Dan Cooley

When God said, "That's enough!" Ouch.

Moses and the Promise: Lessons from a Bizarre Bible Story The Bible is full of bizarre stories; this may be a new one for you. When the Israelites left Egypt, Moses was 80. By the time they were about to enter the Promised Land, he was 120. He had led the…

Sticking the Landing: Embracing Life’s Lasts

OK, here's a depressing verse, at first glance anyway: James 4:14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. As this is my final week of work, I've been thinking about "lasts." My first car was a '62 VW Bug. I pushed it further than I drove it....

Sticking the Landing: Embracing Life’s Lasts OK, here’s a depressing verse, at first glance anyway: James 4:14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and th…

Finding Grace: A Reflection on James 4:6

Our verse this week is James 4:6, but knowing the context helps. In the first five verses James nails the awful consequences of our selfishness: fighting, the hollow prayers, the misplaced loves. He goes so far as to call us enemies of God because our desires have become our first love. It’s a convicting setup, but then comes the beauty of the gospel:...

Finding Grace: A Reflection on James 4:6 Our verse this week is James 4:6, but knowing the context helps. In the first five verses James nails the awful consequences of our selfishness: fighting, the hollow prayers, the misplaced loves. H…

The Power of ‘Perhaps’: A Biblical Perspective

I only have about six weeks left as Lead Pastor, and for these final weeks, I want to share some of my all-time favorite verses for our "Verse of the Week." A little context: this verse drops us into a war between the Israelites and the Philistines around 1000 BC. Saul is King, his son Jonathan is by his side, and they are…...

The Power of ‘Perhaps’: A Biblical Perspective I only have about six weeks left as Lead Pastor, and for these final weeks, I want to share some of my all-time favorite verses for our “Verse of the Week.” A little context: this verse…

Underletter

Verse for the Week 1 Peter 2:20–21 (NIV) 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps....

Underletter Verse for the Week 1 Peter 2:20–21 (NIV) 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is com…

The Lord Is For Me

What makes Psalm 118 so powerful is its context. This was a song written for and often sung at Israel's great feast days including Passover and the high holy days. It was likely on the lips of the crowd when Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and possibly sung again in the Upper Room after He celebrated the Passover and instituted the first communion with His disciples (Matthew 26:30)....

The Lord Is For Me What makes Psalm 118 so powerful is its context. This was a song written for and often sung at Israel’s great feast days including Passover and the high holy days. It was likely on the lips o…

Thank you everyone for the kind birthday greetings! I do have a wonderful life, God has been so good to me!

WOW! You may know by now that our friends and missionaries, Byron, Shelley, Sue, and those who were serving with them from the States are safe. It was covered in a news report here. If you watch closely, you will see them at 29-31 seconds in. But that is only part of the story. Below I put the story from Byron and Shelley's perspective....

HAITI RESCUE WOW! You may know by now that our friends and missionaries, Byron, Shelley, Sue, and those who were serving with them from the States are safe. It was covered in a news report here. If you watch cl…

Ro 12:15 (NIV2011) Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. This blog I wrote for the church just last Friday, but I thought it wise to shoot it out here as well. Above is one of my favorite Haiti pictures, with my daughter Megan and one of the school kids. Can you guess which one is Megan? I used to keep a website with a weekly blog about my writing and traveling to Haiti and dumb things I’ve done....

Did God Leave Haiti? Ro 12:15 (NIV2011)  Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. This blog I wrote for the church just last Friday, but I thought it wise to shoot it out here as well. Above is …