Links & Quotes

Stop praying to yourself! God isn’t impressed with your “powerful” prayer! Jesus tells an interesting story about two men: one thought very highly of his spiritual status and the only could barely lift his eyes. Jesus said that the proud man’s prayer received no help from God, but only the humble man’s prayer was heard. This is a short clip from my series called Kingdom PrayingI have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“If the fetus gets in the way, ditch it. If the old person gets in the way, ditch it. If you get in the way…” —Francis Schaeffer

“The god of convenience, ruling capriciously in the hearts of men and women, and supported by worshipers of the god of wealth—greedy, self-interested profit-takers in the guise of abortionists and abortion-rights advocates—is the putative lord of life and death where children in the womb are concerned. … Christians must insist that all political candidates seeking their support, at whatever level of government, be firm in their commitment to resist the present abortion regime and expose the lie of the pro-choice agenda by every available means. …The Law of God is holy and righteous and good. Abortion is unholy, unrighteous, and evil. If we want a just and loving society, we will worship God and obey His Law, and we will work to dethrone the god of convenience and to expose the folly and self-interest of all its followers. And we will look to God to explain the nature, meaning, and value of all lives.” —T.M. Moore

Elihu is angry at Job “because he justified himself before God.” Better stated: “Job was more concerned about justifying himself—making himself look good—than he was about making God look good.” Elihu is angry at Job’s three friends because they acted like God and pronounced a guilty verdict against Job. Elihu is righteously provoked. After holding his tongue for 31 chapters, he cannot remain silent any longer!  I conclude that Elihu is righteous in his response because God doesn’t have anything negative to say to or about Elihu (as He does with the three friends) at the end of the Book of Job. 

Long before the term “fake news” made it into our lexicon, Charles E. Robinson wrote an article in 1934 “as a solemn warning to all Christians” about the rising tide of anti-Semitism. He was especially upset about a book that made an erroneous case blaming Jews for global economic and political turmoil. I am thrilled with the strong spiritual and intellectual legacy in the Assembly of God fellowship!

“There’s a lot of blood, sweat and guts between dreams and success.” —Paul Bear Bryant

Dr. Bruce Hindmarsh looks at the rare friendship between one of my favorite authors and a gifted poet whose work I also admire: John Newton and William Cowper.

Using Your Leadership Power To Serve Others

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Godly leaders are always striving to use their leadership power to serve others. What exactly does this look like? On a recent Craig And Greg Show episode, Greg and I discussed this important leadership tension.

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Links & Quotes

On the latest episode of The Craig And Greg Show, Greg and I talked about Christmas traditions. I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“Always be sure of your ground and be sure that you are honoring God. If there is anything about the situation that will make you special, it will bring you sorrow. Your whole ministry has to be along the lines of His grace and blessing.” —Smith Wigglesworth 

“Leaders have the responsibility to keep evil out. Government is incapable of making men and women moral and, in fact, it is not given that assignment, for it does not have that power. God grants government the right to make laws to hold back the power of evil, for only the church through the gospel can help men and women be good. Conversely, leadership and government can do much harm if they, through injudicious application or partial enforcement of law, let evil in. Government cannot make people good, but it can certainly make them bad. We need leadership and government to build barriers against what is wrong, but neither leaders nor external human powers can usher us to what is right. Only Jesus, full of grace and truth, can do that.” —Dick Brogden, in Proverbs: Amplified and Applied

The celebration of Christmas is obviously not seen in the Bible, but it has always seemed to be closely connected to the church’s calendar. Scott Hubbard has an eye-opening history of Christmas in his post The Curious History of Christmas.

Scientists have learned from butterflies’ amazing vision how to better detect cancer cells. The way our Creator has designed these winged marvels is truly astounding!  

The ways the biblical text has been preserved and transmitted down to us today is nothing short of miraculous! Daniel Wallace is at the forefront of continuing to preserve the Word of God for future generations. Here is an example of the dedication of the biblical scribes: “The hand that wrote [this] is rotting in the grave, but the letters remain until the fullness of the times. Completed with [the help of] God. February 23, Friday, the second hour, during the eleventh indiction, in the year 1079, through the hand of Andrew, scribe and calligrapher. And if it happens that any error of omission [remains|—this, for the sake of Christ, forgive me.”

Just as archeological finds continue to confirm biblical accounts, fossil discoveries continue to confirm the biblical claim of Creation. Paleontologists have now created the term “problematica” to try to address fossil finds that don’t fit their evolutionary models.

T.M. Moore is sharing a thought-worthy series of posts on the biblical view of our economic activities, including a look at how governments and businesses should operate under God’s laws. Moore says, “Since God has written the works of the Law on the heart of all His image-bearers (Romans 2:14, 15), we should expect that awareness (if only subconsciously) to find expression. Put another way, whether they know it or not, people long for an economy guided by Biblical principles and guidelines.”

