The Servant Stands Strong

October 6, 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. 

The second-to-last book of the New Testament is a short letter to the Church in which Jude felt urged by the Holy Spirit to challenge Christians to “contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.” Does contend mean Christians are supposed to be combative about sharing their faith? We can learn a lot from the way Jude opens this letter. 

First, let’s look at who wrote this book. 

The names of the brothers of Jesus are listed twice (Mark 6:3; Matthew 13:55), and Jude is either the youngest or second youngest of these male siblings. He was a part of the family delegation that went to bring Jesus home because they thought He was out of His mind (Mark 3:21, 31). Later on, Jude would also mockingly taunt Jesus (John 7:5). 

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

James is the oldest brother after Jesus. When Paul writes that Jesus appeared to James after the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:7), it’s possible that it means Jesus appeared to all of his brothers, because Paul also mentions that the brothers of Jesus had become evangelists (9:5). It’s not surprising that Jude calls himself a brother of James, but it is quite shocking that he calls himself a servant of Jesus Christ. 

In fact, he calls Jesus:

  • our only Sovereign and Lord (v. 4) 
  • the One who gives us eternal life (v. 21) 
  • the only One who is our entrance into Heaven (vv. 24- 25) 

We need to adopt this servant’s mindset as we interact with others. 

Second, let’s notice who Jude’s audience is. 

Jude writes to people who are called, sanctified, preserved (NKJV). 

  • called = invited to the banquet 
  • sanctified = hagiazo = holy ones or saints 
  • preserved / kept = carefully attended to  

Finally, let’s consider how Jude expects saints to be living each day. 

Jude says in verse 2 that we are to live…

  • mercifully = not wanting people to get the punishment they deserve 
  • peacefully = having our soul so secure that we fear nothing from God 
  • lovingly = agape love like Jesus (John 3:16, 13:1) and like us (13:35, 15:9) 

And all of these things are to be in abundance—ever multiplying! 

After all of this, we are now in a place to consider how to live contending for the faith (v. 3). 

We are servants of Jesus, called to His banquet, set apart and preserved for His glory; we are intimately aware of His mercy, peace, and love, which we want others to know for themselves. 

Before we learn how to contend, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to check our attitude to ensure we indeed have the attitude of a secure servant. 

Follow along with all of the sermons in this series called Earnestly Contend. 

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May I Be Called Servant

October 1, 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. 

We are getting ready to kick off a new series at Calvary Assembly of God based on the Book of Jude. When I read the opening line of this letter, it makes me pause. Jude writes, “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James” (v. 1). 

Men like Peter and John had spent years in Christ’s company, and they called Him Lord and said they were His servants. Paul had supernatural encounters with the risen Savior, and said that he was a man devoted to His service. James and Jude shared a home and family with Jesus, and they call themselves His servant. 

How could I ever claim a title any higher than servant? 

Even if Jude didn’t say it in a bragging fashion, if he simply stated, “Jesus is my Brother,” I am pretty sure that has got to be a door opener for him! People would probably give him an audience and an opportunity—perhaps they would even give his words greater weight—simply because of the fact that they were brothers. But Jude uses this open door to point people to Jesus, not to himself.

So that got me thinking, “What will I do with the open doors, the opportunities, and the listening audiences that are before me? Will I use those things to promote my own agenda or will I use those things to promote Jesus? Will I speak what’s on my mind or what the Holy Spirit puts in my mind?”

I pray that I may use every opportunity to turn as many eyes and hearts as I am able to Jesus. May I use every open door to invite others to come closer to Christ. May I never promote my agenda, but merely be a servant who is speaking the words which I’ve been instructed and anointed to share. 

May I only be called a servant of Jesus Christ. 

I get much deeper into this topic of biblically-grounded leadership in my book Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter.

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Use Your Spiritual Gifts Well

December 9, 2024 — Craig T. Owens

However, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if prophecy, in proportion to one’s faith; if service, in the act of serving; or the one who teaches, in the act of teaching; or the one who exhorts, in the work of exhortation; the one who gives, with generosity; the one who is in leadership, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:6-8)

As God has gifted you…

  • Prophesy faithfully
  • Serve wholeheartedly 
  • Teach skillfully 
  • Exhort encouragingly 
  • Give generously 
  • Lead diligently 
  • Restore cheerfully 

I taught a series of classes on these motivational gifts. Check out the videos and downloadable materials here.

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“It Is Thou”

May 8, 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.

My cousin shared this quote from Francois Fenelon with me a couple of weeks ago, and it has continued to work on my heart—

I do not want to please men except so far as it is necessary in order to please Thee.

If Thou wishest to use me for Thy work for them, I give myself to it, and, without thinking about myself I shall simply spread to them all the gifts which Thou hast poured upon me. I shall not go forward groping, always falling back upon myself.

However dangerous and disintegrating the duty may be, I shall behave simply before Thee with a right intention, knowing the goodness of the Father before Whom I walk. He wants no subtlety in His own.

If, on the contrary, Thou dost not wish to use me for others, I shall by no means offer myself. I shall not anticipate anything.

I shall perform in peace the other things to which Thou dost limit me. Because, according to the grace of yielding which Thou dost give me, I neither desire nor refuse anything. I am ready for anything, and consent to be useless in everything.

Sought, refused, known, ignored, praised, contradicted, what does it matter? It is Thou, and not me. It is Thou, and not Thy gifts separate from Thee and Thy love, which I seek for. All good conditions are immaterial to me. (Francois Fenelon)

May we all make this our prayer: It is Thou.

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Using Your Leadership Power To Serve Others

January 18, 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. 

