Connecting with Christ in Culture: A Daily Resource for preaching, teaching and just plain talking. News and Entertainment shorts, popular lyric analysis, and some cool gizmos to help you illustrate truth and save time.
Thursday, May 22, 2003
Can You Relate? Huh?
There are two extremes to avoid when trying to relate to non-Christians in the alleged real world.
1. Complete failure to understand what the sun looks like on their planet.
2. Failure to be authentic.
More later...
There are two extremes to avoid when trying to relate to non-Christians in the alleged real world.
1. Complete failure to understand what the sun looks like on their planet.
2. Failure to be authentic.
More later...
Connecting with Christ in Culture
You're getting ready to teach or preach, and you want to be relevant, like you have only this one shot to connect with people who spend all week awash in an alien culture.
You want to say something that connects with people where they are and moves them toward Christ. There's nothing better for doing that than the Word of God...the Bible.
Like Jesus, you'll illustrate God's word with real life stories. But you don't want to use the tired old stories from some book, nor recycle something from Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, Max Lucado, John Maxwell or any other popular Christian communicators.
You want something real. Something that connects. Something that illuminates and tears down cultural barriers.
You're like Paul wandering around the city, shaking your head at all the pagan statues. But when you get before the people, you don't slam them for being heathens. You say, "I see that you are very spiritual people. I've been reading your music lyrics, and I hear the cry for meaning and authenticity. Let me tell you about the God who gives meaning."
You know what I'm saying.
Prayers to an Unknown God
StainedGlassBoxerShorts started with an idea, while listening to my teenage daughter's favorite music. I got copies of the lyrics. And I noticed a common thread in many songs...a search for purpose, meaning, relationship, relevance. The songs began to look like prayers to an unknown god.
You're getting ready to teach or preach, and you want to be relevant, like you have only this one shot to connect with people who spend all week awash in an alien culture.
You want to say something that connects with people where they are and moves them toward Christ. There's nothing better for doing that than the Word of God...the Bible.
Like Jesus, you'll illustrate God's word with real life stories. But you don't want to use the tired old stories from some book, nor recycle something from Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, Max Lucado, John Maxwell or any other popular Christian communicators.
You want something real. Something that connects. Something that illuminates and tears down cultural barriers.
You're like Paul wandering around the city, shaking your head at all the pagan statues. But when you get before the people, you don't slam them for being heathens. You say, "I see that you are very spiritual people. I've been reading your music lyrics, and I hear the cry for meaning and authenticity. Let me tell you about the God who gives meaning."
You know what I'm saying.
Prayers to an Unknown God
StainedGlassBoxerShorts started with an idea, while listening to my teenage daughter's favorite music. I got copies of the lyrics. And I noticed a common thread in many songs...a search for purpose, meaning, relationship, relevance. The songs began to look like prayers to an unknown god.
