A Book Review of “When Sheep Bite”

November 20, 2024 — Craig T. Owens

I was honored when T.M. Moore agreed to write an endorsement for my book When Sheep Bite, but I am beyond thrilled with the book review he wrote of my book! 

Here’s how he opens his review—

     Shepherding the Lord’s flock can be challenging in the best of times. I recall a comment by John Muir, the father of the national parks movement, who served as a shepherd in Yellowstone valley for some time. He observed that the sheep were difficult to move and to keep going in a single direction. They didn’t always respond well. In fact, he wrote, “It takes a whole flock of sheep to make a single dumb animal.”

     Since we are all the Lord’s sheep, we can probably identify with that—slow to learn, hard-headed, cold-hearted, lazy, complacent, and easily irritated. Not all the time, of course, but some of it, at any rate.

     But when your calling from the Lord is to be a shepherd in the Lord’s flock, to feed and nurture His sheep, protect them from spiritual harm, guide them into a richer and fuller experience of Jesus, and help them find their proper place of service in the Kingdom of God, tending the sheep can be especially challenging.

You can read the rest of his review here. And you can also check out my interview with Moore and his co-host Rusty Rabin on the Ailbe podcast. 

If you are a pastor—or if you love your pastor—please check out When Sheep Bite.

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Can Criticism Ever Be A Good Thing?

November 13, 2024 — 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. 

Don’t be too quick on this one: I’m wondering if criticism can ever be a good thing?  

Check out this episode of The Podcast. 

The Scriptures that I reference in this video are found in Acts 10-11.  

I mentioned my blog post where I talk more about Peter’s rooftop vision and how we went from confused to enlightened. The post is Clearing Up the Confusion.

In the chapter on the bite of criticism, I wrote this—

     Treating our critic as an opponent we have to defeat is sure to injure them and provide an opening for the enemy of our souls to pounce. Perhaps instead we should consider these wise words from A.W. Tozer: “Never be afraid of honest criticism. If the critic is wrong, you can help him; and if you’re wrong, he can help you. Either way, somebody’s helped.” 

     On the other hand, if you come into your meeting with a critic with a humble, willing-to-learn attitude, you will immediately soften the mood in the room. This kind of quietness keeps tempers from flaring (Proverbs 15:1). 

     See beyond the criticism to the critic. … Keep reminding yourself that this is a person to be loved, not an argument to be dismantled. 

Get more information on When Sheep Bite here. 

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

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Both Shepherds And Sheep Must Do Better

November 6, 2024 — 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. 

It’s the age-old question of which came first. I think I’ve got some insight for you.  

Check out this episode of The Podcast. 

You can get more information on both of my books here: 

And check another clip I shared from the Fellowship of Ailbe podcast here.

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

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Don’t Take Advice From Armchair Quarterbacks

September 3, 2024 — 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. 

There are some know-it-alls who want to tell pastoral leaders how they should have done things differently. Much like the “armchair quarterbacks” that seem to know all the right calls a team should make, even though they have virtually no experience. 

Pastor, pay very little attention to those armchair quarterbacks that would speak into your life!

Check out this short clip from my time on the Leading From Alignment podcast.

To put the quote that Jim shared from When Sheep Bite into context, here is the full passage—

     Jesus is our perfect example of a Shepherd Leader. His example was to lay it all on the line, regardless of how the sheep were behaving or misbehaving: “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). By contrast, Jesus warns us that those who are not willing to put their lives on the line for the sheep are worse than armchair pastors—Jesus calls them mere hired hands: “The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep” (John 10:12-13). 

     If I am called to be a shepherd leader, attacks will come from both sheep and wolves. It’s what I do in those hard times that shows whether I am truly called or merely acting as an armchair shepherd. 

Please check out both When Sheep Bite and Shepherd Leadership. And get in touch with me if you would like someone to talk to. 

You can check out the full conversation I had with John Opalewski and Jim Wiegand on their Leading From Alignment podcast here.

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

https://youtu.be/zyigFA_OSQ8
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Time To Check The Mirror

August 22, 2024 — 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. 

All leaders—but especially pastoral leaders—need to work on a better response when we are bitten by a sheep in our pasture. Our natural first response is usually not going to be very helpful for us or for the biting sheep. 

