Random Thoughts

1. This weekend is Friend’s Day at People's Church. INVITE EVERYBODY YOU KNOW! God is going to change a lot of lives this weekend!

2. This weekend we need 200 people who normally attend the 10:30AM service to attend the 9:00AM service to free up as many seats as possible for all of our guests. Thank you so much.

3. I'm 3-0 in one of my fantasy football leagues and 1-2 in the other two leagues. I need to get to 500 this week in those two leagues. It's a big week for my teams.

4. OU Sooners should crush Colorado! Go Sooners!

5. Today, the family and I are going to get some work done around the house, and later today, we are going to go get something to eat and chill out. Tiff and I may rent a movie and just veg out.

6. October 1st is Monday. This year is flying by.

7. I LOVE MY LIFE! It's so awesome to wake up everyday and get to do what I love to do and have a great family to do it with.

8. My wife is not pregnant with twins :). Some of you fell for that last week. I know, I'm a funny guy!!!

What I'm Excited About

1. I'm excited that I'm forgiven of my sins. There are times when I'm working throughout the day, and I start to think about what my life would be like without Christ. It would be a complete mess. Christ has made all the difference in my life. Jesus has brought life-change, stability and wholeness to my life.

2. I'm excited about my wife and kids. I love them so much. They mean the world to me. It's such an honor to be in love with my best friend and to raise our kids together. Life doesn't get any better than this!

3. I'm excited about the staff I get to work with on a daily basis. Recently, we made the switch to working through an executive/management team. This team consists of three people, Josh, Brian and myself. Josh is my Senior Associate and runs the church and staff. Brian is my Programming Director and runs every aspect of our weekend services. Between the two of them, they are running People's Church. This has been such a great transition for me and for People's Church. I've also given more responsibility and power to my assistant, Erin. All three of these folks are doing a great job!

4. I'm excited about our church family. It's truly amazing to pastor a church that wants to reach and disciple as many people for Christ as possible. It's awesome to pastor people who are kingdom-minded instead of self-centered. It's phenomenal to see so many of you serve in a ministry every week. You make People's Church what it is today. It's so rewarding to see lives changed on a daily and weekly basis. Every week people give their hearts to Christ in 1 and often in all 5 weekend services. We constantly receive and hear testimonies about how God is changing people's lives. I'M EXCITED!

5. I'm excited for Friend’s Day this weekend! IT'S GOING TO BE A RECORD SETTING DAY! INVITE EVERYONE YOU KNOW! We need 200 of you who attend the 10:30AM service to attend the 9:00AM service this weekend. WE NEED AS MUCH ROOM AS POSSIBLE TO REACH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE!

When Life is Busy.....

1. Stay focused on God

2. Maintain a great attitude

3. Stay focused on your priorities

4. Delegate things that others can do for you

5. Remember that 20 percent of what you do produces 80 percent of the results

6. Say no to good things so that you can do the great things

7. Make time to take a break

Don't MISS Friend’s Day this weekend! WE NEED 200 PEOPLE WHO ATTEND THE 10:30AM SERVICE TO ATTEND THE 9:00AM SERVICE THIS WEEKEND! IT'S GOING TO BE A HUGE WEEKEND!

My Wife

1. Is a great mother to our children.

2. Is such a hard worker.

3. Is my best friend.

4. Is my lover.

5. Is incredibly sweet.

6. Is the best thing that ever happened to me outside of Christ.

7. Is so sexy.

8. Is God-fearing.

9. Is very intelligent.

10. Is a gift from God.

Weekend Update

1. We concluded God, Love and Sex with my wife and I talking to the church. We shot a video in our home and titled it Behind Closed Doors. Thanks, Cameron and Brian, for a job well done on the video.

2. My wife is really as sweet as she appeared on the video. Tiffany is the sweetest and kindest person I know. She has such a passion for Christ and a very tender heart. I THANK GOD FOR A GODLY WIFE. Thanks, Tiff, for doing the video with me. YOU'RE THE BEST!

3. 19 people gave their hearts to Christ! I love watching people surrender their lives to the Lordship of Christ!

4. The Oklahoma Sooners are looking mighty good and so are those Dallas Cowboys! By the way, my 0-2 fantasy team finally got a win!

5. This coming up weekend is going to be huge! It's our Friend’s Day weekend. Our goal is to have 2126 people in attendance. Our highest attendance so far is 2125. INVITE EVERYBODY YOU KNOW! I think we could beat our goal by a long shot. Lots of lives are going to be changed by the power of Christ because you made the effort to invite EVERYBODY YOU KNOW!

