same way about His Body, the Church. We need the Church, and if we do not think this is so, then we do not have the mind of Christ. We need the Church. But we need it according to the purpose with the guidance and blessing of the Lord Jesus Christ.” —T.M. Moore
What an amazing story of faithfulness! The faithfulness of God is seen in the loving actions of an unnamed Sunday School teacher and in a lifelong missionary.
Cold-case detective J. Warner Wallace contrasts blind belief and unreasonable belief with what he calls forensic faith. His conclusion: “A forensic faith gives you confidence in uncertainty, strength in adversity, and the ability to engage intellectually with both believers and skeptics. It transforms faith from mere hope into informed trust, and that makes all the difference in how you live out your beliefs in a world that’s constantly questioning them.”
“Depression is one of satan’s most dynamic weapons to divert you from God’s purpose for your life. If he can scatter a little dejection here and there in your thoughts—and even in your prayers—he can convince you to remove your breastplate of righteousness because it is too cumbersome and will go against your material and temporal interest. Do not give in that easily!” —William Gurnall, The Christian In Complete Armor
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
I like to take some time at the end of each calendar year to both look back and look forward. Throughout biblical history, whenever God was ready to take His people into a new chapter, He always took time for them to review the ground they had already covered. So as we get ready to go into 2026, here is a look back at the things God taught us in 2025 through these sermon series I shared with the wonderful folks at Calvary Assembly of God.
Our Prayer Book. God has given us an amazing Book! The Bible addresses the human condition—all our desires, frustrations, hopes, and the only path on which we can find eternal and unfading joy. The Bible not only tells us how to live, but it also tells us how to pray. And it’s as we pray that the principles in the Scripture come alive with fresh applications for our daily life. We don’t have to fumble around, attempting to find the right words to pray and then wondering if those prayers were heard on high. We can learn to pray in agreement with God’s perfect will. God has spoken to us through His Word, and He invites us to use His words to form our prayers back to Him. I love beginning each new year with a reminder of the power of prayer.
When Sheep Bite Sheep. No one likes to be mistreated—especially when the one that hurts us is one we would have thought of as an ally or even a friend. These slights become even more painful when they take place inside the Christian community. When sheep bite sheep, our natural response is to lash out to try to even the scales of justice. But the Bible consistently and clearly calls Christians to pursue a supernatural response. This is a highly practical series of messages on how you can respond in a Christ-honoring way when you are bitten by another sheep in God’s pasture.
Grief Into Joy. At the end of your rope … down for the count … nothing but gray skies all around … unable to see any light at the end of the long, dark tunnel. Ever been there? The reality is, we all have been there. But the good news is that we don’t have to stay there! God is always at work to turn our apparent no-win, dark, hopeless situations into something bright and glorious! He is working in ways that no human mind could have dreamed up, and working on our behalf in a way no human power could ever hope to rival. God specializes in turning grief into joy! We are approaching the time of year where we remember the death of Jesus. Without a doubt that was the darkest, most grief-stricken day in all of history. Yet that time of mourning was completely forgotten in the overwhelming joy that exploded from an empty tomb on Resurrection Sunday!
We Are: Pentecostal. Pentecost for over 1500 years was a celebration in Jerusalem that brought in Jews from all over the world. But on the Day of Pentecost which came just ten days after Jesus ascended back into heaven, the meaning of Pentecost was forever changed! Followers of Jesus—now empowered by an infilling of the Holy Spirit—began to take the good news of Jesus all over the world. These Spirit-filled Christians preached the Gospel and won converts to Christ even among hostile crowds, performed miracles and wonders, stood up to pagan priests and persecuting governmental leaders, and established a whole new way of living as Christ-followers. We, too, can be Pentecostal followers of Jesus Christ today. We can experience an anointing and an empowering in our lives that turns ordinary Christianity into extraordinary Christianity!
All Hail King Jesus. The Bible closes with a vivid picture of Jesus as the undisputed King of kings, and we look forward to that time when all creation bows before Him. Even more so, we cannot wait to be with our King for ever and ever! The psalmists of Israel also foresaw the coming of this King, especially in the example they had in their King David. Many of the poetic words they penned esteemed Jesus as the King for Whom they longed. David himself not only saw the future coming of the Eternal King, but he also looked back in time to see Jesus reigning as King before time began. It is these royal psalms that we will be studying as we celebrate the first arrival on Earth of our King and as we anticipate the second coming of our Royal Majesty. The more clear our vision is of this King, the more we will worship Him, follow Him, and invite others to know Him as their own Lord and Master.
