God Is One, God Is Love

February 8, 2021 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple or Spotify.

There is a common characteristic among every human civilization: they all have had a pantheon of gods. It seems that no one god could capture all of the attributes each civilization thought were important, so they created multiple gods to help fill in the gaps. 

Onto the world scene comes the account recorded for us in the Bible of a God who creates the universe. The Hebrew word for this God is elohiym which means “a divine one.” This name is used throughout the Creation story in Genesis 1. 

Then in Genesis 2:4, a new name appears, one that is used over 6500 times in the Bible. It is the unpronounceable name YHWH: often pronounced Yahweh or substituted with the word Jehovah. In most Bible translations this name is designated by all capital letters: LORD. Yahweh or Jehovah means “the existing One.” 

The first part of our second foundational truth states, “The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent ‘I AM,’ the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind.” This Creator is uncreated: He sustains the universe without needing to be replenished Himself. He is utterly complete in Himself; hence, His name means I AM (see Exodus 3:13-15). 

The second part of this foundational truth statement says, “He has further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” 

The I AM is One (see Deuteronomy 6:4), but He reveals Himself in three Persons—Father, Son, Spirit—that we call the Trinity (although this is not a word found in the Bible). 

Sometimes Christians have done a disservice to the I AM by making it appear He is divided. For instance, we might say, “The Father is the Creator, the Son is the Redeemer, and the Spirit is the Regenerator.” But remember that our One God is not a pantheon of gods; He is One. We see the fullness of the Trinity operating in every area. Here’s just a short sampling:  

  • The creation of the universe—Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:15-16; Psalm 104:30 
  • The creation of man—Genesis 1:26-27 
  • A prophecy about Jesus’ advent—Isaiah 9:6 
  • The incarnation of Jesus—Luke 1:35 
  • The baptism of Jesus—Matthew 3:16-17
  • The resurrection of Jesus—Acts 2:32; John 10:18; Romans 1:4 
  • Our atonement—Hebrews 9:14 
  • A Christian’s baptism in the Holy Spirit—John 14:16 

(You can read all of these verses for yourself by clicking here.) 

A good question for us to ponder is: Why would this I AM God create humans? If He needs nothing to complete Himself or sustain Himself, why make us? 

The apostle John captures the essence of the Trinity in three words: God is love.

God created us out of an overflow of His love so that we too could enjoy the intimate, eternal pleasure of being at-onement with Him forever. God then wants our love to overflow to everyone around us, so that they will also be drawn into this at-oneness with the I AM. 

When Jesus was asked to state the greatest commandment, He first quoted from Deuteronomy 6: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD [Yahweh] our God, the LORD [Yahweh] is one.” Christ’s conclusion was for us to love this All-Loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And then Jesus added an obvious overflow of that love: “And love your neighbor as yourself” (see Mark 12:29-31).

Love to God and from God should overflow from us to others to bring them into the One God who is love itself.  

The more we understand this love that the I AM has for us: (1) the better able we will be to love and worship Him, (2) the more we will love others out of this overflow of love, and (3) the more glory our awesome GOD will receive. Which is exactly what the apostle Paul prayed for us in Ephesians 3:14-19. 

This idea of an I AM God who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Spirit has been described by the Latin phrase mysterium tremendum. It is indeed a mystery: not one that frightens and confuses, but one that energizes and enlivens. Pray Paul’s prayer for yourself, so that you can see more dimensions of this awesome love that God has for you! 

If you missed any parts of this series exploring our foundational belief statements, you can check out the full list by clicking here.

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Learning Life’s Lessons

February 1, 2021 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on iTunes or Spotify.

Have you heard the cliché, “Experience is the best teacher”? I don’t think that’s really true. I’ve known a lot of people who have had some huge experiences but haven’t learned a single lesson from them. Honestly this is the better statement: Evaluated and recalled experience is the best teacher. 

Many of my “life lessons” have cost me money. For instance, I was told numerous times by my parents, grandparents, and my driving instructor not to speed, but I didn’t learn that lesson the easy way. It cost me financially. I recovered from that, and I’ve only had one speeding ticket in the 40 years that followed! 