6. Nip/Tuck........Plastic Surgery For The Soul begins this weekend. The title is Stress Reduction. We all deal with stress, and we all need to know how to biblically deal with it. THIS MESSAGE COULD LITERALLY BE A LIFE SAVER FOR SOME OF YOU!

Random Thoughts

1. For the first time in the 5 year existence of People's Church, MY WIFE and I will be sharing with you about what we have done to create a great marriage. You will really enjoy hearing my wife's perspectives and advice.

2. Last week I won in two of my fantasy football leagues and lost in one. In one league I'm 0-2. SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE IMMEDIATELY! I love football season!

3. My wife and I are going to watch the OU Sooners play Tulsa tonight. We are going to chill around the house and SHOUT GO SOONER A BUNCH!

4. Get plugged into a Community Group. You need some Christian friends! You need to be cared for! You need to care for others! You need Christ followers to do life with! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'VE BEEN MISSING OUT ON! Get plugged in THIS WEEKEND!

5. We are beginning a brand new series next weekend called Nip Tuck....Plastic Surgery For The Soul. This is going to be a great series. Don't forget Friend’s Day is next weekend as well. We are going to set a new attendance record at People's Church by having 2126 (our highest attendance so far is 2125). INVITE YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY! INVITE EVERYBODY YOU KNOW! God is going to change a lot of lives through Friend’s Day!

Organizational Communication

I am a strong believer in communication. I believe healthy organizations have great communication, so with our staff at People's Church, we practice the art of communication. You might be asking yourself, "What does communication look like at People's Church?"

1. We tell team members very clearly what we expect out of them and what their role on the team is. You don't work at People's Church and wonder what is expected of you. We communicate it loud and clear.

2. We tell you if you are meeting expectations. We have quarterly reviews, and we tell every team member if they are meeting expectations.

3. In every quarterly review, we tell team members what they need to improve on. They don't have to guess or wonder about what areas we are expecting growth in.

4. We are quick to tell team members that they are doing a great job. If someone is hitting the ball out of the park, we will tell them. I personally send emails and verbally tell team members who are flat out getting it done that they are doing a great job.

5. We have a very candid and confrontational environment. If we even sense an attitude problem, a confidentiality issue, a disloyalty issue or anything else that could be detrimental to the health of People's Church, we will pull you aside immediately and nip it in the bud or get to the bottom of it. We also have a zero tolerance policy if we find out a team member has been disloyal or broken confidentiality. One strike and they’re out with the quickness.

6. We argue in executive meetings and staff meetings. I don't mean yell, but we do voice our opinions and thoughts very freely and sometimes strongly. We have created an environment where everyone in the meetings opinions matter, and we want to hear it. Getting all the opinions and ideas on the table is a good and healthy thing.

My Kids Continue To Change

1. Cale, my 3 year old who will turn 4 in December, is getting tall. He talks so good. His favorite thing to say to me is, "Daddy, will you play with me?" This morning when he woke up, we came out into the living room and he immediately asked me, "Daddy, will you lay by me?" VERY AWESOME!

2. Cade, my 2 year old, is starting to talk where you can understand some of what he's saying. His favorite thing to say is, "I luv yoou, daad." Cade is by far our most affectionate kid. He loves to hug and cuddle and say I love you. He's like his dad, he's a lover not a fighter :). Okay, maybe not!

3. Caris, my 1 year old, is really growing like crazy. She's not walking yet, but she is crawling everywhere and is pulling herself up. Walking is right around the corner. Caris has been the most challenging child thus far. She is very strong willed like her daddy. She is a very pretty baby, and she loves to smile. I love having a little girl. It makes daddy's heart melt.

4. This morning I'm watching cartoons with all three kids. This morning they are having some daddy time.

5. We just found out that Tiffany is pregnant with twins.

6. Just kidding. Have a great day!

Some Lessons Moses Has Taught Me

1. Waiting on God can be very difficult.

2. Waiting on God is always the best choice, unless you want to live on the back side of the desert for years.

3. God develops us while we are waiting on Him.

4. God is more interested in what's happening in us than through us. Your gifts can take you places that your spiritual and personal development can't keep you, so wait on the Lord.

5. When God wants to get our attention, he can. Do you remember that thing called a burning bush??

6. Even when you blow it, God still has a great plan for your life.

Weekend Update

1. I have never seen our church laugh as hard and as long as they laughed this weekend. The message was on sex, and the churched loved it. Some people who have grown up in church all of their lives told me that they had never heard a message on sex. The church must talk about the subject of sex. The church can't just talk against it, we must also talk about it.

