John: Yes, I think what was interesting about the story-I did decide to open the book with it-because I was thinking, вЂњA lot of people who, maybe, get their hands on this wonвЂ™t know who I am. You werenвЂ™t big yet-well, I guess, you were sort of big-but it was an interesting discussion-that he says: вЂњIf you deny Christ, youвЂ™re really going to be rich and famous.вЂќДave: Tell us that story because itвЂ™s really interesting what went through, and it was the both of you making a decision. Anyway, I donвЂ™t love the name Skillet but it was the вЂ90s.Дave: You know, as I pick up your book-which is just an awesome book, Awake and Alive to Truth, by John Cooper-you open/I think you call it preshow, where you tell this story about an agent, who came over to you as you were starting out. Think about the name of your band before you commit to a thing.вЂќ Yes, I think God is teaching me a lesson/HeвЂ™s teaching me a lesson there about not being rash. John: Twenty-five years later, IвЂ™m like, вЂњYou know what? DonвЂ™t be rash in your decisions. ItвЂ™d be like cooking: taking all these ingredients from different things and throwing them in a big skillet.вЂќДЄnd then somebody said, вЂњDude, you should call this Skillet. It was actually my pastor/he said, вЂњHey, John, I think that you would work good with this other guitar player from this other band.вЂќ He said, вЂњYou should start a side project and write some songs. ItвЂ™s a question IвЂ™m always asking myself, too, вЂњWhy in the world did I go with that dumb name, Skillet?вЂќ When we first started, we were all from different bands. I bet a lot of people ask, вЂњWhy Skillet?вЂќ How did you come up with that name? ThatвЂ™s got to be sort of fun to do that, as a married couple right? You guys, when I even watch you on stages with, it looks like tens of thousands of people out there-pre-COVID, IвЂ™m guessing-Дave: -but itвЂ™s so cool to see a husband and a wife up, leading all these young kids in songs that glorify Christ. I guess there is a front man, which is John. I was going to say the front men and women of the band, Skillet. The reason I ask you that question is because we are sitting here with John and Korey Cooper.

I wasnвЂ™t going to dumb down my faith and not talk about it, because He was my everything.Дave: But there is more to this story that we can tell later,-Дave: -because she ends up back in your life later. I said, вЂњJesus, I must be messing 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.вЂќ Then I open the Bible and I come to Matthew 5, where it says, вЂњBlessed are you who are persecuted for My namesake.вЂќ I was like, вЂњWhat?! What?!вЂќ I had my arms up like, вЂњYes! Yes, God!вЂќД«ut I lost that friendship she didnвЂ™t want to have anything to do with me. I thought, вЂњIвЂ™m going to lose this friendship IвЂ™m totally going to lose it.вЂќ I went home, and I started praying. IвЂ™m like, вЂњOh!вЂќ I was so mad and so upset. Read this right here.вЂќ She looks at me and she goes-and she is whispering because weвЂ™re in class-she goes, вЂњI am so sick of you telling me about Jesus and this stupid Bible!вЂќ She takes all these pages in my Bible, and she rips them out. I push my Bible over to her and I said, вЂњRead this.

So here I am, again, telling her about what Jesus says in the Bible. So I go up to my best friend-you know, sheвЂ™s like, вЂњWhy are you reading the Bible?вЂќ-IвЂ™m reading the Bible every day in this study hall. I had never gone to church, and I start reading the Bible.

You know, the thing that just came to my mind-I donвЂ™t know if you would describe it as that-Дave: I donвЂ™t know if you know what IвЂ™m setting you up for.ДЄnn: I just gave my life to Jesus-maybe, this is what youвЂ™re thinking-I just gave my life to Jesus: IвЂ™m in high school IвЂ™m 16 and I know no other Christians. IвЂ™m Ann Wilson.Дave: And IвЂ™m Dave Wilson, and you can find us at or on our FamilyLife В® app.Дave: вЂњHave you ever been in a situation, where if you denied Christ, it would be a good thing?-it would be a gain-like if you just deny Him-like say, вЂIвЂ™m not a follower,вЂ™-or whatever?вЂќДЄnn: Oh, yes okay. DonвЂ™t do Christian shows donвЂ™t do Christian interviews donвЂ™t do Christian radio.вЂќ So we said, вЂњYou know what? Not only are we not going to deny Christ, weвЂ™re going to get louder for Jesus.вЂќДЄnn: Welcome to FamilyLife Today, where we want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most. John: The agent and the promoter of the gig said, вЂњHey, we want you to know: you guys, we think, could be the next biggest band in the world.

You came i saw you i am alive song