Most of us can recover from a financial loss. But other life lessons cost us more dearly: our broken physical health, lost intimacy in a relationship, a damaged reputation, or missed opportunities. Then we walk around with the weight of guilt, baggage, second-guessing, and regret. Jesus didn’t die on a Cross for us to live weighed down like this! 

God wants to help us! So why do we wait to call on Him until after we’ve tried to do it ourselves? Or until after we’re so deep in trouble or weighed down with baggage? Perhaps we think, “This is such a tiny thing. I can handle it myself.” 

  • Solomon said it was the tiny things that brought ruin 
  • God told Cain that it was the sin that was crouching at his door that wanted to take him down 
  • The devil prowls around and looks for the most opportune time to pounce on us 
  • Which is why Paul tells us to put on all of God’s armor and prayer all the time (see Song 2:15; Genesis 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8; Luke 4:13; Ephesians 6:10-11, 18) 

Portia Nelson summed it up well in her short story that I think all of us can relate to…

Chapter 1
I walk down the street.
   There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
   I fall in.
   I am lost… I am helpless. It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.


Chapter 2


I walk down the same street.


   There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.


   I pretend I don’t see it.


   I fall in, again.


I can’t believe I am in the same place. But it isn’t my fault.




Chapter 3


I walk down the same street.


   There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.


   I see it is there.


   I still fall in… it’s a habit… but my eyes are open, I know where I am.


It’s my fault. I get out immediately.




Chapter 4


I walk down the same street.


   There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.


   I walk around it.




Chapter 5


I walk down another street.


    —Portia Nelson




Prayer helps us avoid the holes in our sidewalk, the crouching sin at our door, the prowling devil, and the lurking temptations. But more than that, prayer puts us on the right path to avoid all of these things in the first place (see Proverbs 3:5-6; Isaiah 30:21; 2 Samuel 22:34, 37)! 


God doesn’t have to get ready to help us; He’s already ready to help us. He’s just waiting for us to ask for His help. 


No matter how little or big the challenges, with God I can overcome! 


No matter how obvious or hidden the hole is, with God I can go down the right street! 


No matter how many times I fall in the hole, God can get me out! 


No matter how much the devil wants to bring me down, with God I can live righteously! 


No matter how many times sin pounces on me and I give in to it, God can forgive me! 


Don’t wait a moment longer to call on your heavenly Father in prayer. Let Him hear your voice early and often—He loves to hear from you and respond to you! 




If you’ve missed any of the other posts in this series on prayed called Be A First Responder, you can find the full list by clicking here.






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The Craig And Greg Show: Thoughts On Setting Goals

January 28, 2021 — Craig T. Owens 




On this episode of “The Craig And Greg Show” we talk about: 


    

  • Greg and I follow up on the last episode where we talked about how leaders need to be healthy in every area of their lives  
    • 

  • repetition and habits are a leader’s friends 
    • 

  • we need specific goals  
    • 

  • Greg tosses his Mt. Dew can (literally!)
    • 

  • it’s more challenging to set goals in the areas of mental, emotional, and social health than it is for physical health
    • 

  • as leaders get healthy, it encourages their teammates to get healthy  
    • 

  • small goals done daily have a huge cumulative effect
    • 

  • leaders need to be around other leaders that can invest in them
    • 

  • on our website we have added a new page about our coaching huddles 
    • 

  • leaders should set only 1-2 goals per area of their lives—physical, mental, emotional, spiritual 
    • 

  • leaders need to think about their nutritional “diet” in every area 
    • 

  • an accountability friend will help you stick with your goals 
    • 

  • I unpack Stephen Covey’s Urgent/Important quadrants and how to find the time necessary to make necessary changes
    • 

  • Greg and I discuss what helps us decompress
    • 





Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and iTunes.






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The Prayerful Heart Of Our Testimony

January 25, 2021 — Craig T. Owens 




Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on iTunes or Spotify.



The best way to be a first responder in prayer is to work on making prayer a habit. Prayer needs to come first. Remember: I can do more than pray, but I shouldn’t do anything until I have prayed. 


