Following the Star: Darryl Hooper on the Wise Men's Call to Worship
About this episode
Pastor Darryl Hooper of The Church Covington in Covington, Georgia brings a timely and deeply personal message about the Magi's journey in Matthew 2 — and what their two-year trek to find Jesus says about the season the Church is in right now. Drawing on the story of the wise men, Hooper unpacks why the star appeared in darkness, what it means to "rejoice with exceeding great joy" before you've fully arrived, and why so many believers are being called out of a pandemic-era wilderness into a fresh encounter with the living Christ. "When they came into the house, they didn't see a man — they saw Jesus," Hooper says, challenging viewers to stop window-shopping their faith and step fully into God's presence. He points out that the Magi were not content to admire Jesus from a distance; they fell down and worshiped him, presenting gold, frankincense, and myrrh — a picture of surrendering everything we are to build God's kingdom. Hooper also explores the prophetic dimension of the star itself: the light you see from distant stars left its source millions of years ago, a reminder that God's provision for your life may already be in transit. "Don't live by what you think you know — always keep your eye up, looking for God's intervention." Find The Church Covington at thechurchcov.com or on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
Part of our Prophetic collection of conversations.
What's Discussed
Pastor Darryl Hooper of The Church Covington in Covington, Georgia joins Philip Cameron to deliver a Christmas message rooted in Matthew 2 — the journey of the Magi. Hooper draws a striking parallel between the wise men's two-year search for Jesus and the Church's emergence from a two-year pandemic season. He emphasizes that the Magi rejoiced not because they had arrived, but because they were no longer where they used to be — a word of encouragement for anyone still in process. He challenges believers to move beyond window-shopping their faith and step fully into God's presence, just as the Magi entered the house and fell in worship. He also offers a prophetic insight: like starlight that travels for millions of years before it reaches us, God's provision for your life may already be on its way.
- The Star and the Call of Christmas
- Magi's Two-Year Journey and the Pandemic Parallel
- Rejoicing Before You Fully Arrive
- Entering the House: Beyond Window-Shopping Faith
- Following the Star Through Darkness and Fear
- Starlight as Prophetic Provision
- Falling Down in Worship: The True Call of Christmas
- Why the Magi Were Truly Wise
Scripture in this episode
Episode Transcript
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Intro
Philip:Welcome to Daily Faith. My name is Philip Cameron and I am so glad to have you with us. For the next week we are delighted to have you. Daily Faith is a daily program seen right here this time every day.
Philip:For God to allow us to communicate together, and I believe, have faith — the impartation of faith. Let me tell you something — what faith can do in your spirit. A lot of folks think, you know, faith and money — faith can create wealth, and there's not a thing wrong with that. You sell your life every day, nine to five and sometimes more, for money. So don't get mad at someone talking about how God wants to bless you. Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills? Don't get upset with God or a preacher saying, well, you know, you can believe God for blessings from heaven. But faith is what gives you the ability to get up in the morning and go against all kinds of odds and overcome things. And Daily Faith is our aim — to minister into your life and encourage you and to affirm you.
Philip:When I came to America years ago, we moved to Montgomery — with an office in Montgomery, Alabama — and I was driving in my car and I switched on the radio on the AM band. I don't even know if they still have that because it's all done by satellite these days. And I switched on the radio and I heard this music, and then this guy's voice came on — 1170 in Montgomery — and he started out in a boisterous voice and he said, 'With talent on loan from God.' And it was a guy called Rush Limbaugh. And he spoke what I'd been thinking for years and years, and he articulated into political thought what I had been thinking about all the time. And that's called affirmation. And what we want to do on Daily Faith is affirm you in your faith — to tell you that you're not crazy to believe God, you're not crazy to expect revival, you're not crazy to believe this stuff you're believing in, because God has put those thoughts in you. It is divine thought, and we are here to bless you and encourage you in the name of Jesus.
Philip:Updates — I was called yesterday from Moldova. Now, for those that don't know, if you're just shooting over for the first time, we have a ministry here in America called Daily Faith. I travel in churches and preach, but also we have a mission. For 33 years we have been in Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine. I adopted a boy in Romania 33 years ago and that's what made me go there in the first place, and I've been there over 200 times in the last 33 years.
