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But God: Changes Everything
Herbert Cooper was headed down a very different road, living a reckless lifestyle that would have destroyed him in the end, but God had a different plan. He heard the gospel at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting, at which he wasn’t even supposed to be, and he gave his life to Christ. Two words changed Cooper’s But God.
These two words can change every single person’s life— But God. Each word is only three letters long. The phrase is short, but the implications are huge. The path may look bleak, dim, and hopeless…but GOD changes everything…
We’ve all sinned - whether it is sex outside of marriage, a bitter heart, alcohol or drug abuse, cheating, or lying. Maybe you’re at a place in your life where it just feels like things are falling apart. Perhaps you’re portraying one thing on the outside and living something else on the inside. Maybe you are simply going through the motions of a life that’s not quite what you hoped it would be. These moments drag us down - leaving us feeling hopeless and lost.
You need something to happen in your life to change.
You need a But God… moment.
The But God moments are when God comes in and offers a new path and hope for our lives. These moments occur when we are at are lowest, and turn our down-trodden worlds around for the better. It is up to us to recognize and seize these moments when they occur and follow the renewed path God offers.
These two words can change every single person’s life— But God. Each word is only three letters long. The phrase is short, but the implications are huge. The path may look bleak, dim, and hopeless…but GOD changes everything…
We’ve all sinned - whether it is sex outside of marriage, a bitter heart, alcohol or drug abuse, cheating, or lying. Maybe you’re at a place in your life where it just feels like things are falling apart. Perhaps you’re portraying one thing on the outside and living something else on the inside. Maybe you are simply going through the motions of a life that’s not quite what you hoped it would be. These moments drag us down - leaving us feeling hopeless and lost.
You need something to happen in your life to change.
You need a But God… moment.
The But God moments are when God comes in and offers a new path and hope for our lives. These moments occur when we are at are lowest, and turn our down-trodden worlds around for the better. It is up to us to recognize and seize these moments when they occur and follow the renewed path God offers.
- GenresChristianNonfiction
211 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 26, 2014
39 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 13, 2014
Rating 3.5 Stars
But God is the two most transforming words in the bible and when put together, they change everything. Reading Herbert Cooper’s testimony and witness, you will begin to see the “but God” encounters you have in your own life. As I was reading, I was surprised by his honesty, his determination, and his 180 turn.
Written conversationally and pragmatically, Cooper takes you thru his walk that led to his “but God” encounter. Coming from a dysfunctional family and sexually abused as a teenager, he was wounded and on a destructive path. It was through reading God’s word, prayer and worship that his life began to change. He shares how his identity began to be wrapped around God’s purpose, advancing the His kingdom, sharing the gospel and serving others.
Our “but God” encounters start becoming God revealing encounters. That God reveals a better way. That leads to hope and increases our faith. I appreciated Mr. Cooper’s testimony and his zeal for the Lord and the Lord to be known. In our zeal, we have to be careful about portraying the prosperity Gospel. I think that his testimony could be border-line prosperity. It becomes a matter of believing in God’s goodness and not what he can do for you. Many people, me included can come to God wanting our lives to be cleaned up and that is not a bad thing, however, what happens when it does not. Where does our hope lie? God/Jesus becomes a means to end. Do we lose hope when God does not meet our expectations?
A special thank you Zondervan, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
But God is the two most transforming words in the bible and when put together, they change everything. Reading Herbert Cooper’s testimony and witness, you will begin to see the “but God” encounters you have in your own life. As I was reading, I was surprised by his honesty, his determination, and his 180 turn.
Written conversationally and pragmatically, Cooper takes you thru his walk that led to his “but God” encounter. Coming from a dysfunctional family and sexually abused as a teenager, he was wounded and on a destructive path. It was through reading God’s word, prayer and worship that his life began to change. He shares how his identity began to be wrapped around God’s purpose, advancing the His kingdom, sharing the gospel and serving others.
Our “but God” encounters start becoming God revealing encounters. That God reveals a better way. That leads to hope and increases our faith. I appreciated Mr. Cooper’s testimony and his zeal for the Lord and the Lord to be known. In our zeal, we have to be careful about portraying the prosperity Gospel. I think that his testimony could be border-line prosperity. It becomes a matter of believing in God’s goodness and not what he can do for you. Many people, me included can come to God wanting our lives to be cleaned up and that is not a bad thing, however, what happens when it does not. Where does our hope lie? God/Jesus becomes a means to end. Do we lose hope when God does not meet our expectations?