King David showed us his nearly-identical “bookend prayer” that he prayed both at the beginning of his reign as king and again just before he died. We can pray similar bookend prayers when we begin with a petitionary prayer—“God, please help me”—and finish with a thankful prayer—“God, thank You for helping me.” We can also try to expand those bookends toward the middle, allowing us to live as the apostle Paul admonished in 1 Thessalonians 5:17: 


    

  • Pray without ceasing 
    • 

  • Pray continually 
    • 

  • Never stop praying 
    • 



Jesus gave us a model prayer at the heart—the very middle—of His Sermon on the Mount. This sermon has 107 verses of Christ’s words, making the middle verse Matthew 6:6, which starts, “When you pray….” Notice the model Jesus gave us: 


    

  • Hallowing God—Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name
    • 

  • Bringing our petitions—Give us our daily bread, help us forgive, deliver us from evil
    • 

  • Worshiping God for His answers and for Who He is—Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen!
    • 



Surrounding this prayer is a Christ-centered life that is:


    

  • Blessed (the beatitudes) 
    • 

  • God-glorifying—so they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven
    • 

  • Perfect—be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect
    • 

  • Compassionate—when you give to the needy
    • 



—Model Prayer—


    

  • Disciplined—fasting, handling your treasures 
    • 

  • Anxiety-free—do not worry
    • 

  • Fruitful—every good tree bears good fruit
    • 

  • Secure—your foundation is on the rock
    • 



You see: Prayer helps us live out a God-honoring testimony, and that God-honoring testimony is empowered by prayer. Prayer is both the bookends AND at the heart of a Christ-centered life. 


The heart of a God-honoring prayer is to live out a God-honoring testimony.


David’s bookend prayer follows the same model Jesus gave us: hallowing God, making petitions, and then worshipping God. 


Christians need to be BOTH first responders in prayer AND continual responders in prayer—prayer at the beginning, prayer at the heart, and prayer at the end. This way, when God does answer, there is no doubt that He was the One who answered, and it wasn’t just because of something we did. 


Prayer fuels our testimony. Our testimony glorifies God. At the heart of this testimony, our answered prayers glorify our heavenly Father and point others to Him. 


Let me say it again: The heart of a God-honoring prayer is to live out a God-honoring testimony.




If you’ve missed any of the messages in our series called Be A First Responder, you can access the full list by clicking here.






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Thursdays With Spurgeon—The Greatest Gift

January 21, 2021 — Craig T. Owens 




This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Charles Spurgeon. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Spurgeon” in the search box to read more entries.


Listen to this post as a podcast by clicking here:



The Greatest Gift


Come…buy wine and milk without money and without price. … The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord…. (Isaiah 55:1; Romans 6:23) 


     The free grace of God would be insulted by being put up for auction or set forth for sale. … It is a gift and not a prize. There are heavenly prizes to be run for, to be fought for, and to be obtained by divine help. There is a recompense of reward to which we are to look and a crown for which we are to strive, but the divine grace that forgives sin and works faith is no prize for exertion but rather a gift for those without strength. ‘It is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy’ (Romans 9:16). … 


     The blessings of salvation are freely given us of God; therefore they are not a loan, handed to us for a time and to be one day recalled. Our heavenly heritage is not held on lease, upon terms of annual payment. It is an unencumbered freehold to every man who has by faith put his foot upon it. … When He has given it, the deed is done outright and can never be reversed. O believer, if your sin is blotted out, it can never be written in again! God has declared that He has forgiven our transgressions. And then He adds, ‘Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more’ (Hebrews 10:17). … 


     God is unchangeable, and therefore what He has given He will give again. ‘Still there’s more to follow’ is a popular way of putting a great truth. The stream that has begun to flow will never cease flowing. The more the Lord gives, the more we may expect. Every blessing is not only in itself a mercy, but it is a note for more mercies.


From Grace For Grace


I shared a series of messages on God’s favor—His free gift that we call grace—that was one of the most downloaded and watched of any series I have presented. It almost seems inconceivable to people that God would give so freely and lavishly without expecting some sort of payment in return. 


Why would God “not spare even His own Son but [give] Him up for us all” (Romans 8:32)? Because if you feel distant from Him, how can you glorify Him? If you feel disconnected from His love, how will you draw others to Him? If you feel like your relationship with Him is hanging by a thread, how can you happily abide in His presence? 


Knowing God’s favor—His free gift—is the key to living the abundant life Jesus purchased for you on the Cross!




