I Thought I Was Sharing the Gospel

Allegiance that leads to belief

There are unprecedented challenges to living as faithful followers of Jesus today. Many of these challenges are self-inflicted, or at least the result of good intentions gone bad. But the majority are a direct result of living in a selfish, hopeless, distracted, and toxic culture.
If you take a look at the average American life, it paints a bleak picture. Consider the following statistics:

• Average life expectancy is at its lowest point since 1996 (National Center for Health Statistics)
• The average credit card debt is $5800 and only 37% could last a month financially if they lost their job (Motley Fool)
• 29% have been or are currently being treated medically for depression (Gallup)
• In 2022, around 49,500 people died by suicide, which is the highest number ever recorded (Centers for Disease Control)
• More people (53%) now say they don’t belong to a church or synagogue, which is up from 29% in 1992 (Gallup)
• Only 16% of Americans say that the government does what is right most of the time (Pew Research)
  
  

Answers to these trends are few and far between. But one only needs to unlock your phone to be bombarded with opinions, distractions, and quick-fixes for a small fee.

“Screens disciple.”
(Faith for Exiles, David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock, pg. 25)

Clearly, we need a movement of God’s people who know how to endure — and thrive — in this culture, not the culture from decades ago. This can’t be accomplished by appealing to the lowest common denominator and producing lightweight Christians who will simply fold under the unrelenting pressure.

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