Tag Archives: Bible

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How to Become An Everyday Ambassador

Recently I wrote about the importance of making sure we are relating to our culture with the right tone. This is because we represent the King of kings and his kingdom agenda to the world that Christ died to redeem. We proclaim his message that reconciliation is now available in Christ. If you name the name of Christ, then you are an Everyday Ambassador. Interestingly, the Bible gives us a front row seat to watch Paul live out this mind-set in an unchristian environment:

“While Paul was . . . in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him … Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship — and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.” – Acts 17:16 – 23

First, did you notice that he is reasoning with people about Christianity, not just appealing to blind faith, emotions, and felt needs? He is “contend[ing] for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people” (Jude 3). The book of Acts repeatedly records Paul doing this (Acts 14:15 – 17; 17:2, 4, 17 – 31; 18:4; 19:8).

Second, Paul is greatly distressed by the idolatry in Athens, but he didn’t preach hellfire and brimstone. Rather, modeling the wise engagement he commands believers to employ (Colossians 4:5–6), he compliments their religiosity. Paul translates the right response of sadness and channels it into connection with his audience. His tone is instructive here.

Finally, notice that Paul finds connecting point after connecting point with his audience. He understands the times (1 Chronicles 12:32). He has studied their works and ideas, quotes their poets, and is familiar with Stoic and Epicurean philosophy. He is a student of their culture, not merely an observer (Acts 17:23). He studies it so he can find connections between the true story of Christianity and their cultural story. And then at the end, he subverts their story by naming the unknown God as the Jesus who was resurrected.

Here is what this means for us at our intersection. We have to know our story well—the kingdom story—and we also need to know the major cultural stories at our intersection. This will take effort, study, and intentionality and is part of what it means to always be prepared to give a defense of the hope within us (cf. 1 Peter 3:15). If you are ready to do that, reading this would be a great next step.

What are some ways that you have been able to successfully build bridges with people? Please share them in the comments section below.

Listen to “Living As A Christian In A Post-Christian Culture” (Podcast)

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How Should Christians Talk About Origins In Public Square? [Podcast]

When it comes to talking about evolution, creation, intelligent design, science, and faith in the public square, how should we do that as Christians? What should our priorities be? How do we have conviction and wisdom? Are there certain tactics that might be helpful? How can we better equip our youth to think about questions of origins? Is theistic evolution a viable option for Christians? This and more…

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Is there really no debate about evolution today?

If you enjoyed this topic / podcast, you would enjoy this discussion with a Hebrew scholar on understanding the early chapters of Genesis.

Also helpful, is this video on seven days that divide the world.

I go in to more detail talking about faith and science issues – Click Here

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What I Learned from Dr. Pepper TEN About Manhood

My son is eight and a half and I am so proud of him (you will notice that the “half” part is very important to kids, but I find less important for adults! :). We have been having a lot of good conversations lately and its fun (and hard!) to see him grow up before my eyes. Recently, we have been laughing about a TV commercial we saw during the Sugar Bowl where the Oklahoma Sooners defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide 45 – 31 (Boomer Sooner!). I digress…If you haven’t seen this video yet, its worth a watch for a good laugh!

Yes, this is silly, but if you listen to some of the opening lines again, you will notice a very interesting phrase, “…a man just needs a place where he can be, wild and free…” Of course this commercial is a caricature, but it gets at a very important point–there aren’t many places where manhood is welcomed and celebrated in our culture. When was the last time you saw manhood celebrated? Granted, there have been men throughout history who have been abusive and not represented what God designed masculinity to be. However, the abuse of an ideal does not invalidate it. And we certainly should not abandon it; we should try to recover it. Affirming this does not and should not diminish the equal value and importance of women as co-image bearers.

I’m not the only one who has noticed. Here is the fascinating and unusual headline of a recent Wall Street Journal article: “Camille Paglia: A Feminist Defense of Masculine Virtues – The cultural critic on why ignoring the biological differences between men and women risks undermining Western civilization.”

‘What you’re seeing is how a civilization commits suicide,” says Camille Paglia. This self-described “notorious Amazon feminist” isn’t telling anyone to Lean In or asking Why Women Still Can’t Have It All. No, her indictment may be as surprising as it is wide-ranging: The military is out of fashion, Americans undervalue manual labor, schools neuter male students, opinion makers deny the biological differences between men and women…” (read the rest here and thoughtful commentary by John Stonestreet here).

How to Be a Real Man

In looking at today’s culture, one thing is crystal clear: manhood is in a state of confusion. Most men live lives of confusion, isolation, frustration, and quiet desperation. Time only intensifies these emotions. Our society offers little by way of encouragement for this generation of men. On the contrary, men get a healthy dose of ridicule before being dismissed as unnecessary. This sentiment is tragic in and of itself; but even more tragic when this same confusion, isolation, frustration, and quiet desperation is occurring among Christian men. Men are floundering today due to lack of vision—there is no compelling purpose in life.

manhoodThis is the context in which I am raising my own son and trying to be a man myself. So what am I trying to teach him and live out? Truet Cathy, CEO and founder of Chick-Fil-A, once put it this way, “It’s better to build boys than mend men.” So how do we do that? As Christian men, our instruction manual is the Bible. The pages of Scripture reveal two prominent men: the first man, Adam, and the last Adam, Jesus Christ (Gen. 1–3; 1 Cor. 15:45–49). Adam lived life separated from God; Jesus Christ lived in union with God. As men, you and I will live in the shadow of one or the other. The following definition was derived by Robert Lewis from comparing and contrasting the lives of these two predominant men:

A real man rejects passivity, accepts responsibility, leads courageously, and expects God’s greater reward.

This is the vision a group of men and I try to live out as husbands and fathers. This is the vision I am (imperfectly) trying to teach and live out in front of my son. There are other great resources as well. And here is a 3-part series you can listen to which will help lay the biblical foundation for this vision. The bottom line is that we all need–and our culture needs–a place where we can be the men that God intended.

According to the ever authoritative WikiHow, “Manliness is something many aspire to, but few achieve.” Let’s work together to see if we can begin to change that. That’s bold vision…

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The Real World Importance of the Resurrection of Jesus

“Risen and alive, the one who stood at the center of God’s kingdom was vindicated. His claims of kingship, heavenly rooted authority, and God’s kingdom stood firm. Life triumphed over death. The disciple’s grief became conviction. The offer of life had found in him a fresh focal point—forever. The disciples taught what Jesus had preached. They proclaimed the new promise of God. They shared that life had come in the message and person of Jesus. Resurrection not only meant new life for Jesus, but the offer of new life to the world.” – Darrell Bock

The resurrection is the central claim of Christianity and its implications reach far and wide. In fact, as far as the curse is found.

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. – 1 Corinthians 15:1-7 (NASB)

Explore the historical evidence for the resurrection