 






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Think, Do, Evaluate, Propose

January 19, 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.



The seed thought for me was this quote from John Maxwell: 


“Nothing you do will be perfect, so embrace the reality and benefits of failure by releasing yourself from the burden of not making mistakes.” 


Here’s what I am endeavoring to implement: Think, Do, Evaluate, Propose. And then Repeat. 


THINK ABOUT IT—It’s important to put some thought into what you want to do before you do it, but we cannot camp-out here forever. I like to think in terms of goals I want to accomplish, whether those are for me personally or for organizations I lead. 


DO IT—At some point, I must launch out. Many people point out that Peter began to sink under the waves when he took his eyes off Jesus and began to look at the storm. But let’s not forget that Peter was the only one of the disciples who actually got out of the boat and walked on water! I often remind people who are hesitant to begin something that you cannot steer a parked car. We have to get moving first. 


EVALUATE THE MISTAKES—Let’s remove all doubt: you will make mistakes. But those mistakes are beneficial because it gives you something on which to work. Get some wise friends around you that can help you evaluate your mistakes. And always remember I failed ≠ I am a failure (here’s another post where I elaborate on this point). 


PROPOSE CHANGES—After evaluating your mistakes or shortcomings, you now have evidence that can be processed for your next attempt. This evidence can be taken back into the laboratory of the “Think” box as you prepare to try again, except now you are more informed than you were in your first attempt. 


REPEAT THE PROCESS AGAIN—No one is an overnight success, so keep trying again and again and again.


Leaders, walk through this process with your team members. Help guide their thinking, and then move them to action. Let them know that mistakes are okay because they have given you some invaluable feedback you can use as you make your proposals for your next attempt. 


Success is a continual run through the Think-Do-Evaluate-Propose cycle, with each revolution moving you closer to success. 


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








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A Proper Perspective In An Evil Culture

January 18, 2021 — Craig T. Owens 




Do these phrases sound familiar? 


    

  • The foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do? 
    • 

  • The faithful have vanished from among men 
    • 

  • Everyone lies to his neighbor 
    • 

  • The boastful say, “We will triumph with our tongues” 
    • 

  • The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men 
    • 



This could be said today in my neighborhood. And 20 years ago in Washington DC. And 500 years ago in Europe. But it was said over 3000 years ago!


In times like these it’s important to remember that there have always been times like these! 


In the United States, elections bring regular changes in leadership. Around the world and throughout history violent dictators are toppled, benevolent monarchies fall, dominate personalities shine brightly and fade from the scene, even people who called themselves “Great” or “the king of kings” have disappeared. What should our perspective be in changing cultures—whether they are good or evil?


In Psalms 9-12, David shares some timeless reminders.  


In Psalm 9, he contrasts the temporary track record of mortals with the transcendency of Yahweh. His Selah pauses in this psalm invite us to consider the question: Who benefits me ultimately and affects me eternally: mortals or God?


In the Septuagint, Psalms 9 and 10 make up one psalm. In our English Bible, Psalm 9 closes with the phrase “they are but men” and Psalm 10 closes by calling mankind “mere earthly mortals.” Contrast that with Yahweh who is described as “the LORD reigns forever” and “the LORD is King for ever and ever.” 


In between these eternal affirmations of God, mere earthly mortals are described as: 


    

  • arrogant 
    • 

  • boastful—literally saying “hallelujah” to themselves 
    • 

  • blessing all who are like them in their wicked thoughts
    • 

  • having no room in their thoughts for God 
    • 

  • even praying to themselves—which is the literal meaning of “he says to himself” that David repeats three times 
    • 



Literally this mere earthly mortal thinks of himself as god! But even as he says “nothing will ever hurt me while I’m alive” he acknowledges his mortality, admitting that he is indeed finite. 


In Psalms 11 and 12, David gives the righteous the proper perspective to handle all of this. In a word, David wants the godly to remember:


    

  • Remember God sees everything 
    • 

  • Remember God punishes the wicked and rewards the righteous 
    • 

  • Remember God gets the final word 
    • 



Christians can only live exemplary, anxiety-free, and God-honoring lives when we stay focused on the Infinite, on the Eternal God. With this perspective we can live out our roles as “aliens and strangers”—as the apostle Peter calls us—while we live in this evil culture.








