What Lasts Forever? – Tuesday, August 27th, 2019

The phrase nothing lasts forever is one I remember hearing as a child when one of my toys broke. Sometimes it has been used in reference to a break up in a relationship. It might be spoken when a business closes. Or we may casually toss it around in conversation if the context is right. Growing up, I thought this phrase was true for everything. Here’s what I discovered this morning while reading in the Gospel of John: This phrase is not true about my relationship with the Holy Spirit.

In John, Jesus says, “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth” (John 14:15-17). When we believe in Jesus Christ and His work on the cross for our salvation, then the Spirit enters into a relationship with us. And our relationship with the Person of the Holy Spirit spans the years of our earthly life and our life in the eternal presence of God. The Spirit is with us now and with us when we enter the kingdom of God.

However, everything the Holy Spirit teaches us about God in Christ through the Scriptures does last forever. He gives us the truth about God and Jesus Christ while we are living in the world, and through Him we will keep all the truth He has taught us about Jesus when we join Christ in the everlasting realm of God.

Something does last forever: The believer’s relationship with God in Christ through the Spirit.
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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Christ Provides

Buying groceries is challenging. Some days I seem to buy too many groceries, and other days I buy too few. I can’t predict with much accuracy my family’s rate of food consumption.

I can’t get groceries right, but God can. After rescuing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, He provided manna, a type of bread, for more than a million people every day for forty years. God told the Israelites to gather as much bread as each family needed. Scripture says, “The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed” (Exodus 16:17-18).

Jesus also managed to feed five thousand people bread and fish so that each person “had enough to eat” (John 6:12).

As I looked at these two crowd stories, I thought about how unique each person would be. There would be large and small appetites. Rich people who could afford bread and poor people who could not afford bread. Regardless of each person’s circumstance, God in Christ provided enough bread for all.

We sometimes think God cannot provide us with enough of His grace, love and peace to handle our lives. Yet in these two stories, we see God providing exactly what each person needs. These stories show us that we can depend on God in Christ to provide exactly what each of us needs to grow stronger in faith.

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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Seeing Something New – Friday, August 23rd, 2019

This weekend, a friend and I walked along the Sinnissippi Gardens path and through Anderson Japanese Gardens. Even though I was familiar with these gardens, they looked different from my last visit. Both gardens were full of mature plants and flowers covered with blooms and color. Each time I visit the gardens, I notice something I haven’t seen before.

These walks reminded me that Scripture is like these gardens. No matter how familiar we may think we are with a verse or passage, the Spirit can always show us something new. The Spirit will prod us to explore a word differently, point us to another definition or show us a new layer of meaning within the verse. Scripture is never static. When the Spirit teaches us through the Scriptures, He will give us a new understanding and fuller knowledge of God in Christ.

The teachings of the Holy Spirit keep God’s word alive and fresh and new in our lives. He illuminates our hearts and minds with His divine perspective on Scripture. He makes certain we see in God’s Word all that is necessary to grow us deeper and stronger in faith in Christ.

The Spirit is in the world to teach us the truths of Scripture: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26).

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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Humid Air And Sin – Thursday, August 22nd, 2019

This morning at 5:30 as I started my bike ride the heat and humidity were already making their presence known. The steamy, thick air stuck to my clothing and skin. And the heaviness of the air made breathing a bit difficult as I pedaled along my route. This drippy weather causes my body to move more slowly and unresponsively as it pushes through the wet air.

As I rode along I realized how much sin is like hot, humid air. Sin clings to the soul and makes the heart heavy. There are days when my sin weighs down my soul. On these days, my soul is unresponsive to Christ’s call on my life. I push through the day slowly, my soul bogged down by the reality of my transgressions.

But then the sweet refreshing wind of the Holy Spirit blows into my soul, and revealing my Savior. Suddenly, through the power of the Spirit, I am able by faith to take to the cross of Christ the sin that clings to my soul. At the cross, I repent of my iniquities, and Christ takes my sin to Himself and offers me redemption, forgiveness and new life. As I receive Christ’s gifts of salvation the burdens of my soul are lifted, and my heart rejoices in God my Savior.

Let the Spirit freshen your soul with the saving grace of Jesus Christ. “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).

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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Seasons – Wednesday, August 21st, 2019

The crickets are in full voice tonight. The sky is clear and bright, and a slight breeze is stirring the air. The cooler temperatures carry with them a reminder that summer is passing and fall is coming.

Seasons come and go, but each season brings a unique kind of hope. In summer we look forward to long, lazy sunlit days filled with friends and family. The vivid, vibrant colors of fall give us a hope that there is always beauty in the world. Winter may be harsh, but it’s pure-white snow, which cause disruptions, reminds us that some of our most amazing moments in life come from an interruption to our schedule or plans. And spring gives us the hope of new birth.

Our lives also have seasons. Solomon wrote, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

The seasons of our lives remind us of God’s presence in our days. Our life from birth to death is filled with seasons. But these seasons carry hope from God. When we enter a season of mourning, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). When we weep, Jesus meets us in our sorrow. In a season of silence, God can be heard. During the season of love we learn, “God is love” (1 John 4:16).

When the time is right for searching, God can be found.

God in Christ is in all the seasons of our lives.

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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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No Such Thing As A Good Christian – Tuesday, August 20th, 2019

Today, I lost my cool, opened my mouth, said the wrong things and now I feel like a schmuck. Why don’t I just shut up when I get angry? My behavior today was another shining example of why I will never be a good Christian.
There is no such thing as a good Christian. Paul said, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out” (Romans 7:18).

God’s work of salvation, redemption and reconciliation has been completed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because of my faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning death on the cross, I am not a good Christian, but a saved sinner.
Still I fight against the Spirit’s insistence that I obey the living God. Each time the Spirit opposes my sinful nature, my sinful nature opposes the Spirit. Paul said in Galatians, “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want” (5:17).
Like Paul, I want to be obedient to God in Christ through the Spirit. I want to be less angry, and I want to shut up when I am mad. This transformation will happen only when I learn to surrender to the Holy Spirit before my sinful nature deceives me into disobedience to God.

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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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The Great Resource – Monday, August 19th, 2019

The great resource of the Christian life is prayer. However, for many, prayer is a frustrating exercise. And many think it yields no results. Perhaps a different perspective of prayer would be helpful. Prayer is not about what we can get for God. Prayer is a ministry God calls the Christian to. Prayer is the act of entering the throne room of God so Christ can imbue us with His Spirit, so we can intercede on behalf of others, whom the LORD has impressed upon our hearts. All around us are people who have no strength to make it to God on their own. They are people of despair, not prayer, and they need an intercessor to stand in their place before Christ when circumstances do not let them stand before Christ themselves.

