Challenges

(Page 206) To shift the reputation, Christ followers must learn to respond to people in the way Jesus did. If young outsiders say they can not see Jesus in our lives, we have to solve our ‘hidden Jesus’ problem. What is your solution to solving the ‘hidden Jesus’ problem in your setting?

Respond to the paragraph on page 219 “We want young generations to participate in our churches, but we expect them to play by the rules, look the part, embrace the music, and use the right language. We condemn the moral compromises, but we lack the patience to restore them. We want them to become mature Christ followers, though we are unwilling to submit to the significant task of our own spiritual formation.”

Judgmental

Respond to the statements on page 184 “those inside and outside the church are questioning our motives as Christians. They say Christians are more interested in proving we are right than that God is right. They say Christians are more focused on condemning people than helping people become more like Jesus. Are we more concerned with the unrighteousness of others than our own self-righteousness?”

“Our research with Christians confirms that often we miss the point of reflecting Jesus to outsiders because we are too busy catering to the expectations of other believers.” Ouch! ! ! Is that true in your setting? Your comments?

Too Political

As stated in the book, “it is easy to assume that society is divided into “us-versus-them” forces. The reality is much less clear-cut.” (page 160) Also, “the sobering conclusion is that political attitudes and perspectives, when expressed in an unChristian manner, create unintended spiritual barriers between people and Christ.” (page 167) How can Christians express their views on political and social issues without ‘dividing’ and ‘creating’?

Respond to the statements on pages 174-175 “Our congregation does not need another political opinion. They need spiritual revelation. Our primary role as spiritual leaders is not making people see eye to eye. It is making sure our eyes are focused on Jesus.”

Sheltered

How do you respond to the statement “Our usefulness is hindered if we are more concerned about our protection from sin than the effects of sin in the lives of others.” ? (page 132)

What do you think should be done in response to the statement “despite outsiders’ exposure to church, few say they have experienced God through church.” (Page 123)

Antihomosexual

On page 101 the writer says, “Simply put, Christians think there is a problem (with homosexuality) but have no idea what to do about it. The absence of relational and spiritual solutions to the problem of homosexual lifestyle has left the church particularly vulnerable.”

Question:
(1) How can the church begin to develop an appropriate response to this issue?

How would you respond to the statement on pages 105-6 “We need to be more concerned about reaching those who need Jesus than “proving” our faith to those who claim to know Jesus”?

On page 79, the author states “Intentionally or not, we promote the idea to outsiders that being a Christ follower is primarily about the mere choice to convert.”

Questions:
(1) In your opinion, what is being a Christ follower about?
(2) How can this be more effectively addressed in our churches?

On page 87, in response to this the topic of outsiders perceptions of church people, Chuck Colson states “The church grew because Christians were doing the gospel and had a community – a local church – where people really loved each other.”

Questions
(1) What does “doing” the gospel look like in 2008?
(2) How can a “community – a local church – where people really love each other” become reality where you live?

On page 46, it is noted that a comparison was made between born-again Christians and non-born-again adults. It was discovered that born-agains were distinct on some religious variables, but when it came to nonreligious factors – the substance of people’s daily choices, actions, and attitudes – there were few meaningful gaps between born-again Christians and non-born-agains.

Questions:
(1) Why do you think born-again Christians fail to display much attitudinal or behavioral evidence of transformed lives?
(2) How would you respond to the statement on page 51, “The truth is that few outsiders say they avoid Christianity because the moral standards are too restrictive”? Instead, they are repelled by Christians.