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The Destiny Of Nations

May 13, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

“To be a mother is the greatest vocation in the world. No being has a position of such great power and influence. She holds in her hands the destiny of nations….” —Hannah Whitall Smith

A great example of this is a woman by the name of Rahab who lived in ancient Jericho. She was doing her best to provide for her family in a very unsavory way: she was a prostitute. Yet this is a woman who is commended for her faith in God (Hebrews 11:31) and her righteous actions (James 2:25).

I know many moms who work hard to provide for their families, sometimes taking jobs that are very difficult and pay a low wage. They still find the time to buy the groceries, fix the meals, do the laundry, help with homework, attend after-school functions, and a million other things. Even after all this they feel inadequate, like they are not quite measuring up to the “best mom” standard.

To those moms, I say this: Look at Rahab, and learn what she learned. Rahab tried to provide for her family too, but when she got to the point where she was completely desperate she turned her family over to God. By helping the young Jewish spies, she turned her back on her countrymen and lost any other options for help. She said, “I believe in God, and I’m willing to trust Him with my family completely” (see Joshua 2:1-13).

As a result, God’s faithfulness to her is something we still are blessed by today. In giving us the genealogy of Jesus Christ, Matthew says this: Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David (Matthew 1:5-6). Rahab went all-in with God, and is now an indispensable part of the lineage of Jesus Christ!

Here’s the pattern for all moms to follow:

Concern for your family → Your utter reliance on God → The salvation of all in your family who will listen → A legacy of God’s provision and faithfulness

Moms, you have great power and you hold in your hands the destiny of nations, if you will just turn your concerns for your family over to God, and leave them in His loving hands.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: faith, family, God's faithfulness, Hannah Whitall Smith, Jericho, Jesus Christ, legacy, Mom, Mother's Day, prayer, Rahab. 1 Comment »

Mother’s Day 2013

May 11, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

I am excited to honor our mothers tomorrow. The title of my message is Oh woman, great is thy power!

Please join me at 10:30am.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Calvary Assembly of God, Mother's Day. Leave a Comment »

Mother’s Day 2012

May 9, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Where would we be without our mothers? I know that seems like an obvious question, but it’s one that is worth pondering again and again.

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and we want to celebrate our moms the right way.

All of the songs our worship team will be leading have been selected by moms in our church
We’ll have a special message about the value of mothers
And there is a special gift for every mom in attendance on Sunday morning

“I learned more about Christianity from my mother than from all the theologians in England.” —John Wesley

How true this is! So it’s time to celebrate our moms. Join us this Sunday at 10:30am.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Calvary Assembly of God, Happy Mother's Day, John Wesley, Mother's Day, quote. Leave a Comment »

A Mother’s Prayer

May 6, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

“Youth fades, love droops, the leaves of friendship fall; a mother’s secret hope outlives them all.” —Oliver Wendell Holmes

I’m glad we get a special day to celebrate Moms. After all, none of us would be here without mothers! There is something unequaled in a Mom…

…her kisses heal
…her hugs reassure
…her counsel directs
…her touch soothes
…her prayers prevail

I can hardly wait for Mother’s Day to arrive so I can share the special day with my Mom. But I also have the privilege of being able to talk to all of the Moms at Calvary Assembly of God this Sunday about the power in A Mother’s Prayer.

We have a special gift for all of the Moms too! I hope you can join us for a special morning of celebration.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Calvary Assembly of God, Happy Mother's Day, Mother's Day, Oliver Wendell Holmes, quote. Leave a Comment »

The Imbalanced Mother

May 10, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

We had a great time celebrating Moms yesterday. Moms are these amazing creatures that seem to be everywhere and doing everything. This ability to multitask is a blessing, but it can lead to problems if Moms try to perfectly balance their lives through more multitasking.

Perfect balance is an impossibility. Just as soon as you think you have everything balanced, life throws you a curve: a sick child … a flat tire … change of plans … I’m sure you know the drill.

Instead of trying to be the perfectly balanced multitasker, I suggest that you become a purposely imbalanced, God-leaning mother.

Imbalance your day toward God.

Take the time necessary to lean into God, and the rest of your day will be well-ordered.

Dads and kids, the greatest thing you can do to honor your wife/mother, is to make sure she has undisturbed time alone with God. I promise you that after she spends this time, the rest of her day—and therefore your day—will go much more smoothly. Help her to imbalance her life.

Here’s a great poem from Faye Inchfawn written in 1920:

See, I am cumbered, Lord,

With serving, and with small vexatious things.

Upstairs, and down, my feet

Must hasten, sure and fleet.

So weary that I cannot heed Thy word;

So tired, I cannot now mount up with wings.

I wrestle – how I wrestle! – through the hours.

Nay, not with principalities, nor powers—

Dark spiritual foes of God’s and man’s—

But with antagonistic pots and pans:

With footmarks in the hall,

With smears upon the wall,

With doubtful ears, and small unwashen hands,

And with a babe’s innumerable demands.

I toil with feverish haste, while tear-drops glisten,

(O, child of Mine, be still. And listen—listen!)

At last, I laid aside
Important work, no other hands could do
So well (I thought), no skill contrive so true.
And with my heart’s door open—open wide—

With leisured feet, and idle hands, I sat.

I, foolish, fussy, blind as any bat,
Sat down to listen, and to learn. And lo,
My thousand tasks were done the better so.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: children, Dad, father, Faye Inchfawn, marriage, Mom, mother, Mother's Day, multitask, parenting, poem, poetry, prayer, solitude. Leave a Comment »

Homemade = Heartmade

June 22, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say “I love you”?

My favorite Father’s Day gifts are the homemade, personalized cards that my children make for me. Throughout the years I’ve kept a number of those close to me as bookmarkers or framed reminders on my desk. To me homemade = heartmade.

Yesterday one of my children gave me a card which had this heart-tugging line: “I love you so very because you love me.” And then there was this P.S.: “Don’t stop loving.”

On Father’s Day or Mother’s Day or birthdays, it seems easy to express our love. After a hospital stay or a near-death experience, it seems required to express our love. And that’s as it should be. But what about all the “normal” days in between?

I believe one of the greatest gifts I can give my family is a personalized, “heartmade” gift that tells the recipient that I’m thinking about them. In other words, I need to be actively and deliberately finding ways to express my heartmade love to those close to me every day.

Of the 86,400 seconds I have today, it will only take me a few seconds to: