THE CHRISTIAN CULTURE SURVIVAL GUIDE (excerpt) by Matthew Paul Turner

"Today, I think forced proselytizing causes much harm for the kingdom of God. Yet sadly, we have become a Christian society offering a "fast food" mentality on salvation--get everyone through the line as quickly as possible and hope they order a combo. This isn't evangelism. This is a cheap, franchised form of Christianity that churches today still try to utilize to bring people to Jesus. I have a sincere desire for all people to hear the saving message of Jesus Christ, but I've learned that building relationships is the key, not crazy one-a-day plans to ensure people say the words of the sinner's prayer.

If salvation truly is the most important decision that an individual can make, and I firmly believe it is, then Christians need to be wiser about how we go about telling people about Jesus. The son of God is the most compelling, attractive, and offensive individual to have every walked the earth, and He spent time building relationships with people. It's extremely important for the Church to connect with the lost, but sometimes our current "get everybody to the altar" tactics aren't doing it. In order to reach people, we need authentic lovers of Christ willing to walk through the trenches and meet people in their personal habitat..."

***Need more be said? As Christians we are called to be slaves to love. We're called to LOVE, not to bang someone over the head with culturally driven rules and regs about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Friends, this is WHY people are so screwed up in the first place. Something as precious as LOVE gets twisted. The absence of love in people's lives drives them to despair and desperate acts. This is, at least, my story.