Truth Revealed: Cooper Ray

Cooper began his talk by talking about some of his struggles to maintain holiness in a college relationship. He said that in discerning what to do about this relationship he talked with some friends. One of Cooper’s friends told him, “I am going to pray for you to be weak. In praying for you to be weak, I’m inviting Jesus to be your strength.” Cooper said that after this conversation he decided to end the relationship because it ultimately was not bringing him closer to Jesus. In reflecting on this experience he realized that he had been focused on making himself happy.

He then compared our faith to a game of soccer. He asked us to imagine walking onto the field to play with no rules, officials, or guidelines. The guidelines and rules make the game what it is. We don’t look at soccer and say we hate that game because it has rules. We have to think about our faith this way as well. The church has rules, regulations, and boundaries so we have the freedom to move within and get the most out of life. These rules, regulations, and boundaries are in place so we can live life to the fullest. Truth isn’t there to take away our freedom, but to give us freedom.

In reflecting on his own life, Cooper discussed how he wishes he wouldn’t limit God and be a “small thinker” when it comes to faith. Cooper encouraged us to let God be God and stop trying to be the God of our own lives. He talked about how the truth is that we need to realize that God knows what is best for us.

Written by Audrey Masek
Audrey recently graduated from Truman State University with a Masters Degree in Elementary Education and is a Kindergarten Teacher. Audrey has been apart of the social media team for Steubenville Mid-America for the past 6 years. In her free time Audrey enjoys spending time with friends and family.