Michael Foley

unChristian: Get Saved

As I have read the book, unChristian, I have come to the conclusion that one of the biggest tragedies facing the modern church is the fact that many "outsiders" see the church as only attaining for one thing; Getting them saved. If we look at the social makeup of Mosaics and Busters, we see that they put a very high priority on personal relationships. They want to feel connected with people on a personal level. Only 1/3 of "outsider" believe that Christians truly care about them. This is where the disconnect comes for the church; as the global church has become inwardly focused, it's become more difficult for develop meaningful relationships with outsiders because, well, they see us just going after their "soul" and not the person. If you think about it, it makes sense that they would feel this way. From Bill Hybles book, Just Walk Across The Room, as Christians "advance" in their journey with God, they spend less time with outsiders. Exactly the opposite of what The Word teaches Christians to do. Christ was a great example because he spent the majority of His time with outsiders. So I pose the question, why should outsiders except Christ when we've never taken the opportunity to get to know them as people? Another interesting thought is this.... Only 3% of Mosaics and Busters, those 18-41, hold a biblical world view. Biblical world view is defined by the belief in ALL eight principles: Christ was sinless, God is all knowing and all powerful creator of the universe and rules it today, salvation is a gift from God and can not be earned, Satan is real, Christians have a responsibility to share their faith, the bible is accurate in the principles it teaches, unchanging moral truth exist, and this truth is defined by the Bible. I know this is a lot to chew on, but let's boil it down. Those who live their life by these eight principles live out their life in a completely different way than those who don't share this belief. What the research is pointing to is the vast majority of Christians who hold a world view that is not biblical, don't know what they believe and are very relunctant to share their faith in God. So what we have are two groups, Christians who hold a biblical world view but don't really associate with "outsiders" and Christians who don't share this biblical world view and are shallow and uneducated as to why that believe. Not a very good place for the church or it's future. So what's the answer? For me it's simple and complicated. We must care about people first. A genuine love and care that Christ modeled in the Bible. But there is a delicate balance because we need to be entrenched on the world enough to make a difference but not so much that it affects us. I think that we must also remember that it is God who draws people to Him... Not us. Our job is to love people, share our faith, and be authentic and real. If we do that, God will do the rest.

unChristian: Hypocritical

I've been reading the book unChristian. It's a fascinating book that takes a long look at the preceptions that "outsiders", those who do not claim to be Christian, have of christians. I'll be taking a look at this book chapter by chapter and giving a few of my thoughts about it. First, let's look at the notion that outsiders see christians as hypocritical. Mosics and busters, those who are late teens to early thirties, look at life as very complex. Issues are not looked at singlularly but as a whole with all issues. To put it plainly, life is complicated. Mosaics and Busters want transparency. They value relationships and are weiry of anyone who feels that they have all the answers. The rub comes from the last statement.... Mosaics and Busters don't like people who have all the answers. They view christians as judgmental, know-it-alls, who don't live up to the standard that they themselves have established. Let's look at a few of these conflicting views. I think that if you asked most Christians what they thought of Co-Habitation, getting drunk, sex outside of marriage, and same sex partners, they would say that these activities are wrong. But what is interesting about the research is that it points to our hypocracy: 59% think co-habitation is ok. 58% think gambling is ok. 57% have sexual fantasies. 44% think it's ok to have sex before marriage. 37% use profanity. 35% get drunk. 33% look at porngraphy. 32% think abortion is ok. 28% think it's ok to be homosexual. 7% it's ok to use the f*** word on TV. Here's another interesting thought: 5% of Christians admit to "giving someone the finger" recently. To put it another way, compared to flipping off someone, Christians are five times more likely to get drunk and gamble, three times more likely to have sex ouside of marriage, and more likely to cuss, view porn, and talk badly of others. No wonder the world sees Christians as hypocrites: what we say and what we do are not the same. But what's fascinating is that outsiders don't care that we're hypocritical. They view being hypocritical as a part of life. What angers me is not that we may be looked at like hypocrites, it's that there is no statical difference on what we stand for compared to outsiders. I can't tell you how many Christians I've seen try to make themselves relavant by embracing just about everything the world has to offer. What it boils down to is the world see no difference between themselves and Christians. We are seen as having the same values. Christianity is longer seen as offering hope through Jesus but as a group of folks that look like the world..... we're just judging them according to a standard we ourselves can not maintain. One final note. These Busters and Mosaics also said the one trait they admired was someone who was transparent and held firm to their principles. What that means for the church is that the world wants to see a transparent Christian walk that is authentic and real. If we are going to break this "hypocracy" tag that the church has... We need to be real with our Christianity and show the world what it means to follow Jesus.

Unchristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity and Why It Matters

This is my newest selection to read. I've found it a very fascinating read so far. It's a book put out by the Barna Group that deals with what "outsiders" (those who are either unbelievers or follow another religion other than Christianity) think of Christians and ultimately Jesus. What I am finding interesting/concerning is that many of these outsiders perceptions stem from their personal interactions with  Christians. To put it mildly, we are doing a horrible job of showing Christ to the world. I'll take it perception by perception and give my thoughts on where we go from here.

Below is  a description:

Christianity has an image problem. Christians are supposed to represent Christ to the world. But according to the latest report card, something has gone terribly wrong. Using descriptions like "hypocritical," "insensitive," and "judgmental," young Americans share an impression of Christians that's nothing short of . . . unChristian. Groundbreaking research into the perceptions of sixteen- to twenty-nine-year-olds reveals that Christians have taken several giant steps backward in one of their most important assignments. The surprising details of the study, commissioned by Fermi Project and conducted by The Barna Group, are presented with uncompromising honesty in unChristian. Find out why these negative perceptions exist, learn how to reverse them in a Christlike manner, and discover practical examples of how Christians can positively contribute to culture. unChristian also includes forward-looking insights from respected Christian leaders, adding their assessment of the problems and their thoughts about how Christians should respond. Exclusive contributions from: Mark Batterson Chuck Colson Andy Crouch Sarah Cunningham Margaret Feinberg Jonalyn Fincher Mike Foster Dave Gibbons Louie Giglio Gary Haugen Jeff Johnson Reggie Joiner Kevin Kelly Dan Kimball Michael Lindsay Rick McKinley Brian McLaren Kevin Palau Tri Robinson Mark Rodgers Jannah Scott Chris Seay Andy Stanley John Stott Jim Wallis Rick Warren Shayne Wheeler Jim White Jud Wilhite

A Must Read: The Shack

The Shack

As many of you know, I've been on a serious journey with God ever since the death of my great friend Mark Holt. There have been times over the past two years that many I've struggled with God and why He allows tragedy in our lives.

Along the way I've read a few books that provided some insight but, non as much as "The Shack". It's true, this is a fictional book...but it's also true that it cuts to the core of how we view the Trinity and how we view God. Open your creative/spiritual mind and let God reveal something new to you.

Note that this is a fictional book. There are a few areas that are not theologically correct. But, it does reveal Gods love for us through tragedy. Check out this link which addresses the questionable theology.

As to not give away too much, I'll just give you a very basic understanding of the book. It discusses the tragedy that occurs in the life of a man named Mack. The bulk of the book in surrounding the interactions that Mack has with God "Papa", Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

There we're many lines in this book that almost brought me to tears. But the one that hit home was this (not verbatim), in the words of Papa, "I don't predestine tragedy...but I do redeem it!" WOW!.... after I read this line, my eyes welled up and I ALMOST cried. The God that I serve REDEEMED Marks life. How? I'm not sure. But, I know he did. For any of you who have suffered a tragic loss of a friend, you know what it means to question God and wonder why He allows these horrible things to happen to His beloved. This book goes a long way in putting all this in perspective. It was something that I really needed. It's also a book that I'll read every year as to never forget what God is increasingly revealing to me...... that He is an active, loving God whom desires a relationship so deep that I could not possibly fathom it's fullness. God redeems our tragedies to bring us closer to Him.

Get this book....Read this book!

Book Review: Armageddon, Oil, and Terror

This is a great read for anyone who wants to know more about how Armageddon, Oil, and Terrorism are all related. Mark Hitchcock does a great job in piecing all these events together. What I really enjoyed about the book is this simple fact: The church needs to be resurrected in order the the other prophecies to be fulfilled. If that doesn't give you a sense of urgency.... nothing will. To put it mildly, there are events taking place right before our eyes that seemed impossible just 20 years ago. The Russian/Iranian relationship is just one example. Not to mention the resurgence of Israel as a great nation and the transformation of the Roman Empire (aka... The EU!. Christ could come at any moment and there is a lot of work for us all to do. Tell someone about Christ today.  Better than that, tell them about Christ and invite them to your church this week. If you want to see revival in your own life.... invest Christ in life of another. You'll see God move in your life like never before. For it's Gods desire that no one perish but all come to know him.

Tic, Toc, Tic, Toc........ don't waste time.