Links & Quotes

February 25, 2022 — Craig T. Owens

“If you want to make people happy, don’t be a leader. Sell ice cream.” —Steve Jobs

“Pride is the first chapter in the book of failure. Humility is the first chapter in the book of success.” —Mark Batterson

“Great shepherds seek daily to increase in the Good Shepherd and to lead the people they serve to feed on Him and grow in His salvation.” (T.M. Moore). I share T.M.’s passion for shepherd in the Church, which is why he graciously wrote an endorsement for my book Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter. 

Sobhi Malek has an excellent prayer guide which gives weekly prayer points for Muslims. Each week you will get more insight into the mindset of our Muslim friends, a prayer, and a passage of Scripture. I encourage you to subscribe to this page so you won’t miss any updates.

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Tension Can Be A Good Thing

January 7, 2022 — 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. 

I had a great time on the Ailbe Podcast with Rusty Rabon.

Usually leaders want their lives and their organizations to be tension-free. But I’m advocating that healthy shepherd leaders actually embrace the tension. 

God has wired us all uniquely, but I’ve found that many leaders are slightly unbalanced in their wiring. That is, most of us are naturally more confident or naturally more humble. God made you that way on purpose, but confident leaders are allowing the Holy Spirit to temper their confidence with humility, and humble leaders are allowing the Holy Spirit to bolster their humility with confidence.

The seed thought for this concept that figures prominently in my book Shepherd Leadership was one that I’ve been wrestling with for over a decade. If you’re interested, you can check out this post.

I’ll be sharing more clips from this interview soon, so please stay tuned. Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter is now available in print or ebook, and in audiobook through either Audible or Apple. 

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Poetry Saturday—Thou Didst Leave Thy Royal Throne

December 18, 2021 — 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. 

Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown,
When Thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room
For Thy holy nativity.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.


Heaven’s arches rang when the angels sang,


Proclaiming Thy royal degree;


But of lowly birth didst Thou come to earth,


And in great humility.


O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,


There is room in my heart for Thee.




The foxes found rest, and the birds their nest


In the shade of the forest tree;


But Thy couch was the sod, O Thou Son of God,


In the deserts of Galilee.


O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,


There is room in my heart for Thee




Thou camest, O Lord, with the living word


That should set Thy people free;


But with mocking scorn, and with crown of thorn,


They bore Thee to Calvary.


O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,


There is room in my heart for Thee.




When the heavens shall ring, and the angels sing,


At Thy coming to victory,


Let Thy voice call me home, saying “Yet there is room,


There is room at My side for thee.”


My heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus,


When Thou comest and callest for me. —E.S. Elliot




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What If My Organization’s “Numbers” Aren’t Growing?

December 3, 2021 — 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. 



At a recent Q&A, I was asked how leaders in smaller markets or communities can avoid becoming discouraged if their measurable metrics aren’t continually rising. 


I answered this by pointing to a simple three-word phrase that God laid on my heart a number of years ago.


This is an idea that I unpack throughout my book Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter. Please pick up a copy for yourself or as a gift for your friends who are in leadership positions. My book is available in print or ebook, and in audiobook through either Audible or Apple.




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The Origins Of Plungerman

November 5, 2021 — 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. 



In my book Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter I take two chapters to talk about how confident leaders need to add humility to their confidence, and how humble leaders need to add confidence to their humility. 


For me, I created and became a character named Plungerman to help me learn some humility. 


At a recent Q&A and book signing event I was asked about the origins of Plungerman. Take a listen to my explanation of how Plungerman came to be, and then stay tuned to hear the epic adventure of Plungerman himself! 






Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter is available in print or ebook, and in audiobook through either Audible or Apple.


