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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Links & Quotes

June 27, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

It’s not possible for you to have experienced everything that those around you have experienced. But you can still empathize with them through an empathetic volley of statements and questions. This is what exemplary leaders do.

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.

“The Christian way is different: harder, and easier. Christ says ‘Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. I don’t want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked—the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: My own will shall become yours.’” —C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity 

There are so many resources today to help Christians defend their faith. Check out this post from John Stonestreet and the numerous books you might want to add to your library. 

“If we are to influence the Church and the world around us, we must be full of God and His presence. Everything else must be secondary to this one question: How can we have the power of Christ resting on us all day long?” —Andrew Murray 

Clinton Manley wants to know why Christians don’t play more. “The Hebrew word most often translated as ‘play’ (śāḥaq) comes from a verb meaning ‘to laugh.’ Intensify that verb, and you get ‘to sport, play, or celebrate.’ So we can say play is to action as laughter is to sound. At its best, laughter is a sound that both expresses and intensifies joy; similarly, play is an action that expresses and intensifies joy. Thus, play can involve almost any activity…as long as it is done from joy and for joy.” 

“None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.” —Goethe 

J. Warner Wallace shares writings from ancient historians—in fact, those hostile to the claims of Christianity—that point to the historicity of Jesus. 

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The Craig and Greg Show: Don’t Settle For Cooperation

June 25, 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. 

Greg and I promise we aren’t here to nitpick your grammar, but in some instances understanding the full meaning of words can help us to realize how they are affecting our patterns of thinking. In today’s episode we are discussing cooperation and collaboration—two words that are often used interchangeably. However, a deeper examination reveals that their differences can be the deciding factor between a surviving team and a thriving team.

  • [0:00] Introduction
  • [0:49] Not to nitpick on the definitions, but we need to make sure we understand the words “cooperate” and “collaborate.”
  • [2:03] Let’s start with cooperation—how do leaders get their teams to cooperate together?
  • [3:33] In our Business by the Book book for CEOs, we talk about a trailblazer in the Old West who sets a good example for us in how to get people to begin cooperating.
  • [7:13] Assumptions will kill cooperation before it even gets started.
  • [9:33] Stephen Covey has good insight for us in his book The 8th Habit that servant leaders can leverage for success.
  • [12:13] Collaboration is harder work, which will require more patience from the leader to allow the rest of the team to build their endurance for it.
  • [13:48] Teammates will have to wrestle with sacrifice and risk in order to allow the whole time to move forward.
  • [16:07] A strategy that Greg has employed successfully to help teammates move from cooperation to collaboration.
  • [18:02] The value of ideation in collaborative meetings is so much higher than sticking to the agenda of a cooperative meeting.
  • [19:27] We like the tension of the difficulty of collaboration.
  • [20:42] Moving from cooperation to collaboration will require legitimate humility on the part of the leader.
  • [23:08] An outstanding quote from John Maxwell’s book Teamwork 101.
  • [23:48] If you are wondering if your leadership might be stifling the move from cooperation to collaboration, please consider calling in Maximize Leadership as a business coach.

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A Difficult Leadership Decision

June 11, 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. 

One of the most difficult—but rewarding—decisions a leader will ever make is to honestly confront themselves on their part in a relationship or organizational problem. 

Check out the full conversation Greg and I had on the Craig and Greg Show episode called Growth from the Hard Road. And you may also want to check out a whole series of messages I shared in the series Thankful in the Night. 

Get more information on my book When Sheep Bite 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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Helping Others Follow Jesus

June 10, 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. 

Remember your leaders… (Hebrews 13:7). 

As the writer of Hebrews closes his epistle, he speaks to the saints about how they should interact with their leaders (Hebrews 13:7-21). He concludes this section by saying their confidence in their leaders brings joy to their leaders. 

But I would like to flip the script on this to describe how leaders are supposed to live in a way that makes it a joy for people to follow their leadership. 

So, leaders, let’s make sure we are…

…speaking the Word of God, not any kinds of “strange teachings” (vv. 7, 9). 

…living a life worthy of imitation. This requires a consistent and steadfast example of Christ-like living (vv. 7-8). 

…strengthening people with grace, not man-made strategies (v. 9). 

…not giving ourselves special privileges just because we are in leadership positions (v. 10). 

…not concerned with public perceptions while we stand for Jesus (vv. 11-13). 

…keeping in mind that our reward is in Heaven, so we don’t look for human accolades here but in “the city that is to come” (v. 14). 

…setting the example in hospitality (v. 16). 

…leading with the integrity and gentleness that makes it easy for saints to have confidence in our leadership (v. 17a). 

…serving with sober joy (v. 17b). 

…praying for others to be empowered “to live honorably” and with a clear conscience (vv. 18-19). 

A mark of a godly leader is one who makes it desirable for others to follow Jesus. 

Jesus is “that great Shepherd of the sheep” (v. 20). We are merely under-shepherds of small flocks, but we have been appointed to this pasture by Him. 

He will equip us “with everything good for doing His will” (v. 21a), which means we don’t have to attempt to equip ourselves. Instead, we can operate in His empowerment. 

He will also work in us “what is pleasing to Him” (v. 21b). We are not trying to please people, but we should want to please the One to Whom we must give an account. 

All “glory for ever and ever” goes to Him! We are not serving as His under-shepherds so that we can be recognized, but so people can draw closer to Him. We shepherd people to make Jesus known. 

If we will keep these things in mind, we are free to serve. Leaders who are secure—who are humbly confident in their calling—are leaders who are easy to follow. 

Let’s pray: Holy Spirit, help me to lead in a way that allows others to see Jesus because of my lifestyle. I want to be an example that helps others draw ever closer to Him. Amen! 

This is part 88 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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