B.A.S.I.C. Christianity. When someone invites Jesus into their heart, they are immediately justified in God’s sight and have the assurance of Heaven as their eternal home. But then the question comes, “Now what?” Our justification is immediate but our sanctification is an ongoing, lifelong process. Sanctification is what brings fruitfulness to a Christian’s life and what allows that fruitful life to be a testimony to others. The Bible gives us the B.A.S.I.C.s of this Christian life, and that’s what we will be exploring over the next few weeks.
Earnestly Contend. Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote a letter to the church. He said he was hoping to write about salvation, but looking at the conditions in the culture around him, he felt urged by the Holy Spirit to challenge Christians to “contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.” What does this word “contend” mean for us today? Are Christians supposed to be combative about sharing their faith? Are they supposed to argue with anyone and everyone who disagrees with them on any point? Jude gives us Holy Spirit-inspired wisdom to understand how to deal with those who have departed from the purity of biblical truth.
What To Do In A Crisis. Look back through the pages of history and you will see a common theme. Whether it’s world history or your own personal history, you have so much for which you can give thanks. In tough times, we tend to become forgetful because we are so focused on the intensity of the moment. But if we will simply look back in time, we will see just how faithful God has been to us. We bring our focus back to Him in our trying times when we remember and rehearse “the wonderful things He has done” (Psalm 107). The season of Thanksgiving is a good time for us to be reminded of the powerful resource we have when we are giving thanks for our blessings. Thankful people are confident people because they choose hope in God’s faithful provision over grumbling about their current circumstances.
Jesus Is…. Over 700 years before He was born in Bethlehem, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah to describe the Messiah that was coming. Peter said that until the advent of Jesus, the prophets continued to scour the evidence of who this Messiah was going to be. When Jesus finally came to earth as a Man, young and old alike were thrilled to proclaim that the One they had been longing for had made His long-expected appearing! As Jesus lived on earth, died on Calvary, and was resurrected back to life, He continued to fulfill all that had been prophesied about Him. Isaiah said of Jesus: “He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” This Advent season we will take some time to unpack what each of these majestic titles mean. We will explore how Jesus demonstrates that He is truly worthy of each of these titles, and we will see how that knowledge should thrill our hearts as we celebrate His first Advent and eagerly long for His Second Advent.
If you live in northern Kent County and don’t have a home church, I would be thrilled for you to visit me at Calvary Assembly of God this year.
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
During the first year of [Darius’] reign, I, Daniel, learned from reading the Word of the Lord, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with Him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes. (Daniel 9:2-3 NLT)
Reading the Word of God prompted Daniel to pray to the God that is revealed in the Word, and the prayer he offered to God was grounded in biblical promises—in God’s own promises (vv. 4-19).
It’s like when children are speaking to their earthly fathers and say, “Dad, you promised,” it gets the attention of that father’s heart because he wants to keep his word.
God hasn’t forgotten His promises; in fact, He is always at work to fulfill what He has said. But when we pray, “Father, according to Your promise to me,” we are praying words that resonate with His heart. He delights for His children to see Him at work. And He is glorified when we praise Him for fulfilling what He has promised.
When we end our prayer with “in the name of Jesus, Amen,” that is not just some magical phrase that we tag on, but it is a reminder that we can come boldly before God’s throne with our petition. And prayers that are aligned with the heart of God—prayers that are grounded in the Word of God—have the “Amen” of Jesus added to them (Hebrews 10:19-22; 2 Corinthians 1:20).
We never need to be at a loss for words when we go to our Heavenly Father in prayer. Read His Word, see the Holy Spirit illuminate and apply the Word to your circumstances, and then pray confidently in the name of Jesus.
For pastors and shepherd leaders, my book Amen Indeed contains over 100 biblically-based prayers for many of the situations we face in our ministries. My prayer for you is that this book will help you learn how to use the Bible as your Prayer Book.
As I was studying the Book of Jude, I came across this phrase, “Though you already know all this, I want to remind you.” This prompted these three quick thoughts that I want to share with my fellow pastors.
