Entries by Tony Cooke

Só Acaba Quando Termina

Yogi Berra foi o autor da famosa afirmação: “O jogo só acaba quando termina”. Como um jogador e treinador de baseball, ele, sem dúvidas, viu minhas reviravoltas ao longo de sua carreira. Ele deve ter visto times que estiveram na liderança, mas que, por relaxarem muito cedo, se deixaram ser alcançados por outra equipe. Ele também deve ter testemunhado times que estavam para trás na competição, mas que, por se recusarem a desistir, lutaram para dar a “volta por cima” com uma vitória inesperada. Um versículo que, recentemente, tem falado ao meu coração envolve o sucessor de Moisés. … read more

Let’s Go Fishing by Marcus Whitman

Jesus made an amazing statement in Matthew 4:19 when speaking to a couple of fishermen. He said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Notice He didn’t say, “I will make you holier, more spiritual, or bless you exceedingly.” He gave them a purpose for living and a new occupation. Many times as believers, we talk about the blessings of God. Don’t take me wrong; the blessings are important. However, it is more important to be “used by God than to be blessed by God.” … read more

In Praise of Church Boards by Walker Schurz

For many leaders, the idea of working with a board has the same emotional response as a trip to the dentist for a root canal. It is necessary, but painful. There are certainly horror stories of rogue boards that are of no help at all. If that was your experience or if you are board-shy for good reasons, I hope the thoughts in this article will encourage you to try again and determine to work with this potentially great resource. A properly selected board can add wisdom and experienced decision making to the organization. … read more

Are You a Spiritual Lifeguard?

As a recreational swimmer, the emphasis is on you. It’s about your enjoyment and having fun. You show up when you want and you leave when you want. Poolside or beachside, you can put your earbuds in and listen to whatever music you desire. You are at liberty to drown out all of the noise that would otherwise distract you. You do what you want—whether that’s lying in the sun, going to the snack bar, or swimming leisurely. It’s all about you and what you want. The lifeguard, though, has an entirely different focus. For the lifeguard, being near the water is all about the safety and well-being of others. … read more

Specialization?

It seems like different churches and pastors have different specializations or emphases in their presentation and ministry. I realize every church is called to worship, to teach, to evangelize, etc., but I see some churches being much stronger in certain areas than others. I would like to hear from other pastors how they manage the “general” responsibilities of ministry and still carry out whatever specializations they might feel called to fulfill.

Is Bible Interpretation Really Necessary? by Marvin Yoder

Today’s world is filled with many anti-Christian attitudes. Some of it is provoked by Satan who challenges the truth of God’s Word wherever he can. In other instances, it is brought on by the way the Church has dealt with some things. One item that comes under constant criticism is how the Church has used the Bible. Skeptics point to the myriad of doctrines within the Church and the fact that many denominations do not agree with each other. Many non-church people have expressed doubts as to the validity of the Bible … read more

Estamos Fazendo a Pergunta Certa?

Correndo o risco de soar excessivamente crítico, gostaria de abordar a respeito de algo que tenho observado. Com que frequência ouvimos pessoas argumentarem a respeito de seus propósitos e pedirem a Deus para realizar seus desejos? Elas perguntam: “Qual é o meu propósito?” Sem dúvidas, tais questionamentos podem vir de corações sinceros e puros. … read more

Salvation is a Free Gift that Will Cost You Everything! by Jerry Moyer

I have noticed that when Christians describe their relationship with Jesus, they usually say “Jesus is my Lord and Savior.” Many times, it’s said so fast that it’s all slurred together like “Lordandsavior.” Like it’s all one word. Over the last several decades the church has focused a lot on the savior part and with much teaching on grace as of late most people understand that salvation is a free gift that is paid for with the blood of Jesus that washes away our sin, so we can be born again. … read more

It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over

It was Yogi Berra who famously said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” As a baseball player and manager, he no doubt saw many great comebacks in his career. He saw teams who were ahead but eased up too early and allowed another team to overtake them. He also witnessed teams that were behind, but refused to give up and fought their way back to an unlikely victory. A verse that recently spoke to my heart involves Moses’ successor. Joshua 13:1 states, “Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the LORD said to him: ‘You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed.’” … read more

Guidelines for Youth Workers

We are bringing a new youth minister on staff, and I wonder what types of guidelines we should set for him relative to how he interacts with the young people. We have heard horror stories of people who work with youth who put themselves in compromising situations and faced terrible accusations.