What circumstances or conditions could cause a person to be in such despair that he or she cannot come to Christ?

A few examples might be:
• Unbelief. If a person is convinced of his or her own sin but does not know the truth of God’s redeeming work in Christ, fear will hinder them from going to the Savior.

• Grief. This is sorrow so great that a person is broken and suffocating in sadness. Such a person is so weak and blind they have neither the energy nor sight to find their way to Christ.

• Evil. This is when Satan grips a soul so tightly that the person is being strangled by wickedness and he or she knows only that Christ is an enemy.

God equips mature believers with the Spirit so they can be effective ministers of intercessory prayer. In this way those called to this ministry will bring those in need of reconciliation to Christ. And Christ will hear and answer.
Paul wrote, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18).

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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Creatures Of Routine – Friday, August 16th, 2019

We are creatures of routine. Most of us have a morning ritual that helps us get ready for our day. During the holidays we look forward to celebrating family traditions. We will frequent the same restaurants, watch reruns of our favorite television shows or see movies we enjoy more than once.

Traditions and routine give us a sense of comfort and security. We applaud routine and traditions in our daily lives; however, when the church offers us tradition and routine in worship we call it boring.

Each Sunday the order of worship is a ritual that helps us make our ascent into the presence of God. The liturgy chosen for the week is a part of the greater church calendar, which helps us to understand the special seasons of the church. The sacraments are the means of grace that draw us ever closer to God in Christ through the Spirit. These traditions and rituals of the church increase our awareness of God, let us see our own sinfulness and receive the comfort and assurance of the forgiveness Christ offers each of us through His work on the cross and the eternal life won for us in His resurrection. And it is the Holy Spirit who uses the Scripture readings, the traditions and the rituals of the church in worship to grow us deeper in faith in God in Christ.

Paul said, “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter” (2 Thessalonians 2:15 ESV).


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Small Changes – Thursday, August 15th, 2019

A friend made a slight alteration to a typical chocolate-chip cookie recipe. She substituted coconut oil for ordinary butter. The oil infused the dough with a light flavor of coconut, which made the cookie special. The swap between butter and coconut oil did not change the appearance of the cookie; anyone looking at the cookie would think it was chocolate chip. Only a sampling of the cookie revealed the change in flavor.

When I became a Christian the Holy Spirit infused my sinful nature with the Holy nature of Christ. I was still a sinner, but I was a sinner saved by grace. My outward appearance did not change; friends were still able to recognize me. However, inwardly, my heart was changing. At first, I found it difficult to detect the changes the Holy Spirit was making to my life. Then, slowly, I began to realize my old behaviors were not acceptable to God. When I became angry, the Spirit awakened a remorse in me over my anger. I was still impatient with others, but the Spirit made me aware of the damaging affects impatience had on my relationships with people and God. And the Spirit was teaching me to use my tongue to encourage others and honor God.

I have a long way to go, but the Spirit will continue to change my heart, and one day I will “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).

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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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God’s Word Program – Wednesday, August 14th, 2019

Completing tonight’s reflection presents a challenge for me. I am without Internet access and must write and post from my phone. I can only imagine the number of mistakes I will make without my Word program helping me with spell check and grammar.

This challenge reminds me of how difficult it is to lead the Christian life without consulting God in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit in His Word.

God has given us His Word in the Person of His Son and the Holy Scriptures. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”

When I try to lead the Christian life without reading Scripture and being taught by the Holy Spirit, I cannot tell if I am walking in the light of God’s truth. However, when I consult the Scriptures and call on the Spirit, then God leads me into all truth.

Use God’s Word program, and let the Spirit illuminate your hearts and minds with the truth of Christ’s life, death and resurrection.

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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Facing Mortality – Tuesday, August 13th, 2019

As a child I dealt with unpleasant happenings in my schedule, whether it was a big test at school or a dentist appointment, by looking forward to something enjoyable. I thought this was my own coping technique.

Then I read through the last conversation Jesus had with His disciples just a few hours before His arrest and crucifixion. His words were not only about His coming suffering and death but also about the resurrection life. Jesus is teaching His disciples about the eternal life that awaits Him after the unpleasantness of death has passed. He looks forward to His glorious resurrection.We all cope with death. Whether we are facing our own mortality or the loss of loved ones, death is agonizing.

But Christ helps us cope with death by offering us the same hope He offered His disciples when He said, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). When we focus on Christ’s risen life and His eternal life in the kingdom of God, we no longer need to dread the unpleasantness of death; instead, we can focus on the wondrous, glorious eternal kingdom of God offered to us through faith in Jesus Christ.

Christ came into the world so He could die on the cross to save us from sin and death. Then through the power of the Holy Spirit He was raised to life, so that in Him we might also have life. Death has been overcome by life. Now that is worth thinking about.

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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Chronic Ego Flare-up – Monday, August 12th, 2019

There are days I get Chronic Ego Flare-up (CEF), a condition in which my ego starts screaming for attention. My whacked-out ego seizes my thoughts and badgers my mind with rantings, grumblings and complaining. Suddenly, I am debating myself about my pay scale at work and whether I am being paid what I am worth. Or I am eager for credit for my smallest accomplishment. During this time I even wonder if I was put on earth to do much greater things than coach. The issues that come to my mind are not usually things I think about except when I am having a CEF attack.

My inflated ego means I have decided to govern my own thoughts, words and deeds and to ignore the claim Christ has on my life. In other words, when my ego goes postal I am staging a coup against God for control of my life. I have yet to discover what triggers these flare-ups; I do know the remedy is Christ’s cross.

As my sinfulness escalates, God in Christ shows me His cross. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, I am made aware of Christ’s sacrifice on my behalf. The Spirit awakens me to Jesus’ absolute submission to God and the glory the Son brought to the Father through His death on the cross. After Judas left the Passover meal to betray Jesus, Jesus said to the disciples, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him” (John 13:31).

When the Spirit leads me to Christ’s cross, my ego is abased; then I submit to God’s authority over my life.
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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Had Enough! – Friday, August 9th, 2019

In 1 Kings 19:1-9, the great prophet Elijah flees for his life from Queen Jezebel. He is tired, overwhelmed and afraid. He finally sits down under a broom tree and prays, “I have had enough, Lord. Take my life.” Then he falls asleep. An angel comes to him, not once, but twice, with bread and water. At the second visit, the angel says, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” Strengthened by the food he could travel for many days to safety.

Most of us have days when we have “had enough,” and we can’t seem to find the strength we need to overcome the fatigue of daily life. We might try remedies such as vacations, the snooze button, comfort foods and so on to no avail. Instead we must find our strength as Elijah did in bread and water.

Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35). Jesus Christ is the sustenance God provides for us each day so we can be strengthened to continue this journey of life. When we pray and praise Him He comes to us with the food of His Word and the water of life, His Holy Spirit. When we feed on His Word and drink from the well of the Spirit of life, we are empowered and strengthened by God in Christ to continue on our journey.
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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Learn To Walk – Thursday, August 8th, 2019

This morning as I tied my shoes and prepared to walk, I let a bright, clear sky convince me to add two miles to my usual route.

Walking each day keeps my heart strong, builds my stamina and gives me endurance for my daily routine. Walking also gives me some time alone or allows me an opportunity to contact friends. Walking meets my needs physically as well as emotionally and even spiritually.

Scripture lays out the ways that we are supposed to walk with God. In 2 John 1:6, John encourages us to “walk in obedience to His [Christ’s] commands” and that we should “walk in love.”

Jesus told His listeners to “walk in the light” (John 12:35 NLT) of God’s revelation so they would not be overcome by the darkness of ignorance. God told the prophet Micah that the people of Israel must “walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever” (Micah 4:5). And God reminded Solomon, “If you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life” (1 Kings 3:14).

It is the Holy Spirit who teaches us to walk in love and obedience to God. Through His power our souls are filled with the good things of God, and we are energized to do the work of the kingdom God has called us to do in Christ.

Take a walk with the Spirit, and keep your heart strong for God in Christ.
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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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A Weary Mind – Wednesday, August 7th, 2019

Since getting off work this afternoon, I have been sitting mindlessly in front of the television. I have watched three episodes of N.C.I.S and an episode of Parks and Recreation. I did manage to get my haircut and go to the grocery store. The work week has made my mind tired.

I loathe a weary mind because it diminishes my ability to focus. In spite of my inability to discipline my thoughts, God will bring discipline to my mind. Scripture says, “So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace” (Romans 8:6 NLT). On nights like this, when I struggle to form a coherent sentence, the Spirit of God will still keep my mind and thoughts attuned to Christ.

When I can’t trust my thoughts because my mind is weary, I will trust the Spirit to guide my thoughts. When my mind is fatigued it does not have the mental energy to fight off sinful thoughts. However, because I have faith in Jesus Christ, He sends His Spirit to guard my mind and thoughts against the guile of the sinful nature. When my sinful nature wants to fill my mind with hostile thoughts towards God, Christ sends His Spirit to subdue those thoughts and keep my mind centered on God.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” (Luke 10:27).
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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Know The Relatives – Tuesday, August 6th, 2019

Tonight I enjoyed myself at a party. What I enjoy most about a party is the stories people share. One friend told of the humorous pranks he played on co-workers. Another friend told of her frustration with technology and retail stores. There were stories about vacations, siblings and children. Each story gave me a deeper understanding and appreciation for my friends.

Stories remind me of how fortunate we are to have the Bible. The men and women of the Scriptures are our ancestors in the faith. In the pages of Scripture, we can read not only about the victories of King David on the battlefield but also about his infidelity with another man’s wife. We hear the story of Lot’s escape from Sodom and Gomorrah just before the cities were destroyed by God’s wrath. We meet Hosea, who was sure to have heard whispering behind his back, since he married a prostitute. There are the adventures of Paul and, of course, the accounts of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

When we gather for church on Sunday, we come to hear God teach us through the stories of our progenitors. Through the people of the Bible, God reveals Himself and His love for us in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit uses the stories in the Scripture to give us a deeper understanding and appreciation for God in Christ.

Get to know the relatives; through them, we learn about God, His work in Jesus Christ and His ongoing work in the world through the Holy Spirit.
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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Meandering With God

I didn’t have to work today, so Sally and I went to Chicago, met a good friend and spent the day meandering down the lake front, taking pictures in Millennium Park and strolling in and out of designer stores on Michigan Avenue. We talked, we walked, we shopped, we ate and we enjoyed being together. Spending time together deepened our relationships with one an- other.

God calls us to spend time with Him. Unfortunately, we rarely give God a thought before quickly scarfing down a Pop- Tart and rushing out the door to begin our day.

Even if we do get some quiet time with God, it is rarely without interruption; we often spend the minutes making men- tal lists and thinking about all we have to do. Basically God is absent from our noisy days and quiet moments.

We need to find ways in our day to meander through the Gospels with our Lord and listen to Him teach us through the Spirit. We need to stroll through the Psalms with Christ, so He can teach us to pray. We need to read with Christ God’s promises in the Old Testament, so the Spirit can show us how Jesus has fulfilled them through His work on the cross. We need time free of interruptions to strengthen our faith and deepen our relationship with God in Christ.

“Yet the news about Him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear Him” (Luke 5:15).

Be among those who hear Him.
Photo by Kevin Rajaram


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Count Words – Friday, August 2nd, 2019

I am frustrated. I am frustrated at God. I have been banging on my computer keyboard for well over an hour, but I have no reflection to show for it. My day was fine until this point. I started with church, had a nice visit with my sister at my neighborhood pool, went for ice cream with my daughter and even talked with my mom. So I was certain in all this ease that the reflection would be easy to write.

I don’t know why I think God owes me a reflection. He owes me nothing. I owe Him. I owe Him more respect than throwing a hissy fit because the reflection isn’t finished when I want it to be. I owe Him my admiration for putting up with me when I am in this foul mood. I owe Him my gratitude for sending His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world. I owe Him my thanks for letting Christ bear on the cross my burden of sin and death. I owe Him my life, because His Son secured my salvation and redemption with His blood. I owe Him all that, but I can’t pay Him. Instead, He sent Jesus to pay my debt, so I could be reconciled to God through Christ.

Tonight, while I was being a jerk about this reflection, He was loving me, forgiving me and administering His grace to me through the power of the Holy Spirit.

“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Photo by Yingchih Hao


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Take Me Out To The Ball Game

Today I am heading to a baseball game. I grew up playing baseball with my dad, who taught me everything I needed to know about the game. Eventually, I became a pretty good player.

When I became a Christian, God used a baseball analogy to give me my first understanding of the Trinity. I compared the Three Persons working together for the salvation of the world to a baseball organization. At that time, God the Father is the General Manager of the team and responsible for all aspects of the organization. Next, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, who lived among us, is the manager and involved in the daily decisions of the game and the welfare of the players. Finally, the Holy Spirit, who still resides in the world today, is the third-base coach. He receives directions from the manager and flashes them to the batters, so they know what to do. All three, the GM, the manager and the coach worked together to achieve team victories.

Sure, the analogy is simplistic and might not stand up to theological scrutiny. However, baseball was what God used to get me thinking about the mystery and work of God in Three Persons. All Three Persons worked together at the cross, brought Christ’s victory over sin and death, raised Jesus to life and secured salvation for mankind.