Using the words from Isaiah 40:10-11, Sarah Young has Jesus speaking these words to us: “Adverse circumstances become growth opportunities when you affirm your trust in Me no matter what.”
Ken Blanchard has long used a challenge for leaders to catch their teammates doing something right. That phrase has now become the title of a biography about Ken. He says, “Great leaders who want to encourage and motivate their people set up a positive cycle:
A great leader catches someone doing something right and praises them.
The leader’s praise helps the person feel good about themselves.
People who feel good about themselves produce good results.
A great leader notices when people produce good results.
See #1.”
This is a very encouraging read for men! Scott Hubbard writes, “You may not have ability for preaching and teaching, as Timothy did. But the Holy Spirit does not leave any Christian giftless. … You may have a small vision for your life; God does not.”
An amazing series from T.M. Moore on the law in a Kingdom economy. T.M. writes, “Christians don’t keep the Law to be saved; we keep it because we are saved, because it is the path that Jesus walked (1 John 2:1-6); and we recognize its value for helping us realize more of the life of holy, righteous, and good works for which we have been redeemed (Romans 7:12; Ephesians 2:8-10).”
Geologists have discovered what Creationists already proposed about plate tectonics related to the Flood described in the Bible. “Flood geologists have predicted that plate motion slowed at the end of the Flood year, and now conventional scientists are finding it to be true.”
The Assemblies of God has always responded to popular religious trends with solid biblical exegesis. The “latter day rain” movement in the 1940s is a good example.
“Mature leaders swallow their egos and recognize God as their power source. They walk confidently in His authority, but never assume credit for it. Faith enables them to stretch, while humility enables them to stoop.” —John Maxwell
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
The second-to-last book of the New Testament is a short letter to the Church in which Jude felt urged by the Holy Spirit to challenge Christians to “contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.” Does contend mean Christians are supposed to be combative about sharing their faith? We can learn a lot from the way Jude opens this letter.
First, let’s look at who wrote this book.
The names of the brothers of Jesus are listed twice (Mark 6:3; Matthew 13:55), and Jude is either the youngest or second youngest of these male siblings. He was a part of the family delegation that went to bring Jesus home because they thought He was out of His mind (Mark 3:21, 31). Later on, Jude would also mockingly taunt Jesus (John 7:5).
James is the oldest brother after Jesus. When Paul writes that Jesus appeared to James after the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:7), it’s possible that it means Jesus appeared to all of his brothers, because Paul also mentions that the brothers of Jesus had become evangelists (9:5). It’s not surprising that Jude calls himself a brother of James, but it is quite shocking that he calls himself a servant of Jesus Christ.
In fact, he calls Jesus:
our only Sovereign and Lord (v. 4)
the One who gives us eternal life (v. 21)
the only One who is our entrance into Heaven (vv. 24- 25)
We need to adopt this servant’s mindset as we interact with others.
Second, let’s notice who Jude’s audience is.
Jude writes to people who are called, sanctified, preserved (NKJV).
called = invited to the banquet
sanctified = hagiazo = holy ones or saints
preserved / kept = carefully attended to
Finally, let’s consider how Jude expects saints to be living each day.
Jude says in verse 2 that we are to live…
mercifully = not wanting people to get the punishment they deserve
peacefully = having our soul so secure that we fear nothing from God
lovingly = agape love like Jesus (John 3:16, 13:1) and like us (13:35, 15:9)
And all of these things are to be in abundance—ever multiplying!
After all of this, we are now in a place to consider how to live contending for the faith (v. 3).
We are servants of Jesus, called to His banquet, set apart and preserved for His glory; we are intimately aware of His mercy, peace, and love, which we want others to know for themselves.
Before we learn how to contend, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to check our attitude to ensure we indeed have the attitude of a secure servant.
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
The letters we’ve looked at so far—B, A, S, and I—are bringing about greater fruitfulness and joy-fullness in our lives, which is then enhancing our personal testimony. So the B, A, S, and I all lead up to the C—community involvement.
One of the first things we need to consider about our community is our role—both what the Bible says is and isn’t our area of concern. Jesus helps us with a parable about wheat and weed and its explanation a few verses later (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43).
From Jesus we learn that the world was created good—that’s what God said at each day of Creation. Since the fall of man, satan has sown his evil seeds alongside Christ’s good seeds.
