video | Craig T. Owens

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Our Joyful Duty

June 8, 2026 — 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. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Choose work you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”? I’m not sure that is totally accurate. Work that is meaningful and fulfilling will be draining, hard work. We see Jesus taking time away from His work to be replenished from the activities that drained Him.

Instead, I think we need to find joy in our work. That joy comes from knowing why we are working. If we know the answer to the question, “Why do I do what I do, even if what I do is hard and demanding work” (and we can stay focused on that), then I think there is a joy that makes our duty a delight.

Jesus knew His duty from the very beginning. We see this in the story Luke shares with us about 12-year-old Jesus visiting Jerusalem (Luke 2:41-50). The phrase “I had to be in My Father’s house” (NIV) is rendered “must be” (NLT, KJV), and “I had to be here dealing with the things of My Father” (MSG). And I think the AMPC version is especially telling: Did you not see and know that it is necessary as a duty for Me to be in My Father’s house and occupied about My Father’s business?

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

Jesus came to Jerusalem every year for the festivals of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits (see Leviticus 23:4-6, 9-14). Now at “twelve years old” He has had His bar mitzvah and is considered a Man in the eyes of the Jewish community. Eighteen years later, we see Jesus still focused on this same duty (Luke 3:23, 9:18-22).

Jesus found delight and fulfillment in doing His duty (Luke 10:21; John 4:31-34).

Jesus calls His followers to this same food that sustained Him (John 4:35-38). He calls this “hard work” that allows us to “be glad together.” Our joy is the joy of Jesus. Notice in Luke 10:21 that His joy was because His followers found joy in doing their duty for Him (Luke 10:1-3, 17).

Don’t look for the wages or your reward here, but do your duty joyfully in expectation of future and eternal rewards (Luke 17:7-10; John 3:27-30).

Let’s go back to 12-year-old Jesus in the temple. He was there during three Old Testament feasts that all pointed to Him and were fulfilled in Him:

Passover (Abib 14)—the day Jesus was crucified
Unleavened Bread (Abib 15-21)—when Jesus was in the grave
Firstfruits (Abib 16)—the day Jesus was resurrected (see James 1:18)
Pentecost (50 days after Firstfruits)

Twenty-one years after this story in Luke 2, in the very same place where Jesus is interacting with these religious leaders, the followers of Jesus would be baptized in the Holy Spirit! He is the One Who makes our duty a delight.

We get a foreshadowing of the joy in the Holy Spirit in Luke 1:41-44 when just a greeting from Mary—who was pregnant with Jesus by the Holy Spirit—causes the baby in Elizabeth’s womb to leap with joy in the Holy Spirit. We, too, live in joy when the Spirit is actively at work in us (John 15:11; Romans 5:3-5). The Spirit reminds us of the rewards for our joyful duty (Matthew 25:34; Luke 12:35-37).

You can stick with your have-to-do duties if you have a get-to-do attitude that comes from the joy the Holy Spirit gives.

Which is why Jesus prays for our joy to be complete, and Paul prays, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Check out all of the messages in this series about the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives by clicking here.

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

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: baptism, Calvary Assembly of God, firstfruits, Gospel of John, Gospel of Luke, hard work, Holy Spirit, joy, Leviticus, Passover, Pentecost, Romans, sermon, video. 2 Comments »

Links & Quotes

June 6, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Sometimes leaders will have to part ways with a staff member. The way this is done can either bring resolution or it can create lingering problems. Check out this clip from our conversation on combatting toxicity in the workplace.

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.

I thoroughly enjoyed this commentary from John Piper on the power of silence in the face of critics and revilers. Pastor John noted, “Both the teachings and the sufferings of Jesus are meant to teach us how to respond when we are treated badly, unjustly. We are to glorify God by finding in Him the reward that satisfies our heart deeply enough that we don’t need to return evil for evil.” I really leaned into this supernatural response to critics in my book When Sheep Bite.

“To preach Christianity meant primarily to preach the Resurrection. … The Resurrection is the central theme in every Christian sermon reported in the Acts. The Resurrection, and its consequences, were the ‘gospel’ or good news which the Christians brought: what we call the ‘gospels’, the narratives of Our Lord’s life and death, were composed later for the benefit of those who had already accepted the gospel. They were in no sense the basis of Christianity: they were written for those already converted. The miracle of the Resurrection, and the theology of that miracle, comes first: the biography comes later as a comment on it.” —C.S. Lewis, Miracles

David Mathis says, “The fight against sin and the fight for holiness and joy is a soul-and-body fight. We are soul-and-body creatures. God made us like that.” He then shares the importance in physical, bodily exercise as a strong ally in our fight against sin.

