unChristian

A few weeks ago I finished reading the book "unChristian" by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. This is a book that all Christians should read. The book has to do with studies conducted by The Barna Group about the perceptions young people (age 18 - 29) have about Christians, and more importantly, what needs to be done about it.

I fear that many people's reaction to this book will be to get on the defensive without even thinking. Perhaps without even reading the book. I've run across some bloggers and radio personalities who clearly have not read the book commenting on it. The book is not about changing the message of the Gospel to make it more appealing to the current generation. It is about how we as Christians often do not often approach things according to what Christ said.

My copy of the book is now marked all over with bright yellow highlighter. Here are a few items I highlighted, but I would encourage every disciple of Christ to tackle the entire book with an open heart and mind:

"We need to be more concerned about reaching those who need Jesus than 'proving' our faith to those who already claim to know Jesus."

"God wants to use us in the gritty and raw places of people's lives, but our usefulness is hindered if we are more concerned about our protection from sin than the effects of sin in the lives of others."

"When people say that America is a mission field, it would be more accurate to say it is many diverse mission fields."

"Rather than being known for criticism, let's learn to step in and work toward a solution for the problems we see. As Michelangelo said 'Critique by creating.' "

"With young people, how we communicate is as important as what we communicate."

"If our primary focus is on the sin, it is virtually impossible to demonstrate love to an individual."

"The reality is that if we do not demonstrate loving relationships within the church, it does not matter how much we display Jesus to outsiders."