Philip:Six years ago we opened a home in Odessa, Ukraine — no idea of war, had no clue what was going to take place. And so at the moment we literally had to move our girls out of Odessa into Chișinău. We have a beautiful place called Theatra Village in Chișinău, but we did move the kids — that is our village in Chișinău as you're looking at it right now. So yesterday our team is going up to Ukraine in the next couple of days. Actually, they're meant to leave tomorrow. And yesterday they had Russian missile attacks all over Odessa and there's no water there, there's no power there, there's no heat there.
Philip:Now, our ministry has gathered fifteen thousand coats plus scarves and the Lord knows what else, and one container is on its way to Moldova as we speak and to Ukraine, with two more to go behind it. We're just waiting for the paperwork from the companies that ship for us. But yesterday they had tremendous missile attacks, and you're going to see some horrendous things take place in the next few months in Ukraine. So please pray.
Philip:We have a house that we've leased for the last five or six years in Ukraine on a long-term lease. The lease has ended, and if our kids have got to go out of Moldova — which is one of the things that may be possible because Moldova can't afford to keep all these hundreds of thousands of refugees — and at the moment this house that we've been leasing is up for sale. If we don't either buy the house, we have nowhere to send these kids when they go back to Ukraine. So we are in the middle of believing God for this house to be bought. Watch this video — it'll help explain and give you a visual of what we're believing God for.
God challenged us to open a home some years ago. We looked for many months to find a place big enough to make a difference in young girls' lives. We finally found the perfect place that can house 24 girls. We signed a long-term lease with the owner and it has just ended. At the moment we are able to house the Ukrainian girls in Moldova, but as the war drags on there is pressure to have those who escaped the Russian invasion return to Ukraine. Moldova simply cannot afford the cost of maintaining so many refugees. Many have returned to Ukraine. Many have left for Europe and the USA and will never return. Our girls wait every day to return to their homeland. If their home is sold, there will be nowhere for them to go.
In the natural it seems impossible. We have already strained every sinew in our ministry this year to care for thousands of destitute lives. We are about to send at least two containers back with warm clothes to help these lost souls survive the brutal winter. But what about the young lives we are already committed to protecting? Where would they go? Can you imagine handing them a bus ticket to a war zone and telling them, 'You are on your own. We have nowhere for you to go. Your home has been sold.' How would they survive in a country stuck in the no man's land of war?
We are going to believe God to buy this special place. We will continue our work in Ukraine and trust him for protection as the days ahead unfold. We will be right there in the middle of tragic events, with a place of refuge for young girls to find rest in a home provided by loving hearts. If God moves, the home we need is already waiting. We just need you. Will you pray? Will you give? I'm certain everyone who could wouldn't even hesitate to help this miracle take place. That is how this huge door of opportunity could open. We can minister to these dear souls for years to come and be a beacon of hope in a bleak battlefield of despair.
Philip:We are a little over halfway to getting this house bought, and we're asking everyone that's watching right now — if you could help us. The Lord challenged me on this. It's very hard to try and buy a home in a war zone. It's very difficult, believe me. And I said, 'Lord, how can I explain to folks how critically needed this will be?' Whether Ukraine wins, it'll be desperately needed. If Russia wins, it will be even more needed. And I'm saying, 'Lord, how do I do this?' And he said, 'Would you risk $2,000 of your money to save 24 girls — for the opportunity, the chance to save 24 girls?' And I said, 'Yeah, I would.' He said, 'Well, just believe God for 99 more people like that and you'll have this house bought.' And that's what I've been doing, and we're amazed at how kind and generous people are. We're about halfway there. We want to see this thing bought this month.
Philip:If you can help me, write a check out to Orphan's Hands, PO Box 25, Clinton, Tennessee 37716 — PO Box 25, very simple. You can go to dailyfaith.tv — there's a giving button there. You can give. Make sure that you earmark it for Odessa — O-D-E-S-S-A, Odessa — and by doing so we'll note it to put all of that money towards that house that we are buying right now. There's someone watching that maybe God has given the blessings to really help us. We're halfway there. The house costs $200,000 — for furniture and a vehicle alongside it we're believing God for $200,000 — and we're halfway there. Someone watching today, God has blessed you for a purpose, and that is to help us and help others reach out to people in need. Please believe God with us. It's important. PO Box 25, Clinton, Tennessee.