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The Craig And Greg Show: Leaders Are Healthy

January 13, 2021 — Craig T. Owens 











On this episode of “The Craig And Greg Show” we talk about: 


    

  • the premier biblical historian Luke tells us how important it was that Jesus grew wholly healthy 
    • 

  • unhealthiness in one aspect affects every area of a leader’s life 
    • 

  • we need to guard against what we let in our minds and bodies  
    • 

  • our emotional/social health is what really shows our leadership health  
    • 

  • self-care is never selfish; it’s vital  
    • 

  • leaders can only give health to others when they are first healthy themselves 
    • 

  • stress can erode a leader’s health, so leaders need to be self-aware
    • 

  • the importance of getting feedback
    • 

  • most of us won’t change until the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of changing
    • 





Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and iTunes.




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God Delights In Me

January 11, 2021 — Craig T. Owens 




It’s been said that the bookends of success are starting well and finishing well. I believe that! 


David started well when he lifted up a prayer of thankfulness to God when he became king over the united nation of Israel. Prayer at the the beginning puts us on a path toward success. 


Have you ever begun to assemble a child’s toy or a piece of furniture, gotten completely stumped, and only then read the instruction manual? We’ve all been there! There are many things in life that we start on our own and then hit our knees in prayer only after we’ve exhausted all of our human resources. Fortunately, after we pray and God answers, we often end up finishing well with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. The question is: what do we do when we again get ready to start something else? Do we pause to start well with prayer, or do we dive in on our own again? 


I think one of the biggest reasons we don’t go to prayer quickly is because we feel unworthy to go into the presence of a holy, righteous God. 


One commentator said about Psalm 18 that David probably prayed this “before he committed his terrible sin” with Bathsheba and Uriah. That may be, but with very few minor changes, David prayed this exact same prayer (2 Samuel 22) at the very end of his reign. His reign as king was bookended with the same prayer. 


Between the bookend prayers of Psalm 18 and 2 Samuel 22, David prayed another prayer—this one was after he had sinned against God, Bathsheba, and Uriah. David truly believed that God forgave that sin and wiped the slate clean, so much so that he noted this great blessing on his life: “He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.” 


He rescued me because He delighted in me?! Yes! 


David knew that God had told us that He delights in those who obey Him. The example of God’s delight was seen in Jesus. Because Jesus paid the price for the forgiveness of my sins, I can be completely cleansed. Then Jesus comes in me, and takes me into Him, and takes both of us into the Father. So now when our Heavenly Father looks at a forgiven sinner, He sees only the righteousness of Jesus—something He utterly delights to see! (Check out all of the biblical passages I’m referencing by clicking here.)  


David said his sin had been washed “whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7), So now look at what he could claim—


“The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He has rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I am not guilty of turning from my God. All His laws are before me; I have not turned away from His decrees. I have been blameless before Him and have kept myself from sin. The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His sight” (2 Samuel 22:21-25). 


…according to my cleanness in His sight. 


In GOD’S sight! The devil wants to accuse me. He wants my sight to dominate. The devil doesn’t want me to see myself as God sees me. But I declare it out loud: I am clean IN HIS SIGHT! 


This cleanness allows me full, bold, confident access to Almighty God! I can take everything to God in prayer because I am clean in His sight! 




If you would like to read more of the posts in our prayer series called Be A First Responder, please click here. 






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The Craig And Greg Show: Leaders Vs. Loneliness

January 1, 2021 — Craig T. Owens 




On this episode of “The Craig And Greg Show” we talk about: 


    

  • the winner of last month’s winner of our drawing  
    • 

  • busyness can actually lead to loneliness 
    • 

  • how leaders can guard against loneliness  
    • 

  • insight from Josh McDowell on how coronavirus impacts feelings of loneliness  
    • 

  • some strategies to eliminate busyness  
    • 

  • how leaders can empower others to overcome isolation
    • 

  • the importance of a leader’s presence
    • 

  • the New Testament only uses “saints” in the plural because we need each other
    • 

  • Greg tries to get me to name names
    • 

  • leaders need to boldly initiate even with people who seem closed off
    • 

  • the new coaching page on our website
    • 

  • more ways to be entered into our January drawing
    • 





Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and iTunes.






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