The Standard Of The Leader

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

Good leaders hold themselves—at a minimum—to the same standard for the rest of their team. But the best leaders hold themselves to an even higher standard.

Check out this humorous story that makes this point so clear.

Check out this full conversation Greg and I had on an episode of The Craig and Greg Show called “Be honest with yourself.” 

In Proverbs 19, wise King Solomon shares a whole list of blessings for those who live with integrity. And on the flip side, you may want to check out my post Don’t putrefy your leadership.

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

Links & Quotes

I love the humanitarian work of Convoy of Hope wherever there is a need. They are on the front lines of Ukraine right now. If you are looking for a good organization to support financially, please check out their current efforts and click the Donate button on their page.

“[God] does not need us. If we stay away He is not impoverished. He does not need us in order to be happy in the fellowship of the Trinity. But He magnifies His mercy by giving us free access through His Son, in spite of our sin, to the one Reality that can satisfy us completely and forever, namely, Himself. ‘You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore’ (Psalm 16:11).” —John Piper 

“Good preachers are good learners, and not just of the Scriptures. They need to understand the times and the ways the times impact the people they are called to serve. Preachers who know their sheep well, as our Good Shepherd exemplified for us, will hear their concerns, understand their thoughts, discern their hopes and fears, and be able to preach in a way that speaks directly to their souls with transforming grace and power. Let us strive to be sons of Issachar when it comes to the ministry of God’s Word.” —T.M. Moore 

I love the Babylon Bee! Here is something that should make every pastor say, “Aha!”—Scholars Discover Introductory Notes To Paul’s Epistles That Dismissed The Children To Youth Ministry So The Adults Could Hear The Message

This week I shared another exclusive video with my Patreon supporters. Please consider supporting this ministry at just $5 per month. I also shared this public video especially for my fellow pastors:

John Stonestreet wrote about our amazing brain. What a marvelous thing our Creator has given us! Here is just one example: “In 2013, a collaboration between Japanese and German scientists created one of the most realistic brain simulations ever attempted. They used what was, at that time, the world’s fourth-largest computer, containing over 700,000 processor cores and producing an eye-popping 1.4 million gigabytes of RAM. The machine worked at top speed, crunching numbers for over 40 minutes. In the end, it produced just one second of simulated brain activity.”

Poetry Saturday—Smart

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

My dad gave me a one dollar bill
‘Cause I’m his smartest son,
And I swapped it for two shiny quarters
‘Cause two is more than one!

And then I took the quarters
And traded them to Lou
For three dimes—I guess he don’t know
That three is more than two!

Just then, along came old blind Bates
And just ‘cause he can’t see
He gave me four nickels for my three dimes,
And four is more than three!

And I took the nickels to Hiram Coombs
Down at the seed-feed store,
And the fool gave me five pennies for them,
And five is more than four!

And then I went and showed my dad,
And he got red in the cheeks
And closed his eyes and shook his head—
Too proud of me to speak! —Shel Silverstein

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

The Craig And Greg Show: Leaders And Laughter

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

  • sometimes leaders and laughter don’t together, but sometimes humor can bring about the ice breaker that teams need
  • leaders need to practice laughter  
  • how Greg used to prepare himself for meetings while he was on the road
  • I share that leaders need to lighten up even before in-office meetings
  • people want to follow leaders not just to win, but to have fun along the way too
  • how do leaders find the appropriate use of humor? Greg shares two important words to keep in mind
  • leaders need to get on the same page with their teammates, and the best way to do this is to laugh at ourselves
  • in a previous episode, we talked about love languages, which is also key in the appropriate use of humor 
  • laughing is good for your health—both physical health and emotional health
  • we wonder about the statute of limitations on some pranks with which we may have been involved
  • laughter triggers endorphins in us but also triggers the mirror neurons in others
  • we announce a really fun contest!

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

link quote

These are links to articles and quotes I found interesting today.

