The Danger Of A Leader’s Ignorance

September 23, 2026 — 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.

…the Lord has a charge to bring against you… (Hosea 4:1) 

Sadly, the charges that God brings against ancient Israel sound eerily similar to charges He could make against us today: 

  • Faithlessness
  • Lovelessness
  • No acknowledgment of God
  • Cursing
  • Lying
  • Murdering
  • Stealing
  • Adultery
  • Deserting God
  • Rampant sexual immorality
  • Idolatry

I believe idolatry is at the root of all these other sins. And this idolatry stems from a lack of knowledge of God’s supremacy (v. 14). But the lack of knowledge of God among the people is due to a rejection of deeper knowledge of God by the religious leaders. God specifically identifies the priests and prophets as those who are stumbling in their sin. 

God says, “You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you. … Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as My priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children” (Hosea 4:5-6). 

God’s leaders set the tone. As the leader goes, so go the people.

A mark of a godly leader is one who is continually and increasingly growing in his knowledge of God.

Leaders must be learners in order to defend those under their care. C.S. Lewis wrote in The Weight of Glory, “To be ignorant and simple now—not to be able to meet the enemies on their own ground—would be to throw down our weapons, and to betray our uneducated brethren who have, under God, no defense but us against the intellectual attacks of the heathen.” 

Leaders, I implore you: learn more of God. Abide intimately with Him. Get to know His heart and mind. Then impart this knowledge to those around you. Lead them into the all-satisfying presence of God, so that they may also know God more intimately. This intimate knowledge will fortify them against the pull if idolatry and the whole list of other charges God has against those who remain willfully ignorant of Him. 

This is part 89 in my series on godly leadership. You can check out all of my posts in this series by clicking here. And you may also want to check out my books for church leaders—Shepherd Leadership and When Sheep Bite. 

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

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6 Quotes From “Above The Line”

September 22, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Even a Wolverine fan can acknowledge the quality leadership lessons that Urban Meyer (the coach of that football team to the south of us) provides in his book Above the Line. You can check out my book review by clicking here. 

Below are a few quotes that caught my attention. My Patreon supporters have access to all of the quotes from this book. 

“We teach our players, in response to any situation they face, to press pause and ask: What does this situation require of me? Pressing pause gives you time to think. It gets you off autopilot and helps you gain clarity about the outcome you are pursuing, the situation you are experiencing, and the Above the Line action you need to take to achieve the outcome.” 

“Under pressure, we do not rise to the occasion. We rise or fall to the level of our training. When contact is made, it is too late to train and build skill.” 

“Every team faces some kind of adversity. Mediocre teams are destroyed by it. Good teams survive it. Great teams get better because of it.” 

“Resilience is one of life’s most important attributes. Because nobody wants hardship or adversity, but everybody gets it. It’s inevitable. No one escapes pain, fear, or difficulty. In fact, a productive and successful life involves some amount of necessary pain. When it happens, don’t run from it. Learn from it.” 

“Performance cannot be declared. It must be led. Great results are initiated and sustained by great leadership. Not just leaders at the top, but leaders at every level.” 

“Culture is what leads when no one is watching.” 

My Patreon supporters have all of my notes from Above the Line, including the six “R” factors Urban Meyer unpacks in his formula E + R = O. 

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

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The Craig And Greg Show: Business by the Book (part 2)

August 27, 2026 — 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. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here.

It seems like many people put business and faith in two separate boxes, considering them entirely different topics of discussion. Greg and I completely disagree—the Bible is a resource for all areas of our lives, from the board room to the living room. That’s why we wrote our Business By The Book series. This is a guide to help you apply biblical principles to the corporate world. In today’s episode we preview the first book in this series: Business by the Book: What the Bible says about a CEO’s vision-casting.

  • [0:00] Introduction
  • [2:10] What does it mean for the leader to cast vision for his or her organization?
  • [3:07] Here’s what you can expect from Business by the Book—What the Bible says about a CEO’s vision-casting
  • [4:13] After a leader has cast a vision, that leader then needs to empower his or her entire team to help them achieve the vision.
  • [6:46] Leaders must be self-aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and help their teammates learn about themselves as well.
  • [9:06] Organization chart maneuvering can help empower teammates to accomplish great things. And I also share a teaser about a new project on which Greg is working.
  • [10:26] Greg talks about two vastly different roles: Commander and Includer.
  • [12:27] I share an excerpt from a chapter that Greg wrote in this book, and then Greg elaborates on how this helps a team pursue the vision.
  • [16:37] Leaders can move from doing to facilitating, which will help others set up into new roles.
  • [18:21] Some counsel for leaders who are first time vision-casters.
  • [19:26] Greg shares a tip for facilitating meetings to get more people involved.
  • [21:44] “Leaders become great not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.”
  • [24:18] HERE’S HOW TO WIN A FREE COPY OF OUR NEW BOOK!

Order your copy today! 

