“Were” To “Are”

October 15, 2025 — 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 the first ten verses of Ephesians 2 Paul talks about the amazing transformation from who we WERE before we met Jesus to who we ARE now with Jesus as our Lord and Savior. 

Before Jesus we…

  • were dead
  • used to live in sin
  • used to follow the world
  • were living to gratify fleshly cravings 
  • were following only earthly desires 

The result of this lifestyle is quite clear: We WERE deserving of God’s wrath (see vv. 1-3). 

Verse 4 opens with an amazing word: “But” here is what our new life looks like. We are…

  • made alive with Christ 
  • rescued from death
  • raised up with Christ
  • seated with Jesus in heavenly realms 
  • benefitting from God’s kindness

The bottom line: We ARE saved by God’s grace from God’s wrath (vv. 4-8)! 

It’s only now that we can realize that we ARE God’s handiwork, created to be in Jesus, to do good works, and to bring God glory. Our lives now ARE a display of the “incomparable riches of His grace” (v. 7)—we ARE a living testimony of His love for lost people. 

Being transformed from what we WERE to who we ARE allows us to echo the words of the psalmist—Come and see what our God has done, what awesome miracles He performs for people! (Psalm 66:5 NLT). 

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

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God’s Infinite And Eternal Love

October 7, 2025 — Craig T. Owens

G.K. Chesterton wrote, “The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists, as the mother can love the unborn child.”

God loved you before you were born. He had a plan in mind for your life before you were conceived. 

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10) 

Even as God formed you in your mother’s womb, He implanted in you all that you would need to live for His glory. 

Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:16) 

God couldn’t love you any more than He already does because His love for you is infinite and eternal❣️

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The Enemy Within

September 17, 2025 — 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.

Confuse them, Lord, and frustrate their plans, for I see violence and conflict in the city. Its walls are patrolled day and night against invaders, but the real danger is wickedness within the city… (Psalm 55:9-14 NLT) 

David sees violence and conflict, but he is quick to conclude that the enemy is not “out there” but “in here.” Notice the phrases “in the city” and “within the city.” 

This is why Jesus tells us to deal with the plank in our own eye first (the things in here), and then I can see clearly to address what may be out there (see Matthew 7:1-5). He also tells us to pay attention to the clear indicators that something is wrong “in here” in Matthew 15:18-20. 

Yes, we should address false gods and evil practices. But G.K. Chesterton warns us to make sure we are addressing the right things—

“Idolatry is committed, not merely by setting up false gods, but also by setting up false devils; by making men afraid of war or alcohol, or economic law, when they should be afraid of spiritual corruption and cowardice.” 

God-fearing leaders must always address their own areas of corruption as the first and highest priority. It’s only after this heart-check that we can truly lead people away from things which are holding them back from fully following God. 

Holy Spirit, if I feel the need to point my finger at what’s wrong “out there,” may I first yield to Your finger pointing out what’s wrong “in here” in my own heart. Once I have recognized, confessed, and corrected what’s wrong in me, equip me to be a lovingly-strong and empathetic guide to help others around me. 

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

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When I Feel Afraid

September 15, 2025 — 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. 

Can we take just a couple of minutes to talk about fear? This isn’t on the list of anyone’s favorite topics, but it is something we all have to confront. 

The Scriptures I reference in this episode are from John 8:12, 9:5; Revelation 1:8; and Psalm 56:3-4, 10-11. 

I also mentioned how many times the Bible shows us God saying, “Do not be afraid.” Here are several of those instances. 

I shared a whole series of messages called “Do Not Be Afraid” which you can check out here. Some other related posts are: 

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. I praise God for what He has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? … I praise God for what He has promised; yes, I praise the Lord for what He has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4, 10-11 NLT)

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

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Serving The Body

September 8, 2025 — 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. 

Last week we were reminded that sanctification (or as I call it “saint-ification”) is an ongoing process that usually involves the help of other saints. There is something else we need to do with other saints: serve them. 

We are all a part of the same Body so it is beneficial for the whole Body if we care for every part of the Body (1 Corinthians 12:25 AMPC; Ephesians 5:30). 

(Check out all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.) 

In order to serve others, we are going to have to check our attitude. We have been called to have the attitude that Jesus had about the Church (Ephesians 5:29; Philippians 2:3-7; John 13:3-5, 14-17). 

We must all know: 

  • I have a gift—notice the phrase each of you in 1 Peter 4:10 
  • I must use my gift to serve the Body of Christ (Luke 17:10)

In the early Church, we see so much togetherness that they rewrote the definition of the Greek word koinonia (see Acts 2:42). Here’s what koinonia looks like in the Church:

(1) Testifying in church (Psalm 40:9-10 NLT) 

(2) Being present with saints outside of church. From Acts 20-28, the pronouns “we” and “us” are used over 80 times! Paul was blessed simply by Luke being with him, just as saints are blessed when you are truly with them. 

(3) Love notes when a saint is absent. The apostle John was brilliant at this. Look at his three epistles: 

  • dear children 9x in 1 John  
  • chosen / dear lady 2x in 2 John  
  • dear friend 4x in 3 John  

(4) Hospital-ity whenever it’s needed. Be a place of healing and refreshment for the saints God has placed in your life, just as Philemon did (Philemon 2-7, 22). 