Good advice from Dr. Tim Elmore: Technology Etiquette For The Emerging Generation

And good advice from Dr. James Dobson: 10 Essentials For Your Marriage

“If you could increase the attendance of your church until there is no more room, if you could provide everything they have in churches that men want and love and value, and yet you didn’t have the Holy Spirit, you might as well have nothing at all. For it is ‘“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty’ (Zechariah 4:6). Not by the eloquence of a man, not by good music, not by good preaching, but it is by the Spirit that God works His mighty works.” —A.W. Tozer

FINALLY!! Obama Pushes For Release Of Americans Held In North Korea, Iran

[VIDEO] Memorable Super Bowl moments

Uh oh! Facebook Is Now More Widely Read Than The Bible

[VIDEO] For all of those you posting your Facebook video: An Honest Facebook Movie

Rookie Of The Year

I am a proud member of the Cedar Springs Ministerial Association, so I faithfully attend all of the monthly meetings and stay up-to-date on our Facebook group page. So imagine my surprise when I found out about the Annual C.S.M.A. Awards.

I didn’t know we had any awards … I didn’t know I was nominated … and I certainly didn’t know I had won!

Here’s how the announcement read:

Rookie of The Year

Nominees: Kristi Rhodes, Ryan Black, Craig Owens

Winner: Craig Owens

Recap: Despite the joy and hope that both Ryan and Kristi have brought to the community and how their churches are now moving with excitement, it was Craig Owens who ultimately walked home with the hardware. Craig dazzled the C.S.M.A. with his witty humor, provided us all with sermon material through his daring and insightful blog, and regularly posted hip Facebook statuses such as “Off to church… about to get my Praise On!” and “Donuts for breakfast!”

Then I noticed something else at the bottom of the announcement that I also didn’t know: apparently I was also a member of the awards committee.

Hmmm, it appears that all of the award winners were also members of the awards committee…

…it appears this is all a big joke!

Oh, well. Now, do you see why I so enjoy being a part of the C.S.M.A.?

The iBible

Betsy finally relented and let me buy an iPhone. I’m absolutely lovin’ it!

Then, of course, news comes out yesterday about the iPad—whoa!

But have you seen the iBible?!? I’ve got to get me one of these!

Very Punny

Laughter is good medicine.

It’s been called “inner jogging.”

It’s been shown to boost your immune system.

It’s an immediate mood lifter.

And we don’t get enough of it.

Studies say that on average, an adult laughs 15 times a day; a child laughs 400 times a day. No wonder kids have a better outlook on life than most adults!

I like humor that makes you think as well as tickles your funny bone. The dictionary defines a pun as “the humorous use of a word or phrase so as to emphasize or suggest its different meanings or applications, or the use of words that are alike or nearly alike in sound but different in meaning; a play on words.”

Here are a few puns to make you giggle. I’d love to laugh at some of yours too, so please share them in the comments.

  • A man’s home is his castle, in a manor of speaking.
  • Dijon vu—the same mustard as before.
  • Shotgun wedding: A case of wife or death.
  • A hangover is the wrath of grapes.
  • Sea captains don’t like crew cuts.
  • Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?
  • Don’t let worries get the best of you, remember, Moses started out as a basket case.
  • Forbidden fruits create many jams.
  • Reading while sunbathing makes you well-red.
  • When two egotists meet, it’s an I for an I.
  • A bicycle can’t stand on its own because it is two-tired.
  • What’s the definition of a will? (Come on, it’s a dead giveaway!)
  • Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
  • A backward poet writes inverse.
  • The man who fell into an upholstery machine is fully recovered.
  • Many church members who sing “Standing on the Promises” are really sitting on the premises.
  • You feel stuck with your debt if you can’t budge it.
  • He often broke into song because he couldn’t find the key.
  • Every calendar’s days are numbered.
  • A lot of money is tainted. It taint yours and it taint mine.
  • A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.
  • Once you’ve seen one shopping center, you’ve seen a mall.
  • When an actress saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she’d dye.
  • Acupuncture is a jab well done.
  • If you want a better life, altar it.

Go ahead, laugh! As the Norwegian Proverb says, “He who laughs—lasts.”

Be Like Craig

My aunt just made me aware of some fascinating news. Apparently a lot of people want to be like me… or should I say be me. Check it out here.