In chapter 2 of my book When Sheep Bite, I wrote this—

  When a painful attack suddenly confronts me, I go to the mirror. Instead of asking, “What’s wrong with them that they would bite me like this?” I go to prayer to ask, ‘“Did I do something that provoked this?’’ Sometimes I have literally gone into my bathroom, closed the door, and gotten nose-to-nose with myself to ask this question, and then listened for the Holy Spirit to speak to my heart. 

   My cousin Dick Brogden wrote, “Critics and skeptics are gifts to us, for in their aspersions they often bring to light a brokenness or a liability early on in its development in us. If we are secure enough to ferret out the truth through the condemnation of others, we remain healthy in the long term as our malady is exposed and dealt with before it becomes to serious.” 

   Remember that we are naturally self-protective, so this time of introspection will need to be supernaturally empowered by the Holy Spirit if we are going to see the true prompter of the attack. A prayer I have prayed more times than I can count is, “Search me thoroughly, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24 AMPC). 

Get a copy of my book here to help you heal from the painful sheep bites, and to learn how to respond better with each new biting experience. 

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

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Bites Hurt!

July 25, 2024 — 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. 

When people attack their leader—or when sheep bite—it hurts! 

Our first best response is to acknowledge, “That hurt!” but then we need to pause. Our natural response to an attack is fight-or-flight, but healthy leaders take time to learn why that bite occurred. 

This is an excerpt from an episode of The Craig and Greg Show where Greg interviewed me about my new book When Sheep Bite.

If you would like to watch the full episode of our leadership podcast, you can find that here. 

I am getting ready to facilitate a cohort for pastors who have gone through painful sheep bites—or perhaps they are feeling them right now! If you are a pastor, or if you know of a pastor who has been bitten, please check out this cohort here. 

And if you would like to pick up a copy of When Sheep Bite for yourself, you can get that here. 

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

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Shepherds Individualize Their Care

July 16, 2024 — 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. 

Karl Vaters and I share the same passionate belief that pastors—shepherd leaders—need to be in the pastures where God has placed them, faithfully caring for the sheep under their care. 

Check out this clip from my interview on The Church Lobby—

In my book Shepherd Leadership, I wrote this—

     Jesus said not only that He knew His sheep, but that His sheep knew Him, too. Shepherd leaders get right into the messiness of shepherding. Let’s be honest: pastures are not very neat, tidy places to hang out. But pastures are where the sheep are, so that is where the shepherds need to be. If the only time you interact with others is when you want to make an announcement or someone needs to be corrected, your sheep will begin to either resent you or fear your arrival. 

The best way to know the voice of each one of the sheep in your pasture (and the best way for those sheep to know your voice as well) is to be in the pasture as often as you can. This is what Jesus did at the Good Shepherd, and His under-shepherds honor Him when we follow His example. 

You can check out more clips from this Church Lobby interview here. 

Check out my book Shepherd Leadership for yourself or for a pastor that you love. And also check out my latest book When Sheep Bite, which I think of as the prequel to Shepherd Leadership.

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

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Shepherds Must Not Give In To Fight-Or-Flight 

June 26, 2024 — 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. 

Both physically and psychologically, our natural response to an attack, a surprise, or pain is to fight or flight. 

Although this is a natural response, it’s not the best response for shepherd leaders. Think about it: when a sheep is biting you or misbehaving, although you would like to smack them on the fuzzy nose or run away from them, those are not healthy responses. 

Jesus said that those who ran away in the face of attacks—either from sheep within or wolves without—aren’t worthy of the title “shepherd” (John 10:12-13). And Paul told Timothy that shepherd leaders “must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone” (2 Timothy 2:24). 

As I said, fight-or-flight is natural, but Jesus is calling His under-shepherds to a supernatural response. This will require God’s help, which He frequently provides for us in the timely counsel of wise friends who have experienced the same pain you are experiencing. 

Check out this short video where I talked to a group of pastors about this topic. 

I would like to invite you to join a cohort of pastors that will be dealing with the same painful sheep bites you have experienced. We’ll meet together online every other week for 10 sessions to discuss the biblical principles that will help us all respond in the supernatural ways that strengthen our leadership, heal our flocks, and bring glory to the Chief Shepherd. 

