John Cooper: Kids Equipped for Not-so-Christian Places

We always orchids ever since they were tiny that we don't have any aspirations for them outside of them serving Christ and whatever that looks like loving the word of God. Adhering to the word of God, loving the law of God and if God calls them to do music that's fine.

If God calls them to do something else that's fine even when it comes to higher education and things so we've always been very clear with our kids.

We don't really care what you do as long as you honor God. Welcome to family life today where we want to help you pursue the relationship that matter most and will think Dave Wilson and you can find us@familylifetodate.com or on our family life Family life. So I've been walking around the house playing some music and recognize that now that's an acoustic version of a heavy metal soundbite Yen you I was reading my Bible and playing online on my plate right now. You know, because it's my new band skillet and you fell in love with it after you listen to it it's good yeah and we've got the front man and his wife Janet and Cory Cooper who are in the studio family today.

Welcome to family after you read here have never been here excited to be here.

I bet it totally already. You guys are on tour there from the band skillet.

I'm sure many of our listeners know you multiplatinum. I did not know this from studying about your your life the most downloads of any song monsters are true.

Not the most, but but for a rock song is certainly at the top of the list.

I like being humble about history. No development for rock song is very high on the chart so I was told people skillet is the biggest selling band that you've never heard what I see the numbers like that were not that big know who I am, you had to Grammys LOL exit to ground a native blood didn't take long for the nice book on the day I was triggered.

The band I am in the band. Yet yet I play guitar or keyboards and they see whatever is needed. You not understand programming help meet whatever is most lives could actually be doing what you're doing now you must be an incredible musician and you guys have been married how many years 25 years. She is and grow musicians you like keyboards and the poor live and free by the no skill is music. They probably have noticed that it is sort of a mass job of really hard music but is also melodic as a softness to it on the production and yet some people will notice that maybe not everybody would agree the right symptoms were considered a metal band but were very melodic for metal band and we have a lot of strings and stuff. So Cory, I was a Cory brings that the table on the metal side. She's these softer alternative.

Happy, sad, she brings the emotion to the music. I bring metal to the music and in it we cook up something that we could get him to skillet that styling like the garlic you know and when we were prepping for an interview with you. You and I put on music and grabbed my guitar and I'm learning your stuff yeah and I tend to play it loud and I'm doing this for half-hour John.

I'm trying to work on read all these books prepare down others are like a monster. I know I love what you do and it's just what you said it's got this hard edge metal, but there's this. Even the cello in the strings.

I actually played upright base of the Symphony Orchestra will have appreciation for that and you blend that which is so rare coolly played upright base. What a great instrument how coolly some idea. Now my wife for years like to give you an idea of how coolly just might judge all humans almost want to Grammys you all on the world. Kids how your kids also. But we do have two kids daughters 1910 16 so the crib on the road we we were never get on the road. We were going to skillet and then when we got older, more mature we are in at a family and settle down. And probably these leaders that was kind of the plant roughly and then got started speaking to us about Nina kids on the road and John started having dreams about having a baby and I was like oh no, I'm not doing that and then you know the guy just started to speak to so many people not even me. It was other people think they had a baby in my comment like it's everywhere. Everywhere we went to the point where I'm like I don't really didn't need to pray about this. This is so clearly the Lord you now so that's my daughter was born three years later with my son and you know they just love the Lord and they've grown up on the road with crazy rock bands and crazy rock tours and Christian to Orsino could be a mercy meteor could be God smack her Nina, who knows and and they're just great. They're great people. You will be wherever they were just this weekend. It was summer festivals that it was a beer and Bible weekend Friday night with casting crowns Saturday night with Metallica, you know, it's like the crowds are so very different. It could be very starkly Christian on the Friday and then a metal crown on the Saturday kids that a good time to get to grow up around all kinds of different people and I think that was really important because they were learning how I think to they would watch us be friends with people who don't love Christ friends with people who might actually might want to rip the pages out of our Bible if they had a chance for people are like I'm not really into that with a solid befriend people who don't agree with us on things and that's a wonderful thing. That's the way we have to share the gospel with people that are so absolutely needy and one quick story that will set up and you can ask me questions or whatever, but like friends is over.

