Christ or Culture

After a moment’s pause, one youngster said, "Maybe it’s because they don’t know you." (sermoncentral.com)
d. Christianity must mean everything to us before it can mean anything to others. (Donald Soper)
e. Since 1991, the adult population in the United States has grown by 15%. During that same period the number of adults who do not attend church has nearly doubled, rising from 39 million to 75 million – a 92% increase! The latest study shows that the percentage of adults that is unchurched – defined as not having attended a Christian church service, other than for a holiday service, such as Christmas or Easter, or for special events such as a wedding or funeral, at any time in the past six months – has risen from 21% in 1991 to 34% today.
Barna noted that to unchurched people embracing church life is “both counter-cultural and counter-intuitive. (George Barna, May, 2004)
f. We must live in such a way that people see the difference and are attracted to the hope we have in Christ more than the attraction of the hollow and deceptive ways of the world.

Conclusion
Consider carefully how you will observe the season of celebrating Christ’s birth. Don’t be lulled into thinking Jesus can’t possibly be lost in all the shuffle of gifts, wrapping paper, and decorations. Will you decide to forgo anything that doesn’t point to Jesus? Will you endeavor to forge new traditions that will tell and re-tell your family how God became one of us that we might have hope?