Sex, Power, and Abuse

In recent months, there has been an absolute explosion of allegations of sexual harassment and improper sexual conduct in the government, in media, and entertainment industries. What are we to make of all this? Two seasoned professional Christian counselors weigh in about what is happening in society at large

Degrees of Syn: Partnerships that Matter

It is important in life and in ministry to know who is with you, and to what level or degree they are with you. Have you ever had someone that you thought was a committed friend, but later found out they really weren’t? What about a person you thought was a loyal church member or staff member, but they quickly proved otherwise? People can step away from a church or a staff for positive reasons and in a positive manner, but it is still important for teams to be cohesive and working toward a common purpose. … read more

An Excerpt from Snapshots of Faith by Gerald Brooks

If you will let faith work in you, it must be more than a problem solving method. It must change you as a person, and it must change your perspective. Have a faith bigger than if you get a new car. Have a faith bigger than if your plans are all fulfilled. Make your faith more about heaven, and more about what is yet to come. Make faith more about heaven than it is about earth. I see three types of faith taught in the New Testament. … read more

A Practical, Functional Salvation: Not Just Two Events by Rodney Lloyd

More than anything else Christianity is about the Father and His family – God and His people, the church, and the richness of the life He has given us – love, joy, peace, patience, forgiveness, etc. It is about the omnipotent God and His unfailing, unflagging love, who worked for millennia to win back the height of His creation – humans. It is about Him through the sacrifice of Jesus bringing us into a purposeful life of destiny. It is about being raised up as sons and daughters, equipped to do God’s work (Ephesians 4:12 NLT). … read more

Comparison?

Have you ever fallen into the trap of comparing yourself with other pastors? If so, what resulted? How did you learn to quit comparing yourself with other ministers and focus on being yourself and doing what God asks of you?

No One Can Do It Alone

In the lobby of Good News Church in Moscow, there is a large plaque expressing gratitude to the partners who helped make that wonderful facility a reality. Each time we entered and exited the building on my recent visit, Rick Renner stopped and placed his hands on that plaque. He prayed a brief prayer thanking God for their partners, asking him to bless them. I was impressed with and moved by his action; it reminded me never to take the kindness of others for granted. The reality is that all of us, whether we are pastors or not, have been profoundly impacted by the efforts of others. We are beneficiaries of the farmers who have grown the food that we eat, the construction workers who built our homes and the roads on which we drive, and the teachers who have shared knowledge with us. … read more

Is It Courageous to Address Sexual Sin? by Virgil Stokes

“Thank you for being courageous, Pastor.” I was taken a bit off guard when one of my parishioners, a long-time Christian and a very bright man, made this comment after my sermon. The topic of the day was the power, the purpose, and the pitfalls of sex. I knew that some of the material might be challenging to a few members of our congregation, but it never occurred to me that it was “courageous” to broach the subject of sexual sin. I plead guilty to being naïve, maybe even foolhardy, but courageous? The fact that it would be thought so seemed more depressing than the subject itself. That decrying sin and encouraging holiness would be considered somehow outside the pastoral norm is, to me, a chilling indictment of the condition of our culture and the Church … read more

Recognizing the Call

Two questions about ministry and the calling: (1) How did you as a pastor realize that you were called to ministry and to the pastoral office in particular? (2) Knowing that many are called to serve who are not called to preach, per se, how do you help other people recognize and discern their calling?