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The Craig And Greg Show: How Leaders Overcome Their Fears

October 26, 2021 — Craig T. Owens 




On this episode of “The Craig And Greg Show” we talk about: 


    

  • [0:58] Our empowerment comes from facing our fears. 
    • 

  • [1:35] How does fear paralyze a leader? 
    • 

  • [2:14] One fear leaders need to address in themselves and others: The fear of dropping the ball. 
    • 

  • [3:00] Leaders need to be aware that confidence can ebb and flow. 
    • 

  • [3:50] How we lead through fear. 
    • 

  • [4:27] Transparency in a leader empowers the team to greatness. On the other hand, blaming is a defense mechanism that disempowers the team. 
    • 

  • [5:49] Greg shares how we lead by example and with transparency. 
    • 

  • [7:25] I address the fear that blocks leaders from giving authority to others. 
    • 

  • [8:15] Greg suggests we switch our mindset from fear to learning opportunities. 
    • 

  • [9:21] I share a Little League lesson that served me well into adulthood. 
    • 

  • [10:50] How Greg and I help coach people through their fears. 
    • 

  • [11:34] What other fears to leaders face? 
    • 

  • [12:50] Creating a culture of safety helps our teammates confront their fears. 
    • 

  • [14:03] How can leaders encourage people who are trapped by their fears? 
    • 

  • [15:41] Leaders have to go first. I said, “Sometimes bravery is just going one step farther than you went before.” 
    • 

  • [16:50] Greg shares a brave moment in his adoption process. 
    • 

  • [18:18] We need to assess the gifts that others on our team possess. 
    • 

  • [19:20] Greg unpacks a great quote about bravery. 
    • 

  • [20:03] I share about the moment when I think bravery begins.
    • 





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.






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Balanced Leadership

October 19, 2021 — Craig T. Owens 




Many pastors limit their leadership effectiveness by clinging to either confidence or humility. The better option—and one that Jesus Himself demonstrated for us—is to be both confident and humble. 


I unpack this idea in my book Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter. It’s available in print, ebook, and audiobook. 


Get more info, or order a copy of my book for yourself, at ShepherdLeadershipBook.com. 










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The Confident-Humble Tension

October 8, 2021 — 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. 



I had a great time on the Thriving In Ministry podcast with Kyle Willis and Dace Clifton. 


When I was trying to explain to my friends why I was writing Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter, I found that many were quite intrigued by the idea of the confident humility—or the humble confidence—that Jesus so perfectly demonstrated for us. 


Almost every leader I’ve met tends to be naturally wired as either a confident leader or a humble leader. Our effectiveness as a shepherd leader comes in allowing the Holy Spirit to help us maintain a healthy tension between those two poles. Jesus did this perfectly, and we are to follow His example. 


I have two chapters in my book discussing this tension. Here’s how I introduce the topic in the chapter “A confident leader’s attitude adjustment: 


God has created each of us uniquely—implanted with the temperament, talents, and personality He wanted each of us to have. God made you on purpose, and He made you for a purpose. But that being said, shepherd leaders are almost never perfectly balanced. If you’ve ever taken a temperaments assessment or any other kind of personality test, you know that you had some attributes that were more prominent than others. God never gives us weaknesses, but our areas of strength can become a self-imposed weakness if we rely on our strength instead of on our Strength Giver. 


Leaders tend toward two poles: confidence or humility. God made us this way on purpose. But to be the best shepherd leader, we each must allow the Holy Spirit to help us learn to lead in a more balanced way. If we lean too much toward confidence, we can come across as arrogant and even tyrannical. But if we lean too much toward humility, we can appear to be weak, indecisive, and unsure of our leadership direction. None of us will be perfect in this at every single moment, but with the proper attitude adjustments, we can learn to more consistently stay at the balanced point of being humbly confident or confidently humble. 


I’ll be sharing more clips from this interview soon, so please stay tuned. Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter is now available in print or ebook, and in audiobook through either Audible or Apple. 


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The Heart Is The Heart Of The Matter

October 6, 2021 — 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. 



A heart that devises wicked schemes… (Proverbs 6:18). 