Godly leaders are always striving to use their leadership power to serve others. What exactly does this look like? On a recent Craig And Greg Show episode, Greg and I discussed this important leadership tension.

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Ready, Waiting, And Watching

November 29, 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. 

Although Jesus spoke these words to His followers 2000 years ago, they are especially important to all of His followers who are awaiting His imminent return—

Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him. (Luke 12:35-40) 

There are three words that stand out to me: ready, waiting, and watching. 

Ready is an adjective describing the Christian servant. Its etymology is from the noun meaning “fitness.” So the ready servant has all that he needs at hand. He is prepared for every opportunity, ready to serve and to receive whomever his Master sends him. 

Waiting is a verb that is in the present tense. That means it is something we always have to be doing. The prefix of this Greek word—like the adjective for “ready”—also means that everything that we need to serve is close by and ready to be used, and the root word is to give hospitality. So the waiting servant is waiting with a purpose: always ready to serve at a moment’s notice. 

Watching is also a present tense verb. This word means that we are giving undivided attention to the task that has been given us. 

Jesus was addressing His disciples, but these words are still for you and for me. At every moment we need to be fit to serve, with all that we need close at hand for every opportunity God sends our way.

I want to be occupied in my heavenly service until the very moment Jesus returns to earth or calls me Home. There are no off days. There is no time to waste on frivolous matters, but I need to be solely focused on only doing what matters for eternity. 

Will you join me in serving like this? We lead others to Jesus by serving those Jesus puts in our life. And as we do that, we serve our Master as well.

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Last Place

September 6, 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. 

I was sitting with a couple of ladies in our school district who were trying to figure out the logistics for a food distribution program. I was offering them a couple of suggestions when one of them asked me, “Have you ever had any experience with something like this?” 

I told her that I had, and then she responded, “But this is going to be pretty big. Probably about 40 families.” 

I smiled and told her that the food distribution program I helped coordinate fed nearly 5000 people. 

She said, “Well, I guess we don’t have to worry anymore!” And from then on, whenever any logistical concerns came up, these ladies confidently handed off the situation to me. Once they knew that I had some relevant experience, they didn’t have any more moments of questioning. 

Unlike Jesus, I didn’t create all of the food from a few loaves and fish. I simply organized the distribution of the food others had donated. I am glad these ladies had confidence in me, but at the same time, I had to guard my heart against the pride that can so easily puff up my ego.

Can you imagine if you were one of the disciples of Jesus, and had seen all of the miraculous things He had done and heard all of the profound things that He had said, and then still had the audacity to ask, “Who is the greatest”?! 

And yet that is exactly what they did (Mark 9:33-35). 

How in the world could they argue about something like this when Jesus was right there with them? Maybe this thought finally sunk in a little because later on they pivoted a bit in their argument to ask who was the greatest after Jesus (Matthew 20:20-28). 

Jesus minced no words and left nothing vague in His answer: “Anyone wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:34). 

This is exactly what Jesus embodied. He literally lived and died to prove that the highest greatness is measured by the lowest of servanthood. 

…Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a Cross! (Philippians 2:5-8)

The very last. Jesus made Himself nothing.

Not above some and beneath some, but the servant of all. 

A mark of a godly leader is one who strives to be last.

Not: “I am second.” But: “I am last.” 

This is not just a declaration, but it is a declaration followed by a lifetime of submitting and serving. Not trying to lead others, but trying to out-serve all. 

This is part 74 in my series on godly leadership. You can check out all of my posts in this series by clicking here.

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Be An “Instead” Leader

April 18, 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.

So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. Not so with you. Instead…” (Mark 10:42-43).

A Christlike leader is an “instead” leader. 

Instead of exercising authority, exercising humility. 

Instead of being served, serving everyone else. 

Instead of being first in line, being last in line. 

Instead of seeking recognition, seeking anonymity. 

Instead of collecting titles, collecting calluses.

Instead of receiving, giving. 

Jesus, help me to be an “instead” leader—to strive to more consistently lead like You. 

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Poetry Saturday—Choices

October 9, 2021 — 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. 

“…Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.” (Joshua 24:15)

I have to choose.
Not my parents.
Not my heritage.
To choose for me.
Myself.

I have to choose.
Not trapped by yesterday.
Not anxious for tomorrow.
To choose this day.
Everyday.

I have to choose.
Not to be in control.
Not to be the master.
To choose whom I will serve.
Jesus.

I have chosen.
Myself.
Today.
Jesus.

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Only One Kind Of Leader Can Serve Well

October 1, 2021 — 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 had a great time on the Thriving In Ministry podcast with Kyle Willis and Dace Clifton. 

Kyle asked me if I had a life verse that was working on me. Two verses—John 13:3-4—quickly sprang to mind from the actions of Jesus on the night He was betrayed. Here’s how I answered that question on the podcast…

In the chapter “The Wrong Ladder” in Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter I said: 

In John 13, Jesus prepared to share a final meal with His disciples. John recorded these words: “Jesus knew that God had put all things under His power” (v. 3). ALL things—not some limited power, but all power. At that moment, Jesus was, without question, the most powerful Person standing on planet earth. By modern-day standards, we could say Jesus had reached the top of the ladder! 

What would you do with that much power? How would you respond to having God’s full approval? 

Here’s what Jesus did: He took on the role of the lowest of servants and washed His disciples’ feet. Then after doing this, He said something He had never said to His disciples before: “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (v. 14). 

Jesus used His unlimited power to serve. 

Our Good Shepherd’s plan all along was to serve people. He said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). 

Quite simply stated: Shepherd leaders serve. 

I’ll be sharing more clips from this interview soon, so please stay tuned. In the meantime, Shepherd Leadership is now available in print, ebook, and audiobook. 

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