2. A huge thank you to some of you who had been attending the 10:30AM for moving to the 9:00AM and some of you to one of the Saturday night services. You're incredible! WE STILL NEED MORE OF YOU TO MAKE THE SWITCH to free up more seats. WE ARE GROWING! GO GOD!

3. There were 40 people who gave their hearts to the Lord this weekend! We have seen 152 people surrender their lives to Christ over the last month. THAT'S AWESOME! There is rejoicing in heaven when just one comes home!

4. People's lives are being changed constantly. We are not into growth just for growth sake but for life change sake. The more we grow means the more lives that are being impacted by the power of the Gospel. We are going to show a powerful life change video this weekend!

5. Tiffany will be joining me for this weekend’s message. The message is called Behind Closed Doors. Tiffany and I are going to open up and talk about what marriage is like in the Cooper home. The good, the bad and the ugly. God is going to use this talk to transform marriages and empower future marriages. Don't miss it!

Random Thoughts

1. This week my family and I spent the week in Springfield, MO. I had the privilege of speaking at Evangel University for their spiritual emphasis week. Every semester the university sets one week aside to focus the students spiritually. It was a great week with the students. I actually graduated from Evangel so it was great to see some old friends, professors and coaches. It was also great to see one of my heroes, President Dr. Robert Spence. He was very instrumental in my early days of ministry. Thanks, Dr. Spence, for believing in a young college student!

2. This weekend is Bringing SEXy Back. Invite everybody you know. We're going to have a wonderful time learning about how to have great sex. You really don't want to miss this weekend.

3. We need many of you who attend the 10:30AM to free up seats by moving to the 9AM or to one of the Saturday night services. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

4. I lost in two of my fantasy football leagues. BUMMER! I'm going to win in all three leagues this week.

5. I'm tired! Whenever I speak out and still have to be prepared to speak on the weekend at PC, it wipes me out. I did this because it was my alma mater, but I won't do this very often.

6. I ate bad this week and slacked off from the gym, and I can feel it big time. I'm going to eat extremely healthy this next week and hit the gym hard. There's something about being away from home that causes me not to eat like I know I should.

Teamwork

1. As Maxwell says, "One is too small of a number for greatness."

2. I am only as good as the team around me, and boy DO I HAVE A GREAT ONE! I MEAN THAT!

3. I get a lot of credit for the growth of People's Church, and of course God gets all of the Glory, but a lot of the credit belongs to the great team that God has assembled around me.

4. God has helped me to surround myself with leaders instead of followers. Leaders help LEAD the organization. Leaders build teams around them. Leaders stay true to the vision and direction of the organization. Leaders can handle power and delegate authority. Leaders are secure, so they attract other leaders. Leaders strive to make the organization the best it can be. Leaders are loyal.

5. I don't know half of what goes on at People's Church because I've surrounded myself with great leaders who take care of business. I trust my leaders because they have earned my trust. Remember, trust is earned not automatically given. You can't act like a fool and expect the leader over you to trust you and empower you. If you're with a secure leader, when you prove yourself trustworthy and competent, they will empower you to lead.

6. As someone once said, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” If you're trying to accomplish your dreams without a team, you are fighting an uphill battle. You need to let God do a work in your heart because “one is too small of a number for greatness.” BUILD A TEAM, AND THEY WILL BUILD THE ORGANIZATION!

What Would You Do...

1. If money wasn't an issue.

2. If you overcame your fear.

3. If you stopped procrastinating.

4. If you pursued your dream.

5. If you conquered laziness.

6. If you weren't paralyzed by rejection.

Hey blogging friends, you can do it. Go for it! Shoot for the stars! Live a life of no regrets!

If We Are Here To Win & Train The Lost, WHY....

1. Do churches argue over the color of the carpet?

2. Do churches argue over whether to sing hymns or choruses?

3. Do churches spend all their energy arguing over denominational dogma?

4. Do churches think their competition is other churches?

5. Do church people feel so uncomfortable hanging out with the un-churched?

6. Do church people invite their already churched friends to church?

7. Do pastors get so excited when the already churched attend a service?

Weekly Update

1. God is really changing lives and marriages through this series God, Love & Sex. There was an awesome presence of God in all five weekend services. I love to feel God's presence!

2. 44 people gave their hearts to Christ this weekend! That's awesome! That's incredible! God is a forgiving God!

3. Volunteers, you do a great job making guest and regular attenders feel welcomed, loved and cared for. A big thank you to all of you who are serving in a ministry. YOU ARE THE REAL HEROES!