Philip:I am so delighted to have a new guest with us today. I always love new guests because a new guest brings new inspiration into my life — new challenges and new blessings. Darryl Hooper is the pastor of The Church Covington in Covington, Georgia. Now, he's a Texan and he lives in Georgia, so we're going to have to see how the Lord works that thing through, because you know that's a deadly mix. But we are absolutely delighted to have you. And his dial — God bless you. Thank you for being on Daily Faith today.
The Star and the Call of Christmas
Darryl Hooper:Thank you so much, Philip. It is a privilege to be with you. I bring greetings from Texas roots and now Georgia. It's exciting, but I'm thrilled to be on with you today.
Philip:Well, we're glad to have you with us. Tell us about the church in Covington that you have — God's blessing you there, I understand.
Darryl Hooper:Yeah, The Church Covington — we are in Greater Metro Atlanta. We're about 40 minutes east of downtown, just a beautiful, incredible community, Newton County, Georgia. And God is doing great, great things. You know, we're just coming out of a crazy pandemic season and people didn't know what to do or where to go, but I'm seeing people returning and meeting brand new people every single week, and it's just exciting. I wake up with a fresh expectation. Now some 30 years in ministry, I'm just kind of born again, if you will, seeing God do the miraculous in this season.
Philip:Well, these are exciting times we're living in. We're in the season right now — Christmas, Thanksgiving, this whole season. And one of the things that really excited me about you beyond today is — tell me the thoughts that God's been giving you on the star. They saw the star and they rejoiced. When they saw the star it was bleak. The world had been silent. God hadn't spoken for centuries, and suddenly a star appears in the darkness, and it meant a brand new day was about to dawn on mankind. What's the Lord been showing you?
Magi's Two-Year Journey and the Pandemic Parallel
Darryl Hooper:That's exactly right, and it's a fascinating story because it is the call of Christmas, and I believe it's the call that every single one of us are feeling, especially in this Christmas season. You know, when we see the nativity sets that are put on display, there's always Mary and Joseph and the baby and some animals, and then generally there are these three wise men. And I'm always fascinated by them — because who are these men? First of all, they were not there when Jesus was born. This was some two years into Jesus being with us. It took them two years to find him following this star.
Darryl Hooper:And I think that is so appropriate for where we are, because we've come out of a two-year crisis, a two-year pandemic where the church really didn't know who she was or really what she was supposed to do. But they saw the star, and the Bible said that when they saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. They had arrived. But they were rejoicing that they were not where they used to be. They hadn't come into the room where he was yet, but they were thankful that they had come out of darkness, come out of their situation, come out of their circumstance. I don't know who's watching today, but I think you need to celebrate and be encouraged, because while you may not have achieved everything you want to achieve, you may not have accomplished everything you want to accomplish — you are not where you used to be. Just rejoice with exceeding great joy.
Rejoicing Before You Fully Arrive
Darryl Hooper:And here's something else, Philip, that I thought was so powerful in Matthew Chapter 2. The Bible said that when they saw the star they rejoiced, and then they came into the house. These men who traveled some two years were not content to stay out on the sidewalk with Jesus inside the house. They were not satisfied to just window shop or just look through the window and maybe catch a glimpse of him from afar. The Bible said that when they came into the house — you know what — in this season I'm not satisfied with watching TV on screen. I'm thankful for programs like Daily Faith. I'm thankful for the shot of faith, the inspiration that you're sharing. But I'm going to church every Sunday, every opportunity that I can get into the presence of God with God's people. When they came into the house, you know what they didn't see? A man. They saw Jesus. When they came into the house they experienced Jesus. That's what needs to happen in churches all around the world when people come in.
Entering the House: Beyond Window-Shopping Faith
Philip:Well, you can't follow a star in the daytime. You can't see stars in the day. Amen. So whatever else — at night. I can imagine them getting into an inn at four, five, six o'clock in the morning, and they get in and they say, 'We're going to go to bed now — wake us up about four in the afternoon.' And they get up at four and they go down and they have a meal, and one of them goes out and looks outside. 'We've still got time, a few minutes, we've still got time.' And the innkeeper's just — 'The deal is, we're leaving. Get the bill ready. We're leaving.' 'Where are you going?' 'Oh, you can't leave — it's nighttime. There's thieves around here, there's all kinds of things around here.' And sometimes when you're following a star, everyone else goes to bed. Everyone else is disinterested. Everyone else locks the windows and the doors of their houses and says, 'I've done all I'm doing.'
