sermon | Craig T. Owens

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Smith Wigglesworth On Prayer, Power, And Miracles (book review)

January 14, 2014 — Craig T. Owens

Whenever I need a booster shot of faith, or a challenge to believe God for even greater things, or just a unabashed reminder of the power of the Scriptures, I pick up a book by Smith Wigglesworth. By the time I got done reading Smith Wigglesworth On Prayer, Power, And Miracles compiled by Roberts Liardon I was totally fired up!

This book is a collection of sermons delivered by Wigglesworth and articles he authored for various Pentecostal publications. Every one of the chapters is simply saturated in Scripture and the anointing of the Holy Spirit! Each of the articles made we want to dig into the Bible more, believe God for more, and crave the empowerment of the Spirit more!

If you are tired of humdrum church-as-usual, or if you are ready for your faith to be stretched like it’s never been stretched before, pick up a copy of this book and strap yourself in. I promise that you will not think about the things of God the same after these messages have worked their way into your heart.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Bible, book review, encouragement, healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, miracles, prayer, Scripture, sermon, Smith Wigglesworth. 4 Comments »

If You Will Ask

December 31, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Prayer is powerful. Ask anyone who has ever had answer from God in prayer, and they will quickly tell you just how valuable and powerful that prayer was to them.

With that in mind here’s a simple question: why don’t we pray more? It seems like prayer is often the thing we turn to when everything else we have tried has failed. Or we pray after we have messed something up, instead of before we attempted it.

The Bible says this—

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (1 John 5:14, emphasis added)

Notice that key qualifier: IF we will ask there is an incredible confidence in God’s answer.

Prayer should be first and continual. That’s why l like beginning each year with a renewed emphasis on prayer. This Sunday is part one in our series If You Will Ask, where we will be exploring the mind-blowing things God gives to His children who ask Him … things like insight, patience, power and initiative.

Please join me at 10:30am this Sunday as we begin our reinvigorating look at the power of prayer.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Calvary Assembly of God, confidence, God's power, prayer, sermon. Leave a Comment »

The Morning Star

December 23, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

This is part three of a 3-part series called The Star Of CHRISTmas. I was going to deliver this message at Calvary Assembly of God yesterday morning, but due to the terrible weather, we had to cancel our services. I hope this message will be a blessing to you. Please leave me some feedback in the comments section below.

Check out the other ways Jesus shined brightly at His Advent in our series The Star Of CHRISTmas.

Merry Christmas!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Advent, Calvary Assembly of God, Christmas, First Advent, hope, Jesus Christ, morning star, Second Advent, sermon, video. 3 Comments »

The North Star

December 16, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

In our series called The Star Of CHRISTmas, Pastor Josh reminded us that Jesus is the North Star.

The North Star never wavers, never moves; it’s always constant.

But as Josh reminded us, light pollution sometimes makes it hard to see the North Star. The bright lights of the city, airplane lights, and even street lights make it difficult to know for sure we are following the North Star.

Jesus is the North Star—“I am the way, the truth, and the light” (John 14:6). But there are so many things that bring light pollution to His bright, unwavering, unchanging light. Lights that say, “This is important,” or “This light will get you where you need to go,” or even “All lights are equal.”

In this busy time of year, it’s important for us to take the time to filter out light pollution, and make sure that we are truly following Jesus. David prayed a great prayer, “Search me, O God, see if there is any offensive ways in me” (Psalm 139:23-24). It’s a great prayer for us to pray too.

Check out the other ways Jesus shined brightly at His Advent in our series The Star Of CHRISTmas.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Advent, Calvary Assembly of God, Christmas, First Advent, Gospel of John, Jesus Christ, Josh Schram, light pollution, north star, prayer, Psalm, Second Advent, sermon. 1 Comment »

The Star Of CHRISTmas

December 4, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

I’m really enjoying preparing for our 3-week Christmas series called The Star Of CHRISTmas. If it’s not obvious to you by the way I wrote that title, I believe the star of Christmas is CHRIST!

We will be learning how Jesus Christ’s birth in Bethelehem was the…

SUPERNOVA which brings light into the Old Testament’s darkness, and allows other stars (that’s us!) to be born.
MORNING STAR which shines brightest just before the dawn and replaces a feeling of fear with the confidence of favor.
NORTH STAR which helps us keep going in the right direction despite the circumstances around us.

If you are able to join us over the next couple of Sundays at 10:30am, we would love to celebrate The Star of CHRISTmas with you!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Advent, Calvary Assembly of God, celebration, Christmas, First Advent, Jesus Christ, morning star, north star, Second Advent, sermon, supernova. Leave a Comment »

The God Of Luck

November 25, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

‘Tis the season we are supposed to be thankful. As Thanksgiving Day approaches, many people will gather around a dinner table and share what they are thankful for this year, and then quickly move on to the turkey and football. But we never quite finish the thought: Yes, we are thankful, but to whom are we thankful?

Consider some of these clichés we use:

The ball bounced my way.
I thank my lucky stars!
Wow, must be good clean living!
Whew, I caught a lucky break there.
It’s about time something went my way.

In all of these phrases we are saying, “I did something to get what I got. I did the right things, or I was in the right place at the right time.”