Links & Quotes

Are you looking for a Christmas gift for your pastor? Check out my book Shepherd LeadershipI have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“We rise no higher when we pull others down, yet when we stoop to serve, we conquer.” —Dick Brogden, in Proverbs: Amplified and Applied 

“Truth is incontrovertible. Panic may resent it. Ignorance may deride it. Malice may distort it. But there it is.” —Winston Churchill

The amazing history of the authors of the New Testament epistles, and their connections with each other.

“Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else.” —J.M. Barrie

“God has made His Word so precious that if I could not get another copy of it, I would not part with my Bible for all the world. There is life in the Word. There is power in it. I find Christ in it, and He is the One I need for spirit, soul, and body. It tells me of the power of His name and the power of His blood for cleansing.” —Smith Wigglesworth

“Christians can most directly affect the shape of our economy by practicing love for God and neighbor in all our transactions. Beyond that, we should make the most of every opportunity and means for influencing the shape of public policy so that honesty, fairness, justice, and love guide all the policies that bind us together as we the people.” —T.M. Moore

Christian apologist Sean McDowell goes head-to-head with ChatGPT—

The Craig And Greg Show: Neutral Criticism

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

Criticism is baked into leadership. Any change you make, whether good or bad, will be met with some level of criticism either internally or externally. Other times, you’ll be in the position of having to express criticism of a decision someone on your team made.

Navigating criticism in a productive way can be tricky, but luckily Greg and I are here to help! In this episode, we discuss how the right kind of criticism can be empowering for your organization.

  • [0:27] Leaders will always be criticized, even for the good things they have done. 
  • [1:30] Leaders need both humility and confidence to process criticism in a healthy way.
  • [4:18] Is criticism different than an assessment? It seems like the word “critic” has been hijacked in a negative way.
  • [6:00] Defensiveness doesn’t help leaders, but we do need to protect ourselves.
  • [8:27] How do we give constructive criticism without putting others on the defensive?
  • [10:22] Why is it hard for people to receive criticism?
  • [12:55] How should we give feedback to others so that it will be received well?
  • [16:15] Is there a correlation between criticism and coachability?
  • [19:57] Let’s remember that many of our teammates have had negative interactions with a critical
  • leader, so we have to change the climate.
  • [21:28] What happens if a teammate won’t receive any feedback at all?
  • [23:20] Greg shares an insightful quote from Winston Churchill.
  • [25:26] As always, leaders have to go first!

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

The Craig And Greg Show: Ignorance And Arrogance

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

Periodically, Greg and I like to revisit the topic of leadership builders and killers. In this episode, you get two leadership killers, as we tackle the two-headed monster of ignorance and arrogance.

  • [0:25] The two-headed monster that kills leadership potential. 
  • [2:06] We are accepting bribes for our silence 😂
  • [2:23] Why are leaders held back by their ignorance?
  • [4:34] What happens when the followers sense that the leader above them is ignorant?
  • [6:22] What about when the leader admits a need for help?
  • [7:47] The toxicity of arrogance.
  • [9:32] Coachability is fed by humility. This is the leader’s litmus test.
  • [12:01] Our transparent leadership lessons are immensely helpful to our teammates.
  • [15:24] Greg shares a quote about this two-headed monster.
  • [17:35] We each share our personal examples of overcoming this monster.
  • [19:50] Sadly, many people who need the most help won’t seek it for themselves.
  • [21:07] If leaders are going to kill this two-headed monster, they have to stop talking and start listening.
  • [22:00] Know-it-alls are hard to cheer for, so successful leaders will have to eat some crow.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

Links & Quotes

God’s grace is so amazing. It keeps coming in like waves on a shore. God’s grace is unearned by our efforts, undeserved despite our sins, and unending for all of eternity! Check out this full message hereI have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“The humble servant of God is grateful for God’s past blessings, unashamed of his daily dependence on God, and confidant of God’s loving reply to every new request.” —Craig T. Owens

“There’s no shame in failing. The only shame is not giving things your best shot.” —Robin Williams

I’ve often said that praying, “God, here are my plans; please bless them” is an arrogant prayer. Instead, humility prays, “God, what would You have me do.” Proverbs 19:21 makes this point clearly. In his commentary on The Book of Proverbs, Dick Brogden noted on this verse, “God always gets His way over man’s ideas. In our hubris we think we know better than God, so we either make plans and then ask for His endorsement or we stand in judgment of what He is doing as if He should have asked us to endorse His plans. Folly judges only by results in Machiavellian crudity, but things going right doesn’t necessarily mean they were right, and things going wrong doesn’t necessarily mean we were wrong. Let us remember we are prophets, priests, and proclaimers, not pragmatists.”