4. A super big thank you for those of you who normally attend the 10:30AM service for switching to the 9AM service. We are already growing like crazy this fall, BUT THE BEST IS YET TO COME, so thanks for freeing up seats in the 10:30AM and even in the 12PM so more people can connect with God! I'm so grateful to pastor such an incredibly kingdom-minded church. WAY TO GO!

5. THIS WEEKEND, I'M TEACHING ON HOW TO HAVE A GREAT SEX LIFE! You don't want to miss this weekend for anything. My title is Bringing SEXy Back. INVITE EVERYBODY YOU KNOW TO HEAR THIS MESSAGE!

Random Thoughts

1. New Orleans Saints got clobbered last night by the Colts.

2. I started Drew Brees in on fantasy league, and he was horrible.

3. WE ARE GROWING, so we need 200 people who attend the 10:30AM service to begin attending the 9:00AM or Saturday night services. Thank you church family.

4. Invite someone to attend church with you this weekend.

5. I'm excited about what God is going to do through the message this weekend titled Help My Marriage Stinks Pt. 2.

6. My wife and I went on a hot date last night. I love Tiff more and more everyday. I MARRIED WAY OUT OF MY LEAGUE!

7. I hit the gym hard this week. I want to be spiritually and physically in shape. BOTH TAKE DISCIPLINE AND EFFORT.

8. I'm hanging with my family today. Right now, Cale and Cade are laying in bed with me, and we are watching Handy Manny. I'm jealous of Manny because I'm not handy at all!

9. It's awesome waking up everyday and getting to do what I love to do. I love being the pastor of People's Church. Church family, I love you and pray for you constantly!

What I Learned

I went to lunch with a pastor friend a couple of days ago. Here are some things I gleaned or was reminded of during our conversation.

1. The team you surround yourself with is very important.

2. The people closest to you will determine your success.

3. You must have a team you can trust.

4. You must always keep learning. We never arrive.

5. Don't get off focus.

6. Develop the team you surround yourself with.

7. Community is a major key to a healthy church.

8. You must hear from God for the church you lead. There is no formula to reach your community. Being led by the Holy Spirit is key to your success.

9. You must have mentors in your life who stretch you.

Excuses People Make

1. If I had more money, I could accomplish my dreams.

2. If I had a different building, I could accomplish my dreams.

3. If I was older/younger, I could accomplish my dreams.

4. If I knew the right people, I could accomplish my dreams.

5. If I had more staff, I could accomplish my dreams.

6. If I lived in a different state, I could accomplish my dreams.

7. If I didn't have this one major problem, I could accomplish my dreams.

8. If I had the talents they had, I could accomplish my dreams.

The only thing that's stopping you from accomplishing your dreams is YOU! I'm not going to look back on life saying, “What if I would have,” and you shouldn't either! QUIT MAKING EXCUSES AND GO FOR IT!

Extended Weekend Update

1. We had a great Labor Day weekend! 34 people gave their hearts to Christ. That's two weeks in a row that 34 people gave their lives to Christ. I thought that was cool to have the same number two weeks in a row. THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!

2. God, Love and Sex is really making an impact. I can sense the Holy Spirit working in the lives of people and marriages. My prayer is, "God, have your way in marriages. Restore, heal and mend broken marriages. I praise you and thank you in advance for life change!"

3. The Sooners won this weekend! Go OU! NFL football starts on Thursday night! I'm so excited for football season. My wife and I may even go watch a high school football game this fall.

4. I spent Labor Day with my family. We hung out around the house during the morning. Then, we went to a pizza joint for lunch. Then, we came back home and relaxed. I snuck away for a Starbucks coffee and read the newspaper while the kids were napping. I couldn't believe it, but ALL the kids took a three hour nap. THAT NEVER HAPPENS! They must of known it was Labor Day. After naps, I took the boys to a playground, and we had a blast sliding, swinging and just hanging out together. WE CALL IT BOY TIME!

5. BEGINNING THIS WEEKEND, we need 100, really we need 200, people who attend the 10:30AM service to begin attending the 9:00AM or one of the Saturday night services. God is blessing us with a TREMENDOUS season of growth, and we need to make seats available for first time guests who need to connect with Christ. You guys are always so unselfish and willing to do whatever it takes so that we can continue to reach more people who are far away from God. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PASSION FOR PEOPLE! I LOVE YOU CHURCH FAMILY!

6. This coming weekend the title is Help, My Marriage Stinks Pt. 2. Don't miss it for any thing!