John Cooper: Awake and Alive to Truth

The agent and the promoter of the gig. So hey we want you to know you guys could we think could be the next biggest band in the world. You've got to stop talking about Jesus. Don't do Christian shows don't do Christian interviews don't do Christian radio and so we said you know what. Not only are we not going to deny Christ really get louder for Jesus.

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A question for you.

I can't have you ever been in a situation where if you denied Christ.

It would be a good thing I could be a bee again like if you just deny him like say I'm not a follower. When I am okay came to my mind describe it is that I setting you up for something that you gave my life to Jesus. Maybe this is what you're thinking. I just gave my life to Jesus, I'm in high school, and 16.

I know no other Christians. I've never gone to church. I start reading the Bible and it is changing my life and so I collect my best friend anygreen Bible and I'm reading the Bible every day in the study hall and so here I am again telling about what Jesus says in the Bible and I pushed my Bible over to her and she looks at me she goes and she's whispering to himself think that Jesus Bible and she takes all these pages in my Bible and she rips them out and Michael and I was so mad and so upset and I thought lose this friendship.

I'm totally gonna lose it, and I went home and I started paying us a Jesus.

I must be missing something up because I wanted her to want to know you but I must be doing something wrong.

That would make her not want to know you open the Bible and I come to Matthew five where it says blessed are you who are persecuted for my namesake but I lost that friendship. She didn't want have anything to do with me and I wasn't gonna dumb down my faith and not talk about it because he was my everything, but there's more to the story that we can tell later. Yeah because she is a back your life later but the reason I ask you the question users were sent there were John and Cory Cooper was to say the front men and women of skill and I guess there's a front man, which is job you guys when I even watch you on stages with looks like tens of thousands of people out there recoated. I guess and see a husband and wife are bleeding all these young kids in songs glorify crisis can be sort of fun to do. That is, is America born hole absolutely means fun for me what is over 12 million albums, it's really crazy and it's funny because most people still don't know skill is called the reason I was there like that is going to face them thinking they're looking at me like maybe they think they know me about don't know what to say on I'm never presumptuous. I don't know to do some just like I was there – make you think you are and I'm like probably not.

You will never rise though they always think I'm where I'm an MMA fighter, which I like it when they think more like you always think I'm somebody but not me. And then I'm like no I'm sorry I'm actually about play bingo skillet until it was a called him like, don't worry about people ask why had you come up with any people do us that and is a question that I'm always asking myself why did I know that you first started we were all from different bands and those I saw my pastor John think that you would work good with this other guitar player from this other man that he seduces her side project and write some songs even goes good to be like talking take all these ingredients from different things and thrown a big skillet in the selected duties color skillet funny like yeah okay well you won't last long way. Five years later on, like like you know what don't be ration your decisions before you commit to a thing.

God's teacher really lesson about not being rationed anyway so loving skill, but it was the 90s and everybody remembers the 90s knows the dumber the band the cooler the van right Nirvana. That's not a great corn and then all the bands with the numbers. There was like being like and I was all like third eye blind users like random numbers or letters blue 286 say stuff you put it together so it's like playing guy is a Christian might find that Matthew. Matthew six and have a log in my own blog I you do for you little country song about you as you start out you know with the band skillet. Did you know then you would end up selling and selling out arenas of me was that always the dream did it happen quickly, we certainly you certainly hope it will appear very optimistic about where you could go to. I mean he just given up playing music. So he was just happy that to give it back to him and you think you're going to cut a real the world to think the so-called ideal world changer which means you know you are a couple years in the van you like. Maybe this is what all all that was just fine. Like I'm I'm content whatever God has for me helluva doors and then it starts getting big in your opening real. So when we finally got to place where we are big. It took us years to catch up with eggs. We are still in in the van mentality of like this is getting away soon. I don't think this is really like ugly duckling syndrome like the girl that was a pretty and that she was really pretty in college, but she never believes that there was like us with what music you like you guys are so a lot of like I don't think we are but it kinda got big and we still didn't believe it, because we had 10 years of fallible men with five records before we sold a lot of records and 13 years before you Radiohead you know and still to this day we we've never had a Christian AC Radiohead not not a single one will be played to Vegas I'm out there was never number one gave the most was I just kept growing and growing and growing to an agreement ragweed and so is it a funny story but I think it's just for us. Of course you hope it's going to be big, but for us to be hundred percent honest, I didn't even mind being in the van.