“You don’t have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things—to compete. You can be just an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals.” —Sir Edmund Hillary

Speaking of an exemplary work ethic, David Mathis writes, “However firsthand your experience as a soldier, athlete, or farmer, Scripture stands ready to fill in, supplement, recast, or override our personal experiences (or lack thereof) and teach us a Christian work ethic—for our own joy, the good of others, and the glory of Christ.” The biblical text Mathis uses to help us learn this Christian work ethic is 2 Timothy 2:1-7.

Marvin Olasky has a sobering and insightful post entitled “United States of Abortion.” He wrote, “For nearly four centuries, the frequency of abortion in America has depended on how citizens and residents answered five questions.” The five questions—and his five answers—are a mini history lesson on which all Christians should reflect.

Wave Nunnally has a fascinating look at the ritual purity that was required in order to enter various parts of the Temple in Jerusalem.

“If you are ever inclined to pray for a missionary, do it at once, wherever you are. Perhaps he may be in great peril at that moment.” —Amy Carmichael

From the vastly large solar system to the microscopic level, the beauty and genius of our Creator is seen. A new report published in the journal Nature delves into the complexity of our tiny cilia. Only an all-wise Creator could fashion something so precise!

If you are looking for an easily accessible online library (especially for researching older books), check out the Internet Archive.

Though a professing atheist, Richard Feynman poetically mused that “you might say the ‘hand of God’ wrote that number, and ‘we don’t know how He pushed His pencil.’” What number is that? Physicists call it alpha (α): “That number is 0.00729735256—approximately 1/137. This is the fine-structure constant. It appears everywhere in the equations of quantum physics.” Another remarkable signpost to a magnificent Creator!

The Craig And Greg Show: Reframe Your Fear

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

Fear is something every leader struggles with, but great leaders learn to reframe that fear into an opportunity to grow. Join Greg and me as we discuss overcoming fear, reframing fear, and helping your team to do the same.

  • [0:23] Good leaders learn how to frame their fear in a different way.
  • [1:09] Greg and I talk about our biggest fears.
  • [2:21] I share about having to overcome fears about making a decision.
  • [3:38] Most of fear is rooted in past experiences, but reframing as a learning experience can help you grow.
  • [6:17] Attempting to use fear as a motivation tool will backfire and restrict your team’s potential.
  • [7:23] Reducing the fears of your team begins with leading from a place of transparent humility.
  • [9:20] Self talk is important in your battle over fear. Lead by example and show your team how to reframe their mentality. 
  • [11:55] Pride is a big stumbling block for leaders, don’t be afraid to include others in the decision making process.
  • [13:50] The top fears that paralyze leaders.
  • [19:55] Good leaders game-plan for future conflict, so when it comes their team is ready.
  • [20:34] Give your team opportunities to battle their fears and grow from them.
  • [22:51] Greg shares a quote from Henry Ford.
  • [24:11] I share a Little League story.
  • [25:03] Greg and I would love to come alongside and help coach you!

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

Intentionally Balancing

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on AppleSpotify, or Audible. 

Leaders are wired to be either naturally confident or naturally humble. God designed each leader that way on purpose, but we still need to put intentional effort into bringing humility to our confidence or confidence to our humility.

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A Leader’s Commitment To Lifelong Learning

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on AppleSpotify, or Audible. 

Bruce Barton said, “When you’re through changing, you’re through!” I think the same thing could be said about a leader’s learning—when you think you’ve learned it all, your leadership is beginning to crumble. 

I never want to get to the place where I think I have “arrived” as a leader, but I want to be humble enough to admit that there are so many things I have yet to learn. Jesus reminded us, “Every student of the Scriptures who becomes a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like someone who brings out new and old treasures from the storeroom” (Matthew 13:52 CEV). 

“New and old treasures” tells me that there’s some good stuff we need to protect, and also some good stuff we haven’t yet learned. 

A mark of a godly leader is his commitment to being a lifelong learner. 

Here are three new things the Holy Spirit has recently taught me: 

Acts 6:3 says, “Choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them.” 

My lesson: The résumé for those that are to be placed in ministry leadership positions should include servant-heartedness, Christlike character, wise experience for the task, and reliance on the Holy Spirit.

“This Moses whom they disowned…is the one God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer” (Acts 7:35). 

My lesson: When God calls someone His leader, it doesn’t matter if the world calls them disowned. It’s not about popularity with men, but faithfulness to God.

Notice the plural pronoun “they” in 1 Kings 11:33. 

My lesson: When King Solomon sinned, he then gave license to the people to follow his example. As the leader goes, so go the people.

I hope you are learning new things every day. In fact, feel free to share in the comments something new you’ve learned. 

This is part 73 in my series on godly leadership. You can check out all of my posts in this series by clicking here.

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