A special thank you Zondervan, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 8, 2015
A special thank you to Zondervan and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 Stars
Herbert Cooper delivers an eye-opening story of his personal journey with BUT GOD. How God transformed his life, showing up in the middle of a desperate situation, offering hope, love and forgiveness.
During his youth, Herbert Cooper was headed down a very different road, living a reckless lifestyle that would have destroyed him in the end, but God had a different plan. There was alcoholism and abuse, and parent’s divorce which shattered his world. He felt angry, confused, isolated, and lonely—devoting his life to sports, especially football. However, he was unhappy.
Cooper tells his own story of pain and redemption in BUT GOD. As he reiterates, we all have to admit we need God. We have to acknowledge our fear, unhappiness, and loneliness, and recognize that we are lost.
The “But God moments” are when God comes in and offers a new path and hope for our lives. These moments occur when we are at are lowest, and turn our down-trodden worlds around for the better. It is up to us to recognize and seize these moments when they occur and follow the renewed path God offers.
In each case, it’s the difference between a human perspective and God’s viewpoint. What looks impossible to us becomes not only possible but easy for God. When you have a “but God” moment in your life, what follows that moment will be drastically different from what came before it.
Sometimes God intervenes and everything literally changes in a single moment. Other “But God” transformations occur over time – days, weeks, months, even years and require ongoing faith as God fulfills his promise.
Sometimes God meets us in a dramatic revelations and we experience a “but god” moment instantly. Other times we simply experience the quiet assurance of His presence, protection, and provision during difficulties and challenging seasons of life. Often we don’t even see God’s intervention until we look back. In hindsight, we see how God showed up, sustained us, helped us, healed us, directed us, led us, and provided for us. The change possibly does not occur overnight, but God definitely shows up and transforms our situation and draws us closer to him in the process.
We all get to a point where our lives have to change and sometimes we rarely see beyond our immediate circumstances to envision a solution. Especially when we are at our lowest and have nowhere else to turn. At this point we cannot imagine anything positive ever coming from what we are currently facing. But no matter how bleak, boring or bitter your life may seem right now, your story is not over yet.
Herbert heard the gospel at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting, at which he was not even supposed to be in attendance; he gave his life to Christ. Two words changed Cooper’s life: But God. No matter if it happens instantly or takes years to recognize a “but God” experience changes everything!
An honest testimony filled with compassion, scriptures, parables, prayer support, and inspiration for all ages and faiths.
Judith D. Collins Must Read Books
Herbert Cooper delivers an eye-opening story of his personal journey with BUT GOD. How God transformed his life, showing up in the middle of a desperate situation, offering hope, love and forgiveness.
During his youth, Herbert Cooper was headed down a very different road, living a reckless lifestyle that would have destroyed him in the end, but God had a different plan. There was alcoholism and abuse, and parent’s divorce which shattered his world. He felt angry, confused, isolated, and lonely—devoting his life to sports, especially football. However, he was unhappy.
Cooper tells his own story of pain and redemption in BUT GOD. As he reiterates, we all have to admit we need God. We have to acknowledge our fear, unhappiness, and loneliness, and recognize that we are lost.
The “But God moments” are when God comes in and offers a new path and hope for our lives. These moments occur when we are at are lowest, and turn our down-trodden worlds around for the better. It is up to us to recognize and seize these moments when they occur and follow the renewed path God offers.
In each case, it’s the difference between a human perspective and God’s viewpoint. What looks impossible to us becomes not only possible but easy for God. When you have a “but God” moment in your life, what follows that moment will be drastically different from what came before it.
Sometimes God intervenes and everything literally changes in a single moment. Other “But God” transformations occur over time – days, weeks, months, even years and require ongoing faith as God fulfills his promise.
Sometimes God meets us in a dramatic revelations and we experience a “but god” moment instantly. Other times we simply experience the quiet assurance of His presence, protection, and provision during difficulties and challenging seasons of life. Often we don’t even see God’s intervention until we look back. In hindsight, we see how God showed up, sustained us, helped us, healed us, directed us, led us, and provided for us. The change possibly does not occur overnight, but God definitely shows up and transforms our situation and draws us closer to him in the process.
We all get to a point where our lives have to change and sometimes we rarely see beyond our immediate circumstances to envision a solution. Especially when we are at our lowest and have nowhere else to turn. At this point we cannot imagine anything positive ever coming from what we are currently facing. But no matter how bleak, boring or bitter your life may seem right now, your story is not over yet.