Philip:But wise men — wise men who are carrying with them the money — listen to me — the gold and the frankincense and the myrrh that God had sent them from the East. He'd sent them thousands of miles away. Some have said that they may have left on the way to Bethlehem before Jesus was conceived of the Holy Ghost. And these men were carrying with them the funds, the money that Joseph would need to run from Herod, to get to Egypt, to save the baby's life. And God is sending something into your life. It may have taken a long time. The stars you see at night — some of those stars have been extinct for years, millions of years, because it takes that long to get the light to you. And I can feel a prophetic anointing coming from me — that there's a star coming. God has sent the light of heaven. There's provision coming for your circumstance. But you've got to get up and you've got to follow the star of your life. You've got to follow the destiny of your life.
Following the Star Through Darkness and Fear
Darryl Hooper:Oh, darling, you got me all worked up here. This is great stuff. Yeah, and it requires trust, because when you're traveling at night there's not many people to stop and ask directions from.
Philip:No sir.
Darryl Hooper:You really are dependent on the signs and the direction that God is giving. And what we need in this hour — we need to hear from God. We don't need man's opinion. We don't need man's idea. We don't need man's deconstructed faith. We need a word from God in this season that puts us right where God wants us to be. And when they came into the house, they did the only thing that was appropriate — the Bible said they fell down and worshiped him. That's what God is calling us to do. That's the call of Christmas. It's not about the materialism. It's not about the list. It's not about Santa's lap or trying to figure out reindeer flying. It's about falling down in the presence of the Lord and worshiping him with everything that we are.
Starlight as Prophetic Provision
Darryl Hooper:And exactly what you said — they came prepared. Because in this season everyone is saying, 'Hey, what do you have for me? I came through the night. I came through the storm. What are you going to put into my pockets? How are you going to bless my life?' No. When I come into the presence of the Lord, it's what can I give to him? They gave their total selves to Jesus. They presented themselves, their gifts, their lives. That's what he's calling you and I to do in this Christmas — to give ourselves, to present to him this treasure that we have: our lives, our time, our talent, our treasure, everything that we are, so that he can leverage our lives to build his kingdom in the earth.
Philip:Man, I'm excited. I feel like preaching. I can feel the Holy Ghost. You talking about thankful — I'm thankful. I know the folks watching right now, and you're going through a storm of your life and you're thinking, 'My God, all I'm doing is living in darkness.' The Fear Factor in my life is huge — fear of losing my job. I just talked to someone a few minutes ago, afraid of losing their job, didn't know at the age that she's at — 'I don't want to lose my job.' And let me tell you something: you've got to understand that the Prince of Peace can overrule and overrun the fear of your life. He can overtake the panic that the devil wants to put you into. And I speak to you right now in the name of Jesus — I speak the peace of God that passes understanding.
Falling Down in Worship: The True Call of Christmas
Philip:The Prince of Peace — those wise men fell down and worshiped a baby, a little baby, an insignificant child, but yet they identified the child as the king because of the star in the skies. God doesn't mark kings unless he marks them with stars. Anyone else — if you don't have a star with you, you're not a king. Only one had a star. And I pray over you right now that the peace of God that passes understanding be your portion. I come against everything that would try to disrupt your peace in this season, and I plead the blood of Jesus. That baby in a manger came to conquer and rule the world forevermore. And I just pray that you will follow the star to find him, to go into his presence, to worship him this season, and you'll see that he is Lord over all things in your life, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Darryl Hooper:Amen. Now that's good stuff. Keep on going, brother. Don't quit.
Philip:We'll do it, man. God bless you. Hallelujah. So when they — tell me — what these kings, they're carrying gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And when they laid them at the feet of Jesus — now let me say, there's a lot of folks say there were three wise men because there's gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but it doesn't quantify how many wise men there were. We say three, but the Bible doesn't say three. There were many wise men.