My daughter was about six, we were going on tour. The band secular tour and one of the bands on the tour. His the singer's brother had killed himself. About seven days prior to the tour so as the tour was starting. It was noted hey, this is just happened people are suffering, not believers, not not religious at all, and we were praying for him at night, but utilized as an adult I don't know what to say to him, except for I am really sorry.

I don't know him but I will it I don't know what to say, is the greatness of watching kids though. You know, because disarming there so disarming, so my little six-year-old daughter came up to him. She never met her before. She said hi am Alex said I will show we pray for you every single night and pray that Jesus is healing your family healing your heart and I was thinking this is the way you do a van.

My daughter teaching me because you get older and you start getting like well I don't wanted this purity of hey I'm praying for you every night. We pray for you and God can do a healing work in your life. That was really beautiful so it's been a great experience with the kids on the road and I don't know if they know how cool we are.

But you guys can hear beautiful people in your tatted at.

I love that Cory has this gorgeous anybody has a cool parent if you guys are having kids on the road. What about marriage.

You know how does that work in your life is easy harder struggle good highs and lows all that Cory is you always get the real answer when when when the wife and tell me about you know it was not as awesome in general with us. 95% of time on the same page so that has made things easy. Which is funny because they're very different personalities. Secondly, for started dating all of our friends like what he has done because he's kinda crazy and you're so quiet you deep thinker him and he's just wild and whatever but wanted someone who's a little bit crazy and funny because I'm just so seriously how old were you guys when he started dating. 23 married for 23 and 20 is your faith wherever you spiritually. We both got born again, we are around five years old so I was PK but I was a wild one as most of my PK friends were both absolutely sold out for Christ, so that that wasn't something that happened later and I think that that's what we how we we connected based on one thing and one thing was that we both wanted to live for Jesus. We know that she has.

We wanted to make a difference in the world for Christ and so all the other princes are friends like what we are out. We were like yeah but that's all that matters is living for Christ. Make a difference in your generation for the kingdom make his name more famous and the fact that you are really deep thinker and pensive and quiet and I am insane thinker and no filter. It was like I will work on that later write you deathly very much united in our passion for the Lord like this is everything. If I don't get married, that's fine. If I do get married@whatever will serve picking the better in my lifetime that was it. And so if if it is better joining me with someone and we can be more effective for the kingdom. That way, then let's do that to so that was kind of like sold-out very, passion, impurity. You are very influenced by that. What was her name. Thank you Lee had around here years ago before wholesale cool and great friend or family. If you want to granny Michael is where you want to grab what we cool our story so similar we wanted to get married. We wanted to glorify God and reach everyone.

We could with the gas together and expand God's kingdom, whatever that could look like my cell it's it's really cool to see that God took you into your gifts of using music to reach people for him and I don't know if we have any guest but were like what whatever evening it earlier zero here I am, send me your story.

Did your dad, your pastor, dad like right away. Johnson guy. I'm excited about this or was there a little pushback as her dad barred me from the house faster ready to this day. Wilson guys a wild man I don't want them daughter you that he same ICE just price is okay if this is where God sweetener you know will see. John met with him and said amend your daughter will accommodate her music okay Lucy never really said much to me and I think he talked to John's passing down from thence South from Kenosha, Wisconsin so called as pastor just to make sure his guy okay because he seems little crazy, and they were like these great so that was fairly seamless.

He was always awesome to me always.

From day one. He was just great. But that just tell me attempts just that he's a Holy Spirit man. You know, so he's like when you pray in the Spirit to lead and we trust and he never gets worked up about anything.

