Don’t Be Ridiculous
“Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!” “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.”
1 Samuel 17:32-33
We know how this story ends. David defeats the giant everyone told him to not even try to fight. David’s ridiculous step of faith changed the course of history, and we still talk about it today.
People’s Church, God has called us, like David, to have ridiculous faith that changes the course of history! This is not the time for the church to retreat, to relax, or to be reserved! This is the time for the church to step out with BIG faith in a BIG God.
20 years ago I was 26 years old, Tiffany was 24 years old, and we sold our home in Springfield, MO to move to Oklahoma City to start People’s Church. We had no church staff experience, no building to meet in and no people, but we had ridiculous faith in a big God. It took ridiculous faith to launch a church in a movie theater. It took ridiculous faith to purchase land in Oklahoma City. It took ridiculous faith to start the Midwest City campus, the Northwest campus, the Indianapolis campus, and to start the first church behind bars in Oklahoma at the Mabel Bassett Correctional Facility – and church, let me tell you, we are just getting started! As long as there are more people who need to experience the grace, mercy, hope, love and forgiveness of Jesus, we will not retreat or relax.
It’s not time to camp out and get comfortable, it’s time to fight the giants and to reach more people with the love of God. That’s why we are buying 23 acres of land and launching our Edmond campus in 2022. For our Indianapolis campus, we are believing God to be able to purchase land or a building in a prime location. There are more giants to be defeated, more people who need freedom, hope and healing. Lives are hanging in the balance, and our ridiculous faith in our big God is the answer.
We will be a church with ridiculous faith. We will have ridiculous generosity. We will have ridiculous trust in God. Thank you for joining Tiffany and me on this journey. When it comes to giving everything to see more changed lives, we don’t mind being called ridiculous!
Pastor Herbert & Tiffany Cooper