The Latin phrase Missio Dei is translated, “the mission of God.” The concept here is that God has been on a mission to reach and express his love to mankind, fulfilling his good pleasure in redeeming lost humanity to himself. When I sense a call upon my life to serve God, it is not centered or focused on me. Rather, it is an invitation to join him in his mission, something he was doing long before I came on the scene, and should the Lord tarry his coming, something which he will be doing long after I am gone. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2017-05-06 04:12:192021-01-18 01:30:39Are We Asking the Right Question?
God has provided us with an instruction manual for life’s situations called the Bible. Contained within the Bible are the spiritual laws of God. God’s spiritual laws are eternal, carry a higher level of authority, and surpass the earth’s physical laws. Sir Isaac Newton discovered the law of gravity in the 1600’s, but the law was there since the beginning of creation. … read more
00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2017-04-12 21:46:312020-10-16 05:00:15The Law of Faith by Bill Anzevino
Why are some churches seemingly more blessed, prosperous, and favored, or seem to experience more growth, increase, and health than others? Could it be related to ethics? Why do some churches initially thrive only to experience a decline in the future? Could it be related to ethics? Why do some churches last and some don’t? Could ethics possibly be the answer? … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2017-04-12 18:22:412020-10-16 05:02:49Ministerial Ethics by Diego Mesa
Are you praying for an unsaved loved one, a prodigal, or someone who has lost their way in their Christianity? Have you ever prayed that a laborer would “cross their path,” speaking the needed wisdom into his or her life? I have prayed many times for laborers to have an influence in my loved ones’ lives, based on Matthew 9:38 that the Lord would send out laborers into His harvest. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Lisa Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngLisa Cooke2017-04-12 14:05:082023-04-10 14:48:01Prayer for the Laborer by Lisa Cooke
Scripture is full of examples of people who acknowledged their need and their dependence upon God. As long as they remembered that God was their source, and the strength they received was for his glory, all went well. Paul is a great example of this. When Paul was troubled over a messenger of Satan (which he called a thorn in the flesh), he cried out to God for help. Paul had come to the end of himself, and there he found strength from God. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2017-04-12 02:29:042020-09-26 19:24:25Spouse and Children
A group of leaders walked into the bank to sign the final papers for their new building loan. Finally, after years of fundraising, the down payment had been raised. As the loan officer pushed the document across the table towards the president of the counsel, soft sobs could be heard from the back of the group. A shaky voice said, “Don’t sign it.” … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2017-03-07 01:56:202020-10-16 05:34:43Protecting Your Church from Fraud by Jeff Klick
Dr. Howard Foltz was my missions professor at Regent University. I had several required classes in missions with him, and he, along with others changed my perspective of reaching out to the unreached. He and others helped us strategically engage the area of the Ends of the Earth. As of this writing, our local church has been actively engaged in sponsoring and helping to train leaders in over 800 new church plants among … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2017-03-06 16:49:272020-10-16 05:36:27Identify Your Harvest Field by Terry Roberts
Some mistakenly think that God only cares about our spiritual well-being and the condition of our souls. In making this false assumption, they minimize or completely ignore the great significance Scripture places on God’s concern for and interest in our bodies. In New Testament times, many Greeks believed the body was evil—a type of prison from which death would bring welcome deliverance. Some concluded that since physical life on earth … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2017-03-06 15:05:012021-01-18 01:33:21What Does God Say About Our Bodies?
When the Lord spoke to Moses on Mt. Sinai, one of the things He said to him was “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for My name is in him. But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies …read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Lisa Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngLisa Cooke2017-03-06 01:19:362023-04-10 14:48:01Angels by Lisa Cooke
I am learning that some of the staff and other leaders don’t know certain things (or need to be reminded regularly of things) that I would have assumed they would be mindful of. What are two or three things that other pastors regularly emphasize or remind their staff and key leaders about?