Otherwise he would've been worked up about me. I'm sure it's pretty intense. He never had any further know that the road no no you didn't appear on the road and stuff. Sure he just really never sweated those things to never seem to have any issues with the whole like that music is too loud or to this, he just was what I what I say I'm not joking that they like Holy Spirit man that is just like that kinda guy like that God can move through this. Each is always full of faith and of those guys is always optimistic, always full of faith always kind of maybe didn't quite understand the music but he knew that God was at it I think that sometimes they might not be his thing buddies like gauze and this guy can work through a donkey got to work goodbye. What great advice for parents as we are listening to you guys when our kids come to us with this crazy wild plan, you know that were praying that were asking dad like what he think of this Lord instead of this is what I think were asking he harassed that I would say that was a huge strength in my parents. They both like RA.

My kids are in God's hands so they prayed for us all the time. They lead by example more than they lead by giving counsel and advice. Not that they didn't decorate you in the past and I want to put you in a position where you can hear God's voice for yourself and read the word and find him and then have the face to just do the crazy stuff that that's a God's call. Judith God calls you to face a giant you have face-to-face that giant and said they were kind of much more hands off as far as counsel, but they were deftly prayerful and in faith like if this is where God is leading them. We will pray for them and watch what God does with their lives found that you're able to do the same with your kids for you like seeing that I mean you got a 19-year-old 16-year-old are starting to get ready to leave like is a prayer for you. You're listening to Dave and Ann Wilson with John and Cory Cooper of the bands on family life. The day will hear their response in just a minute. The first I want to let you know about us group of friends who help make conversations like today's possible family life partners. Partners are a generous community of people who believe in our mission and give financially every month and thanks to some of those heroes really right now if you sign up to give monthly.

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Right now, back to David and with John and Cory Cooper and what it's like having sons who are getting ready to leave. I mean we talked about this, but we just naturally old. Both accrete on this, we would never push our kids into something because it's what we wanted them to do when we always orchids ever since they were tiny that we don't have any aspirations for them outside of them serving Christ and whatever that looks like loving the word of God. Adhering to the word of God, loving the law of God and if God calls them to do music that's fine of God calls them to do something else that's fine even when it comes to higher education and things. The reason I say that is was there was a an incredible and immense amount of pressure when I was growing up.

Upon all these aspirations that you're meant to do. Whether it's higher education in this that the other I'm not even I am against higher education except I'm not smart enough to have been higher educated you know.

But if there was this feeling of if you don't go to college, then your life is forfeit.

If you don't get in a good job making a lot of money then your life is forfeit. If you don't I have this feeling sometimes in the church that I grew up, and to be frank sums I thought I think some of these church leaders would rather me wear a suit and make money then to actually live for Christ and I found that disgusting. I found that that that kinda raise up the John the Baptist spirit in me if there if there is such a thing that that sort of feeling of like that. That is absolutely not what Christ has saved us from even save us from dressing code situation. He saved us from sin and death, and so I very much rebelled against that because it smelled like Pharisee to me and I didn't take that and so we've always been very clear with our kids. We don't really care what you do as long as you honor God and for both my kids that is going to be higher education because they're both really really smart, but that was our thing right so we we just made it an issue we were when they were young we would worship with the kids we would teach them how to pray when they didn't want to really know what will. The will show you how to pray. When I teach them that we say will go to the Bible for answers. Is this that the other so at this point. By the time they were 12, 13 years old. They were very they were deftly since the leading of the Spirit and and my daughters always been just like wise beyond her years thing you know, yeah, I think as a human being right you not reach a certain place where suddenly I can understand because I'm smart enough or mature enough right.

He relates to you every year at he meets you where you're at, to where you have can have understanding a fan for us. It was like RA you hat you have God forming people together in the womb you have, John the Baptist is filled with the spirit in the womb you have, God relating to babies and children and suppress it's like RA. As soon as my kids are here. I working to be facilitating them being around God in his presence and his word and all that I can feed into them while I have them with me were going to. So yes, we would have our stanzas them to three years elsewhere like here we are, and for whatever their understanding was evenly go to church and it's like our church doesn't have a separate little kids church. See you there just their worship with us, which can be boring for kids because there really get what's happening, whatever.

