It is fitting that this is my 150th post here on Cooperland. And it is fitting that it is devoted to the one person to whom I love the most. Sure, I love Bridgett. She is my wife and I give her my life as according to Ephesians 5:25-33. But the person I love the most is MY God, and his son Jesus.
To sum up my passion for God, let me quote Bebo Norman’s song Nothing Without You.
Take these hands and lift them up For I have not the strength to praise You near enough See I have nothing, I have nothing without You
Take my voice and pour it out Let it sing the songs of mercy I have found For I have nothing, I have nothing without You
All my soul needs Is all Your love to cover me So all the world will see That I have nothing without You
Take my body and build it up May it be broken as an offering of love For I have nothing, I have nothing without You
All my soul needs Is all Your love to cover me So all the world will see That I have nothing But I love You
With all my heart With all my soul With all my mind With all the strength that I can find
Take my time here on this earth And let it glorify all that You are worth For I am nothing, I am nothing without You
I almost began to cry listening to this song. It’s so beautiful. But reading the lyrics doesn’t give the song justice. Listen to the song.
I initially wrote this post on my last blog, but I think it’s such a relevant message that I wanted to post it here, too.
There are rules everywhere. They dictate how we drive a vehicle or pay our taxes or dress at work. These rules are important in that they are not negotiable. Drive according to the rules or lose your license. Pay your taxes or face the wrath of the IRS. Dress appropriately at work or you won’t have a job.
But some rules are more like suggestions. Take this article for instance. These 5 people are those who broke the “rules” of social media, faced considerable amount of pressure to conform, and came out on top in the end.
But who makes the rules anyway? At what point does someone say, “This is a rule that must be followed?” Especially in social media. Social media is about the people contributing to the entirety of the social environment. Heck, it has the word “social” in the name! There is no governing body except the participants, and they have the right to contribute however they deem necessary because there is no official governing body.
The same would go for ministry. Who created the rules for doing ministry? My favorite question to ask anyone is…here comes the black sheep question…wait for it…WHY. Why does it have to be done this way? Why can’t it be done another way? Why? Why?
I guess my point is this. Just because it’s never been done before doesn’t mean that it can’t be done, and just because somebody says that it can’t be done doesn’t mean that an idea won’t be successful. In the end, some “rules” end up being more like suggestions or what some would call best practices.
Now think about this: It might be prettier to stay between the lines, but not nearly as fun.
Who knows what you can accomplish if you’re willing to push the boundaries a little and step out from within the rules. In the end, some rules are more like suggestions.
I had to laugh at this one. Because a handful of people have tried to find my house via GPS, but failed. Not long after I give them my address I get a phone call, “Can I get directions?”
Haha!
I love technology and all, but it’s still not perfect.
2 Timothy 3:16 is a huge verse to comprehend. The phrase “inspired by God” comes from the Greek word theopneustos meaning “divinely breathed in.” The Holy Spirit spoke these words to the writers of the Bible making it not just a book, but the Word of God.
61 bags of school supplies were given away at this weekend’s Back to School Outreach. And many prizes were raffled away! People were loved, and God was glorified. I love being a pastor.
18 kids in Kids Zone yesterday. More importantly, they’re loving the new format.
6 students in the Beyond Youth. I love you guys and girls.
That makes 24 students at Life-Givers yesterday. With at least 60 in attendance (I’m unsure of the exact number) that’s a percentage of 40%. Don’t tell me that student ministry isn’t a huge part of the Church.
The new building is a huge stepping stone for LGM, and I’m excited for it’s future.
The new school year is underway, and I’m hearing a lot of growns from a lot of students. Enjoy your time while you can. It won’t be long until you’re an adult with adult responsibilities, and you’ll be wishing for time off.
The title may have thrown you off. Let me explain.
God doesn’t disappoint me like some of you are thinking. He has never fallen short of his promise in Joshua 1:5, “I will not fail you or abandon you.”
Like the twelve disciples Jesus chose, I have certain misconceptions about God. Things I think I know about God, but couldn’t be farther than the truth. Then, in true God-like fashion, he completely destroys what I think I know. He disappoints me when he does this, because it reminds me that maybe, just maybe, I don’t have all of the answers and still need to rely on him. But before he’s done, he shows me part of his true self in order to fulfill Ephesians 5:1 in my life.
In the end, I’m a better person for knowing God a little bit more.
Three people answered God’s call to salvation yesterday. Awesome!
It’s amazing how something as costly as our freedom from sin can be given away free of charge.
For the first time in the history of Life-Givers Ministries a sermon wasn’t delivered. The presence of God was so thick and real in the service that it would have been futile and moronic to add to what God was already doing.
Sometimes I need to learn when to simply close my mouth. In other words, follow James 1:19, “quick to listen, slow to speak.”
Remember last week when I said that good things were a coming? Yeah. So, the announcement was made that Life-Givers will be moving from the school we’ve been renting to our first permanent building. Not only that, but from my point-of-view the people accepted the call to action. For a sneak peek of the new building, check it out using Google Street View.
Creativity is great as long as it doesn’t become the priority over actually delivering the Word of God. I came to this conclusion when I noticed that I was falling into this trap. This past week I decided and implemented the plan to get alone with God, allow God to give me the message from his word, and then to resolve to deliver it.
Hearing two people speak their love to one another is touching. Witnessing their wedding is breathtaking. Watching them live their love is life-changing.
I love my church. Can’t say that enough.
I also love my students.
Speaking of students, it was nice seeing a couple of them that haven’t been to church in a while. Also, Dylan got his license and a new truck. You go boy!
Can I get a hollar from all of the parents whose kids are going back to school this week?
I read this Saturday night. 3 John 1:13-14, “I have much more to say to you, but I don’t want to write it with pen and ink.For I hope to see you soon, and then we will talk face to face.”
I think Paul understood a distinct leadership quality. The willingness and desire to spend time with those he was leading.
Technology has become ingrained into our personal and professional lives. Blogs, e-mail, social networks, cell phones, etc. all designed to assist us in staying connected has only provided us an avenue to disconnect from real human interaction. As a leader, these are great tools in communicating vision, upcoming events, or whatever needs to be broadcast. And sometimes, a lack of time hinders our ability to spend time with others so using Facebook to “chat” becomes a great way to counter this deficiency in time. But just because it is convenient doesn’t make it better.
Note: Please keep in mind that I’m not advocating the demise of Facebook, Twitter, MySpace (well, maybe MySpace), cell phones, etc., but these are my thoughts on why it’s nice to disconnect from them from time-to-time.
3 Reasons Why Face To Face Is Better Than Facebook
1) We were built for human interaction.
Genesis 2:18, “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.‘” When God created Adam he immediately understood the importance of him having another person to interact with. And not just interact, but to work together.
2) You can’t get everything from an instant message.
How many times have you posted to someone’s wall, commented on a status, or “chatted” with a friend to find that something you sent was taken the wrong way because you couldn’t properly illustrate your tone of voice or emotion? The same goes with conversing via phone. Tone of voice could be determined, but body language is still missing. A full conversation includes all of these: body language, emotion, tone of voice, the actual words, etc.
3) You’re making a choice.
If there’s anything that makes us not God, and that is we can’t be in two places at once. With Facebook, Twitter, text messaging, and others, a person can “be” in more than one place through a virtual environment, which is great. But what’s even better to the person to whom you’re spending time is being in the same place physically with them. Why? Because you’re choosing to be in that place with them instead of being somewhere else. You could be anywhere else in the world, but you’ve chosen to be with them. And that’s an honor.
On a personal note
This is a huge deal for me. As an introverted person, I find it way easier and less confusing to interact via the online world. It also doesn’t help that I’ve chosen to immerse myself with computers at work and home. As a leader, I have to break this habit. I am working on this.
Video
Here’s a cool Coca-Cola video. It delivers the message that sometimes we can get too immersed into our online worlds instead of seeing the opportunities to connect in the real world.
Being different isn’t so bad. Praise God for who he made you to be instead of wanting him to change you to who you want to be.
It’s awesome seeing some of the Beyond Youth participate on Sunday mornings. Alexis and Tiffany on the praise team and Cullen, Kameron, and Morgan in Kids Zone. Thank you so much. You make me proud.
Bridgett and I celebrated her parents’ anniversary yesterday. It wasn’t a big ordeal, but a date worth celebrating.
Keep your expectations high. Good things are’a comin’.
The first day of the LGM apparel sale was a great success. Twenty-five (25) pieces were ordered, and we will have 3 weeks left. Can we make it to 100? That’s my goal!
By-the-way, there were 17 students in Kids Zone yesterday. Yep! We’re growing. I’m expecting at least 20 next Sunday.
Thank you to my pastors, Jason and Audrey, for opening your home to us yesterday. We had a great time just having a great time.
If you haven’t been at Life-Givers lately, we’ve been missing you.
Ryder is an awesome little boy. Thank you, Amy, for letting Bridgett babysit him. He’s a blast.
Just before I posted this Rewind post I read a tweet by my mentor that resonated with me. He said, “It’s ok if people don’t often understand you. Admit it, you probably don’t often understand yourself. LOL“ How did he know? I live this out everyday.
Information published here are the sole ideas and thoughts of Dewaine Cooper, and may not reflect the ideas and thoughts of Life-Givers Ministries and/or the South Carolina Conference of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church.
