Andrew Murray On Preaching

January 30, 2024 — Craig T. Owens

“When the Lord chose His twelve disciples, it was ‘that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach’ (Mark 3:14). A life in fellowship with Him prepared them for the work of preaching. … 

“The law of their first calling remained unchanged: their unbroken fellowship with Him was the secret of their power to preach and to testify of Him. … 

“The same principle stands for all His servants, for all time: without the experience of His presence with us, our preaching has no power. The secret of our strength is the living testimony that Jesus Christ is every moment with us, inspiring, directing and strengthening us. … 

“But remember that this power is never meant to be experienced as if it were our own. It is only as Jesus Christ as a living Person dwells and works with His divine energy in our own hearts and lives that there can be power in our preaching as a personal testimony. … 

“For it’s only when His servants show in their lives that they obey Him in all His commands can they expect the fullness of His power and His presence to be with them. Only when they themselves are living witnesses to the reality of His power to save and to keep from sin can they expect to experience His abiding presence, and the power to train others to the life of obedience that He asks.

“The living experience of the presence of Jesus is an essential element in preaching the gospel. If this becomes clouded, work becomes a human effort, without the freshness and power of the heavenly life. Nothing can bring back the power and blessing but a return to the Master’s feet so that He may breathe into the heart, in divine power, His blessed word, ‘I am with you always!’” —Andrew Murray

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Preaching To Yourself

November 16, 2023 — 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 was the last time you preached a really good sermon to yourself?

Check out this episode of The Podcast.

Some resources to go along with this video:

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Power-Packed Sermons

August 9, 2023 — 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. 

Jesus began to speak to them in parables… (Mark 12:1). 

What Jesus relates here in the 12th chapter of Mark’s Gospel is only the fourth parable that Mark records, and as the final parable that Jesus shares, it brings His public ministry to a close. 

Jesus concludes this parable by quoting from Psalm 118. This Psalm is the last of the “Hallel Psalms” that were sung at the conclusion of the Passover celebration. This song specifically looks eagerly forward to the arrival of the Messiah. It contains the words that the crowd used on Palm Sunday: “Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Psalm 118:25-26). By quoting from the same Psalm—that was perhaps hundreds of years old, but had just been sung and shouted by the crowd—Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah longed for in that Hallel Psalm. 

As you may recall, these shouts from the crowd and the activities of Jesus as He cleansed the temple got the religious leaders riled up! They, in essence, asked Jesus, “Who do You think You are?!” His answer is contained in this parable of Mark 12. 

At the conclusion of this parable, the religious leaders “knew He had spoken this parable against them” (Mark 12:12).

Mark’s observation about the response of the religious leaders is, in a nutshell, the essence of a Holy Spirit-anointed sermon. The connection of Scripture to current events is powerful! The Holy Spirit is also the One who brings the application of Scripture to bear on the hearts of the audience.

Pastors, if you want to deliver soul-shaking, life-transforming, eye-opening, heart-melting sermons, you must follow this example of Jesus: Stick with the Scripture! 

We don’t need to try to be clever or witty or even memorable. We just need to speak the Word of God that is inspired by the Holy Spirit, and then allow the Holy Spirit to illuminate that inspired Word to each person’s needs. As Randy Pope noted, “Preaching is not talking to people about the Bible; it is talking to people about themselves from the Bible.” 

I don’t want to try to make my voice impress people, but I am desperate for God’s voice to impact people. Nearly every week as I prepare a sermon, I’ll pray this prayer from Oswald Chambers: “In my preaching, cause Thy glorious voice to be heard, Thy lovely face to be seen, Thy pervasive Spirit felt.” My dear pastor, I would encourage you to make this your prayer as well. 

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Links & Quotes

March 11, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

When you say, “I don’t know how to do this,” your mind stops looking for answers. But if we simply add one word—“I don’t know how to do this yet”—your mind will stay active. Adding this one word will unleash the creative, solution-finding part of your mind.