How Jesus Dealt with Tragedy

Americans are reeling yet again following another senseless tragedy. As always, good-hearted people are responding with compassion, and in this benevolence, many find strength and hope. Many others, though, are increasingly confused and bewildered by the endless stream of natural disasters and human violence that incessantly assault us. Instead of succumbing to fear and fatalism, these situations present us with an opportunity to gain perspective, find answers, and discover comfort in God’s word. We will never comprehend these events unless we understand the bondage that this world and all of humanity came under due to original sin. Scripture is not mythology or a fairy tale. Paul writes, “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned” (Rom 5:12, NLT). … read more

One Piece Does Not a Puzzle Make

Can you imagine someone opening up a box containing a jigsaw puzzle, and simply picking up one or two pieces of the puzzle? Imagine them holding up that piece or two and feeling like they’ve made a great discovery! At the same time, they blatantly disregard the hundreds of other necessary pieces that are designed to give a complete picture. We might think that is an absurd illustration, but people do the same thing with Scripture frequently. It takes all of the pieces of a puzzle to make a complete picture, and it takes the whole counsel—the comprehensive teaching—of God to give us an accurate picture of God and his will for our lives. In teaching the Bible, I have often stressed balance. It is important to understand that balance is not 50% faith and 50% unbelief; neither is balance 50% grace and 50% legalism. … read more

Thoughts on the End of the World

I’m writing this on September 24, one day after the most recent in a long-string of ill-advised predictions about the rapture, the end of the world, or whatever cataclysmic event was supposed to have happened on September 23. Every time one of these so-called researchers predicts a date, I groan silently and roll my eyes. Some people simply refuse to learn from history, and some persist in thinking they have discovered the hidden, secret, cryptic formula for calculating the end of time. What equally troubles me is how gullible others are to jump on the bandwagon and believe these types of things. While the whole world did not end dramatically on September 23, the world did end for thousands of people, as it does every day. A quick look at a few websites reveals that approximately 151,600 people die each day around the world. This is most sobering, especially in light of Hebrews 9:27 that states, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” … read more

Leadership is an Inside-Out Job! by Haley Schurz

Many aspire to leadership, but do not understand the privilege, responsibility, and stakes of it. Romans 12:8 tells those who have been given the gift of leadership to “lead with diligence.” Before leading others with diligence, a leader must successfully lead themselves. Paul told Timothy, a leader, to “take heed to yourself.” As a leader, I have a deep sense of responsibility and conviction for what God has entrusted to me. With this profound call to leadership, we must prioritize the leadership of ourselves over the leadership of others. Leaders must engage in the process of self-leadership, self-development, and self-discovery because not doing so has serious implications for those around them. … read more

Ministering Hope in the Midst of Disaster

Below is a link to a brief audio interview with Pastor Jim that I hope you will take time to listen to it. One month ago, the eye of hurricane Harvey went directly over Jim’s community in Victoria, Texas. Since that time, they’ve been very proactively ministering to people in their congregation and in the broader community. Jim shares some excellent insights on how to be effective in ministering hope in the midst of a disaster.

Twisting Scripture Needs to Stop!

As a minister of the Gospel, it is imperative that I not only study the word of God diligently, but that I also maintain an awareness of my own heart and motives. I will answer to God for what I teach others, and I must ensure that my motives are truly for the benefit of others and not for self-gain. I recently was sent a preacher’s message, and I regret to say that he twisted and misused Scripture considerably. It is probably not surprising to you that the issue pertained to money and prosperity. Listening to this message reminded me of what A. T. Robertson said, “One proof of the inspiration of the Bible is that it has withstood so much poor preaching.” There is an enormous need today for ministers to be excellent students of Scripture and faithful proclaimers of truth. … read more

About Faith and Storms

September 5, 2017 – Lisa and I just returned from an attempt to go to Florida. When we reached Dallas, we were advised not to go further. In addition to the cancellation of those meetings, we will also not be going to Savannah, GA this weekend either. What is a minor inconvenience for us is potentially catastrophic for thousands, if not millions, of others. With many still reeling from Hurricane Harvey’s effects and with Irma’s overall effects yet unknown, thought it good to share a couple of thoughts about storms from a biblical perspective … read more