Herbert heard the gospel at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting, at which he was not even supposed to be in attendance; he gave his life to Christ. Two words changed Cooper’s life: But God. No matter if it happens instantly or takes years to recognize a “but God” experience changes everything!
An honest testimony filled with compassion, scriptures, parables, prayer support, and inspiration for all ages and faiths.
Judith D. Collins Must Read Books
January 29, 2021
Excellent!
A quote from the book is the best review:
"Have you convinced yourself that you can’t change? That maybe even God can’t change you? You’re wrong. That is simply not true. Your thinking is distorted. You need to renew your mind! You gotta start seeing yourself the way God sees you — start believing what he says about you."
A quote from the book is the best review:
"Have you convinced yourself that you can’t change? That maybe even God can’t change you? You’re wrong. That is simply not true. Your thinking is distorted. You need to renew your mind! You gotta start seeing yourself the way God sees you — start believing what he says about you."
March 11, 2023
This book is poignant, real and a reminder that God truly can and will transform your life.
May 13, 2025
A Powerful Reminder That God Has the Final Word
But God: Changes Everything by Herbert Cooper is an inspiring, faith-filled book that speaks directly to those facing impossible situations, setbacks, or moments of deep discouragement. With passion and clarity, Cooper unpacks two of the most hope-filled words in the Bible: But God—showing how they represent divine intervention, restoration, and transformation.
Drawing on Scripture, personal stories, and real-life testimonies, Cooper reveals how God steps into the broken places of our lives and rewrites our story. His writing is relatable, heartfelt, and anchored in truth, making this book not only encouraging but empowering.
Whether you’re dealing with failure, fear, addiction, or uncertainty, this book reminds you that your current circumstances do not define your future. God does. And when He enters the picture, everything can change.
But God is a must-read for anyone who needs a fresh injection of hope and a renewed sense of faith in God’s power to redeem and restore.
But God: Changes Everything by Herbert Cooper is an inspiring, faith-filled book that speaks directly to those facing impossible situations, setbacks, or moments of deep discouragement. With passion and clarity, Cooper unpacks two of the most hope-filled words in the Bible: But God—showing how they represent divine intervention, restoration, and transformation.
Drawing on Scripture, personal stories, and real-life testimonies, Cooper reveals how God steps into the broken places of our lives and rewrites our story. His writing is relatable, heartfelt, and anchored in truth, making this book not only encouraging but empowering.
Whether you’re dealing with failure, fear, addiction, or uncertainty, this book reminds you that your current circumstances do not define your future. God does. And when He enters the picture, everything can change.
But God is a must-read for anyone who needs a fresh injection of hope and a renewed sense of faith in God’s power to redeem and restore.
February 2, 2015
Herbert Coopers book was an easy read. His style was easy and the points clear. He writes a good book on how God changes lives, including his own. Pastor's, like the rest us, are hit by the same struggles that we encounter. It's humbling, yet faith building, when a Pastor writes openly and honestly about their own day to day struggles with insecurity, temptation and well... life. It's easy to forget that God can ..... and does change lives, we especially forget that he can change our own. Our past is our past... Nothing we do can do to change that...BUT GOD changes everything! He can change a past into a God-purposed future.
February 8, 2015
No matter where you are in life, you can have a But God moment. Throughout this book, Pastor Cooper uses examples from his own life to illustrate how God can use something going on to change you. I think that everyone can experience these “but God” moments, and may not even realize that’s what it is at the time. Cooper came from a dysfunctional background that included sexual abuse, and feeling angry at the world, until his “but God” encounter at 17. This book was a good explanation of how God changes our lives.
March 14, 2015
But God
This is a very good book that fits for everyone. Young and old, rather you are just starting out or have been trying so long to figure out why you have always came out on the short side of the stick. This book will speak to everyone, I bought it for my children as well as my mother.
This is a very good book that fits for everyone. Young and old, rather you are just starting out or have been trying so long to figure out why you have always came out on the short side of the stick. This book will speak to everyone, I bought it for my children as well as my mother.
Read
April 19, 2015Powerful,honest and truthful and inspiring
Herbert Coopers humility and introspection is truly a wonderful read, enlightening anyone who reads it and providing powerful scriptures to back it up.
Herbert Coopers humility and introspection is truly a wonderful read, enlightening anyone who reads it and providing powerful scriptures to back it up.
March 6, 2015
It was not that great!
March 16, 2015
Easy read. I like the humor Cooper has! More importantly I loved the practical applications for struggling with temptations and his transparency with his own struggles.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews