Manup Moment - Jay Cookingham

Worship is a life that is centered on God’s heart, and what He thinks is good.

Warriors bow our knee to only one King, the one who can make us free. God’s redemptive power frees us to stand when others retreat, and to lead with others shrink back.

Father God did not battle for our hearts to turn us into slaves or worker drones. He didn’t leave us as orphans.

One of the greatest battles a man faces is his past. We often allow those past events that haunt us… our mistakes; our failures and sins… affect our choices and decisions.

I love being completely surprised by grace.

This Scripture tells us that joy comes in the morning but doesn’t say that my troubles would disappear overnight. It’s not a formula that promises that you’ll feel happy at sunrise.

Henry David Thoreau had this to say about our past “Never look back unless you are planning to go that way.” The Apostle Paul said this way in Philippians 3:13 “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.”

One of my best days as a parent came when all my kids could dress themselves. The day they could purposely put articles of clothing on was… freedom. I didn't care if those articles of clothing matched or inside out… I was just glad they were on! Thankfully... throughout Scripture, God has laid out our wardrobe.

Since I lost my wife Christine to cancer in 2019, this verse in Matthew 5:4 has been huge in my moving forward. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” You can mourn and celebrate at the same time; one does not negate the other. In fact, I believe mourning IS a form of celebration, solemn for sure, but an active honoring of the lost loved one.

When life or the enemy punches us in the mouth… we must learn how to counterpunch.

The blessed life is all about knowing God, about having a relationship with Him that is so deep that it doesn’t matter if He blesses us or not.

Do you ever wonder… What will it take for revival to come?

Could it be… that the moment we’re “stuck in” is the exact moment God is teaching His greatest lesson.

What does victory look like when life is full of pain and hardship? When death stings? (and it does). When the words of the worship songs we sing don’t feel true… When stories of miracle and healings conflict with stories of horrible loss?

I feel there is something far greater at stake than electing a President soon. It comes to me in the form of a question… Who will hold your heart after the election?

I’m sure most all of us have heard this once or twice before and normally… this wasn’t a compliment was it? But as sons and daughters of God I think we’re called to live a life… full of IT… and that IT stands for Intentional Thankfulness.

Have you ever felt restless? Unsettled… but you didn’t know why?

Spiritual hunger is a huge invitation to experience God in a deeper, fulfilling way.

You are what you eat… so what you consume not only fills you but also FORMS you. It forms what you look like, how healthy you are, your mobility, you ability to think and how you live. And believe it or not, it’s the same with our spiritual diet.

My speech, my actions and the way I love my family, my community… all should invite questions… and I should be prepared to answer them.