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Above The Line (book review)

August 25, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Being a diehard University of Michigan Wolverines fan, it’s hard for me to say anything good about that school to the south of us. But being a lifelong learner of quality leadership insights, I have to tip my cap to Urban Meyer for the outstanding principles he presents in his book Above The Line. 

Coach Meyer has been developing the principles he shares in this book for years, but he tells the story of how they all came together for his team during the season they went undefeated and won the college football national championship. As he correctly notes, leadership isn’t just for sports teams: “Where the coach’s job comes in is to get great players to play great. That is the responsibility of any leader in any organization.” 

The title of this book comes from the overarching maxim for all of Meyer’s leadership teaching. It goes like this: E + R = O (where E is the Event, R is your Response to the event, and O is the Outcome. The response winning leaders are trying to develop in their team is an above-the-line response. He says that most of us default to below-the-line behaviors—

     “It isn’t hard to find people who are caught up in Below the Line behavior. All you need to do is look for those whose first reaction is to blame (others), complain (about circumstances), and defend (yourself), or BCD. … Instead of accountability, BCD creates a culture of excuse making and victimization—things that are toxic for your organization and performance.” 

The bulk of the rest of Above the Line is Coach Meyer elaborating on the six healthy “R” responses that leaders should be building into their team members. He says, “Here’s the bottom line: exceptional leaders think about common things in an uncommon way.” In keeping with this truism, Coach Meyer doesn’t share any uncommon leadership principles, but he does share them in ways that most leaders probably haven’t considered before. 

Although this book is written by a college football coach, there isn’t much football talk on the pages of this book. So I can highly recommend this to any student of leadership who is ready to learn some new ways to get better outcomes to the events that happen to them and their organizations. 

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

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Links & Quotes

August 22, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Leaders must go first: 

  • Set challenging goals 
  • Share those goals with a friend 
  • Stick with it no matter what—no excuses! 

Check out the full episode “Resilience over Resignation” where Greg and I talk about the resilience of leadership.

I have a lot of new video content on my YouTube channel every week. Please check it out and subscribe so you don’t miss anything.

“Expect great things from God: Attempt great things for God.” —William Carey 

“God gave us a self, not so that we would have something to exult in, but something to exult with. He gave us a self, not to be the object of our joy, but the subject of joy. That is, not to be the focus of happiness in front of the mirror or the selfie, but the furnace of happiness in front of Jesus. He gave us a self, not as an instrument of self-worth but as an instrument of worship.” —John Piper

“In reference to this command [Leviticus 19:17], the rabbis teach that if we feel offended by someone, we must go to him, tell him how we feel, give him a chance to explain and possibly apologize, and then forget and forgive.” —Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider  

“Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.” —Jonathan Edwards 

“The struggle itself is not proof that something is wrong with your faith. Rather, it is evidence that something is alive in you that now opposes sin. Before Christ, there was no real fight. Now there is tension, resistance, even grief over sin.” —Dr. Mike Paalz, commenting on Romans 7:14-23 

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8 Quotes From Others Quoted In “Spiritual Leadership”

August 4, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Henry and Richard Blackaby had some amazing thoughts to share in their book Spiritual Leadership (check out my review here), but they also pull together insights from so many other noted leaders. 

“The American church is dying due to a lack of strong leadership. In this time of unprecedented opportunity and plentiful resources, the church is actually losing influence. The primary reason is the lack of leadership. Nothing is more important than leadership.” —George Barna 

“Human communities have always had a need for people with very strong drives to do tough jobs like leadership.” —Malcome Davies 

“Leadership is one of the most observed and least understood phenomena on earth.” —James MacGregor Burns 

“Popularity is not leadership. Results are.” —Peter Drucker 

“Continual success probably means our bar is too low or our tape too short.” —Max De Pree 

“Good times blind us. Bad times reveal truth to us.” —Peter Koestenbaum 

“If you’re not uncomfortable in your work as a leader, it’s almost certain you’re not reaching your potential as a leader.” —Seth Godin 

“There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.” —Martin Luther King Jr. 

You can check out the other quotes I shared from Spiritual Leadership by clicking here. 

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

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Links & Quotes

July 25, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

There should be a heavenly aroma and a winsomeness about us as Christians that attracts others to Jesus the Savior and King.

I have a lot of new video content on my YouTube channel every week. Please check it out and subscribe so you don’t miss anything.

“Oh! to be solid gold through and through. If so, you need not mind the trials of today, since they will only prepare you for the glories eternal at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” —Charles Spurgeon, commenting on 1 Peter 1:6-7 

“The clearer and more compelling our vision, the more earnest, specific and devoted we will be in taking up the disciplines necessary to realize our vision.” —T.M. Moore 

Dan Reiland writes that leaders under sustained pressure may “eventually face a breaking point where caving in no longer looks like a weakness and starts looking like the only option to survive.” He then shares some solid leadership practices to help us stand firm during these pressure-packed situations. 

Marshall Segal references a survey that says “only 31 percent of churchgoers read the Bible daily.” Ouch! Marshall then uncovers the reasons why Christians aren’t in the Word more consistently.

“The sign that the Holy Spirit is in us is that we realize, not that we are full, but that we are empty. There is a sense of absolute need. We come across people who try us, circumstances that are difficult, conditions that are perplexing, and all these things awaken a dumb sense of need, which is a sign that the Holy Spirit is there. If we are ever free from the sense of need, it is not because the Holy Spirit has satisfied us, but because we have been satisfied with as much as we have.” —Oswald Chambers, in If You Will Ask 

How cool is this: “Another fascinating clue has been found pointing to Neanderthals belonging to the human population. In a Russian cave, researchers discovered what they believe to be a 60,000-year-old Neanderthal molar tooth with a hole in it. A LiveScience article has dubbed the discovery ‘the oldest evidence of intentional dentistry to date.’” Of course, this human isn’t 60,000 years old, but more like 4000 years old, and shows the intelligence that the Creator endowed in all humans. 

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The Craig And Greg Show: Resilience Over Resignation

July 23, 2026 — 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. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 

An insidious killer may be stalking your organization. As you look around at your team some of them may have already resigned. They might be showing up every day, but mentally and spiritually they have already quit trying. Join Greg and I as we discuss how resignation can creep in, and how your example of resilience can help stave it off.

Greg and I have co-authored the first book in our new series Business By The Book. Get your copy today. 

  • [0:00] Introduction
  • [1:07] Resigning isn’t as obvious as someone saying, “I quit!”
  • [1:55] The attitude of resignation starts way before someone begins their work career.
  • [4:20] As a leader, is there value in telling people your story of grit? Does that encourage teammates or does it discourage them?
  • [6:14] Is resilience innate or learned or both?
  • [8:12] Resilience is often a grind, but it pays huge dividends for those who will stick with it. I share a conversation he had with an NBA player.
  • [11:08] Greg shares examples of two professional athletes who demonstrated resilience, as well as his own resilience on the football field.
  • [14:02] Leaders need to push themselves farther and not give themselves an “out.” This is how they show resilience as an encouragement for others.
  • [15:56] Greg shares how he transitioned an organization from a quiet culture to a hungry culture. I then share how I have helped others become hungry and resilient.
  • [18:08] Tough times are going to come to every individual and every organization. Leaders need to help prepare themselves and their teams.
  • [19:53] Is there a time for resigning? I think it’s possible that resigning is sometimes a healthy resilience.
  • [23:13] Greg shares a quote about resilience being a gift.
  • [25:01] Leaders are a gift to their entire organization when they are resilient.

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Links & Quotes

July 18, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Greg and I both have confessions to make about areas we fell short in our earlier careers. But we have learned that those stumbling points can be launching points for greater growth.

I have a lot of new video content on my YouTube channel every week. Please check it out and subscribe so you don’t miss anything.

“Without God, there could be no American form of Government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first—the most basic—expression of Americanism.” —Dwight D. Eisenhower 

Greg Morse calls out the way pornography addictions are hamstringing the church. “My intention is simply to kindle the abhorrence that every saint should have for this sin. I hate pornography. I hate what it does to young men; I hate what it does to marriages; I hate what it does to older men and even older ministers who trip while crossing the finish line. I hate its accessibility; I hate its covertness; I hate how it is designed by satan to disable the men and women who were made for so much more.”

“But the question is not what we intended ourselves to be, but what [God] intended us to be when He made us. He is the inventor, we are only the machine. He is the painter, we are only the picture. How should we know what He means us to be like? … We may be content to remain what we call ‘ordinary people’: but He is determined to carry out a quite different plan. To shrink back from that plan is not humility: it is laziness and cowardice. To submit to it is not conceit or megalomania; it is obedience.” —C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity 

“Leadership development is synonymous with personal development. As leaders grow personally, they increase their ability to lead. As they increase their capability to lead, they enlarge the capacity of their organization to grow. Therefore, the most crucial objective for any leader is personal growth. … The most important thing spiritual leaders do is cultivate their relationship with God (John 15:5; Jeremiah 7:13).” —Richard and Henry Blackaby, in Spiritual Leadership 

C.M. Ward’s interview of the governor of Florida during a time of political distrust is a great example of integrity for us still today. 

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Leadership Success

July 7, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. (Joshua 1:6 NLT) 

There is a direct correlation between knowing the God of the Word, as revealed in the Word of God, and leading in bold obedience. 

Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them…. Then you will be successful in everything you do. (Joshua 1:7 NLT) 

Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. (Joshua 1:8 NLT) 

Study. Meditate. Obey. “Only then” will you be successful! 

If God has called you to lead, lead in His strength—not in your own strength. 

Check out my godly leadership series, with 80+ posts (and growing!). 

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