The first thing you must understand is that your heart is a battle ground. Quite simply, you are under attack. Have you ever thought about what that looks like? It looks like conflict, betrayal, and heartbreak. It feels like disappointment and pain. However, once you figure out the source of that attack, you can take steps to defend yourself and the process of mending your heart can begin. The source of these attacks is your enemy. He is Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44). … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2017-02-08 11:25:572020-10-16 05:37:30HeartWork: by Rick Burke and Kelly Riggs
In 2015, Forbes reported that the 500 richest people in the world were collectively worth 4.7 trillion dollars. Solomon’s gold reserves alone were worth right at one trillion dollars. I read once that the temple Solomon built would cost one-half trillion dollars to reconstruct in our day. He had wisdom that would take your breath away, and the Biblical principles that he wrote are more quoted than any other source in history. Solomon had more wealth, blessing, and advantage than any human being prior to him or after, but he had a bad ending in his life. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2017-02-08 11:02:132020-10-16 05:38:42Do You Know What Time It Is? by Mark Cowart
Psalm 31:19 “How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world” (NLT). The world needs, has always needed, to observe people who are confident in and experiencing God’s goodness. King David was one of those people. In Psalm 27:13 (NLT) he says, “Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.” David had faith that God would be good to him in the midst of all of earth’s trials and tribulations. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Lisa Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngLisa Cooke2017-02-07 23:46:552023-04-10 14:48:24Before the Watching World by Lisa Cooke
We were designed to be in relationship and in fellowship with others. Our journey through life was never intended to be made in isolation, cut off from others. There is truth and value in having a “personal relationship with God.” We hear that phrase often. However, we also have the privilege and the necessity of being properly connected with others as well. Someone said, “Our navel is a constant reminder that we all started life connected to another human being. We spend all of our lives trying to get reconnected to someone. … read more
What do you do when you find yourself facing discouragement? I know that praying and reading the Bible are typical responses, but how specifically do you pray, and are there particular areas of Scripture on which you focus? Also, do you have any strategies beyond Bible reading and prayer that you implement to bring yourself back into a state of encouragement?
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16, NKJV). In a time when the world is growing worse in terms of evil, corruption, violence, and anti-Christian activity, there is a great need to stir the hearts of people with the message of the Gospel! … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2017-01-07 22:14:082020-10-16 05:33:25Preaching For Souls! by Marvin Yoder
There are two sides to receiving from God. In order to receive something, someone first has to give it. Therefore, there is a giving side, and there is a receiving side. I see the giving side as the grace side, and the receiving side as the faith side. One extraordinary concept about life and living is that God has chosen for us to experience life together. When it comes to our salvation, the grace side is the God side. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2017-01-07 21:30:202020-10-16 16:18:47Two Sides to Receiving from God by Melanie Stone
The above passage is a favored Bible verse for many of God’s children. To be told that we don’t have to worry, but can tell God what we need through prayer is indeed a holy kindness. I have spent many prayer hours telling God what I need and what I think others need. I have taken God at His word and have made my requests known to Him every day of my Christianity. …read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Lisa Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngLisa Cooke2017-01-07 15:44:192023-04-10 14:48:24Let Your Requests Be Made Known by Lisa Cooke
Living in this world involves risk. It cannot be avoided. Helen Keller said, “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” A study of Scripture reveals that Jesus and Paul both understood the risks and there were inherent in ministry and leadership, and that they wisely managed them. … read more
Would you please send us any material that could be helpful to other pastors relative to conducting funerals? Any tips or suggestions? Is there a helpful story or illustration that you’ve found to work well at funerals? Do you have any funeral message outlines you’d like to share (please remove names)? Whatever you send us this month, we’ll add to the “Funeral Resources” section on our website.
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2017-01-07 14:27:572025-06-28 11:28:44Helpful Funeral Tips from Various Pastors
In a great toolbox, there are many tools. A great sermon may have many tools as well: information, explanation, illustration, application, exhortation, argumentation (I use the term loosely), quotation, celebration, etc. A master carpenter needs more tools than a hammer and a nail, and so does a master preacher. Variety keeps it interesting. I know of a minister who always had good things to say but would just preach way too long. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2016-12-09 20:10:292020-10-16 12:33:59Practical Skills for Effective Communication
All those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior have been given a measure of faith. What we do next with that faith is entirely up to us. In Pastor Gerald Brooks’ most recent book, Anchors of Faith, we are taken through many examples from the Bible where someone’s faith, or lack of it, affected the situation for better or for worse. Our faith has potential. That mustard seed sized faith we are all given when we accept Christ is our responsibility to grow and nurture. Don’t let your faith stay small. Challenge it and see it flourish and become strong, hearty, and useful. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2016-12-09 17:31:342020-10-16 16:21:14Anchors of Faith by Gerald Brooks
Easter of course is another time when we give our attention to what Jesus did for us on the cross and in His resurrection. Some of us will participate in the Lenten season where daily the emphasis is put on preparing our hearts for the fullness of all that was accomplished by our Christ. …read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Lisa Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngLisa Cooke2016-12-09 07:22:002023-04-10 14:48:24And Let The King Of Glory Enter by Lisa Cooke
Einstein once remarked that a person who no longer pauses to wonder is as good as dead. If there was ever a group of people who should take time to stand in wonder and amazement, it is followers of the Lord Jesus, and if there is ever a time to do so, it is when we consider Jesus’ coming to the earth, the Incarnation, when God took on flesh. …read more
Are We Asking the Right Question?
