Manup Moment - Jay Cookingham

Failure is not an option but I know it often feels like the only one. In reality, failure is simply an opportunity to try again.

Focus is spiritual traction, our sure footing when we concentrate on God’s ways instead of our own. Our focus needs to be fierce because the fight will be. The struggle against the kingdom of darkness is very real. What do we focus on?

God’s Word encourages us to cast off the weight… the past, the trauma, and the things that lie to who we are in Christ.

The Greek word for anxious comes from a root word meaning… to go to pieces. Ever felt that way? I don’t think having anxiety is not a lack of faith or a sin. But it is a peace stealer, one that makes our faith journey difficult at times… but how do we pick up the pieces?

There are brothers, men who need our friendship who are loss and confused about who they are. They need brothers who will risk comfort, money, and respect…whatever it takes to bring them the truth about who Jesus is.

We take up the FULL armor… we gear up! We use everything that is available to us, because partial armor is not good enough!

In case you couldn’t tell… We fight against a desperate, very intentional, strategically devious enemy! We need to be watchful!

Throughout Scripture God reveals our sonship, God affirms our sonship and God confirms our sonship.

Walking is more than a way of getting from one place to another. In the Bible, walking is symbolic of relationship with someone.

The wrong agreements can be prodigal thoughts, ones that lead us away for the Father.

Look for ways to invest yourself in NOW moments that will outlive you. Make every breath matter, engage every moment with an eternity mindset, and allow the past to remind us of God’s goodness and nothing else.

How do we stir good works up in each other?

How we respond to pain tells us how we’ll respond to our purpose! Will we back down, shy away or run away because the pain is too great.

The recent Gillette razor ad about toxic masculinity misses the point about men and toxic actions on so many fronts. Toxic behavior is not determined by gender, male babies aren’t born toxic anymore than female ones are. The common toxic pollutant of human behavior is not gender, but sin. The world is full of people who do toxic things because of sin! The Bible reminds us.

I have found in my own life that the removal of idols is messy, painful business.

Everything we go through in life is to make us like Jesus. While struggles may surprise us, they do not define us, but they can refine us!

The Gospel is not potential salvation. The Gospel is promised salvation. The Gospel, the Good News is the power of God for salvation. He makes salvation happen!

“To live is Christ” means that Christ is our focus, our goal, and our heart’s desire I live independent from my circumstances… they don’t have control… even death is no threat… Christ is in control of my life… and that makes me free!

We forget so easily… we lose sight of God’s faithfulness and all His blessings towards us. Instead, we recall (interesting word isn’t it?) our past… we call back memories of so many past negative events and give them far too much airtime in our heads. Instead… we can choose to recall the powerful moments of God’s faithfulness… and remember what God has brought us through.

When you surrendered your life, you became a target to take out.