ManUp Moment - Jay Cookingham

A lot of years were spent yearning for "full-time" ministry opportunities outside of where I worked, not seeing clearly that it was staring me in the face all the time

When did good storytelling become the deciding criteria for discerning questionable material/media/publications? When did we lose sight of this of this truth in Philippians 4:8?

It seems to me that Jesus wasn’t much of a “hang around” type of guy. His call to “follow me” is not meant for hesitate individuals or the “let me sleep on it” crowd. Jesus is going somewhere and He calls us to go with Him…now.

I believe with all my heart that we need passion on this journey with Christ but it must be channeled through the character He imparts into us.

We're all going through stuff, some more difficult than others, and there are days when our stuff seems to be winning over us. Can I encourage you (us) that the Father knows, the Father cares and the Father loves us through all this stuff. His son Jesus has overcome the world...can He not help us overcome the world of stuff that we face?

Good Dads provide so much more than food, shelter, etc (all important) Look at the word closely...PRO-VISION...we show our kids a vision that is pro-them...for them! This is what God imparts through us and I'm so glad He does!

Recently my daughter Becky and I went to fetch the health food known as Dunkin Donuts. Becky is my youngest (11) and although we share many wonderful qualities, acting crazy in public places is not one of them.

I know the battle is hard and many are trying to hold it all together, do the right thing and be obedient to our Lord. Please remember who you are today…you are His son! And you have been redeemed by the greatest heart the universe has ever known.

A man’s voice is so much more than the words that come from his mouth. What we speak about… who we speak about and how we speak, create ripples in life around us. We impart with our voice, we invest with our voice, we define with our voice, and we construct…or destruct….all with the power of our voice.

My eyes are weird, one eye is near-sighted and the other is far-sighted which does create some focus problems for me… but with the right prescription… things become clearer. It’s the same when it comes to being a man after God’s heart… we need focus

It brings God great joy to bring to us into His family. God’s adoption of us is a rescue of every creative part of our mind, body and soul.

I think maturity is nothing more than realizing the need to be free as the Father defines freedom.

In Acts 4:13 we read about a WOW moment… Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13

I have to admit to not seeing one episode of the HBO series Game of Thrones and I plead ignorant to the value of its viewing gratification. Although I have no desire to watch it, I find the title intriguing. Except…it’s no game.

I am a failure… but, before you rush to my defense, hear me out. There were times I choked under pressure and bailed big time when situations were tough. There were too many days when my heart vacated when it was needed most and just because my mind was filled with selfish thoughts, I chickened out.

My heart is torn and perplexed with difficult thoughts today. I wonder what would happen if George Zimmerman or Trayvon Martin's family decided to pay my small town church this coming Sunday. How could I minister to their hurts, fears and sorrow... to their sense of loss? Then a harder question comes to mind... What if they both showed up?

I thought I try to encourage you with a few laughs today. Here is one of my famous Top Ten Lists...hopefully it will bring a chuckle or two to your face...which I pretty sure, needs one. BTW, I’m a pastor so I’m free to poke fun at myself! You know a long sermon is coming when...

When I first became a dad 26 years ago, I never realized that I would become a dad of seven… or that God would use these wonderful people to change my life. So I came up with this list of promises to help me remember how important my fathering is to them. I called it… Seven Promises from your Dad

In Exodus 17:1-7 the nation of Israel is in a desert, they were thirsty and in a very bad mood. At the core of Israel’s grumbling about the lack of water was simple, they doubted His goodness.

Fatherhood is a challenge...to be the dad your kids need as they grow up is an exercise that will stretch us daily. Fathering has to be intentional… something done with purpose. So how do we blend the roles of coach, mentor, and role model into our relationships with our kids? It's not easy but here are 5 quick tips that may help you navigate that path.

Imagine you’re at your place of work…at the office, construction site…wherever. One day this guy shows up…he stops by your cubicle or the coffee shop…he looks like he might just be passing by but he stops and says… Come, follow me

I do…that hero is my wife. This woman, with such a depth of character and beauty, has turned his heart into a beating frenzy of compassion. Warming the coldness that once resided there with absolute acceptance and belief he could be the hero she saw in him.

That's a question that has been working on me for over 50 years now.... C.S. Lewis says this… Until you have given up yourself to Him you will not have a real self - C.S. Lewis

Does that question make you squirm a bit? It doesn't have to. We are redeemed from sin to become the person Father God wants us to be. His plan is personal, strategically designed to produce sons and daughters.

Freedom is not about doing whatever you want, whenever you want and however you want. Freedom is about becoming the person you were meant to be.