I'm a lot and love it but it was like it's not about that. It's about the message and I know that sentence is easy to say but it was true. It was about the messages about the fact that the God can use music to change people's lives with his music softens people's hearts because it gets into your emotions. You open to hearing what that person has to say. Which is why music is so dangerous as well. We have kids listening to the most godforsaken lawless music. There is sexual revolution Museum and I want to know the words are yeah but it is getting in there.

I absolutely believe that the enemy works like that through art, but art does not belong to the enemy. Everything belongs to the Lordship of Christ.

So we should be making art that brings the art world back into subjection to the feet of Christ right so I do believe that music can be used like that so we didn't really care.

There's only 3050 people coming to shows and because some of those people were getting saved in some of these people were there.

They were the people that you go like I don't know floor to break it on the pecan you did and it was so wonderful to see it happen and then God just Blessing it was kind of weird on the guy was in the band that you know never made it on the front man of the daydreamers is not still not that you are super hot. When I was in middle school she was there for other girls and flipped my hair over play my guitar so we never made it so you know, as I pick up your book, which is just an awesome book awake and alive to the truth by John Cooper you open I think you call preshow where you tell the story about an agent who came over to you as you are starting out you were big yet. I guess you're sort of big but you know it's interesting discussion that he says if you deny Christ, you're really going to be rich and famous right tell us that story because it's really interesting what went through and it was the both of you making a decision.

Yeah, I think what was interesting was story.

I did decide to open the book with it because I was thinking a lot of people maybe to get their hands on this. Won't know who I am. Maybe they will understand why I am writing this. This was the first and best example I had of what I started realizing really, how deceitful the enemy is and what I think the enemy is really done a good job. Unfortunately, our culture and Christian culture right now, twisting the truth and basically we were at the time we had a song that was just sitting read your first 113 years or career, it was starting to hit we are on a massive tour. We were the opening band there's three other bands all platinum artist and so there was an after show bowling party and they said hey all the bands are invited and truthfully I didn't want to go because we had kids and they went on things I am and we couldn't hang out but I didn't want to be a Christian band that never has any fun with anybody else. I'll go bowling just show them that I want to be buddies and I leave early, but why was there some I said hey John. The call out to me. I could not believe they knew it was because these were big important people in the rock world. These were radio people there promoters, agents, and this was what the agent and the promoter of the gag I really knew my name you know and they said hey we want you to know watch the show. You guys can we think could be the next biggest band in the world and I was flabbergasted at how well I think you could be the next biggest in the world.

You guys need to strike while it's hot. He said okay. Is that all right went, what were you thinking right now. I just I was just like wow that's just crazy.

I don't know what he means by strike when it's hot but I'm strong here strike strike baby okay sounds good and he has this look on his face like I don't think this guy gets it and he's right. I didn't get it. I just was like cool and he's like Unicenter saying is that the man you know he could tell it to know what he's talking about a ghost look to say to strike is nobody else is gonna he said here's the deal skillet you have the songs you have the look you have this Cooper positivity about your music rock 'n' roll is just now looking for positivity and you guys have it, he said, to be honest. Spirituality is a people are looking for that immediate rock music for the first time in decades. The race faking it but you actually have it. You got girls in your band that used to not be popular now is popular and you been doing it for a long time is like I'm telling you, you could be the biggest band you've got to stop talking about Jesus. Don't do Christian shows don't do Christian interviews don't do Christian radio. Don't talk about being a Christian band because it makes you seem like fake rock 'n' roll. Not if a Christian makes you seem like Diet Coke, is that a Coke right I was there staring like. Oh well, okay, I see what he said but then he went to this blessing is that I would've this sort of thing saying but look, I'm nothing to deny Christ. Just deny Christian music as a title, don't talk about it and in then he said late think about the good that you can do in the world if you don't talk about Jesus, you can help the poor. You can be positive. You can tell people to be good people any sectors that music everybody likes Bono do it. Bono does everybody likes Bono and he said imagine the good you could do for Jesus. If you had a lot of money, you can do that later and so this is why I started the book with this. What is the book is about relativism. It's about the absolute truth of Jesus Christ never ever changes the world is telling us that truth is not absolute and this was the first time that I'd heard that sort of mammy that was deceptive right and I was like the kind of is true. I mean I could just be positive and then later talk about Jesus that he's not wrong in what you say I can't just gain a bigger platform and how many ways through that and that's right.

