Caring For Our City

April 24, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

This week we celebrated Earth Day, where I think Christians should be at the forefront in taking care of God’s creation.

It is a shame that so many evangelical Christians not only have little concern for the environment, but are sometimes known as anti-environmental. How can this be when our Creator God has asked us to care for His creation? Not only is our pollution of the earth totally unacceptable, but this is an issue that our young people care about; and if we don’t connect with them on valid issues such as preservation of the environment, how can we expect them to listen to us at all? —George Verwer (emphasis added)

I couldn’t agree more with Mr. Verwer! So here are some places that Calvary Assembly of God is getting involved, and I encourage you to join us (if you live near Cedar Springs), or do something similar in your own community.

Cedar Creek cleanup 2013Cedar Creek Cleanup—Saturday, April 27, from 10am-noon. We’ll be cleaning up along the banks of the Cedar Creek, and even in the creek itself. We’ll also help clean up trash and debris along the White Pine Trail where it passes through the city and intersects with Cedar Creek. We will have some waders to use, but please make sure you wear clothes that you don’t mind getting wet and dirty.

Community Service Sunday 2013Service Sunday—Sunday, May 5, from 11am-2pm. This is a collaboration with several other churches in Cedar Springs. We’re shortening up our gatherings in our church buildings, so we can head out into the community to put our worship in action. There’s a long list of activities including: providing full-service to motorists at local gas stations, painting and sprucing up Elmwood Cemetery, planting flowers, singing for the residents of Metron Nursing Home, trash pick, window washing for businesses along Main Street, and many, many more. And we’ll wrap up our work time with a potluck lunch in Morley Park.

Community Cleanup Days—Saturday, May 11, from 10am-noon. Similar to the cleanup efforts in Cedar Springs, we’ll be tackling some spring cleaning projects around Solon Township.

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Cedar Creek Cleanup 2013

April 17, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Cedar Creek cleanup 2013When God created the earth, He directed Adam and Eve to care for His creation. Today it’s just as important for us to be good stewards of our Heavenly Father’s beautiful world.

So I’m excited that Calvary Assembly of God is going to be involved in the cleanup efforts in our hometown of Cedar Springs. For the fourth year in a row we’ll be picking up the junk that seems to accumulate around our waterways and in our public areas. We’ll be pulling on our waders so we can walk into Cedar Creek to remove the things that shouldn’t be in there. The fish and wildlife will be happier, and I bet our Creator will be too!

We’re meeting behind the fire station off of Main Street on Saturday, April 27, at 10am. If you are in the area, please come join us.

Although all of the cleanup efforts are concentrated on one day, my hope is that it will become an ongoing lifestyle for us to always be caring for our community.

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I Am Doulos

January 8, 2013 — 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 this era of LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram, and the like, we are so concerned about connections, friends, followers, and likes that it consumes our thoughts.

We self-promote and pray for popularity.

Well, I don’t think anyone is actually brazen enough to pray, “God, make me popular.” But we often live as if popularity was the answer to a prayer.

We gain our status by who we know, what we’ve done, what we are doing, the places we’ve worked, and the number of “friends,” “followers” and “connections” we have accumulated.

James wrote a book of the Bible. As he opened the letter he introduced himself. He could have said:

  • I am the half-brother of Jesus
  • I am the leader of the Christian Church
  • I chaired the Jerusalem Council

Instead he simply said, “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Not even the servant, as if he were distinguished among others, but the indefinite article a servant. The Greek word here (doulos) means:

  • A slave
  • “One who gives himself up to another’s will for Christ to use his service to advance His cause among men” (Strong’s Greek Dictionary)
  • Devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests

Any connections, friends, followers, skills, talents, or opportunities I have are wholly God’s. He gave them to me so I could serve Him and serve others. I am merely a steward of what He’s given me—I AM DOULOS.

(To see a negative example of this, check out my post Trading Truth for Popularity.)

My desire for my eulogy and my tombstone is for it to simply say: “He was a servant.”

I am living to hear my Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

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Earth Day 2012

April 16, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

One of the first commands that God gave to Adam and Eve was to work in the Garden of Eden and take care of it (Genesis 2:15). The earth is God’s, but He put mankind here to be stewards of His creation.

That’s why I am pleased that Calvary Assembly of God is going to participate in the Earth Day 2012 cleanup in Cedar Springs. This is a great way for us to show, in a tangible way, that we love our community, and that we want to take care of the environment where we live, work and worship.

If you live in Cedar Springs, please join with us on Saturday, April 28, at 10am. If you live in another community, please consider partnering with a similar cleanup effort in your hometown, or start one of your own.

I believe those who call themselves Christians should be the most environmentally-aware people in the community.