Our responsibility isn’t about pointing out what’s wrong in the world
It isn’t about rooting out the evil in the world
It isn’t about judging the evil or even the evildoers in the world
Our responsibility is to proclaim how good our God is
Our responsibility is to bear as much God-honoring fruit as we can
Our responsibility is to embody biblical principles and proclaim the benefits of God’s Kingdom to others
The apostle Paul helps us see our role in our community with his payer in Ephesians 1:17-20. Paul desires that we know…
The hope to which God has called us. A rock-solid, irrevocable, eternal hope!
The riches of His inheritance in His saints. The treasure is in us. We get to be God’s blessing to those around us.
God’s incomparably great power for us. We’re never lacking anything because His power is for us—God Himself is for us!
When our eyes are opened to this, we can see better how to live in our communities. God has placed us and equipped us to proclaim His glorious Gospel in our Personal Mission Field. The PMF includes places like our:
Family—John 1:35-42
Friend group—John 1:43-46
Neighborhood—Colossians 1:3-8
Workplace—Ephesians 6:5-9
How do we do this?
We talk about the daily interactions you have with Jesus—make it clear that He is a real Person with Whom you have a relationship.
We live out our biblical worldview.
We stay in fellowship with out saints so that we are sharpened and prepared to give an answer for the reason for the hope we have.
We continually monitor our conversation and attitude to make sure they are Christ-like.
Let us saints be known for what we’re for more than for what we’re against!
Instead of railing on the evil, proclaim the favor of God, proclaim the soul-satisfying joy of a relationship with Jesus, and proclaim the advantages of the Holy Spirit’s continual counsel.
If you’ve missed any of the previous messages in our series B.A.S.I.C. Christianity, you can find them all here.
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
Sanctification (“saint-ification”) is an ongoing process that usually involves the help of other saints. We learn this by having a biblical worldview (that’s the “B”), being accountable with saints (“A”), and serving the Body of Christ (“S”). These are the things that bring out increased fruitfulness in our lives, make us more joy-full people, and enhance our testimony to others.
What a blessing it is to be involved in all of these saint-ification things alongside other brothers and sisters. Isn’t nice to know that you’re not all alone on your journey?
Two brothers walked up the hill to the park every afternoon to play baseball. One day a neighbor who lived near the bottom of the hill saw the younger brother pulling his older brother up the hill in a wagon. He observed this for a couple of days before he finally asked what was going on.
The younger brother said, “My big brother broke his leg so I pull him in the wagon so he can watch us play baseball and can be our coach.”
“He must be heavy,” the neighbor replied.
“He’s not heavy,” the little boy said, “he’s my brother!”
In the first brothers that the Bible shows us, we see the origin of the phrase “brother’s keeper.” Cain was jealous of the way God was blessing his younger brother, and so he murdered Able. God came to Cain and asked him, “Where is your brother Able?”
Cain responded with another question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9).
The word brother is someone connected to me by blood or some other common bond. Cain used the same word for brother but then asked if He was supposed to be his brother’s keeper—his guard, helping to keep him in bounds, celebrating his victories.
The clear teaching of Scripture is that the answer to Cain’s question is an emphatic “Yes!”
That definition of brother’s keeper sounds a lot like the definition of an intercessor. In the Hebrew, that word mean to go to God on someone else’s behalf (Genesis 25:21; 2 Samuel 24:25). The Greek of the New Testament sounds more intense (hyperentygchano): to meet a person of the purpose of conversation in behalf of someone else.
Remember that the Hebrew word for brother was pretty narrow? The Christians in the New Testament took the word for relative-by-blood (adelphos) and made it a synonym for fellow saint, regardless of where they are from (Acts 9:17; 2 Corinthians 13:11).
John used Cain’s misunderstanding of brother’s keeper to show us the spiritual responsibility we have to our adelphos (1 John 3:12, 15-16).
When we intercede for our adelphos—our fellow saints—we are participating in the same work as both the Spirit and Jesus (Romans 8:26-27, 34;Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 5:16).
A couple of weeks ago we looked at Philemon’s service to the Body of Christ. Look at how Paul’s intercession may have released Philemon to do this (Philemon 7, 16, 20).
As Paul said to Philemon, I say to you—
I appeal to you on the basis of love: Be your brother’s keeper!
