I was recently re-reading what I consider to be a classic book, Ordering Your Private World, by Gordon MacDonald. As vital as outreach is, our personal internal health is also essential. The author refers to a natural phenomenon we occasionally hear about: sinkholes. Periodically we hear in the news about a house that is swallowed up, or a section of a street that collapses and disappears. …read more
Pastoring remains at once both an astounding privilege and sober responsibility. The Chief Shepherd clearly admonishes us to carefully and faithfully feed his blood purchased flock. Thankfully, the one dispensing this command also provides his under shepherds with abundance of spiritual food. In today’s church culture, marketing consultants drag before pastors a nearly endless parade of sugarcoated sermon aids. … read more
I grew up in a tradition that emphasized more of the transcendence of God… His over-arching, enduring, unchanging, and eternal reality. We acknowledged that “God was with us” in a general sort of way, but I don’t ever recall any expectation conveyed that He would ever doing anything significant in our midst. We knew that God ruled in yonder heaven, and everyone seemed content with that; we didn’t know to expect anything more than that … read more
Humor Section (cont) A mobster discovers that his deaf accountant has cheated him out of ten million bucks. He confronts him, bringing along an interpreter. “Ask him where the money […]
The good news, though, is that we can truly base our identity on who we are in Christ, not based on our performance or the opinions of others. It was Eleanor Roosevelt who said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” It is vital to keep in mind that when other people don’t act rightwhen they are ugly or indifferentit is typically a reflection of who they are, not a reflection of who you are. ...read more
A friend recently shared an important truth… that we need to know how to handle it when the call seems small. Perhaps you’ve had workers in your church doing what you know is valuable work, but they are unsettled, thinking they’re supposed to be doing something they consider more important. Pastors can also feel frustration because their church or budget isn’t as large as they’d like. …read more
A philosopher once observed, “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” We might dispute his conclusion, arguing instead that man’s need for God is the deepest need of human nature. However, I think we would all agree that peopleincluding ourselveshave a need to feel valued and appreciated. Mark Twain expressed how much the affirmation of others meant to him when he said, “One compliment can keep me going for a whole month.” …read more
I recently ministered for Pastor Jerry Piker in Laurie, Missouri. Over the past 20 years, Jerry and Shirlene have built a great church in a small community (the sign as you drive into town says, “Population 663”). Jerry has a servant’s heart, and like many pastors, he’s done whatever it’s taken over the years to get the job done (mowing the yard, maintenance, etc. in addition to preaching and caring for the people). …read more
Leading in the Midst of Adverse Circumstances A couple of years ago, I was in an auto body detailing shop in Tulsa. Like many businesses, they had a sign above […]
Why Giving Stops – Overcoming Cirrhosis of the Giver by Rev. Tony Cooke I became concerned a few years ago when I read some very startling statistics about how Christians […]
I first saw this piece in “A Contemporary Handbook for Weddings & Funerals, by Aubrey Malphurs and Keith Wilhite (Kregel Publications). I’ve updated it slightly in a couple of places. […]
In listening to some modern voices, you would get the impression that the Word of God is given only for encouragement and enlightenment. Some teach that if believers will simply be enlightened as to who they are in Christ, then everything else in their life will automatically fall in line. If that were the case, then Paul would have said that Scripture was simply for enlightenment, but he did not say that. … read more
Who’s Trying? I heard about a critic who had visited various churches and listened as preachers made such statements as: “Don’t try to earn your way into heaven.” “Don’t try […]
What God is Not Learning Through the Process of Elimination Rev. Tony Cooke The article below is adapted from the audio CD series, “The Wonderful Nature of God. To learn […]
What Killed Lincoln’s Mother (And Why it Matters to Us)? Tony Cooke Click here to see a full picture of Nancy Hanks Lincoln’s gravestone. Click here to see a picture […]
Warning Signs of Financial Manipulation Tony Cooke The Apostle Paul was painfully aware of “so-called” ministers whose motives and methods were driven by greed. He made it a point to […]
Weak Leaders Rev. Tony Cooke There’s a lot to be said for strength. Given the choice, I think most everyone would say they prefer strength over weakness. Everyone wants their […]
Treasure that is New – Treasure that is Old Tony Cooke I was in a church recently, and during the worship service the congregation sang some of the newer worship […]
Trophimus and Our Need for Resilient Faith Tony Cooke If you ask most Christians about the identity of Trophimus, you will probably get a blank stare or a shrug of […]
Application: The Key to Transformational Communication by Tony Cooke At one time, there were two great orators in ancient Greece: Cicero and Demosthenes. It is said that when Cicero finished […]
Reflections from the Tour (Paul’s Journeys – March 1-10, 2006) By Tony Cooke As we toured the sites connected with the ministries of Paul and John, I was deeply impressed […]
Trade-Offs, Pay-Offs, and Rip-Offs Tony Cooke Life is full of trades. When you were a kid in the school lunchroom, you may have traded your peanut butter sandwich for someone […]
The Challenge Rev. Tony Cooke Someone once said, “There are no great people in this world, only great challenges which ordinary people rise to meet.” Many of the extraordinary achievements […]
Throwing Out the High and Low Scores by Rev. Tony Cooke When I was young, I remember watching certain Olympic events, such as figure skating and gymnastics, where judges were […]
TCM is Ten Years Old! This month marks the 10-Year Anniversary of Tony Cooke Ministries. On May 18, 2002, I headed to Virginia to preach our first official TCM service. […]