A lot of Fino families nearest the kids would be playing with toys, whatever]. To do that because I want to teach my kids to to be reverent in the presence of God assist his presence and his holy night so and then John would explain in a wild music happening.

He would explain a concept that they could understand like the love of God within the song they can understand that peanuts like how you love your care bears how you love your toys there precious to you.

That's how God loves you whatever you know so that they can understand that so that they can respond in their understanding to who God is in his character, and so we just would feed them less time praying with them at night pointing out your chicken or your job as a parent, God is can be elevator kids and it's your job.

The parents can appoint those moments out, you know, so my kids on the Roby super encouraging to people and really blossom night out.

You know that using you that's actually God easy. That's a cool mom you pointing that out, pointing out who they are there identities because as as a father as a mother you can see what their strengths are playing those things out strengthening them and strengthening them in their weaknesses, so you go along, is pointing them to God.

He actually loves more than we do.

You know I think parents can be fearful of like to mess up maybe haven't done enough to get on too much. Bubba Bubba like I write what I don't want leading me and my parenting is fear so sets at the heart of something. I just want that I want face to lead me.

I know that God cares for them more than I do and he's going to complete the work he started and I can I keep keep staring them in the right track to listen to for the last few minutes I thought I would just we just had a parent clinic On lesser services are like if I'm a parent listening today, rewind and listen.

The last three or four minutes because you just walk Christian parents through a vision of what our call is is mom and dad to raise sons and daughters who are warriors for Christ in the kingdom. Just heard and partly things well you have this vision because you're on a bus and you're touring together that it's our role well parents on a bus touring together.

It's still your role is not the Christian school is not the church, although those are awesome and wonderful and they help but we are called his mom and dad to raise warriors for the kingdom minutes us to even take a worship song sale me hundred. Let me help you understand this if your 550 may be different but you just rule out a beautiful picture in my mind of the vision for Christian. When you know that you will you will. I was always passionate about teaching my kids what the songs mean as you just said because when I was growing up in this is this really the mom my mom did all this for me. My mom was awesome and taught me about the Bible and stuff but I do remember singing these hymns which I love.

Now absolutely love those hymns now but remember as a kid thinking.

I just don't know what this means you plunged into victory. What what are we plunging and so I love that song but as a kid I was like, he plunged me to victory. So now you know I've always made it even like his are two and three outside. We sing this lyric.

This is what it means, so that your kids all within a say so now what what you do what you say to Jesus, thank you for what the psalmist thank you that you gave me victory through Jesus through the cross. You know, things like that really is very much a Puritan model. Actually, I'm a big fan of.

We are a big fan of the Puritans and I think that it's a great encouragement as you just said I'll just say this will quick for Christian parents.

The Puritan model was that's what you do you learn the Bible from the time your urine diapers and that it does the job of of the parents is not the job of the school Sunday school. It's on the job of the church is the parents job so let's do our jobs and raise up this generation, man.

Come on now that Steven and Wilson with John and Cory Cooper from the pants skillet on family life to day. John's book is called awake and alive to truth. Finding truth in the chaos of a relativistic world you can get it@familylifetodate.com or by calling one 800-3583 29 that's one 800 F peasant family L as in life, and then the word today.

If you know anyone who needs to hear today's conversation you can share it from wherever you get your podcast while you're there. It really help us out if you rate and review us all of us are tempted Bailey to be quiet or deny our compromise our faith because the world today is comfortable with a watered-down Jesus tomorrow. David and Wilson are going to be talking again with John and Cory Cooper about the temptation to be silent when we know God wants us to speak up for him. That's tomorrow.

We hope you can join us on behalf of David and Wilson. I'm Shelby will see you back next time for another edition of family life today family like the days of of family life crew ministry helping you pursue the relationships that matter most