The First Advent is so important because it bolsters our faith for the imminent Second Advent when Jesus will return as the King of kings! Christmas is a great time to be reminded that even now we can confidently declare, “Long live the eternal King of kings!”

God’s servants never waste time on frivolous matters, but they strictly focus on what matters for eternity. They are ready, waiting, and watching.  ►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Leaders earn some of their credibility when they lead through difficult or chaotic times. But it is also during these times that a leader can un-do all of the good things that he had already accomplished.  On a recent episode of The Craig And Greg Show, Greg Heeres and I discussed how leaders can learn to control their reaction. In this clip, I share one simple strategy that has been so helpful for my leadership growth. Check out the full conversation Greg and I had on this topicThis blog post is a good follow up on this idea—Reaction Action And here’s a conversation I had on another podcast with Jeff Keady where I discussed a concept from my book Shepherd Leadership about how Jesus always reacted appropriately.  ►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. Like this recent post where I shared a map and an app to help with your Bible study time. ◀︎◀︎

It’s not true that “words will never hurt me.” The sharp, criticizing words can injure us deeply. Fortunately, gratitude is our best medicine for healing from these painful wounds. This is the short recap of my full sermon. You can watch the whole message here.  If you’ve missed any of the messages in this series on power of gratitude, you can check them all out by clicking here. ►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

There’s something about gratitude that distinguishes people. Think about it: would you rather hang around with grumblers or grateful people? For Christians, an attitude of gratitude becomes an attractive testimony of the goodness of God. Join us for part 6 in our series The Great Attitude of Gratitude.  You can watch this message here → https://youtu.be/tcykAnL3doI  You can download notes for this sermon here → http://bible.com/events/49173258

What do you do when it appears that your dream has died? I’ve got two words for you: Keep walking. Check out the video version of this episode of The Podcast. Some resources to go along with this video: The story I told came from Luke’s Gospel—Luke 8:40-56Here are three related blog posts on how to keep exercising your faith—He who laughs last, The tactics of fear, and When your walking is your praying Here is a bunch of ways to get in touch with me and follow along with other projects on which I am involved ►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

As a leader, you have the great responsibility, and privilege, of setting the tone for your team. One of the biggest ways you set the tone for your organization is how you react to stressful situations. Remaining calm through adversity signals to your team that they can remain calm as well, and provides amazing stability to your organization. In this episode, Greg and I discuss this topic and give helpful tips that will enable you to better control your reactions. Check out the video version of this episode here.

Gratitude is not only our shield, but it’s also our sword. And there isn’t a more effective sword against the darkness of negativity than the (S)Word of God! If you’ve missed any of the other messages in our series The Great Attitude of Gratitude, you can find them all here. ►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

There’s something about gratitude that distinguishes people. Think about it: would you rather hang around with grumblers or grateful people? For Christians, an attitude of gratitude becomes an attractive testimony of the goodness of God. Join me for part 5 in our series The Great Attitude of Gratitude.  You can watch this message here → https://youtu.be/Vwn1QTGz58M  You can download notes for this sermon here → http://bible.com/events/49169904 The two blog posts I mention are “The key to staying power” and “Legacy of worship.” Go to http://craigtowens.com and type those titles in the search box.  Contact me at http://linktr.ee/craigtowens

When was the last time you preached a really good sermon to yourself? Check out the video version of this episode of The Podcast. Some resources to go along with this video: Two blog posts will help you go deeper with this topic—Personalizing the prayers of the Bible and The power of praying ScriptureYou may also enjoy this short video called Praying in Scriptural powerHere is a bunch of ways to get in touch with me and follow along with other projects on which I am involved ►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Love doesn’t look for the least it can do, but it does all that it is needed without stopping to consider the cost or the convenience. We should strive to love our neighbors in a way that brings glory to God, so a great question is “WWLD?” ►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Gratitude is our attitude protector—it’s our shield against anything that would seek to steal our joy! I have a couple of thoughts of how you can best use this shield.  I shared a short video about how to tap into the power of our reticular activating system on The Podcast last week—check it out here.  To watch the full sermon I shared on the shield of gratitude, check this out.  To check out all of the sermons in this series, please click here. ►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials, like this exclusive video in which I take my supporters behind the scenes of my thought process in designing my confrontation flowchart. ◀︎◀︎

There’s something about gratitude that distinguishes people. Think about it: would you rather hang around with grumblers or grateful people? For Christians, an attitude of gratitude becomes an attractive testimony of the goodness of God. Join me for part 4 in our series The Great Attitude of Gratitude.  You can watch this message here → https://youtu.be/dip_4NCOJf8  You can download notes for this sermon here → http://bible.com/events/49165422

What is your knee-jerk reaction to trouble? Daniel gave us an example that we should all follow.  Check out the other message in this two-part series series here. ►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials, like this exclusive video in which I take my supporters behind the scenes of my thought process in designing my confrontation flowchart. ◀︎◀︎

Everyone loves stories! As leaders, we can use stories as a powerful tool to connect with our staff and help reinforce the point we’re trying to make. Check out our full conversation  Check out the video version of this episode here.  Get more information on Greg’s book Sage Advice at http://sageadvicebook.org  For everything else Maximize and to request more information about personalized coaching, visit https://maximizeleadership.com

Far too many people want to avoid being confronted or confronting someone else. This shouldn’t be the case for loving Christians who want to grow in their maturity and want to help their brothers and sisters grow as well. Here are some resources to help you: A downloadable version of my confrontation flowchart → Confrontation flowchartThe biblical references I mention in this flowchart.This video I recorded exclusively for my Patreon supporters that explains this flowchart in more detail.Two related blog posts—Is confrontation a dirty word? and Cry before you confront. ►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

I learned an important message about thankfulness from an Indiana Jones movie! Check out the video version of this episode of The Podcast. Some resources to go along with this video: The blog post I referenced—If only I would have thought that through....I did a year-long gratitude journal, which I shared publicly for readers to follow along with me.Here is a related 60-second video I shared called Thanksgiving 365.  ►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials, like this exclusive video in which I take my supporters behind the scenes of my thought process in designing my confrontation flowchart. ◀︎◀︎

Unresolved stress can start a downward cycle that cannot not only hurt us mentally but physically as well. I would like to help you with a highly effective way to de-stress, and I can give it to you in just one word! Check out the video of this full message here.  If you’ve missed any of the other mental health strategies I’ve shared in this series, you can find them all here. Get in touch with me at http://linktr.ee/craigtowens ►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials, like this exclusive video in which I take my supporters behind the scenes of my thought process in designing my confrontation flowchart. ◀︎◀︎

Luke the physician observed the growth of Jesus and tells us that it all began with Jesus having a robust mental health. From that foundation, everything else—physical, spiritual, relational—all could develop properly. We must learn from this example and pay careful attention to our own mental health.  Join me for the final message in this series on a Christian’s mental health.  Watch the video of this message here → https://youtu.be/vYj33PXv7ik  Download the sermon notes for this message here → http://bible.com/events/49162241

10 steps any guy can put into practice to improve his marriage.  ►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials, like this recent video where I explain how God reveals previously-unknown truths to us. Become a supporter today and get instant access to everything I have already shared with my supporters. ◀︎◀︎