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeThe Latin phrase Missio Dei is translated, “the mission of God.” The concept here is that God has been on a mission to reach and express his love to mankind, fulfilling his good pleasure in redeeming lost humanity to himself. When I sense a call upon my life to serve God, it is not centered or focused on me. Rather, it is an invitation to join him in his mission, something he was doing long before I came on the scene, and should the Lord tarry his coming, something which he will be doing long after I am gone. … read more
The Law of Faith by Bill Anzevino
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeGod has provided us with an instruction manual for life’s situations called the Bible. Contained within the Bible are the spiritual laws of God. God’s spiritual laws are eternal, carry a higher level of authority, and surpass the earth’s physical laws. Sir Isaac Newton discovered the law of gravity in the 1600’s, but the law was there since the beginning of creation. … read more
Ministerial Ethics by Diego Mesa
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeWhy are some churches seemingly more blessed, prosperous, and favored, or seem to experience more growth, increase, and health than others? Could it be related to ethics? Why do some churches initially thrive only to experience a decline in the future? Could it be related to ethics? Why do some churches last and some don’t? Could ethics possibly be the answer? … read more
Prayer for the Laborer by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeAre you praying for an unsaved loved one, a prodigal, or someone who has lost their way in their Christianity? Have you ever prayed that a laborer would “cross their path,” speaking the needed wisdom into his or her life? I have prayed many times for laborers to have an influence in my loved ones’ lives, based on Matthew 9:38 that the Lord would send out laborers into His harvest. … read more
When Weakness Turns to Strength
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeScripture is full of examples of people who acknowledged their need and their dependence upon God. As long as they remembered that God was their source, and the strength they received was for his glory, all went well. Paul is a great example of this. When Paul was troubled over a messenger of Satan (which he called a thorn in the flesh), he cried out to God for help. Paul had come to the end of himself, and there he found strength from God. … read more
Spouse and Children
/in Pastors' Forum /by Tony CookeWhat can I do to help my spouse and children not only survive church and ministry, but thrive in the midst of it?
Protecting Your Church from Fraud by Jeff Klick
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeA group of leaders walked into the bank to sign the final papers for their new building loan. Finally, after years of fundraising, the down payment had been raised. As the loan officer pushed the document across the table towards the president of the counsel, soft sobs could be heard from the back of the group. A shaky voice said, “Don’t sign it.” … read more
Identify Your Harvest Field by Terry Roberts
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeDr. Howard Foltz was my missions professor at Regent University. I had several required classes in missions with him, and he, along with others changed my perspective of reaching out to the unreached. He and others helped us strategically engage the area of the Ends of the Earth. As of this writing, our local church has been actively engaged in sponsoring and helping to train leaders in over 800 new church plants among … read more
What Does God Say About Our Bodies?
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeSome mistakenly think that God only cares about our spiritual well-being and the condition of our souls. In making this false assumption, they minimize or completely ignore the great significance Scripture places on God’s concern for and interest in our bodies. In New Testament times, many Greeks believed the body was evil—a type of prison from which death would bring welcome deliverance. Some concluded that since physical life on earth … read more
Angels by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeWhen the Lord spoke to Moses on Mt. Sinai, one of the things He said to him was “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for My name is in him. But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies …read more
Reminding Staff
/in Pastors' Forum /by Tony CookeI am learning that some of the staff and other leaders don’t know certain things (or need to be reminded regularly of things) that I would have assumed they would be mindful of. What are two or three things that other pastors regularly emphasize or remind their staff and key leaders about?