God uses the simple things in our lives to teach us His profound mysteries. Jesus said, “I have spoken to you of earthly things” (John 3:12).
Photo by Tim Gouw


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Luminaries – Wednesday, July 31st, 2019

Tonight, we will experience a rare cosmic event: a blue moon. With the weather cooperating in northern Illinois, we will be able to see with little difficulty this second full moon of the month of July. Two full moons in one month will not happen again for three years.

Of course, a blue moon isn’t really blue: The lunar orb will maintain its usual characteristics. It will shine in the reflected light of the sun, still be its normal yellow and white and will trace a path from horizon to horizon across the night sky.

Christians should be like a full moon shining in the world through the reflected light of the Son. We should be filled with the Holy Spirit so that our actions and words reflect the integrity and characteristics of Christ.

Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds” (Matthew 5:16). When the Holy Spirit reflects Christ’s light through our lives, then we become His luminaries in this dark world. By the power of the Spirit, our light illuminates the darkness and shines on the cross so others will come to know the salvation of God.

When the light of the Lord is reflected in our lives, then the world will see the accomplishments of God in Christ bringing redemption and reconciliation to all mankind. Believers filled with the Holy Spirit light paths in this world so that others can see Christ and know the saving grace of God.
Photo by Cerqueira


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Butting Heads

Lately, I have been butting heads with some of my gymnasts. They have stubbornly refused to conform to my expectations for the team. They ignore my warnings to work out safely, and, instead, practice unsafe gymnastics. Their resistance to complying with my instructions makes me grouchy. Every day when these athletes arrive at my event, I know I am going to be beating my head against the proverbial wall trying to get them to listen.

This morning I decided to stop trying to change them and let God change me instead.

As Christians, we sometimes butt heads with others because we want them to conform to our expectations. And if a person doesn’t see things our way, well, frankly, we get a little cranky. We tend to insist that people bend to our way of thinking. Not surprisingly, this usually creates walls and resistance from others.

We need to be in the world as Christ was in the world. He said, “I have set an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15). We shouldn’t want people to think like us; we should pray people will be open to God in Christ.

We can’t change anyone; the process of transforming a life belongs to the Holy Spirit. However, we can let God in Christ transform our own hearts and minds. When we open our lives to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, then our lives testify to the transforming power of the Spirit.

Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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This Is Love – Monday, July 29th, 2019

My good friend became engaged today. Her happiness is evident in the words she writes and the pictures she posts on Facebook. My heart, and the hearts of all her friends and family, are overflowing with joy for her and her fiancé. We all want to dance, sing and celebrate the love these two have for each other.

When we find love in the world, we have found God in the world. Where love is, God is. Love is from God, and love is the nature of God. Scripture says, “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16). If we know love, then we know God. Love is God, and He cannot be separated from it.

When we choose to love one another, we are testifying to God’s love in the world. We can love one another only because God’s love comes to us through Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. And it is through Christ’s strength of love within us that we can love one another. Scripture also says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

God loved us through His Son Jesus Christ, and when we love one another we are revealing Christ’s love for us. “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us” (1 John 4:12).
Photo by Nathan Dumlao


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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A New Path

I met two cyclists riding in the park this morning who invited me to join them on their ride. They were going to take two laps around the park road before heading back to the bike trail and home. I have biked on the park road for years, but these two fellows took me down a path I had never noticed before. It was a beautiful stretch of trail through the heart of the park. After ten years of riding in the park, I thought I knew every trail. Obviously, I was wrong.

Sometimes I read Scripture without really paying attention to the text. That is true especially when I read familiar passages. I glide over them thinking God has already taught me what I need to know from those passages. I rush over the words, not even pausing, because I am certain I know the lesson God will teach me. However, I have come to realize that even in the familiar texts the Spirit will show me a new path to a deeper understanding of God.

Scripture says, “For the word of God is living and active” (Hebrews 4:12). The risen Christ remains the teacher of His Word, and the Holy Spirit applies His teaching to my heart and mind. Together the Son and Spirit expose my sin, give me new insights into the cross and draw me more deeply into the knowledge and presence of God. These Divine Persons show me God’s beautiful heart and everything He has done for me and the world through Christ.
Photo by Lili Popper


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Inclusive Language – Thursday, July 25th, 2019

According to someone (the ambiguous they in our country’s leadership), each of us must use words that are politically correct when speaking to others. The same thinking has been adopted by the church, but the church calls it inclusive language.

So, in keeping with the prevailing attitude of our time, I would like to share with you the most inclusive word in the English language and all languages: sinner, which applies to every one of us. Paul wrote in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And again in Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through One man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.”

I find it interesting that in our quest for inclusive language the word “sinner” is disappearing from our churches.

When the church draws attention to our sinful human condition it proclaims the message of equality and salvation for all. Sinners are all equal in God’s sight, and they are gathered together by the Holy Spirit on the ground of redemption at Jesus’s cross to receive Christ’s grace and salvation.

The church must preach the doctrine of sin and the doctrine of redemption through Jesus Christ so all people can be healed of sin and reconciled to God.

God has given His church the message of equality and inclusion: “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people” (Hebrews 9:28).
Photo by Jason Leung


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Many Travel With Us – Wednesday, July 24th, 2019

For the first time in its thirty-eight-year history our gymnastic club had an athlete compete in an elite-level championship meet. This milestone was accomplished through years of dedication not only by this gymnast and coaching staff but also by other coaches and athletes who shared their knowledge and experience with us over the years. In other words, we didn’t do this alone.

As Christians, we are also surrounded by other believers who help us on the journey of faith. Some of our fellow believers are still in our lives; others have gone on to the kingdom, but their work and writings still influence us. Hebrews 12:1 refers to those who have inspired us by their faith as “a great cloud of witnesses.”

The Christian faith is difficult to live in the world. We cannot do it alone. The Father, Son and Spirit are always working in our lives, and God uses believers from the past and the present to enlighten us as we travel on this journey. The Bible is full of people like us, who struggled to live a life of faith in this fallen world. Through Scripture, the Spirit uses their experiences to teach us the deeper things of God. Martyrs, pastors and theologians have also shared their wisdom of and insight into God. Through their stories, we are encouraged and strengthened to “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Divine Journey – Tuesday, July 23rd, 2019

The context of John chapter 13 is the Last Supper, when Jesus and His disciples gather for their last meal. As it was being served, Jesus leaves the table, removes His outer garment, wraps a towel around His waist and washes the disciples’ feet. After this John writes, “When He had finished washing their feet, He put on His clothes and returned to His place” (John 13:12).

This particular sentence in John seems to foreshadow coming events in Christ’s life. The final days of His earthly life are coming to an end. The Son of God came to earth wearing the clothing of man, His outer garment of flesh wrapped around His divine nature. Very soon, however, He will be clothed in sin and death on the cross, where God’s Servant will complete God’s work of salvation.