And he was giving me quote good advice to be godly advice. It was good advice. So I started that story to say that basically that was a life changing moment for me, not because it change I was as life-changing as it made me aware of what the enemy was doing and and we made a decision Corey and we talked about it, we we just knew right off the bat.

This isn't the Lord God brought back the Scripture to my mind, if you confess me before men, I will confess you before my father, but if you deny me before men, who that's that's frightening to me and so we said you know what.

Not only are we not going to deny Christ really get louder for Jesus because this thing that's happening that the devil is doing is ripping our young people off and to such a degree that so there are so many people that say they are Christians who I think think they're Christians, but we don't know do they you actually know Jesus. Do they have a relationship with Christ is the fruit of repentance or not and it's a scary place. And so it's time I believe for Christian platform people, celebrities, artist influencers, it's time for us to be very clear about what the gospel is and that's why I wrote has a beautiful story. Cordy, do you remember that conversation. I mean, was there any capitation habitation. Maybe we should or was it just as soon as John came in and said here's what this guy said was it an easy decision yeah I would say it was an easy decision if some. He says to you yet.

Just I Christ it's obvious and we would be like now. In fact, now you want to shadow ladder because he try to get us to deny it yet but sometimes it's the subtle seats which I, it's like in Genesis like in the garden when the enemy comes to even it's like to dad really say and he kinda spends it to where she believes that God is withholding something good from her even though she's walk with him and I think that's kind of like a message for us in our daily lives. If it was obvious we know we wouldn't do it, probably, but he comes in subtly and were called to daily obedience right so I think the Edenic is it really that bad. Say you know I do know the can answer them today.

While it is this God led you to just today today not look at it right so the daily obedience of things is how you grow in your relationship with God and have to be super radical in the daily stuff because to disobey is send like it and if there's good that we know we should do.

We don't do it that for SSN as well.

I don't understand forgot have regrets right to stand before him.

Everything can be clear like why did I do that are why did I let me know that anxiety ruled me or defy me or why did I why was I still get a bitter towards my husband because he did hurt me like there's stuff you just gotta let go and it's in the daily coming before God. The daily repentance, you know, so that something like that.

I mean for us. We knew even doing music in the rock world.

It's like you are going into enemy territory. So even as going a rapturous it's like some people have gotten as far away from God as they could and then you show up and they're like oh there's a Christian man.

Here are a lot of times we get your players in advance Blake I say you guys soon as I can use group you know and you're like okay not interact to her. They got as far away from it as they can and you show up. That's how God does you know there's there's not darkness that's too dark for him to show up. And so, like all right what we arty know on enemy territory. We just need to be very very clear and we need God to lead us and we need wisdom. So when John came back as like this smells like the enemy because he's even trying to paint a and a good way, like oh wow you can't wait to see a bigger influence, and then you can come out to Jesus stuff like now this this feels a compromise for us and were just not going only QB had he made the decision to be famous.

Emily hated that it's okay to say that when it's in terms of your love is that yeah I mean I even said that in the interest the book is like what if we didn't make that decision. You know what what I think with Cooper honestly could have happen is unfortunate. What I see happening with so much of of Christian leaders right now which is very much a watered-down gospel that is so tame that the world doesn't hate it is just friendship with the world. I always want to be friends with sinners, but I'm not looking to make peace in terms of what what I believe are not looking as like hey don't worry about what Jesus says about a B or C or D because I know that feels mean to you. So we ignore it. I think what we have now is such a watered-down version of the gospel. The best way to say it is that the world is kind of comfortable with Jesus as Savior, but they are not comfortable with Jesus as Lord. I think we could see that happening. By the grace of God that didn't happen which are so very thankful for. But I do have a load of friends that are fallen into that trap and it just happens. With a little bit of his Corey said just like even the garden happens with a little bit of I think my ideas might be a little better than God's really is what it is is that I think it might be a better way to evangelize than what the Bible says I think of a better way to show that what sin really is than the Bible takes you down to a bad place. We are seeing the fruit of it now in the church today. You're listening to Damon and Wilson with John and Cory Cooper of the band skillet on family life to. We are more of their conversation in just a minute. The first, as you can imagine, we've had to make some tough choices again this year. Like everyone else were hoping that through the generosity of people just like you, we can continue to reach your home and all the homes that need help and hope for the relationships that matter most. This is an especially unique and critical time of year to donate because we've had some friends of the ministry come alongside us and offered to double your monthly gifts for 12 months up to $300,000. It's when you become a monthly partner right now that means you give $25 a month. The impact is actually the dollars a month you get the idea. On top of all that I just mentioned.

