craigtowens

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Wolf Deterrent

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.  https://craigtowens.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/wolf-deterrent.mp3 As Paul is on his way to Jerusalem, he makes time to meet with the leaders of the Church in Ephesus. An important reminder Paul gives them comes from the example he lived out while he was in Ephesus:…

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Prayer That Opens Our Eyes

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.  https://craigtowens.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/prayer-that-opens-our-eyes.mp3 Charles Spurgeon said, “We too often rush into the presence of God without forethought or humility. We are like people who present themselves before a king without a petition, and what…

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Links & Quotes

Leaders are needed for tough times. “Doing difficult creates natural separation” for your leadership, says Eric Thomas. Check out this full conversation from The Craig and Greg Show. 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. “Busier than a businessman, more sought out than a celebrity, wanted as a mother of…

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The Provision Already Provided

And God heard the voice of the youth, and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the youth where he is.” … Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the [empty] bottle with water and caused the youth to drink. (Genesis 21:17, 19 AMPC) After Hagar prayed, God opened her…

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Don’t Confuse Pleasure With Joy

The dictionary’s definition for “joy” is missing just a couple of words to make it align with the biblical definition of joy. Christians need to be aware of this so that we don’t confuse fleeting pleasure with lasting joy.

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.  The dictionary’s definition for “joy” is missing just a couple of words to make it align with the biblical definition of joy.  Oswald Chambers used this same example of Solomon’s cry of, “Meaningless” in my post Cynical or Satisfied.  You can check out the full sermon…

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“The Days of Noah”

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. https://craigtowens.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/the-days-of-noah.mp3 Jesus said His Second Coming would occur at a time in history that was just like the behaviors during “the days of Noah” (Matthew 24:36-39; Luke 17:26-27).  What exactly did those days look like?   …

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The Benefits Of The Right Kind Of Pastoral Stress

I was very honored to be asked to share these thoughts on KarlVaters.com. I was able to interview Karl about his latest book De-Sizing The Church. (Photo by Official Presidio of Monterey | Flickr) Jesus was “made like His brothers in every way” (Hebrews 2:17), which means He was not immune to the ravages of stress, yet He never let that stress overwhelm Him. No one wants more stress. But…

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The Prayer Before The Prayer

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.  https://craigtowens.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/the-prayer-before-the-prayer.mp3 Last week I shared this thought with you from Pastor Tim Keller: “Your prayer must be firmly connected to and grounded in your reading of the Word. This wedding of Bible and prayer…

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Links & Quotes

This is amazing—Jesus wants to say, “Amen!” to your prayers! 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. “If we try to display the excellence of God without joy in it, we will display a shell of hypocrisy and create scorn or legalism. But if we claim to enjoy His excellence and do not display it for others to…

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How Paul “Reasoned” With Unbelievers

This is the audio of an exclusive video that I shared with my Patreon supporters. We are currently in a series of lessons learned from Paul’s second missionary journey. This is the third lesson in this series. https://craigtowens.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/how-paul-reasoned-with-unbelievers.mp3 Paul was very consistent and systematic in each city he visited. One of the consistent words Luke…

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The Craig And Greg Show: There Are No Shortcuts

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video. https://craigtowens.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/episode-95-audio.mp3 When you’re trying to accomplish a task it’s natural to want to search for the quickest way to get it done. But what if that’s not the best way? In this episode Greg and I discuss why rejecting shortcuts and…

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Grumbling People

Grumbling people can present a difficulty for a leader. Here are a couple of things godly leaders need to guard against.

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.  The Israelites were barely out of Egypt, freed from 400 years of captivity, and they begin grumbling against Moses, their God-appointed leader—      Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled around Aaron and said to…

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The Unexpected Slap

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.  https://craigtowens.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/the-unexpected-slap.mp3 Have you ever walked through a door that God so obviously opened just to get smacked by the people on the other side? Let’s talk about the lessons we can learn from that. The biblical passages I…

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First, Make It Right

So if when you are offering your gift at the altar you there remember that your brother has any [grievance] against you, leave your gift at the altar and go. First make peace with your brother, and then come back and present your gift. (Matthew 5:23-24 AMPC)  If someone has something against you, you must take the initiative to make it right. We cannot brush it off with, “I didn’t do anything…

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3 Hindrances To Prayer

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.  https://craigtowens.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/3-hindrances-to-prayer.mp3 I am sometimes amazed at how much Jesus accomplished in just a little over three years of public ministry. What I would have expected to see is a Man burning the candle at both ends—up early,…

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Links & Quotes

Some links and quotes that caught my eye this week.

William Gurnall was right when he noted that joy is the highest testimony of a Christian’s peace. Check out the full sermon from which this clip came. 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. “Your failures are your accomplishments because it makes you prepared for whatever it is that you are going to do…

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Heavenly Choir

What a song of praise is raised in Heaven! Here is how you can join that heavenly choir every single day.

And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.” (Revelation 19:5-6) What a song of praise is raised…