Recent Articles
- No One Was Sorry When He Died November 21, 2023
- Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God? November 7, 2023
- Jesus Never Said, “You Must Be Bored Again!” October 19, 2023
- Getting Over Yourself October 16, 2023
- George Whitefield’s Last Sermon September 29, 2023
How Leaders Listen
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeHow Leaders Listen By Tony Cooke With so much busy-ness and so many distractions in life, good listening typically doesn’t happen by accident; it takes a decision, diligence, and discipline. Being a good listener is not necessarily a trait that comes naturally to us. Oswald Sanders noted that, “Too many strong personalities are compulsive talkers.” […]
What Kind of Leader Are You?
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeThe Bible has much to say about good and bad leadership. It is unfortunately true that both secular and religious history have demonstrated repeatedly thatif allowed to power can have a very corrupting influence upon an individual. It has been said, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” …read more
Internal Health is Vital
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeI 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
Feedback from Indulgences Article
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeFeedback on Indulgences Article Several people responded to the article about Indulgences. Here’s what they said: “What a blessing to read your newsletter! I had been wrestling with some information I had received concerning issues that you spoke about in your letter. We are seeing many strange things in regard to asking for money. […]
Humor Section
/in Humor Section /by Tony CookeHumor 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 is,” the mobster says. The interpreter does so, and the accountant signs back, “What are you talking about?” The interpreter tells the godfather, “He says […]
Immanence and Transcendence: How Do You See God?
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeI 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
Four Methods for Mishandling the Greek New Testament by Pastor Keith Trump
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookePastoring 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
When the Call Seems Small
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeA 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
Avoiding the Ditches of Pride and Inferiority
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeThe 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
Approval, Appreciation, and Affirmation
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeA 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
Leading in the Midst of Adverse Circumstances
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeLeading 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 the counter expressing their motto – the philosophy with which they approach their work. It read: “It is our responsibility to be successful under conditions […]
What About Bob?
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeI 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
Why Giving Stops – Overcoming Cirrhosis of the Giver
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeWhy 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 were handling their money… especially in the areas of tithing and giving. According to the studies I came across: Only around 6% of those claiming […]
In Whose Hands Are You?
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeI 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 Whose Hands Are You? A basketball in my hands is worth about $19. A basketball in Tim Duncan’s hands is worth about $20 million. […]
Who’s Trying?
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeWho’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 to impress God with your works.” “Don’t try to win God’s favor by your own efforts.” As he looked around the different congregations, he saw […]
What is Scripture For?
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeIn 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
What Killed Lincoln’s Mother (And Why it Matters to Us)?
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeWhat 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 of the plaque near her grave. Some time ago, I was in Barstow, California, preaching for Pastor Bernie Samples. Both of us are originally from […]
What God is Not – Learning Through the Process of Elimination
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeWhat 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 more about that series or to order it, please click here. As much as we’d all like to be omniscient and get it 100% right […]
Weak Leaders
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeWeak 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 health to be strong, their financial portfolio to be strong, their marriage and family to be strong, their church to be strong, etc. There are […]
Warning Signs of Financial Manipulation
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeWarning 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 differentiate himself from those who were manipulative, and whose shady and unscrupulous practices brought reproach to the things of God. The same man who wrote […]
Trophimus and Our Need for Resilient Faith
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeTrophimus 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 the shoulders. Some, though, will remember him as Paul’s valued team member who was unable to continue journeying due to illness. We don’t know whether […]
Treasure that is New – Treasure that is Old
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeTreasure 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 choruses. Then, there was a seamless transition into one of the beautiful old hymns of the church. It was a powerful and moving time of […]
Application: The Key to Transformational Communication
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeApplication: 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 a speech, people would say, “He speaks so well.” However, when Demosthenes had concluded an oration, the people would say, “Let us march!” One of […]
Trade-Offs, Pay-Offs, and Rip-Offs
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeTrade-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 else’s bologna and cheese. Maybe you traded your Willie Mays baseball card for someone else’s Hank Aaron card. When a person goes to work, he […]
Reflections from Paul’s Journey Tour in 2006
/in Articles by Tony Cooke /by Tony CookeReflections 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 with the toughness and tenacity of the early followers of the Lord Jesus. The Church was born and grew in an atmosphere of extreme hostility. […]