When you give this month as our thanks to you, will send you a bundle of resources including two books, one is called a lifelong love by Gary Thomas and the second is called, not part of the plan by Kristin Clark and Bethany field who are guests earlier this week on family life. So, become a monthly partner have your gift doubled every year impact families for the glory of Christ, and get a bundle of books. It's a win win win win win. You can give right now@familylife.com or by calling 1-800-358-6329 that's one 800 F is in family L as in life and in the word today. I know back to Damon and with John and Cory Cooper and the temptation to hide our faith as Christians, all of us followers of Christ are tempted almost daily to be quiet or deny me when I can have an agent come up to us and say hey this is your future if you do this, but the compromise is not an airplane on how many times it be so. Some guy don't know any yes the simple question so what you do and there's many times go through my mind you, I could say for years llama pastor or on the chaplain Detroit Lions there's there's been a timer to where I didn't want to offend the guy, so Mike I do marriage stuff for your pro athletes which is true. I afraid to acknowledge in front of some guy I don't even know and will never talk to again sometimes you know we we in a subtle small compromise, deny, and who knows where that little thing really I am sick of a story when I was in seminary our president Ron Jensen told this story on their forget this is decades ago about being on an airplane. He's the president of this theological seminary sit beside some guy businessmen are just hit it off talk and have a great time laughing. He said there were 2030 minutes and were really enjoying each other and all of a sudden the guy asked Ron. Hey. So we do for a living rises on the president of a theological seminary in Southern California in the Gallegos white tell me again what you do on the prison of the seminary that develops Christians are going to ministry and he says this guy looks at ghost. Julie did tell me Christian and he's all mad like dude I like you. You're cool where you're not wanted. It was all in one site. You tell me your Christian owner forget Ron just as I sat there I look back at him because I turned in my go to tell me I just went on he goes.

I turned on my go you realize I'm forgiven of all my sins what you got to realize a ghost drive, a purpose and a destiny in my life that Jesus can make what you have, you realize that my marriage is based on the rock Jesus Christ. I know I married a going what you got. He was, I just went combative. Compelling. This is why this is what I got what you got egos literally the guy after about a minute of that look at Windows while I guess I really don't have much to laugh and I've never forgotten her thoughts so often were so soft and we want to be gentle and I get it. We do we want to be tactful and loving the people, but to be bold and to stand up Sam to do the opposite, or deny I'm good gonna proclaim boldly my Lord and Savior as and when you said you not just my Savior but my Lord is in control my life, and man I want. I want to compel you by the love of Christ to the same guy that's pretty powerful what you've done with your platform and you are compelling listening to you and a lot of times we hear stories, even in our own lives. Like I gave my life to Christ even like me like I'm to follow Jesus. No matter what. If my friend doesn't like me.

I don't care to follow him. Even I still have that white hot love and passion for Jesus and while that truth never is an increase I think people are listening.

Like how many like Ethan believers a long time. Most dear life will thank you and likewise a man been meeting so many people like you guys like us. So many people with the same fire in the same zeal and it's been so amazing. I think the times we are and also are making more people aware egos almost like you know you just a second ago we do will be nice. Of course, but we are Christians of been kind of playing by rules in the game that the world is not really playing by right now right. If I salsa down the plane the person next to me in no way is embarrassed to tell me about how much they hate Christianity or how much they hate traditional marriage Morelli hate XYZ.

They're not embarrassed at all about pushing what I was called like a humanistic atheistic agenda I'm playing by the rules like just be nice and lovely like you know what maybe is the time for that. Look what it's producing in this space are young people are young people are completely untethered from any sort of absolute truth, any sort of absolute morality and what is okay but in terms of the culture, what what they are told is right and wrong changes on a daily basis.

