The Sermon That Didn’t Happen

March 9, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

I planned, prayed, studied, prepared, tweaked, refined, practiced, and finalized my message for Sunday morning. We’re in a series called Tell Me A Story, where we’re looking at the great truths Jesus revealed in the amazingly-simple stories He told.

Yesterday we were going to look at a story that is so simple, it’s told in just one verse (Matthew 13:44). The kids drama team from The Rock had a very humorous skit ready to help me illustrate my message in a fun way. And I was fired up to share with our church the simple, yet profound, truths the Holy Spirit had spoken to my heart from this story.

Then something happened.

The Spirit of God moved into our service in such a powerful way that we couldn’t continue as planned.

At the close of our worship time, I felt like God was calling us to simply stay in His presence, so we continued to worship. Then God spoke to us through a prophetic word that was right on the mark. I encouraged the congregation to remain in an attitude of prayer as we just waited in God’s presence. Without hesitation, people came to the altars, kneeled at their seats, or stood in God’s presence.

No formal prayer. No stirring music. Just the sweet sound of spiritually-sensitive people sobbing in God’s presence. It was powerful! Another word was given—this one very challenging and exhorting.

Then I felt the Holy Spirit stir my heart. I opened my Bible to the one verse I had prepared to share. But when I opened my mouth, God gave me an entirely different message. I only spoke for a couple of minutes, and without a formal dismissal I simply called people back to prayer.

And our people prayed. And prayed. And prayed. For a long time members of our congregation simply waited in God’s presence.

The Holy Spirit did a deep and personal work in many people’s hearts yesterday—including mine! I cannot wait to see what changes come about as a result of our unplanned time with God yesterday. I’m so glad that my sermon didn’t happen!

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Grateful For My Powerlessness

March 5, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

This has been a very hard week!

I conducted a funeral service yesterday for a family whose baby died after only 18 days on earth. As a pastor, without a doubt the most physically-, emotionally-, spiritually-, and mentally-draining activity I do is a funeral. The Bible says that we grieve with those who grieve, and yet in the midst of that grieving, the family and loved ones are still turning to me to give them answers. Sometimes it seems there are more questions than answers. Between the grieving and the answer seeking, it’s very draining!

But God was gracious to me. He gave me a comforting word to share at the funeral, and at the conclusion eight people said that after their days on earth were done they wanted to have the assurance that they would be welcomed into God’s presence, just as baby Blake was. I had the privilege of praying with those folks as they invited Christ into their lives!

Probably the second-most draining thing I have to do as a pastor is deal with problems in the church. And, boy, did a big one crop up this week! It was supposed to culminate in a meeting this afternoon. So yesterday I was dealing with my two most draining issues at the same time! Today, this church problem wasn’t resolved, but God gave me such a peace about its outcome. I’m not sure what’s going to happen next, but what a peace flooded my heart to let me know that He is in control.

This morning I read this great quote from Oswald Chambers—

“It is a good thing to feel our own powerlessness in the face of destruction, it makes us know how much we depend upon God. … When a man gets to despair he knows that all his thinking will never get him out, he will only get out by the sheer creative effort of God, consequently he is in the right attitude to receive from God that which he cannot gain for himself.”

I am grateful today for my powerlessness. I am grateful that I feel so dependant on God. I am grateful for the sheer creative effort of God. And I am grateful for His peace.

I’m also grateful for the challenges. Why? Because without the challenges, I would not have felt such gratitude for my powerlessness, God’s provision, and God’s peace.

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My Big Three

February 2, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

three1Busy. Commute. Busy. Lesson prep. Busy. Kids’ schedules. Very busy. Meetings. Extremely busy. Household chores. Hectic busy. Hospital visits. Running-to-catch-myself busy.

In my busyness, something gets squeezed out of my life very easily. I don’t intend for this to happen, in fact it’s the last thing that should ever get squeezed out, but it does. I can tell when it does. Not right away, but soon it catches up with me and I’m running on vapors. I know that when I take the time to put it back into my life, the busyness doesn’t seem so busy anymore.

What is this power source? Consider the life of Jesus.

No one had more to accomplish in such a short period of time than Jesus. He only had three years to find, equip and launch the men who would take His message to all the world. No small task, and not a minute to lose. Yet instead of seeing Jesus run at the frantic pace I so easily slip into, I see these incredible pauses.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed. (Mark 1:35)

How long did He pray? The Bible doesn’t say, but I suspect He was in prayer with His Heavenly Father until His conversation was concluded. It may have been a while, or it may have been somewhat shorter.

Then all throughout the day, Jesus was never rushed or pushed or running helter-skelter, but He seemed to move at just the right speed. This is because Jesus was taking His cues from His Father all day long:

For I did not speak of My own accord, but the Father who sent Me commanded Me what to say and how to say it. I know that His command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told Me to say. (John 12:49-50)

Sometimes when there were big decisions or momentous occasions facing Him, Jesus would spend an extended time in prayer. For example:

 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated apostles. (Luke 6:12-13)

I’m trying to make Jesus’ big three my big three:

  1. An untimed conversation with God every morning.
  2. All-day sensitivity to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
  3. Periodic prayer retreats before making big decisions.

This is taking all of the discipline I can muster, but I must make this my top priority!

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Still Basking

January 12, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

I love basking in God's presence!

A good person basks in the delight of God. (Proverbs 12:2)

Yesterday morning people were excited to gather in God’s presence. They were ready to worship God and enthrone Him on their praises. And God was delighted with these good people who came into His presence.

Today I’m still basking in how God’s Spirit visited us yesterday!

It is truly a joy to bask in God’s delight, and I’m looking forward to a lot more basking in 2009! Come join us when you can—there’s plenty of room for anyone else who wants to join in some seeking and some basking.

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S-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d-!

January 8, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

stretched

Stretch (v.) stretch\   to draw out or extend oneself to the full length or extent. Its origin means “unbroken continuance of some activity.”

We have been observing a time of prayer this week; an unbroken continuance of this powerful activity. It’s always amazing to me just how much the Holy Spirit stretches me during these times.

But I want to be extended to my full potential so I’m grateful for this stretching. I wouldn’t trade these times for anything. But, wow, is it painful at times!

Can I get an “Amen”?

Or maybe just an “Oh, my”?

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Planned Spontaneity

November 16, 2008 — Craig T. Owens

Is that an oxymoron, or what? How can something be planned and spontaneous?

But we experienced planned spontaneity in our service this morning. Our worship team planned and practiced songs which would flow with each other and which would prepare people’s hearts for the Word today. At the end of the planned set of songs God showed up spontaneously with a powerful, unscripted, right-on-the-mark prophetic word for our congregation.

I did my very best to plan and prepare a message for this morning which would be timely, relevant, and applicable. At the end of my planned message God showed up spontaneously. A guest who had never been with us in a service before sang a song that God had given her two days earlier. The song contained the exact same words and phrases that were in my prepared message.

We planned. God showed up spontaneously.

I truly believe that if we had not done our very best planning, God would not have shown up so spontaneously. What do you think?

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