Once His reconciling work was completed, God removed His shroud of death, and by the power of the Holy Spirit raised Him to life.

The shroud of death removed, Christ put on His glorious raiment of the resurrection. “The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power” (1 Corinthians 15:42-43).

After He had risen, He returned to the heavenly kingdom to take His place beside God. “After the Lord Jesus had spoken to [the disciples], He was taken up into heaven and He sat at the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19).
Photo by Heidi Sandstrom


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Lean Time – Monday, July 22nd, 2019

Right now my faith seems a bit thin. What I mean is distractions rule my prayer time; Scripture study yields few insights into God; and my ears seem deaf to the Spirit’s voice. I consider my faith life bland.

Not long ago, the opposite was true. Scripture study was productive; my prayer time was alive; and I could readily tune my ears to God’s voice.

I have experienced living in plenty with the Spirit. However, staying encouraged when faith appears to fall on lean times with the Spirit is difficult.

As I wrestled with this issue of want of Spirit, Paul’s verse in Philippians 4:12 came to mind, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

Usually this verse is viewed according to physical needs; but it applies to spiritual needs as well. Right now I am living in want of the Holy Spirit. God put this want in my life so I will hunger for Him and desire the abundance of Christ.

Still, I fight God when my faith seems to lack the bounty of the Spirit. Instead I must learn to be content, accepting all things as a gift from God. The Spirit’s work in my life is up to God. Faith means willingly accepting whatever comes to me from the hand of God.
Photo by Steve Halama


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Obey Without Condition – Friday, July 19th, 2019

Tonight is a night for quiet. Politicians have been speaking incessantly since the Orlando tragedy. Reporters have editorialized every aspect of the investigation. Talk show hosts and radio hosts have asked experts an untold number of questions. Neighbors asked neighbors about the shooter’s motives. Questions are flying everywhere. We talk and talk and talk, trying to find answers, but the answers won’t come to us through human agencies.

So tonight I urge you to sit in quiet and listen to what really matters. Hear the cries of those mourning. Tune your hearts to the sounds of those weeping for their loved ones. Be attentive to the sounds of suffering around you. Listen to the world groan.

And, then, hear God say, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Know that God’s Son, Jesus Christ, was One who suffered. Know that the Only Begotten of God agonized on the cross to take away our sin. Know that His mother, Mary, stayed at the foot of that gruesome cross weeping for her son. Listen to God groan for the world.

The Orlando tragedy, like all tragedy, will leave us with more questions than answers. Why does man do what man does? Why did this man do what he did?

And then ask God to answer this question for you: Why did One Man, Jesus Christ, die on a cross? God desires to answer this question for you through the Scriptures and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Listen to God through His word, and you will find the answers to all your questions.
Photo by Mike Labrum


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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What We Have Not Yet Realized – Thursday, July 18th, 2019

When we express time in our finite experience, we use words such as sooner, later, yesterday, tomorrow, today, earlier, or after. However, the Scriptures refer to infinite or immeasurable time. Time came to my attention while I was reading a verse in John. Jesus is washing His disciples’ feet but Peter objects to His servitude. Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand” (John 13:7).

Our faith lies between what we “do not realize now” and “but later you will understand.” When something happens in our lives we want to see what God is doing now. We don’t want to have to wait until later to understand. For us, later is like tomorrow; it never comes. So we grow discouraged in our faith. We pray and wait, and still we hear, “You do not realize now what I am doing.” Jesus wants us to be focused on who He is, not what He is doing and when He is going to do it.

Jesus came into measurable time so He could reveal to us immeasurable God. On the night He washed the disciples’ feet, He knew His earthly time was almost over, but His immeasurable life in the eternal kingdom was about to be revealed through the resurrection. His time on earth would end in death on the cross. His life in eternity would continue through the resurrection. Jesus, the Incarnate God, tasted death; Jesus the divine Son of God never dies. Because He lives, Jesus is the object of our faith now and the hope of what we do not yet realize.
Photo by Niklas Hamann


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Life Without Fear – Wednesday, July 17th, 2019

Facebook had a story about the rescue of a trapped golden retriever. The scared animal fought being rescued. At one point the rescuer said to the dog, “I’ll come to you.” He came close, scratched her nose and then could free her.

Like the golden retriever, we get scared, especially with all the violence we have heard about lately. This world has us run- ning and hiding. We want a safe place, but we fight being rescued too.

God has come to us in the person of Jesus Christ to deliver us from the fears of this world. Jesus said, “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me” (John 6:38). Jesus is familiar with the violence of this world. His own disciple, Judas Iscariot, betrayed Him to the Pharisees, who used false testimony to accuse Him of re- bellion against Rome and blasphemy against God. They took Him to Governor Pontius Pilate who turned Him over to be cru- cified on a cross. The violence of this world tried to stop Him from rescuing us, but God conquered sin and death by raising Christ to life.

Still we fight God and want to reject Christ’s cross. But for those who believe, Jesus is our Deliverer and our shelter from this world.

Christ empowers all believers with the Holy Spirit, so they can live in the world without fearing it.
Photo by Sammie Vasquez


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Christ’s Power – Tuesday, July 16th, 2019

Folding bath towels is one of my least favorite household chores. But today the monotony of the task was interrupted by thoughts of Christ’s wrapping a towel around His waist and washing the feet of His disciples. What struck me about this scene from John chapter 13 was that the author had just commented, “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power” (3). Jesus knew He had power, and He exercised that power by washing the disciples’ feet and drying them with a towel.

Let’s look for a minute at what He didn’t do with His power. He didn’t strike down Judas Iscariot, who was about to betray Him. He didn’t exercise His power to reroute His course to the cross. He didn’t use His power to wipe out the Roman soldiers who would arrest Him. He didn’t throw lightning bolts or whip up a huge storm to send Jerusalem into chaos.

He used His power in the most dramatic and compelling way; He used it to show His disciples the “full extent of his love” (John 13:1).

On the cross, Christ used His power from God to love His disciples. He used His power of love to destroy sin and death. He used His love to bring His disciples forgiveness and unite them to God. He used His power to open the eternal kingdom of God to all who believe in His name.

Christ’s disciples in every age are shown the power of His love.
Photo by Edward Cisneros


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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How And What To Say – Monday, July 15th, 2019

There are many times I say things I wish I hadn’t. But words trip off my tongue and out of my mouth before I have a chance to stop them. Lately, I have tried to be deliberate about my word choices, speak carefully and think first. I have had minimal success.