This cohort is limited to just 10 pastors so that we can develop some solid friendships that will last well beyond the cohort, so please sign up today.

Check out more information on my book When Sheep Bite here.

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Links & Quotes

June 22, 2024 — Craig T. Owens

Fellas, the godly superwomen in our lives have unlocked our leadership potential. What are you going to do with that? You have only two choices: steward it or squander it. We only honor these godly women when we steward that potential well. Watch the full Father’s Day sermon here.

I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

Dan Reiland addresses an important topic for busy leaders: busy work vs. real work. “Doing the easy stuff makes us feel good, doing the hard stuff helps other people live better. When we focus on our real work over busywork, we see intentional progress toward a focused vision or goal, rather than just checking things off a list.” Check out the four things Dan calls leaders to focus on. 

“Because of what Jesus did for us through His life, death, and resurrection, we are no longer the worst things we have ever done. We are now the best thing God has ever done for us! That’s what God saved us from. That is our history. Now the question is, what has God saved us for? That is our destiny!“ —Jim Wiegand, in the Everything Begins With Purpose reading plan on YouVersion

A good reminder for pastors. “Call your own soul often to account; examine the temper, the frame, and the motions of your heart with all holy severity, so that the evidences of your faith in Jesus, and your repentance for sin, and your conversion to God, be many and fair, be strong and unquestionable; that you may walk on with courage and joyful hope toward heaven, and lead on the flock of Christ thither with holy assurance and joy.” —Isaac Watts

“The fellow who never makes a mistake takes his orders from one who does.” —Herbert Brocknow

“‘The fear the Lord.’ This refers to an awesome respect for God, which is a good thing. Without it, people are presumptuous before God. Those who do not fear God fail to respect His awesome power and righteousness, and they do not recognize the infinite distance between their sins and His holiness.“ —Quest Study Bible commentary on Psalm 128:1

“Our Lord did not ask us to give up the things of earth, but to exchange them for better things.” —Fulton J. Sheen

“Abortion advocates have long labeled humans in the earliest stages of development as ‘nothing but’ clumps of cells. This description is like calling Michelangelo’s David ‘a clump of marble.’ The only difference is that while art historians know every detail of this statuary masterpiece, scientists are still unlocking the secrets of the embryo.” John Stonestreet shares some astounding new research about the ways that the cells of a baby develop in a way that can only be attributed to an All-Wise Creator. 

The unrighteous always seek to pull down those who hold to God’s righteous standard. How sad that they think it easier to pull the righteous down than to repent of their own evil. God sees this: He rewards the righteous who do not compromise and He punishes the unrepentant unrighteous who try to force the righteous to compromise.

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Where This Book Originated

May 29, 2024 — 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 would like to take you behind the scenes to the origin of my second book. In this video, you will hear how I first came up with the idea for When Sheep Bite, and how the Holy Spirit redirected my original book design.

Check out this episode of The Podcast.

I wrote this in the Introduction to Section One of When Sheep Bite—

      I know that when you are in distress you are looking for immediate relief. You may be tempted to jump right to Section 2 of this book where I outline specific thoughts and strategies for handling the ways your sheep are biting and kicking, but I invite you to hold off. … It may appear from your perspective that the fault lies entirely with the attacking sheep—and that you feel that you haven’t done anything to provoke them. But these attacks can open our eyes to things we haven’t noticed before and teach us invaluable lessons, if we are willing to quiet ourselves before the Holy Spirit’s counsel. …

     If we don’t have the heart of a shepherd leader, we will not only treat every bite and kick as if it is completely their fault, but we will never be looking for ways to bring healthy correction and restoration to that wayward sheep. Let me remind you that all of us were those wayward sheep—biting God’s hand, running away from Him—when Jesus put His very life on the line to bring us into the sheepfold (Romans 5:6-8). This kind of shepherding doesn’t come just because we outwardly try to do the right thing, but because we have a right heart attitude (Philippians 2:5).

I truly believe that When Sheep Bite will be a healing resource for shepherd leaders who are still feeling the pain of their latest sheep bite. If you are a pastor—or if you love your pastor—please pick up a copy today! 

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

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