Category: Engaging Our Culture

admonish, warn

Why Do So Many People Ignore Morality (And How Do We Respond)?

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New York Times Columnist David Brooks recently published an article in the Atlantic magazine about the condition of morality. He discussed the history of morality and explained why so many people ignore morality today. (The article can be found here, but you probably need a subscription.) This is very important for believers to understand, especially leaders, because we need to understand how people think if we are going to help them transition to Christlike thinking. Brooks begins with the problem, then examines history; he highlights the Enlightenment movement that began in the 17th century. It prioritized the power of reason to arrive at all knowledge. I will quote from Brooks’ article. There’s a question that’s been bugging me for nearly a decade. How is it that half of America looks at Donald Trump and doesn’t find him morally repellent? He lies, cheats, steals, betrays, and behaves cruelly and corruptly, and Continue Reading →

conversation missions evangelism

Invite The Lost Into The Jesus Counterculture

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Last week we saw that it is normal for society to consider Christians intolerant or antisocial and that historically people turn to Jesus when Christians are outcasts and lights for Jesus. So, we have the opportunity to invite people into the Jesus counterculture. Yet, some of us may be avoiding the idea of Christians being separate from the mainstream of society. If we let go of these things we will find peace as well as greater effectiveness for Jesus. Instead, we should remember that we do not need to think of ourselves as being on the defensive. Rather, we are always on the offensive because we are bringing “goodness and light” to the world. The Jesus counterculture is a greater contrast to popular culture than ever before. Some of the lost are looking for an alternative, we can offer the Jesus counterculture. We do not have to be afraid to bring Continue Reading →

sun, heaven, luminous light

Being A Light In A Culture That Rejects God

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Many of us feel like large portions of our society are hostile to Christians and not willing to respect our beliefs. Christians are vilified in some media just for expressing moral standards. We are considered intolerant towards people and irrelevant to society. We are misrepresented in order to make it easier to reject us. The good news is that these are all attitudes that the citizens of the Roman Empire held towards Christians for over 250 years. But Christianity still steadily grew and by the end of the 4th century, it was the dominant religion in the Empire because believers excelled at being a light for Christ. Christians in the Roman Empire were considered antisocial because they did not join in the immoral pagan worship or in the violent and bloody spectacles that were popular at the time. Christians were considered atheists because they would not worship any of the Continue Reading →

Christians Are Not Popular

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When I was in high school the “straight” kids could not be part of the “in-group.” The kids who drank, or partied or did drugs were popular. Off-color jokes and cutting others down also helped. But obviously this was just kids trying to be cool and popular and willing to compromise their conscience. In their view, Christians are not popular. The good kids just had to accept being outsiders. But when the “in-group” kids became adults it seemed that many of them matured and recognized what it meant to live a healthy life. They married and had kids and changed their ways. They became more responsible and less dependent on approval won through foolish immorality. But now it seems the whole country is like a high school. Few actually grow up anymore. Hedonism and boastfulness are the popular virtues. Honest reflection on meaning and values is rare. When the “good Continue Reading →

conversation missions evangelism

When Our Society Declines: Being Missionaries Everywhere

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It’s not really fair to expect unbelievers to act like believers. We are in this world as lights, not as adversaries to the world. We are to love our enemies as well those who are not our enemies (which I think covers everyone). Most people do not follow Jesus, so we are to be missionaries everywhere. If we change our mindset then we won’t be so discouraged when our culture becomes destructive. Instead of thinking we have a right to live in the kind of place we want, it might help to think of ourselves as missionaries in our community and our world. We are in the minority and we cannot quickly change our culture. As missionaries we need to understand the culture around us. Since there is such a diversity of views wherever we go, our lives are a constant cross-cultural experience. Even talking to our neighbor is sometimes Continue Reading →