Today I came across this verse in John 12:49: Jesus said, “For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.” Jesus wasn’t just talking about speaking the words the Spirit had given Him; He was talking about the attitude with which He was to deliver His words. Jesus relied on the Spirit for the content of His words and the attitude of delivery.

There were times in His ministry that He delivered His message in a “loud voice” (John 7:37). I would guess that on the day He cleared the temple, His words were shouted over the noise of the chaos. When He spoke with the disciples at the Last Supper, His words were filled with sadness. On the cross, though at times barely audible as He gasped for air, His words were delivered with mercy. And when He was raised to life and stood before the disciples in His risen glory, His voice was full of joy.

As disciples of Christ what we say and how we say it must be given to us through the Spirit.
Photo by Ilyass SEDDOUG


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Put People First – Friday, July 12th, 2019

I had planned to memorize Scripture on my walk this morning. However, I talked with two friends instead. After church I had planned to write, but had a nice visit with my niece and mom. After that visit, my mom and I ran errands and took an unexpected trip to Bed, Bath and Beyond to pick up a clock radio for my aunt. When we finished the errands, I had some time for lunch and then went to feed my sister’s dogs because she is out of town. After keeping the dogs company, I had two nice phone conversations with friends.

Jesus Christ put people first during His ministry on earth. “A large crowd came to [Jesus], and He began to teach them” (Mark 2:13, see also 1:45, 10:1). As His follower, I am called to put people first in my life.

Everyone I spent time with today taught me something. I was blessed to see the world through the eyes of my 10-year-old niece. My aunt showed me how to struggle with physical afflictions with grace and dignity and humor. And my friends open my eyes to new ideas. And all of them showed me how God was supporting and sustaining them in their day.

We learn about God when we share our days with people, and we learn about people when we share our days with God.
Photo by Rémi Walle


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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The Joy Of Relationships – Thursday, July 11th, 2019

I have had such fun today. Before the rains arrived, I walked for two hours, biked for an hour with my sister and then sneaked in another walk with my neighbor. I talked to some friends who were having a garage sale and spoke with a neighbor I hadn’t talked with for several months. I am going to the Starlight Theater with my family to watch my niece in a performance of Mary Poppins. Everything today revolved around relationships, and it was fun.

I thought about the joy and celebration that awaits us in heaven. There will be no hindrances to relationships. We will be free to see Christ in all His glory and the Father in all His fullness. Paul says, “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:4). The Spirit will wrap us in the eternal essence of love. That calls for dancing and singing and rejoicing.

When we are reunited with God in His eternal kingdom, we will know this unbridled joy. I am looking forward to that glorious day.

“They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away” (Isaiah 35:10). What a glorious day awaits us!
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Do A Job Right The First Time – Wednesday, July 10th, 2019

A few months ago my husband bought new tires for our car. Things were good until recently when the car started to shake and shimmy on the highway. So he returned to the garage where he had purchased the tires. The mechanic did several hundred dollars’ worth of work to the car. It did not fix the problem. My husband has been back three times trying to get the job done right. Instead of fixing the problem, the mechanic has now made the fault ours. Now it seems to me the garage is trying to take advantage of us. I am done with this garage.

I get tired of jobs not getting done right the first time.

I find solace in knowing God did the job of dealing with my sin right the first time. He does not have to go back to redesign His plan for salvation. The work is finished and completed in Jesus’ death on the cross. When Christ died for our sin, He died for the sin of the entire world: all the generations of history have been saved through Jesus.

Paul wrote, “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives He lives to God” (Romans 6:9-10).

God’s work of salvation, redemption and reconciliation was done right the first time in Jesus Christ.
Photo by Aarron Norcott


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Stay Connected – Tuesday, July 9th, 2019

The smoke detector for the upstairs hallway of my house is sitting on my printer. I need to replace the battery. So, currently, it cannot detect smoke. If a fire breaks out in my house, the detector would not give its shrill cry and alert my family to potential danger.

I am reminded that God has given us a sin detector in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, there are days when I disengage from the Spirit, behaving in ways unacceptable to God and rush into potentially dangerous spiritual situations.

However, the Spirit convicts me of my sin and then brings me to Christ in whom my “transgressions are forgiven” (Psalm 32:1). He fills me with remorse for my sin against God and then brings me to Christ, who “create[s] in me a pure heart” (Psalm 51:10). He shows me how sin separates me from God and then opens my eyes to God’s reconciling work in Christ.

I am powerless to detect sin in my life unless I stay connected to the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit leads me to the Scriptures and shows me in the word my areas of weakness. He calls me to pray and sit with Him so He can warn me about places in my life where I am vulnerable to sin. He fills my heart with gratitude for Christ’s saving work on the cross and leads me to repent before God.

Listen for the Spirit’s warnings.
Photo by Federico Beccari


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Feelings vs Faith

At this time, the shooting of Kate Steinle, allegedly by illegal immigrant Jose Ines Garcia Zarate in San Francisco, California, has put the city’s sanctuary policy under attack. We can argue over this policy; we can debate illegal immigration and we can accuse politicians, including the president, for do- ing nothing to secure our borders, but none of this rancor will ease the pain of the Steinle family.

Policy will not change the reality of Kate’s death for her friends and family. They are suffering. In fact, the world is suffering. We need only to look at the news in the past few weeks to see how deeply we are suffering as a nation. But our politicians can do nothing to ease our suffering and pain.

However, someone has the power and has done something about our pain. God sent His Son into the world so He could come together with us in our suffering. Jesus Christ came to suffer with us and then to suffer for us on the cross. In Jesus Christ, God came to earth to join us in our suffering and to overcome our suffering at the cross. By faith we triumph with Christ over suffering. Just as the Holy Spirit lifted Jesus’ burden of suffering by raising Him to life, so the Spirit will also lift our burden of suffering and raise us to life in Christ.

If we have received comfort from our suffering through Christ, let us comfort others through the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds us that God “comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:4) others.
Photo by Tom Pumford


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Believing A Lie – Friday, July 5th, 2019

The world tries to convince us we are not sinners. Many people today are believing this lie. Scripture, however, is very clear, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Unless we recognize our sin we will not recognize our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit dwells in the world to expose our sin, which is not the terrible thing we think it is. God exposes our sin so He can reveal our Savior. Each time God shows us our sin, He presents His Savior. There is no time lapse or lag between the time the Spirit exposes our sin and the time the Spirit reveals our Savior. Sin exposed; Savior revealed. Sin exposed; salvation offered through Christ. Sin exposed; Christ carries sin to the cross. Sin exposed; sinner set free from sin and death through the sacrifice and blood of Jesus Christ.

God does not expose our sin and leave us dangling in guilt and remorse. He immediately responds with the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. He shows us our sin so He can show us Christ’s dying on the cross to set us free from our sin. He shows us Christ so we can be saved.