“Our preaching ought to have a voice for all classes, and all should have an ear for it. To suit our word to the rich alone is wicked sycophancy, and to aim only at pleasing the poor is to act the part of a demagogue. Truth may be so spoken as to commend the ear of all, and wise teachers seek to learn that acceptable style.” —Charles Spurgeon, Spurgeon And The Psalms

“How did Jesus live among us? He was different things to different people. See if you find yourself on this list.
To the victim, Jesus defended.
To the rebel, He held out mercy.
To the brutalized, Jesus comforted with kindness.
To the questioning, He spoke truth.
To the fearful, Jesus stood beside.
To the lonely, He nodded, ‘I’ve been there.’
To the sick, Jesus revitalized.
To the outlier, He welcomed in.
To the forgotten, Jesus remembered in detail.
To the filthy, He washed clean.
To the broken, Jesus empathized.
To the doubting, He listened.
To the isolated, Jesus joined company.
To the discouraged, He drew near.
To the cynic, Jesus answered.
To the rejected, He restored.
To the anxious, Jesus calmed.
To the betrayed, He identified.
To the betrayer, Jesus forgave.
To the wounded, He sympathized.
To the wanderer, Jesus pointed the way.
To the shattered, He rebuilt dreams.
To the lost, Jesus led home.
To the abandoned, He was home.
To the destitute, Jesus deepened.
To the single again, He completed.
To the tempted, Jesus was available.
To the courageous, He gave purpose.
To the one in trouble, Jesus led out.
To the exhausted, He was wholeness.
To the hurried, Jesus patiently waited.
To the over-committed, He built margin.
To the weak, Jesus fortified.
To the one in debt, He released.
To the searching, Jesus satisfied.
To the foolish, He said, ‘Turn around.’
To the pure in heart, Jesus blessed.
To the one who keeps on going, He rewarded.” —He Gets Us (part 2) reading plan on YouVersion


This is a pretty long article, but it’s quite fascinating to see the engineering behind the artificial intelligence (AI) of ChatGPT.








“God is not afraid of my questions. Am I afraid of His answers?” —Betsy Owens


C.M. Ward was the speaker for the Revivaltime radio broadcast for a quarter of a century. Dan Betzer, who was also involved in these broadcasts, once said that he heard Rev. Ward preach on the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 more than a dozen times without ever repeating himself. Here is a quick biographical sketch of this influential man’s ministry. I have also shared before my brief encounter with Rev. Ward when I was a young man.


A bonus quote from Charles Spurgeon: “‘No God’ means no law, no order, no restraint to lust, no limit to passion. Who but a fool would be of this mind? What a bedlam, or rather what a battleground, would the world become, if such lawless principles came to be universal!” —Charles Spurgeon, commenting on Psalm 53:1


A reminder of just how amazing our Sun is! Our Creator perfectly fashioned our Sun and Earth and solar system to sustain the life we enjoy. Check out this amazing article from The Institute for Creation Research.










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Preaching To Bring Freedom

February 7, 2023 — 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 biblical references I mention in this video:



If you are a pastor (or if you really want to encourage your pastor), I’ve got a super-special deal on my book Shepherd Leadership. Check it out 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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Thursdays With Spurgeon—Judging By First Appearances

December 15, 2022 — Craig T. Owens 




This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Charles Spurgeon. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Spurgeon” in the search box to read more entries.


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





Judging By First Appearances 


     A good horse cannot be a bad color, and a really good preacher can wear what he likes, and none will care much about it; but though you cannot know wine by the barrel, a good appearance is a letter of recommendation even to a plowman. Wise men neither fall in love or take a dislike at first sight, but still the first impression is always a great thing even with them; and as to those weaker brethren who are not wise, a good appearance is half the battle.


     What is a good appearance? Well, it’s not being pompous and starchy and making oneself high and mighty among the people, for proud looks lose hearts, and gentle words win them. … When a man is as proud as a peacock, all strut and show, he needs converting himself before he sets up to preach to others. The preacher who measures himself by his mirror may please a few silly girls, but neither God nor man will long put up with him. The man who owes his greatness to his tailor will find that needle and thread cannot long hold a fool in a pulpit. …  


     At the same time, the preacher should endeavor, according to his means, to dress himself respectably; and, as to neatness, he should be without spot, for kings should not have dirty footmen to wait at their table, and they who teach godliness should practice cleanliness. … A worn coat is no discredit, but the poorest may be neat, and the men should be scholars rather than teachers till they are so.