What a testimony it is when we live this way (Romans 12:10, 13)! 

Remember the saint-ification process brings fruitfulness, joy-fullness, and an enhanced testimony. I love this quote from Richard Stearns, “The beautiful simplicity of our faith is that it distills down to the exact same bottom line for both the brilliant theologian and the five-year-old child: love God and love each other—period. Everything else derives from that.” 

If you’ve missed the “B” or “A” in our series B.A.S.I.C. Christianity, you can check those out here. 

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

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Teaching Good Counsel

August 29, 2025 — Craig T. Owens

The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong.. (Psalm 37:30) 

“Good counsel” in Hebrew means:

  • Wise words 
  • Ethical application 
  • Prudent action 

      …which all find their source in God’s Word. 

“Teach right from wrong” means instructions that are:

  • Proper for that person 
  • Fitting for that moment 
  • Measured for the best outcome 

     …which all become a testimony which points others to the soundness in God’s Word. 

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Stronger Christians

August 15, 2025 — Craig T. Owens

When the Bible calls Christians to be strong, it is really calling them to be stronger and more courageous than they were previously. This requires a workout plan for our spiritual muscles!

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The I AM Is Infinitely More

August 12, 2025 — Craig T. Owens

Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear, revere, and worship You, goodness which You have wrought for those who trust and take refuge in You before the sons of men! (Psalm 31:19 AMPC) 

“God is not a symbol of goodness. Goodness is a symbol of God.” —G.K. Chesterton 

Remember that all of the attributes of God existed before the words for those attributes existed. Words like love and awesome and power and goodness were created to point us to the I AM.

God is all of these attributes and infinitely more than any attributes we can ever describe or define.

Related posts: 

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Links & Quotes

August 9, 2025 — Craig T. Owens

The armor of God is not for us to fight in but to shield us while we pray. Prayer is the weapon!

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.

“Psychologists, since the beginning of the discipline, have argued about the essence of what it means to be human. Some, like [Sigmund] Freud, insist that we are motivated by physical pleasure, while others, like Victor Frankl or Abraham Maslow, believe that some higher purpose…. Human beings, made in the image and likeness of God, only realize their full potential and pleasure as they participate in the very being of God and know and experience the pleasure He takes in Himself and His glory.” —T.M. Moore 

“If you are persevering in faith today, you owe it to the blood of Jesus. The Holy Spirit, who is working in you to preserve your faith, is honoring the purchase of Jesus. God the Spirit works in us what God the Son obtained for us. The Father planned it. Jesus bought it. The Spirit applies it—all of them infallibly.” —John Piper

“The Hebrew word Davar (דבר, pronounced ‘daw-var’) reveals something profound about God’s Word—it’s not merely information, but transformation. … Throughout Scripture, God’s Word consistently proves both living and active. It has the power to create worlds (Genesis 1), transform lives (Psalm 119:105), and accomplish God’s purposes (Isaiah 55:11).” —Dave Adamson 

More fascinating archeology that supports the Bible’s historicity. This is a look at the library of letters found at Tell el-Amarna in Egypt. “The most obvious connection between the Amarna Letters and biblical history is that some of the letters appear to be describing, in real-time, the attacks of the Israelites during the period of the conquest. Remember, the initial conquest battles took a period of some 5–6 years, but the attempts by various tribes to conquer their allotted territories lasted into the period of the Judges. The letters from the rulers of some of the very cities named in the biblical conquest calling for help from the attacking ʿapîru/ḫa-bi-ru, provide a poignant backdrop to this period of biblical history.”

“Because I am your constant Companion, there should be a lightness to your step that is observable to others. Do not be weighed down with problems and unresolved issues, for I am your burden-bearer.” —Jesus in Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling, based on Psalm 31:19–20; John 16:33

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Learning From Mistakes

August 7, 2025 — 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. 

Have you made any mistakes lately? Let’s talk about what we do next on this episode of The Podcast. 

The Scriptures I referenced in this video are Psalm 25:4, 8, 10; James 1:5; Jeremiah 33:3. 

I also referenced my blog posts Self-Talk During Fearful Times and Refined By Fire. 

My book When Sheep Bite is all about recovering after difficulties—whether they were created by your mistakes or someone else’s mistakes. In the Introduction to my book I wrote: 

     I want to give you what I wanted when this happened to me: empathy, insight, a helpful perspective, and a manual of help that God has provided in the Bible. I don’t want to try to one-up your story of pain, because I’m confident that no one could truly know how deeply you’ve been hurt. But I do want to give you some assurance that I know what I’m talking about. … 

     Your pain and your circumstances are unique. Your pain is real, and it is incomparable to anyone el􏰃se’s pain. But the biblical principles that God revealed to me—􏰄those things that helped me heal and the thoughts I want to share with you􏰄—are applicable for any shepherd. These tried-and-true principles can help you not just survive this pain but thrive in spite of this pain. I would say to you something that C.S. Lewis wrote, “Think of me as a fellow-patient in the same hospital who, having been admitted a little earlier, could give some ad􏰋vice.” 

Check out When Sheep Bite for yourself. 

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

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