HeartWork: by Rick Burke and Kelly Riggs
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeThe first thing you must understand is that your heart is a battle ground. Quite simply, you are under attack. Have you ever thought about what that looks like? It looks like conflict, betrayal, and heartbreak. It feels like disappointment and pain. However, once you figure out the source of that attack, you can take steps to defend yourself and the process of mending your heart can begin. The source of these attacks is your enemy. He is Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44). … read more
Do You Know What Time It Is? by Mark Cowart
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeIn 2015, Forbes reported that the 500 richest people in the world were collectively worth 4.7 trillion dollars. Solomon’s gold reserves alone were worth right at one trillion dollars. I read once that the temple Solomon built would cost one-half trillion dollars to reconstruct in our day. He had wisdom that would take your breath away, and the Biblical principles that he wrote are more quoted than any other source in history. Solomon had more wealth, blessing, and advantage than any human being prior to him or after, but he had a bad ending in his life. … read more
Before the Watching World by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookePsalm 31:19 “How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world” (NLT). The world needs, has always needed, to observe people who are confident in and experiencing God’s goodness. King David was one of those people. In Psalm 27:13 (NLT) he says, “Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.” David had faith that God would be good to him in the midst of all of earth’s trials and tribulations. … read more
Necessary Networks
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeWe were designed to be in relationship and in fellowship with others. Our journey through life was never intended to be made in isolation, cut off from others. There is truth and value in having a “personal relationship with God.” We hear that phrase often. However, we also have the privilege and the necessity of being properly connected with others as well. Someone said, “Our navel is a constant reminder that we all started life connected to another human being. We spend all of our lives trying to get reconnected to someone. … read more
Responding to Discouragement
/in Pastors' Forum /by Tony CookeWhat do you do when you find yourself facing discouragement? I know that praying and reading the Bible are typical responses, but how specifically do you pray, and are there particular areas of Scripture on which you focus? Also, do you have any strategies beyond Bible reading and prayer that you implement to bring yourself back into a state of encouragement?
Preaching For Souls! by Marvin Yoder
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeAnd He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16, NKJV). In a time when the world is growing worse in terms of evil, corruption, violence, and anti-Christian activity, there is a great need to stir the hearts of people with the message of the Gospel! … read more
Two Sides to Receiving from God by Melanie Stone
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeThere are two sides to receiving from God. In order to receive something, someone first has to give it. Therefore, there is a giving side, and there is a receiving side. I see the giving side as the grace side, and the receiving side as the faith side. One extraordinary concept about life and living is that God has chosen for us to experience life together. When it comes to our salvation, the grace side is the God side. … read more
Let Your Requests Be Made Known by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeThe above passage is a favored Bible verse for many of God’s children. To be told that we don’t have to worry, but can tell God what we need through prayer is indeed a holy kindness. I have spent many prayer hours telling God what I need and what I think others need. I have taken God at His word and have made my requests known to Him every day of my Christianity. …read more
Vulnerability and Leadership
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeLiving in this world involves risk. It cannot be avoided. Helen Keller said, “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” A study of Scripture reveals that Jesus and Paul both understood the risks and there were inherent in ministry and leadership, and that they wisely managed them. … read more
Helpful Funeral Tips from Various Pastors
/in Funeral Resources by Others, Pastors' Forum /by Tony CookeWould you please send us any material that could be helpful to other pastors relative to conducting funerals? Any tips or suggestions? Is there a helpful story or illustration that you’ve found to work well at funerals? Do you have any funeral message outlines you’d like to share (please remove names)? Whatever you send us this month, we’ll add to the “Funeral Resources” section on our website.
Practical Skills for Effective Communication
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeIn a great toolbox, there are many tools. A great sermon may have many tools as well: information, explanation, illustration, application, exhortation, argumentation (I use the term loosely), quotation, celebration, etc. A master carpenter needs more tools than a hammer and a nail, and so does a master preacher. Variety keeps it interesting. I know of a minister who always had good things to say but would just preach way too long. … read more
Anchors of Faith by Gerald Brooks
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeAll those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior have been given a measure of faith. What we do next with that faith is entirely up to us. In Pastor Gerald Brooks’ most recent book, Anchors of Faith, we are taken through many examples from the Bible where someone’s faith, or lack of it, affected the situation for better or for worse. Our faith has potential. That mustard seed sized faith we are all given when we accept Christ is our responsibility to grow and nurture. Don’t let your faith stay small. Challenge it and see it flourish and become strong, hearty, and useful. … read more
And Let The King Of Glory Enter by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeEaster of course is another time when we give our attention to what Jesus did for us on the cross and in His resurrection. Some of us will participate in the Lenten season where daily the emphasis is put on preparing our hearts for the fullness of all that was accomplished by our Christ. …read more
Reclaiming Wonder!
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeEinstein once remarked that a person who no longer pauses to wonder is as good as dead. If there was ever a group of people who should take time to stand in wonder and amazement, it is followers of the Lord Jesus, and if there is ever a time to do so, it is when we consider Jesus’ coming to the earth, the Incarnation, when God took on flesh. …read more