From John Ploughman’s Talks of Plain Advice For Plain People


Like it or not, people do form first impressions on external appearances, and all leaders (and especially pastors) would do well to measure these words from Charles Spurgeon. 


I think Spurgeon is talking about honesty here. I need to be honest with who I am, while at the same time being honest about the office that I hold. I’m not playing dress-up, but I also need to be aware that I am representing the King of kings so an appropriate dress and lifestyle are required. 


I also need to be honest that people are forming first impressions the moment they see me, but also that I cannot try to dress or act in a way to please or attract people. 


I remember meeting a group of “seasoned saints” who all showed up at our church one morning. When I engaged them in conversation, they told me that their new pastor appeared to be too young for their style. They formed an opinion about him before ever giving him a chance. I told them that I knew their pastor and that I liked him a lot. I directed them to return to their home church and give their best support to their pastor for at least six months before they made any decisions. Thankfully, during that time they got to know this pastor and remained in that church with him. 


I am in the position I am in because God placed me there. I am working to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” I don’t want my appearance to get in the way of people hearing the message. I don’t want to try to be someone I’m not. I need to remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s direction in how I should dress, talk, and live. If my conscience is clear before God, then I won’t have to pay attention to the opinions of others.


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Thursdays With Spurgeon—Encouragement For Preachers

June 9, 2022 — Craig T. Owens 




This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Charles Spurgeon. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Spurgeon” in the search box to read more entries.


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





Encouragement For Preachers


…For the mouth of the Lord has spoken (Isaiah 1:20).


     We preach because ‘the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’ It would not be worth our while to speak what Isaiah had spoken if in it there was nothing more than Isaiah’s thought—neither should we care to meditate hour after hour upon the writings of Paul, if there was nothing more than Paul in them. … The true preacher, the man whom God has commissioned, delivers his message with awe and trembling because ‘the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’ … 


     Woe unto us if we dare to speak the Word of the Lord with less than our whole heart and soul and strength! Woe unto us if we handle the Word as if it were an occasion for display! If it were our own word, we might be studious of the graces of oratory. But if it is God’s Word, we cannot afford to think of ourselves. … Because the mouth of the Lord has spoken the truth of God, we therefore endeavor to preach it with absolute fidelity. …  


     Believing that ‘the mouth of the Lord has spoken,’ it is my duty to repeat God’s Word to you as correctly as I can after having heard it and felt it in my own soul. It is not mine to amend or adapt the gospel. …  Again, dear friends, as ‘the mouth of the Lord has spoken,’ we speak the divine truth with courage and full assurance. Modesty is a virtue, but hesitancy when we are speaking for the Lord is a great fault. …  


     We preach not the gospel by your leave. We do not ask tolerance nor court applause. We preach Christ crucified, and we preach boldly as we ought to speak because it is God’s Word not our own. … We cannot use ‘ifs’ and ‘buts,’ for we are dealing with God’s ‘shalls’ and ‘wills.’ If He says it is so, it is so. And there is the end of it. Controversy ceases when Jehovah speaks [Jeremiah 1:17-19].


From The Infallibility Of Scripture


Preaching God’s Word is not for the faint of heart. It takes one who is confidently humbled—confident that God has spoken and humbled that He would choose someone like me to speak His Word to His people. 


In my book Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter I wrote: 


Check this out: “Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). Who wrote the book of Numbers? If you answered “Moses,” you are correct. Doesn’t that sound a bit brash to declare that you are more humble than anyone else on the earth? Yet, God allowed Moses to pen those words, making that a Holy Spirit-inspired statement of fact. Humility is a double-edged sword: it can serve a leader well when it is balanced with appropriate confidence, but it is a detriment to an organization’s health if it is self-de-basing humility that undercuts a leader’s credibility. 


The God-honoring preacher gets his message from the mouth of the Lord, and then confidently endeavors “to preach it with absolute fidelity.” Whether others praise of criticize, the humble leader says, “I am only God’s servant speaking God’s Word.” 


Preachers, let’s make sure that everything we confidently and humbly share from our pulpits is the whole counsel of what has been spoken by the mouth of the Lord.