God says, “My people shall be satisfied with My goodness” (Jeremiah 31:14). Notice He says MY goodness.

Contrast this with what Moses warned in his farewell address. He said, when you have been blessed make sure you give the thanks to God, and don’t forget all He has done for you. If we forget to thank God, the inevitable result is pride in our own abilities, or in our own luck. YOU may then say to YOURSELF, “MY power and the strength of MY hand has made this lucky break for ME” (see Deuteronomy 8:10-20).

Notice the MY has been changed from God to me. I have made a god out of my luck. Or even worse, I have enthroned MYSELF and dethroned God.

The only guard against this is continual, uninterrupted gratitude to God for His goodness—Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Don’t make a god out of luck, but make sure the One True God is the center of your thankfulness this week, and all year long!

I’ll be wrapping our series A Grateful Heart Is A Strong Heart this coming Sunday, and I’d love to have you join me!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Calvary Assembly of God, Deuteronomy, gratitude, Jeremiah, luck, Moses, sermon, thankfulness, thanksgiving. 1 Comment »

Simplicity

November 22, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Simplicity does not mean watered-down, nor does it mean dumbed-down. Simplicity means as clear as possible.

Sometimes I get so grieved when I hear a pastor trying to “simplify” the gospel message for people. That definition usually means that they are removing any of the parts which might cause people to feel uncomfortable. That is not simplicity, but it’s a sell-out!

Here’s how J.C. Ryle defined it—

“All the simplicity in the world can do no good, unless you preach the simple gospel of Jesus Christ so fully and clearly that everybody can understand it. If ‘Christ crucified’ has not His rightful place in your sermons, and sin is not exposed as it should be, and your people are not plainly told what they ought to believe, and be, and do—your preaching is of no use!” (emphasis added)

Pastor, by all means make the gospel clear, but make sure people do hear all of the gospel.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: crucified, Gospel, J.C. Ryle, Jesus Christ, pastors, preaching, sermon, sin. 1 Comment »

Making A Name For Yourself

October 28, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

It’s a focus of far too many people: “I’ve got to make a name for myself.” It’s nothing new but has been going on as long as men have been on earth.

In Revelation 3, Jesus is addressing the church in Sardis about their pursuit of a reputation. Jesus tells them, “You have definitely made a name for yourself. People know you are making things happen, and you have a reputation of being successful.” Sounds good, right? Except Jesus goes on to say, “But I’m not concerned about your reputation; I’m more interested in your character.”

Jesus uses the same Greek word four times in just six short verses to show the progression He is looking for to go from a popular reputation to godly character:

You have tried to make a name for yourself, but your focus is wrong (Rev. 3:1).
The name you should focus on is My name—you should be glorifying Me, not yourself (v. 4).
If you glorify Me, I will make sure your name is never erased from the Book of Life (v. 5a).
Not only that, if you glorify Me, I will personally introduce you to My Father. I will say, “This one is Mine!” (v. 5b)

Wow!

Contrast that with people who say, “Jesus, didn’t we do some pretty amazing things in Your name? Did you check us out?!?” And Jesus will reply to them, “I never knew you because you were only using Me to make yourself look good” (see Matthew 7:21-23; Revelation 3:2).

I am not living for the applause of men, but only for the applause of nail-scarred Hands.

I don’t want the headlines here, but I want to hear my Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

I don’t want a reputation here, but I want a godly character in Heaven.

That’s the name I want!!

If you are near Cedar Springs this weekend, please join us for part six of this series The 7-Star Church.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Calvary Assembly of God, character, God's glory, Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Christ, reputation, Revelation, Sardis, sermon, video. 1 Comment »

God-Pleasing Sermons

October 18, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Lemuel Haynes

Sadly, I talk to far too many pastors who tell me their sermon topics have been selected by others. They don’t say this exactly in those words, but they talk about needing to prompt someone to do something differently, or of a parent who thinks the youth need some correction, or a board member who says the giving needs to be increased.

Sometimes it’s the opposite: pastors will say they won’t preach on a certain topic because it’s too sensitive, or it might make some people upset, or it might be offensive to some with an opposing viewpoint.

Whatever happened to preaching the Word as the Holy Spirit directs?

“A minister who watches for souls as one who expects to give account will have none to please but God. When he studies his sermons, this will not be the enquiry, ‘How shall I form my discourse so as to please and gratify the humors of men and get their applause?’ but ‘How shall I preach so as to do honor to God and meet with the approbation of my Judge?’” —Lemuel Haynes (emphasis added)

Posted in Pastoring. Tags: God's approval, Holy Spirit, influence, intimidation, Lemuel Haynes, man's approval, popularity, preaching, sermon. Leave a Comment »

Weigh The Options

October 7, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

The message Jesus had to deliver to the church at Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11), was a heavy message. It’s a message I believe Christ is still speaking to the church today. In essence Jesus said, “I know how hard it’s been for you as a Christian. You’ve stood tall so far, but brace yourselves because more persecution is coming.”

Charles Spurgeon said, “There are no crown-wearers in Heaven who were not cross-bearers here below.” How true!

But I love the message from Jesus to us: “Yes,” He says, “things are hard, but weigh those things against the rewards I have for you! Hang in there! You will bring Me glory and you will earn the very highest rewards I can give!”

I tried to illustrate Christ’s message this way—