All sinners “are justified freely by [God’s] grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).
Photo by Siora Photography


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Free Indeed – Thursday, July 4th, 2019

As we celebrate America’s freedom, most of us have traditions that more than likely include family, friends and fireworks. Picnics and parades are organized. People gather together in public areas eagerly waiting for the sun to set and the night sky to fill with dazzling firework displays. We don’t mind that each July Fourth is similar to that of the preceding year, because we think it is important to celebrate freedom.

Each week on Sunday we have an opportunity to celebrate one of those freedoms. We are free to worship without fear of persecution. Soldiers have died to secure that right for us. Mothers have buried their sons and daughters who sacrificed their lives on the battlefield so we could attend worship. Fathers have carried home the folded flag that draped across the coffin of their fallen children. We say we remember those who have shed blood for our freedom to worship, but we don’t really re- member unless we are living with the empty rooms.

How many Christians will honor the dead by exercising their right to worship this coming weekend? Who will attend church and honor the fallen Son of God who died to set us free from sin and death? Jesus died to save us, and others died to give us the right to worship Him freely. Exercise your freedom to worship. Go to church. Thank God for His Son, and pray for those families who have lost their loved ones so we could gather to worship.

“If the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).
Photo by Samuel Branch


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Dreams And Visions – Wednesday, July 3rd, 2019

Last weekend I had a delightful conversation with a high- school graduate. With great energy and enthusiasm she described her dreams of going to college and becoming a teacher. Young people, between the ages of 18 and 25 who are making plans for their futures fascinate me. Their visions and dreams are pure and untainted by the realities of life. Their words are seasoned with passion and intensity.

As we grow older, we tend to let our dreams fade. Realities have made us tired, and we think that dreaming requires too much work or effort. Yet life is empty without dreams.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God fuels us with dreams and visions. We live in the day of the Risen Lord, and because He is alive among us, His Spirit remains in the world, filling believers with the vision and dreams of God. In Joel 2:28 God says, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.”

All who believe in Jesus’ resurrection and the Spirit are filled with the eternal life of God. When God fills us with His dreams and visions they are not just for this world but for the world to come. Our dreams will not fade because our bodies grow weak or tired. In God we will always be dreamers, and He will make those dreams real through the Spirit.
Photo by Johannes Plenio


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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A Break – Tuesday, July 2nd, 2019

The news never stops was part of an advertisement for a local talk-radio station I heard this afternoon. This station was assuring its listeners that even when they are asleep the reporters are awake covering everything that has happened during the night. Personally, I liked the old days when radio and television stations signed off the air from midnight to six the next morn- ing. Those silent six hours gave us a break from the world. I am speculating, but I think we slept better.

Around-the-clock-news coverage oppresses our psyches. The spirit of the world uses the news media to burden our lives with fear, conflict, struggle and turmoil. We are weighed down by the ongoing stories of violence, greed, and disorder. As we listen to the media drone on about the world’s problems, we become acutely aware of our weakness and inability to provide solutions for the issues.

However, God has equipped Christians to deal with the world: He has placed the life of His conquering Son into our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus overcame the world in the resurrection. His triumph over the grave proves His power to save the world. When Christ lives within us He silences the world and teaches us to live above its fear and despair. Then He ministers to the world through us.

1 John 4:4 encourages us: “The One Who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
Photo by Daria Nepriakhina


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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A Pleasing Aroma – Monday, July 1st, 2019

My daughter wears many different fragrances, but her favorite is Adam Levine for Women Eau De Parfum. When she sprays it on, a sweet, light scent fills her room and wafts gently down the upstairs hallway in the house. When I smell that clean, delicate scent, I know she is going out for a special occasion.

In John 12:3, Mary washes Jesus’ feet with a very expensive perfume. As she pours the fragrance on her Lord, the aroma fills the house. I would imagine it was an intoxicating and wonderful smell to those in the house. This perfume was also used to mark a very special and somber occasion. According to Je- sus, “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial” (John 12:7).

Spices and perfumes were used to cover up the odor of decay in dead bodies, but in the case of Jesus Christ His body would never “see decay” (Psalm 16:10). So the perfume Mary poured on Jesus was symbolic of the “pleasing aroma” (Leviticus 3:16) His sacrifice for our sin was before God; and it was the fragrance of the resurrection life, which the Holy Spirit would bring into the world after God raised Jesus to life.

When by faith we accept Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for our sin and receive eternal life through the Spirit, our life becomes a pleasing aroma to God. When we follow Christ, we receive His fragrance of life through the Spirit.


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday –
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Coming Together – Friday, June 28th, 2019

It has been a wonderful weekend of catching up with
friends. We have sat together at tables and talked about memories
from the past, learned about what is happening in our lives
currently and even spoken about current plans.

When we come together with Christ at the communion table,
we share a similar experience with God. At the table, Christ
shows us the sin in our life. He reminds us that He died on the
cross to forgive all our sin, and then He opens our eyes to what
life should continue to be through the Holy Spirit’s guiding and
directing our steps.

The communion table is the sacred place where God and
man come together in Christ. At the table, Christ calls us to
remember His sacrifice for our sin. He invites us to break bread
with Him so we can remember that He broke the chains of our
sin and has set us free from death. When we come to the table,
we honor Jesus because we keep His request to “Do this in remembrance
of me” (Luke 22:19).

At the communion table, we quiet our hearts before the Father,
humble ourselves before Christ and receive the friendship
of God through the Holy Spirit.

Come to the table.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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As It Was Before – Thursday, June 27th, 2019

Chris and I were invited to attend a surprise fiftieth wedding
anniversary party for our friends who live in eastern Kentucky.
We live in northern Illinois, and the last time we were together
was more than 20 years ago, so our presence at their party was
unexpected. It was great fun to celebrate this occasion and reconnect
with them. As with all good friendships, we felt the
time evaporate, and we talked as though we had seen each other
only the day before.

One day, Christ is going to return. Matthew 24:50 says,
“The master will return unannounced and unexpected” (NLT).
That day will be a glorious celebration for all believers. We will
be united to God in Christ through the Holy Spirit. We will enjoy
the fullness of God’s presence, and that which we lost in
the garden because of our sin will be restored to us.

When Christ comes and takes us with Him into the fullness
of the kingdom it will be as though we had never left the Garden.
Everything will be as it was before our rebellion. Jesus
showed us how completely He will reconcile us to God in the
miracle of the withered hand (Matthew 12:13), and when He
restored another man’s sight. (Mark 8:25). Jesus showed His
power to restore completely when He was on earth and when
He returns the next time He will restore the world to its original,
perfect condition.
Phot by Harli Marten


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Rain. Sin. Cross. Saved. – Wednesday, June 26th, 2019

Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. There has been nothing but rain at
home for the last two days and much of June. This morning, my
husband, Chris, and I headed for a long weekend away from
home. And, guess what? Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. We drove in
rain all day. I can’t seem to drive far enough to avoid this wet
intruder that continues to disrupt my plans.