Guard your adelphos, keep them in bounds, and celebrate both their righteousness and God’s blessing on their lives.
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
Confuse them, Lord, and frustrate their plans, for I see violence and conflict in the city. Its walls are patrolled day and night against invaders, but the real danger is wickedness within the city… (Psalm 55:9-14 NLT)
David sees violence and conflict, but he is quick to conclude that the enemy is not “out there” but “in here.” Notice the phrases “in the city” and “within the city.”
This is why Jesus tells us to deal with the plank in our own eye first (the things in here), and then I can see clearly to address what may be out there (see Matthew 7:1-5). He also tells us to pay attention to the clear indicators that something is wrong “in here” in Matthew 15:18-20.
Yes, we should address false gods and evil practices. But G.K. Chesterton warns us to make sure we are addressing the right things—
“Idolatry is committed, not merely by setting up false gods, but also by setting up false devils; by making men afraid of war or alcohol, or economic law, when they should be afraid of spiritual corruption and cowardice.”
God-fearing leaders must always address their own areas of corruption as the first and highest priority. It’s only after this heart-check that we can truly lead people away from things which are holding them back from fully following God.
Holy Spirit, if I feel the need to point my finger at what’s wrong “out there,” may I first yield to Your finger pointing out what’s wrong “in here” in my own heart. Once I have recognized, confessed, and corrected what’s wrong in me, equip me to be a lovingly-strong and empathetic guide to help others around me.
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
Paul makes it so clear that the Holy Spirit is a Person with Whom I should be in regular and intimate conversation. In the span of just a few verses in Galatians, Paul uses five different Greek words to fill out the definition for what it means for a Christians to walk by the Spirit.
(1) Walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). This word means to conduct my life at the Spirit’s speed. Not rushing ahead; not lagging behind. As Solomon might say, “Trust the Holy Spirit with all your heart, and do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take” (paraphrase of Proverbs 3:5-6).
(2) Led by the Spirit (5:18). This means to be attached to the One Who is conducting my life. Just like Jesus explained about branches staying connected to the Vine in John 15:1-5.
(3) Live by the Spirit (5:25). To consider the Holy Spirit as my one and only vitalizing Source. He is more important than the air I breathe, the food I eat, or the water I drink.
(4) Keep in step with the Spirit (5:25). I march obediently as a soldier under direction from my Superior Officer; attuned to His voice to obey His every direction.
(5) Live by the Spirit (6:1). This describes one who is filled with and governed by the Holy Spirit’s life-force.
Christians who live this way cannot help but exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in such abundance that their very lives become a living, breathing testimony to others of the delight in walking by the Spirit on every single step of our life’s journey (5:22-23).
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
Comfort is an important word in the apostle Paul’s letter to the saints at Corinth. In just five verses in the opening of his second letter to the Corinthians, he uses the word “comfort” nine times!
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)
The Greek word conveys the sense of someone who comes near to help us. They come physically near, their heart draws near to us in empathy, and even their words are right on target to provide the help we need.
If that description sounds familiar, it may be because it comes from the same Greek word that Jesus uses for the Holy Spirit—
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever. (John 14:16 AMPC)
As Paul says, God is “the God of all comfort,” which we would expect. But notice that Paul also says that the Comforter comforts us for a specific purpose: “so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
We cannot give to others what we do not have.
How do we get comfort? The Holy Spirit—the Comforter—comforts us.
When does He comfort us? When we are in distress.
What happens with this comfort we receive? Three things:
We have something to give to others who are in distress
It builds patient endurance in us
It makes our hope in God more firm
Perhaps you’re in a time of distress right now and you’re wondering why you are going through this difficulty. Can I challenge you to reframe this thought: You are going through this so that you may increase your capacity to be a comforter to others. Your comforted distress is allowing you to come alongside another struggling saint with greater empathy and patience and understanding and strength than you would have had before your time of distress.
This is why Paul says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” He is trying to help us see the blessings that can come from this time of distress that could have come in no other way. Don’t allow self-pity to rob you of the comfort the Comforter wants to give to youso that you are able to be a comforter to others who are in distress.
Jesus showed us how to remain faithful as a shepherd even in the face of painful attacks. If you are a pastor—or if you love your pastor—please check out my books Shepherd Leadership and When Sheep Bite. 
Craig T. Owens 