According to tick-tock. According to the most unimpressive people and most immoral people on the planet are telling all of our young people how to live so I think for us.

It is the passion of the word of God, of if you adhere to the word of God.

You're not just pleasing God. There are benefits your life is stable because it is covenant blessing. It is covenant law keeping. And then God gives you got a blessing because you are living in accordance with the design of God and is such a peaceful place to be and I meet these young people. It shows and they are completely chaotic and they are I'm sure you see all the same stuff I am young young girls suicide up 51% year-to-year.

The depression rates of anxiety rates up.

People are pulling their hair out these young people because they do they are not tethered to anything that's what gets me going is all right if you only knew how wonderful it was to know Jesus and so we both are passionate about that right yeah and I would say for me.

You know, you see, by the grace of God who chose you and made himself known to you for me and that, unlike in a very deep person so you know for me I have always felt that very deep ache of like something's wrong and if I don't know him and the great thing about God is that if you see can you find when you seek him with all your heart, right if it's that like the treasure and feel like if you're willing to give up everything you will find something that so far beyond what you could ever get on your own and I'm like that's what I want.

I don't care about anything else. I just want him in my life and the more that I have a 10. The more I want defendants like that the crazy addiction is like I'm just so passionate for you. I can't believe you chose me. I can't believe he loves me. And the idea that you love me and it broke into my life just it just gets me email and I want to live for you and I want other people to see what know you like this because it's the greatest, most deepest fulfillment. Just knowing him. So that I don't ever want that to not feel like this cry when I was younger and around the time is about 13 years old.

As I was at a youth retreat, and I knew Jesus as my friend.

You know journal all the time like Lord Tina with going on and you know whatever. And these are the things I'm feeling about about very, very much so you know open with him and just praying that he would do something in my life more and I went to this user trait and you want to. My friends wanted it up and you pray for my Calc up with you because everything's cool with me is always a cool and nonemotional set up with her. And suddenly, some become the second to pray for Mike that's cool like an honor to file embarrassed that she met because I was totally fine and so she starts praying for me and I just start weeping. It was like one of the most intense got experiences for me and got just start doing stuff in my life and since then every time I talk about him. I cry Latina reading the Bible. Your kids reading a sound here his night crying and like my son just putting his arm on me like it's okay my monic now I just I feel I feel love for him so deeply.

Such gratitude for him so deeply and it just want to know more and I just want to serve him with my life. You know that's the beauty of as a parent trying to reach your children for Christ when they see it's real. And mom and dad like what I do and some were supposed to do because investor the Bible says were it's an overflow of what God is doing right now in me and our child sees that that's something hard to walk away from you walk away from the Mama something to say but man when I when they see mom and dad and it's real, it draws them back in Sauk center just some inspired by your life. Need to think in man, you know, God called you to be on stages and on buses and in cities. He's called us and our listeners in different ways to do the exact same thing in the way God is made us and gifted us in our cul-de-sac or apartment or cubicle work to fall in love with Jesus and then shine in whatever way you're doing it through music were doing it our way.

Whatever God called you to follow him absolutely fully and watch God use you in a powerful, powerful ways I go look the same as your life for our life, but it is going to be a legacy that changes the word that Steven and Wilson with John and Cory Cooper from the pants skillet on family life today. John's book is called awake and alive to truth. Finding truth in the chaos of a relativistic world you can get it@familylifetoday.com or by calling one 800-3583 29 that's one 800 F as in family L as in life and in the word today. If you know anyone who needs to hear conversations like the one you heard today tell them about this station you could share today specific conversation from wherever you get your podcast and while you're there. It really help us out rate and review us. There is a weekend to remember event happening this weekend in Jacksonville, Florida. We'd love it if you take a second and join us in prayer for the couples who are attending and next week David and I can be talking with Dean and Sarah about what Jesus has actually promised us as his followers is money, fame, happiness, else will dive into that next week along with welcoming the uncomfortable works of God.

As David and talk with David Mathis about humility in the Christian life on behalf of David and Wilson.

I'm Shelby Abbott. See you back next time for another edition of family life today family like today's production of family life accrued ministry helping you pursue the relationships that matter most