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Is ‘Mine’ Loose Enough?

November 2, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

Most people who have read the life of Jesus know about His triumphal arrival in Jerusalem, where the people waved palm branches and shouted, “Hosanna!” But there’s a little backstory tucked in this major event.

Jesus needed to ride a donkey into Jerusalem. So He sent two of His disciples into town, and told them where to find the donkey He would ride. He said, “If anyone asks you why you are taking this animal, just tell them, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

The disciples went, and found the donkey just like Jesus said. And, sure enough, the people there asked what they were doing. This story is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. After the disciples said, “The Lord needs it,” here is everything the donkey’s owners said: .

That is: they said nothing. Not a single word.

That got me thinking:

  • Could I do that?
  • If Jesus needs something of mine, do I ask for clarification?
  • Do I bargain when He asks me to give something of mine up for His use?
  • Am I holding on too tightly to mine?

What about you? Is your mine loose enough?

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Cedar Creek Cleanup

August 24, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

God told Adam and Eve that they needed to take care of the environment in which He placed them. And that directive is still in place for us today: We are to be caretakers of this amazing planet.

And as Christians, we should be excellent caretakers.

The City of Cedar Springs recently received a grant to help with some waterway cleanup. So I am very excited that a group from Calvary Assembly of God is going to be involved in the Cedar Creek Cleanup project on August 30.

This is another way for us to show our love for our community, and to live out our biblical values. I’m always so appreciative of the way this group wants to jump into any of these community projects. If I haven’t said it lately, let me repeat it loud and clear—

I ♥ My Church!

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A Barrel Or A Pipeline

April 30, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

I don’t own a house, a car, land, food, or money. God owns them and I’m merely His manager of those things. If I try to treat things like possessions, then things will begin to possess me because those items will become my focus instead of God.

I am a blessed man, but I am blessed to be a blessing.

The more I bless others with the blessings that have been placed under my management, two things happen: (1) God is exalted, and (2) I’m available to receive more blessings.

God doesn’t want to fill my barrel.

  • Barrels run out of room.
  • Things stored in barrels for too long spoil.
  • It’s hard to see everything stored up in a barrel.

God does want to fill my pipeline.

  • Pipelines—if they are free-flowing—never get full.
  • Everything flowing through the pipeline stays fresh.
  • Pipelines can deliver faster than barrels can.

I can LIMIT God’s blessings by HOARDING them in my barrel.

I can INCREASE God’s blessings by SHARING them through my pipeline.

How can you make your life God’s pipeline of blessing to others?

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Generosity

April 14, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

Everyone loves a generous friend. A friend who is not stingy with their time or other resources, but someone who freely gives. Generous gifts build buildings, support ministries, and enrich our lives.

When the Israelites were building the tabernacle, they brought freewill offerings to pay for the construction project. Check out how much they gave:

  • 28,000 pounds of gold
  • 96,000 pounds of silver
  • 67,000 pounds of bronze

Whoa!

Paul may have had this in mind when he wrote to the church in Corinth about giving. He used phrases like:

  • Rich generosity
  • Earnestness
  • Eager willingness
  • Eagerness to help
  • Enthusiasm
  • Generous gifts
  • Generous on every occasion

Where does this sort of generosity come from? The key is in Paul’s opening statement about the Macedonians: “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity…but they gave themselves first to the Lord.”

They gave themselves first to the Lord.

The ultimate source of generosity is the realization that everything I have is God’s. He owns it all; I’m just a steward.

The more I keep this in mind, the more generous I can be. The more generous I am, the more God can bless me. I am blessed to be a blessing.

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BOGOF

March 7, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

Sometimes to get a point across, the only thing you can do is create a new word. Does anyone remember Rich Hall’s list of sniglets on Saturday Night Live? A list of 20 sniglets is here.

This morning we talked about the Parable of the Talents, where the servants were expected to do something with the talents God had given them. Then Jesus talks about the end of time judgment where we are divided into those who did something for God by addressing human needs, and those who ignored the human needs around them.

How do we remember this? How do we apply it to everyday life?

Then it hit me: we all eat; in fact, most of us eat every day. In order to eat, many of us go to the grocery store. And to help stretch the food budget, we often use coupons. When we get one of those buy-one-get-one-free coupons (a BOGOF), what do we do with the free one? Do we consume it ourselves, or could we give it away? Wouldn’t giving away the free one honor God by helping feed the hungry?

So we created a word—BOGOF—and turned it into a refrigerator magnet. We’re going to do our best to build into our daily lives the habit of loving others by addressing their practical needs.

Why don’t you try it yourself? Maybe you can create your own word too! If you do, please be sure to share it in the comments below.

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