This is the item listed in the exact middle of the list “there are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him.” Check out the whole passage: 


There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him: [1] haughty eyes, [2] a lying tongue, [3] hands that shed innocent blood, [4] a heart that devises wicked schemes, [5] feet that are quick to rush into evil, [6] a false witness who pours out lies and [7] a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. (vv. 16-18) 


Now let’s follow this progression from the middle item outward: 


    

  • …it begins in a devious heart—[4] 
    • 

  • …it moves to the actions of the hands and feet—[3] and [5] 
    • 

  • …it is excused or justified by lies—[2] and [6] 
    • 

  • …it hardens into unrepentant pride that divides a community—[1] and [7]
    • 



The heart is the heart of the matter!


 Verse 18 is also the middle verse of this whole 6th chapter of Proverbs—


    

  • it is a heart issue that leads to making rash vows (vv. 1-5) 
    • 

  • it is a heart issue that causes a poor work ethic (vv. 6-11) 
    • 

  • it is a heart issue that prompts double-talk, equivocation, and a lack of integrity (vv. 12-15) 
    • 

  • it is a heart issue that takes a person spiraling down into adultery (vv. 20-35)
    • 



Let me repeat this principle: The heart is the heart of the matter! This is why Solomon told us in an earlier chapter, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life” (Proverbs 4:23). 


But a wise person, who allows the Holy Spirit to correct sinful thoughts, can see a different outcome. With the Spirit’s help, it could look like this:


    

  • …it begins in a heart sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s prompting—[4] 
    • 

  • …it moves to the actions of the hands and feet—[3] and [5] 
    • 

  • …it is demonstrated in truthful, loving words—[2] and [6] 
    • 

  • …it promotes the humility that unites a community—[1] and [7]
    • 



Let’s make this our prayer: Holy Spirit, help me to guard my heart today. No compromising, no justifying, but just a quick obedience to Your prompts to repent and soften my heart. 


Let it start in your heart and just watch what happens. The heart IS the heart of the matter! 


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Thursdays With Spurgeon—Useful To The Master

September 9, 2021 — Craig T. Owens 




This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Charles Spurgeon. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Spurgeon” in the search box to read more entries.


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





Useful To The Master  


In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. (2 Timothy 2:20-21)


     On the vessels of honor, you can see the hallmark. What is the hallmark that denotes the purity of the Lord’s golden vessels? Well, He has only one stamp for everything. When He laid the foundation, what was the seal He put upon it? ‘The Lord knows those who are His, and, everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness’ (2 Timothy 2:19). That was God’s seal! That was the impress of the great King upon the foundation stone. Do we find it here? Yes, we do. ‘Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work’ (2 Timothy 2:21). Do you see, then, that the man who is the golden or silver vessel departs from all iniquity, and that is the token of his genuine character. …  


     Brethren, I count it an honor to be useful to the meanest child of God, but I confess that the honor lies mainly in the fact that I am thereby serving the Master Himself. Oh, to be used by God! This is to answer the end of our being. If you can feel that God has used you, then you may rejoice indeed! 


     There are some Christians whom the Lord cannot much use because, first of all, they are not cleansed from selfishness. They have an eye to their own honor or aggrandizement. The Lord will not be in complicity with selfish aims! Some men are self-confident—there is too much of the ‘I’ about them, and our Master will not use them. He will have our weakness but not our strength!


From The Great House And The Vessels In It


The Church of Jesus Christ is made up of many members. The Bible uses pictures of a body, a building, and a bride to describe how all of the parts work together to bring strength and vitality to the whole. But Jesus is always the central object: He is the Head of the body, the Chief Cornerstone of the building, the beloved Bridegroom to the bride. 


Everyone in the Church is placed there by God Himself to fulfill a vital role. It is incumbent upon every single Christian to yield themselves to the sanctifying, maturing work of the Holy Spirit so that we can all be “made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.” 


Don’t let either the extremes of selfishness of self-abasement limit the good work you were created to do in making the body of Christ, the building of Christ, and the bride of Christ something radiantly God-glorifying!


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