Darryl Hooper:That's exactly right. We don't know how many they were, and the Bible calls them Magi. Later it refers to them as kings from the East. So they were political men — how novel an idea would that be for our politicians to be seeking Jesus, regardless of what label they wear or what stripe or side of the aisle? They would seek Jesus. A lot of these issues would miraculously fix themselves. But they're wise men. We can say they're wise because they were kings. We could say they're wise because they amassed wealth and gained a status. I believe they were wise because they realized there was something more. The moment they decided not to stay stuck in whatever they were into, they said, 'We're going to pick up our lives and go chase after God' — for what would ultimately be some two years. That's what makes a person wise. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom — it's realizing, 'Hey, God has something more for me and I'm not going to stay stuck where I am. I'm going to reach for everything that God has.'
Why the Magi Were Truly Wise
Darryl Hooper:And they found — I can imagine one guy looking up one night, looking at the stars, and seeing this unique thing, this celestial being. They were very smart men because they were able to read the stars — I mean, without telescopes. I mean, this is incredible. But they did, and the next night he gets his friend over: 'Come and see this. I've watched this star for the last few nights and it is moving across the sky.' And then they joined several more: 'Come over to watch this thing with me tonight.' And they identified its movement, and at a certain point in their discourse they either had to decide to say, 'Ah, no big deal,' or, 'Oh my goodness, that means something.' And as you said, they were willing to uproot their lives for a two-year trek to find this baby.
Philip:Two years there, two years back. You think of that — these men, because of what they saw in the sky. And I'm going to tell you something: don't you live by what you think you know. Always keep your eye out and up, looking for God's intervention — a celestial visitation in the name of Jesus.
Darryl Hooper:Wow.
Philip:Yeah, Darryl, you've got to come back and we've got to do this again, because I think I found myself a preaching buddy here.
Darryl Hooper:Let's do it.
Philip:Tell us how folks can get in contact with you.
Darryl Hooper:The Church Covington — we are at thechurchcov.com. You can reach us right there in Covington, Georgia — thechurchcov.com. You can find us, The Church Covington, on Facebook, on YouTube, as well as Instagram, and I'm there in all those places as well. And I'm just excited about what God is doing, and I'm settling for nothing less than God's very, very best — his very best. I'm called, and I'm going to see God do great things, and I want you to be a part of it.
Philip:Hallelujah. Well, listen, I appreciate you being with us today. Thank you so much. And I pray blessing upon you and the ministry that you have there — may it grow and increase and follow the star, in Jesus' name. Amen.
Darryl Hooper:Thank you so much.
Philip:Listen, thank you for watching Daily Faith today. We appreciate you. Will you please pray with us about — here's a star, talk about a star of the night — I'm believing God to buy a house in a war zone. How crazy is that? But I know that if we can reach out to those kids and be God's hand extended in these kids' lives, that he will bless us back. And I challenge you to be a part of this in the name of Jesus. We love you. We appreciate you so much. Thank you for being part of Daily Faith today. Tune in again whenever you can. We'll be here. God bless you. Bye-bye.
For over 25 years the Cameron family has been changing the lives of orphans in Romania and Moldova — from providing running water, flushing toilets, and clean wells, to coal for heat, new windows, as well as food and clothing. They champion the physical needs of the orphans in these broken and desolate countries. Many of Moldova's orphans are saved from the horrors of trafficking through homes founded by the Camerons, and in the process orphans become daughters and sons. They come to know their heavenly Father and are forever changed by the love of Jesus. God helped the Camerons lift these amazing young men and women out of darkness. Now, no longer orphans, they want to return and invade that very same darkness with the light of Jesus Christ. Orphan's Hands equips these daughters and sons to become missionaries. Your monthly gift of $31 will allow us to rescue and take in more girls and boys, saving them from the hell of human trafficking. Your monthly partnership will allow us to care for those in the Orphan's Hands homes in Moldova and Ukraine. Want to join Philip and Chrissy in taking care of these precious young people? Please contact us today by calling 833-DAILY-FAITH. You can also give by going online to www.dailyfaith.tv or by writing to Post Office Box 25, Clinton, Tennessee 37716. So many lives depend on what we do for loving the lost.
Topics
darryl hooperwise menchristmasmatthew 2worshippropheticmagi