“We all know that exercise makes us feel better, but most of us have no idea why. We assume it’s because we’re burning off stress or reducing muscle tension or boosting endorphins, and we leave it at that. But the real reason we feel so good when we get our blood pumping is that it makes the brain function at its best, and in my view, this benefit of physical activity is far more important—and fascinating—than what it does for the body. Building muscles and conditioning the heart and lungs are essentially side effects. I often tell my patients that the point of exercise is to build and condition the brain.” —Dr. John Ratey

“When it comes to leadership, attitude becomes even more important. You need to see possibilities when others don’t, encourage people when they are feeling defeated, and demonstrate commitment when others want to quit.” —John Maxwell

J. Warner Wallace not only makes the case that original accounts in the Gospels haven’t been changed over time, but he also shows how the corroborating sources affirm the original account—

Be Careful About Arguing

June 4, 2026 — 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. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here.

If you are reading the Gospels with the words of Jesus printed in red, there is one place where the red ink virtually disappears: When Jesus is on trial before Pilate, Herod, and the Sanhedrin. There’s an important lesson here for us.

This clip was from a sermon entitled The Essential Confession. The Scripture I reference in this clip is Matthew 16:24-27.

I allude to three related blog posts:

My book When Sheep Bite addresses some biblical responses to the attacks that come our way. I encourage you to check it out.

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

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: argument, confession, debate, Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Christ, lifestyle, video. Leave a Comment »

Power To Defeat Temptation

June 1, 2026 — 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. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here.

The first temptation of mankind was to doubt the God was good and that He was trustworthy. That’s why satan tempted Adam and Eve by saying they could become “like God.” Every Christian faces temptation, and one of the biggest is still satan’s same strategy: to try to get us to handle things on our own.

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is to help us realize that we cannot rely on ourselves, but we must rely totally on His power.

David Wilkerson said, “This is an ongoing problem with many Christians. We look to the Holy Spirit as some kind of booster shot to empower or energize our human will. We expect Him to build up our supply of grit and determination, so we can stand up to temptation the next time it comes. We cry, ‘Make me strong, Lord! Give me an iron will, so I can withstand all sin.’ But God knows this would only make our flesh stronger, enabling it to boast.”

Overcoming temptation is not about willpower but Spirit-power. Paul said this in 2 Corinthians 12:9.

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

Being tempted to sin is not a sign that God has abandoned me or that I am living apart from Him. Jesus was perfect and yet we are told He was tempted in every way (Hebrews 4:15). So we can easily determine that temptation is not a sin because Jesus was tempted (Luke 4:3-13). This story is told in all three synoptic Gospels (Matthew 4:1-10; Mark 1:13).

Look at what preceded this temptation: Jesus was baptized in the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-12; Luke 3:21-22, 4:1-2). The Spirit was the One Who led Jesus into the wilderness specifically to face temptation.

Temptation comes the the Latin word meaning “to stretch.” Oswald Chambers noted, “Every temptation of satan is perfectly wise. The wisest, shrewdest, subtlest things are said by satan, and they are accepted by everybody as the acme of human philosophy; but when the Spirit of God is at work in a man, instantly the hollow mockery at the heart of what satan is trying to do, is seen. When we understand the inwardness of the temptation we see how satan’s strategy is turned into confusion by the Spirit of God.”

Temptation is not a sin, but a stretching. It is a call for us to give up our willpower and trust the Spirit’s power.

When Jesus came to earth, He gave up His rightful prerogatives as God. The stretching test here was this: Would He continue to rely on the Spirit’s power or would He try to reclaim the power He surrendered?

It’s the same question for us when we are tempted: Will we take matters into our own hands, or will we leave ourselves in the Spirit’s hands? In one paragraph, James tells us both the blessing of overcoming temptation and where temptations originate—

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him. When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone, but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1:12-15)

The Spirit shows us the way to have the mind of Christ in overcoming temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Just before Jesus was tempted, we see the help that is promised to all of us through the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:15-16).

There are some things we will learn about ourselves in a time of temptation that we cannot learn in any other way. Being baptized in the Holy Spirit is about empowerment, but it is really the power to submit—full and unconditional surrender to the only One who can bring me safely through (Hebrews 4:15; 5:7-9; 2:17-18).

As we talked about last week, the Spirit of Truth gives us the mind of Christ (John 16:13, 15; 1 Corinthians 2:16).

We, just like Jesus, can be victorious over these temptations by doing what Jesus did. (1) He was fully submitted to His Heavenly Father, (2) He was sensitive to go where the Holy Spirit led Him, and (3) He uncovered the shrewd and subtle arguments of satan by using the Word of God.

Instead of saying, “I gave in to temptation,” we can say, “I gave in to the Holy Spirit, Who helped me defeat temptation!”

Check out all of the other messages in our series We Are: Pentecostal by clicking here.

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

Links & Quotes

May 30, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Doing the duty God has commission you to do isn’t about making you happy. It’s about helping others and glorifying God. Don’t look for the easy way out, but trust that God has empowered you to do your duty!

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.

“There is no success without sacrifice. If you succeed without sacrifice, it is because someone has suffered before you.” —Adoniram Judson

Have you prayed for something for so long that now you don’t really pray for it anymore? Scott Hubbard shares good reasons why we need to persist in those prayers.

“We must see that we are no good unless God takes charge of us. When God has real control of us, our future takes on a new outlook. What a wonderful open door of opportunities for God to use us!” —Smith Wigglesworth

“Great men may make despotisms; but democracies make great men. The other main factory of heroes besides a revolution is a religion. And a religion again, is a thing which, by its nature, does not think of men as more or less valuable, but of men as all intensely and painfully valuable, a democracy of eternal danger. For religion all men are equal, as all pennies are equal, because the only value in any of them is that they bear the image of the King.” —G.K. Chesterton

Fossils show some creatures being much larger in the past. This report from ICR reminds us, “This is just one more example of the widespread phenomenon of fossil giantism. Many pre-Flood fossil creatures were gigantic. These include not just extinct giants like dinosaurs but also the ancestors of creatures that are still alive today. … Obviously, the staggering size of many fossil creatures suggests they had access to abundant food and lived in an environment that was, even after the Fall, still “very good” in many ways (Genesis 1:31).”

“One of the greatest diseases is to be nobody to anybody.” —Mother Teresa

“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” —Maya Angelou

“What was the pitch that covered the Ark? Many have wondered what this could have been. Was it oil or some type of tree resin? A newly discovered Roman shipwreck has revived this debate. But this time, maybe it offers a resolution.”

The Craig And Greg Show: Combatting Toxicity

May 28, 2026 — 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. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here.

When some sort of chemical or toxin is spilled in the environment it doesn’t just stay put, it spreads, corrupting everything around it. The same principle is true in our organizations—toxic behaviors that are allowed to fester will spread until they consume your entire team. So put on your hazmat suit and join Greg and me as we address common toxic behaviors and offer strategies on how to root them out before they can take hold.

[0:00] Introduction
[1:00] A quick list of some toxic behaviors leaders will have to address.
[3:09] Let’s think about the analogy of our organizations as a human body that’s nursing an injury.
[5:50] How should leaders treat toxicity in their organizations?
[8:20] In one chapter in our Business by the Book about vision-casting, we talk about something that can keep us from addressing detrimental issues.
[9:38] Greg wants to know how I have addressed toxic teammates.
[11:20] Greg shares how moving the problem instead of dealing with the problem actually multiplies the problem.
[15:17] At some point leaders might have to admit that a toxic teammate isn’t a good fit for the organization. Now what do we do?
[17:42] There was an important part of my book When Sheep Bite that Greg helped me to see more clearly.
[18:54] Being too quick to deal with problems is just as dangerous as being too slow to deal with it.
[25:28] It’s easy to get swayed by your emotions when dealing with these toxic topics, but an outside coach isn’t emotionally invested like you are, so they can give you a much more objective viewpoint.
[27:00] The behavior you accept will determine the culture of your organization.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Craig And Greg Show, leadership, problem solving, video, When Sheep Bite. 1 Comment »

Extraordinary Insight

May 26, 2026 — 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. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here.

Last week we said that Spirit-baptized Christians should live in the normalcy of extraordinary power! Our normative should be extraordinary because we have the Holy Spirit in us (John 14:16-17). One bad habit that keeps us from extraordinary living is that we frequently seek counsel from flawed sources—like fellow humans—when Jesus intends for the Holy Spirit to give us extraordinary insight (John 16:12-19).

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

I work with middle schoolers every day. I love them but they can be frustrating at times. They are at the age where you would expect to see some maturing, but sometimes I have to ask them, “How old are you?” I think you can hear this loving frustration in Paul’s tone in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4. He refers to their spiritual immaturity as worldly (3x), calling them mere infants and mere humans (2x).

This immaturity means they are missing out on deeper truths (you were not yet ready for it … still not ready), which reveals itself in their jealousy and quarreling, and factions.

The phrase “mere humans” tells us that there is a lifestyle that is deeper. Which Paul outlines in 2:11-16. When he says some are “without the Spirit” (v. 14), he uses a Greek word that means the animal life which humans have in common with the brutes. That’s why some Bible translate this word “natural man” (NKJV). In other words, people living by reactions without forethought or insight.

This word for “mere Humans” or “natural man” occurs two other times in the New Testament, and it is a very sad picture (James 3:15; Jude 19)!

By contrast, Paul says that those who rely on the Holy Spirit have spiritual discernment (v. 14) to make good judgments (v. 15). Both of these English words are the same Greek word which is probably best translated as Spirit-breathed insight.

Why does the Holy Spirit give us this deeper insight? So that we may have the mind of Christ (2:16). The psalmist echos this longing: I am Your servant; give me understanding (discernment and comprehension), that I may know—discern and be familiar with the character of—Your testimonies (Psalm 119:125 AMPC).

This psalmist knew the power of God’s Word to help us to continue to mature in our walk with our Savior. Especially in the section in Psalm 119:97-104, we read that this Spirit-breathed insight gives us an advantage over our enemies, our teachers, and even our elders.

Solomon picks up this same theme. Notice his “if…then” connections in Proverbs 2:1-6 as he talks about the immense value of the divine insight the Holy Spirit gives us.

Guillermo Maldonado said, “God never intended for us to walk aimlessly, trying to please Him without guidance or direction. Instead, He sent us the Holy Spirit and equipped us with the ability to hear, feel, intuit, and discern His atmosphere.”

Remember what Jesus said in John 16:12-15. In short: the Holy Spirit gives us the mind of Christ. With His mind we have discernment into how to apply the Scripture to our life, which will give us extraordinary insight. With this insight, our lives will be transformed and we will be His witnesses, drawing others to Jesus.

Let’s make this our prayer—

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11)

Check out all of the other messages in our series about what it means to be a Pentecostal Christian.

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

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: 1 Corinthians, Calvary Assembly of God, discernment, Gospel of John, Holy Spirit, insight, Pentecost, Pentecostal, Philippians, prayer, proverbs, Psalm 119, sermon, video. 3 Comments »

Links & Quotes

May 23, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

When hiring a new staff member, leaders need to assess the level of accountability that teammate has had in the past. This is how we can set up people for success beyond their current job.

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.

“Once we’ve learned a lesson from a mistake, we need to declare the details ‘useless memories’ and discard them. Store the insight; delete the details.” —Tim Sanders

“Immature people often have lots of knowledge but little understanding; lots of means but little meaning; lots of know-how but little know-why; lots of sight but little insight.” —John Maxwell

In discussing the fossilized remains of a dinosaur found in Patagonia, ICR notes, “Fossils cannot show how a structure formed—they only show the final shape of an organism. Scientists must build evolutionary models to suggest how fossils might be related. When new fossils are found, these models often change, revealing how uncertain these evolutionary stories can be. From a biblical view, the fossil fits a different explanation. Genesis says God created land animals “according to [their] kind” (Genesis 1:24). Animals within a kind can vary in size and shape. This type of variation is called biological flexibility. We see it in many living animals today. At the same time, core biological systems remain stable, signifying biological inflexibility—meaning that a creature may vary in size or proportions, but the main body plan remains the same.”

Want to see how far you’ve traveled on Earth since you have been living on this planet? Want to see how many times your heart has beat and your lungs have taken in air? Plug your birthdate into this website and be amazed!

This is a pretty cool mini-biography about KFC founder Colonel Harland Sanders.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: accountability, astronomy, biography, Creator, dinosaurs, insight, Institute for Creation Research, John Maxwell, mistake, paleontology, quotes, Tim Sanders, video. Leave a Comment »

When Jesus Says, “Amen!”

May 21, 2026 — 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. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here.

It’s amazing to think that the way I pray could result in Jesus saying, “Amen” at the end of my prayer!

The Scripture I’m looking at is 2 Corinthians 1:18-22.

You can find this full sermon here. And you may also want to check out some related blog posts:

I wrote a book of prayers to help pastors pray for themselves and their ministries. Check out Amen Indeed and order a copy today.

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

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: 2 Corinthians, Amen, Amen Indeed, God's promise, prayer, video. Leave a Comment »

The Normalcy of Extraordinary Power

May 18, 2026 — 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. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here.

I’m not sure that any other aspect of the Christian faith generates as much discussion as the role of the Person of the Holy Spirit. Specifically, I would say “nuanced discussion.” By that I mean, people carefully choosing their words to remain biblically accurate but not sound weird. “After all,” they might say, “we don’t want people looking at us strangely because we’re talking about signs, wonders, and speaking in unknown languages. Yet at the same time, we don’t want to grieve the Holy Spirit.”

I believe there is a better way to handle this: Let Scripture speak for itself.

Let me share one recent example with you that will address this point. A rather well-known Christian apologist, who happens to be quite skilled in ancient biblical languages, was recently asked in an interview, “Can you explain the gift of speaking in tongues?”

Here are some of the main things he said in reply: “I think there is something going on in the New Testament that is different. … There is a uniqueness to that time period. It’s normative in a way that it is not now” because, he says, we don’t see today what we see in the New Testament, “because the disciples are building the foundation of the Church. … Now we have the books of Scripture where God speaks to us in a different way. … Speaking in tongues, prophesying happen; I just don’t think they’re normative in the way we see them happening in the New Testament.”

There’s a lot to unpack here, but I want to focus on a word he repeated: normative.

The dictionary defines that word: implying, creating, or prescribing a norm or standard; especially an assumed norm regarded as the standard of correctness in behavior, speech, writing, etc.

So I guess we need to ask, “What is normal?”

Let’s begin with this question: What did the pre-Ascension followers of Jesus consider normal?

First, Jesus was with them bodily form, and He regularly explained Scripture to them. Jesus healed people and so did His followers. Jesus told them He was leaving in bodily form, but that He would send the Holy Spirit to be with them (John 14:16-17).

(Check out all of the Scriptures in this sermon here.)

The next question is: What did the post-Ascension followers of Jesus consider normal?

There was a joy of anticipating the Holy Spirit’s outpouring (Luke 24:50-53). Jesus was no longer with them bodily, but they still operated in His name and authority. They understood Scripture without Jesus in bodily form explaining it to them. They wrote the books of the New Testament, which are really a commentary on Scripture (the Old Testament) in light of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. They healed people.

Our final question should be: What should we consider normal?

Let’s go back to John 14:16-17 where Jesus promised the arrival of the Counselor. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is empowerment in a wholly different level. At salvation, He is “with” us; at baptism, He is “in” us. Jesus is still not with us in bodily form, but we can still operate in His name, we understand Scripture without Jesus in bodily form explaining it to us, and we can operate in a realm of power that seems extra-ordinary to others!

Listen to a couple of key phrases from Peter’s Pentecost Sunday sermon. He says this outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the fulfillment of a promise made by Jesus, and it is proof of the resurrection and ascension of Jesus (Acts 2:33, 38-39).

Nowhere is this implied that this is a one-time empowerment, nor an exclusive empowerment for those living in that time, nor is it exclusively for those called apostles. The saints lived this out as their normal daily life. See just a few examples in Acts 4:20, 30-31; 6:3, 8-10; 8:4-8, 14-17.

“The secret of our strength is the living testimony that Jesus Christ is every moment with us, inspiring, directing and strengthening us. This is what made the disciples so bold in preaching Him as the Crucified One in the midst of His enemies. They never for a moment regretted His bodily absence, for they had Him with them, and in them, in the divine power of the Holy Spirit.” —Andrew Murray

I think we have accepted sub-normal as normative for so long, that we now call that normal. Instead our normal should be a lifestyle, a language, a power that is called extraordinary by others.