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Don’t Be An Unloving Pastor

May 20, 2022 — 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. 



In my personal devotional time, I have been reading and thinking my way through the book of Amos. 


This minor prophet especially resonates with me because we have a similar background. Amos was a farmer and a businessman when God called him to be a preacher (Amos 1:1, 7:14-15). My story is quite similar, as I was a businessman when God called me to follow Him along a path that eventually culminated in me becoming a pastor. 


Amos’ calling was a heavy one: He had to speak to God’s people who had strayed away from God and were on the brink of God’s righteous judgment. It wasn’t a time for Amos to play games, water down the message, or shrink back from making God’s message perfectly clear. To be certain, it wasn’t a popular message. In fact, one of the priests of Bethel brought a message from King Jeroboam that basically said, “Stop preaching this way or I will have you killed!” (Amos 7:10-13). 


But the most unloving thing any pastor or preacher could ever do is hold back from telling people the truthful consequences of repeated, unrepented sin. 


The Holy Spirit confronted me with the words recorded in Amos 3. After I had pondered these words for myself, I felt I needed to share them with my fellow pastors. I pray that you will prayerfully consider these words. 




My friend, I’m praying for you that God will give you loving boldness to speak His truth to whomever He sends you. I pray that the Holy Spirit will anoint His words as you deliver them so that Jesus will be exalted. 


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The Gift Preached To The World

April 25, 2022 — 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. 



Ever since Resurrection Day, we can continually celebrate the greatest Gift ever—the death and resurrection of Jesus! 


After making His bodily resurrection abundantly clear, Jesus ascended back to heaven. And now we await His second advent. But here’s an important question: If Jesus ascended back into heaven, where is our Gift now? Quite simply: If you have invited Jesus into your heart, YOU are the gift! 


Remember on Good Friday I talked about what Jesus perfectly completed when He said, “It is finished!” It was an inside job. He came to change us at our core—we have been brought into at-onement with God and we stand in His presence just-as-if-I’d-never-sinned. 


But there is one more step, an ongoing process called sanctification or as I like to say it, “saint-ification.” 


Even as we are in this process, Jesus commissioned all of His disciples to Go…preach (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:18-20). That means “as you are going” or “wherever you go” tell everyone the good news of the greatest Gift ever. 


Jesus also told us that the Holy Spirit would empower us to be effective at this preaching (Acts 1:4-5, 8). Notice that in Acts 1:8 Jesus said, “You will BE My witnesses,” not you will do witnessing. The Holy Spirit empowers us to BE God’s gift to the world, and to use Christ’s authority properly. 


The apostle Paul echos this. He tells us how everyone can receive the Gift of Jesus. Paul then notes that people hear about this Gift because those who have received the Gift are preaching to them (Romans 10:8-15). 


We are all preachers or proclaimers of the Greatest Gift. Don’t confuse preaching with being a pastor. Preaching is a lifestyle for all Christians, whereas pastoring is an office that only some Christians are called to. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach always; if necessary, use words.” 


Here are three things that I think preach unmistakably. 


(1) Loving, practical service to those in need (John 13:34-35; Matthew 25:34-40)


Jesus said it pretty simply: If someone is hungry, give them something to eat. This practical love is an unmistakable sermon. 


(2) Loving, practical service to those you dislike—or who dislike you (Luke 6:27-36) 


Anyone can do loving things for people they like, but when you bless people who are mean to you, another unmistakable sermon is being preached. 


(3) Jesus-exalting fruitfulness (Galatians 5:19-25) 


Paul contrasts the fruit of those who haven’t invited Jesus into their hearts with those who have. Our fruits of kindness in an unkind world, or self-control in a hedonistic world also preach an unmistakable sermon. 


(check out all of the above Bible verses by clicking here)


If the Gift of Jesus is in you, then your life IS the sermon. Preach it well! 


You are God’s gift to the world IF you are revealing God’s Gift to the world in everything you say and do. 


If you’ve missed any of the messages in our series Christmas Unwrapped At Easter, you can find all of them listed here. 


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Links & Quotes

March 25, 2022 — Craig T. Owens 




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.”






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