Sin. Sin. Sin. Sin. Like the rain, it just keeps coming into
my life. It is an intruder that disrupts my days and keeps me
awake at night. It causes me to do things that I don’t want to do,
and it prevents me from doing the things I want to do. When I
sin, I am ignoring Christ’s work of salvation. In other words, I
am not letting Christ be my Savior.

Cross. Cross. Cross. Cross. I must take my sins to the cross
daily. I need to meet my Lord in prayer and allow Him to
cleanse me of my sin through the work of the Holy Spirit. I
must allow Christ’s work on the cross to thwart my sinful nature.
I need to meet Jesus in His Word so He can teach me about
His sacrifice for my sin. I must ask Christ to empower me with
His Spirit so I can live a godly life and leave my life of sin
behind.

Saved. Saved. Saved. Saved. “But when the kindness and
love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of
righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy” (Titus
3:4-5).
Photo by reza shayestehpour


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior –
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Never Too Late – Tuesday, June 25th, 2019

It’s seven o’clock in the evening and the first time today the sun has come out. It has been a day full of rain and clouds, and I have been cooped up inside. Now as the sunlight comes through my window, I think, What a waste to have sunshine now. It will be dark shortly. But the sun will come out when the sun will come out. When it shines isn’t up to me.

The lateness of the sunshine made me think of the thief on the cross next to Jesus. His punishment indicated he had wasted his life in violence. The man admonished the criminal on the other side of Jesus, “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve” (Luke 23:41). He then acknowledged Jesus’ innocence and said to Him, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42).

As Christ hung on the cross, He shone the truth of His saving grace into the man’s heart. His death saves all people who believe in His atoning work. The forgiveness, salvation and reconciliation Christ offers the thief He extends to all through the Holy Spirit.

From an earthly perspective, it looks as though the Son arrived late in the man’s life. However, through His death, Jesus secured the man’s eternal life. The time of transforming a life belongs to the Son, and it is never too late for the Son to shine.
Photo by Andrik Langfield


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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A Humble Person – Monday, June 24th, 2019

Tonight’s Bible study centered on this passage, “Blessed are those who are humble, because it is they who will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5 ISV).

We often think of a humble person as one who doesn’t seek attention. He or she possesses talents and gifts but are modest about them. A humble person does not lack pride; instead, he or she recognizes the greatness in others.

The book of James says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). He opposes the proud because pride acknowledges the self as sovereign. Pride is the belief in one’s own worth, merit, and superiority. Pride looks at Christ’s cross, sneers at Jesus’ sacrifice and resists the work of the Holy Spirit. Pride tells a person that his own worth and dignity make him fit for the kingdom of God. God opposes the proud, because the proud are opposed to everything that is God.

A humble person, however, acknowledges the sovereignty of God. To be humble is to believe in Christ’s worth, merit and superiority as God’s Son and Savior. People who are humble recognize God’s greatness and through the work of the Holy Spirit learn to live under Christ’s authority. They live in sub- mission to God and allow the Spirit to work freely in their lives. The humble receive God’s grace through Jesus Christ.

Jesus showed us how to live a humble life under God’s authority through the Spirit; let the Spirit dwell in you so you can live a humble life before God.
Photo by Ben White


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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The World Can’t Help – Friday, June 21th, 2019

This morning’s Scripture reading at church was the story of young David slaying Goliath. King Saul had placed his armor on David, but it was so bulky David could not move easily. Instead, David armed himself with the power of God, five stones and a slingshot. David told Goliath, “All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give all of you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:47).

David stripped himself of every encumbrance. He moved toward His enemy with confidence in God and the simple weapons God had made available to him.

When problems arise in our lives we go to God, but before the last word of our prayer has been uttered we clamor to the world for solutions. However, the world’s solutions are like Saul’s armor, burdensome and clumsy. They are no help.

When problems arise in our lives, God offers us Himself through the power of the Holy Spirit. Regardless or our circumstances, God asks us to be like David and strip ourselves of all but faith in Him. In Jesus Christ, God sheds the world from our lives and gives us grace and freedom to move through our problems with Him.

It does not matter what enemy we face; God battles for us. He fills us with the confidence and faith of Jesus Christ, so we can confront our foe with the certainty that victory is ours through the Spirit.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Being Full – Thursday, June 20th, 2019

Because of recent heavy rains the neighborhood swimming pool has risen even with the concrete pool deck. It looks like an infinity pool. It is difficult to know where the deck stops and the water begins.

Fullness gives us a different outlook. When a meal fills us up, we appreciate the way food satisfies our hunger. When our homes are full of family and friends, we are content. Meaning- ful work fills our days with productivity.

When we think of ways to fill our lives, we should also be thinking about filling our lives with God. Paul prayed for the Ephesian church that the members would know the depth of Christ’s love, and he said, “to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19).

Our frame of mind and our vision of life are transformed when God in Christ fills our hearts. When God fills us He gives us His Spirit “without limit” (John 3:34). As God saturates our hearts with His Holy Spirit, we have immeasurable love for God and one another. We have an ample supply of Christ’s peace, His peace, “which transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). When the fullness of Christ dwells within us, we are forgiving, gracious, and truthful. Our minds think of ways to praise Him, worship Him and enjoy Him.

Being full of God is being full of Christ and His love.
Photo by Etienne Girardet


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Christ’s Clean Hands – Wednesday, June 19th, 2019

When the shooting in the Charleston, South Carolina, church was first reported, Americans expressed outrage and remorse for such a senseless act. Today reporters gave us glimpses into the lives of those mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, sisters and brothers who were killed. And a drape of sorrow covers the land.

However, grieving family members have risen above Dylann Roof’s hatred by offering him forgiveness. The love of Christ that had drawn the victims to church has now been manifested in the world through their families. Their words are those of the Savior who said, “Father forgive them” (Luke 23:34), as He hung on a cross dying for all sinners.

By living out their faith in God and by extending the forgiveness of Christ to Roof these families have overcome hate. They are people of great sorrow, pain, and anguish through which the light of God’s love now shines in the world. They have shown the depth of their commitment to the Lord by living according to His Word. Their message is full of the power of the Holy Spirit, “But I tell you: Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44).

Have you been wondering where God is during this time? He is abiding with the grief-stricken families and revealing Christ’s loving presence to the world through them. Through their suffering, Christ is made visible in the lives of these families who have chosen to “do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27).

“Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8).
Photo by Cerqueira


Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
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Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day
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Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior –
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Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday –
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