So I’ve been reading a book by Dan Kimball called “They Like Jesus But Not The Church”. The book has its haters and its condoners. I for one condone this book totally. I think if you want to be shocked with how we tend to be perceived as being Christians or the effect of what you say and how you act effects those around you this book will definitely shock you. I think to an extreme it has actually been a culture shock cause it’s opened my eyes to see what my culture around me thinks of Christians and what they think of Jesus. Honestly I haven’t been so saddened by the perception that people have and yet I’ve never noticed it tell now.

Honestly this book so far has probably changed my life the most so far besides the bible. Mainly for the fact is that I fall into this generation and age group it talks about.

The common thread of the book is that people like Jesus and think he is a great guy and an awesome teacher but they don’t like the church cause of what it is or what it does.

Most people don’t like the church cause they are judgmental, they tell you what to do, they are the set of rules or there homophobic or complementariasts.

Honestly I don’t want to be labeled with that. The word Christian means Christ like and I want to be labeled as Christ like but I’d hate to say it but I’m not and I can say I’m not good at it but I don’t need a bunch of other churches making it worse for me.

I hate it I shouldn’t feel like I should have to apologize for what people relate the common church to. But I do feel that way and I do apologize. People should not feel judged by the church or me. Christ didn’t judge. He loved everyone and those that weren’t religious, He disciplined the religious people that were in the wrong but discipline is love based to better you not to punish you and he gave his life to show how much he loved us to save us.

Honestly I can say people are not getting that perception of the church. There’s alot of things I would like to cover but it’s going to take awhile so I’m going to write it in a series of posts as to not jumble everything together.

Christ Like:

We all know what Christ was like and what he did for us. But do we perceive Christ in our lives to those that our outside of our Christian bubbles. If you ask anyone about the their perception of Church or Christians they are probably going to have some sort of opinion about them. Most likely concluding to Judgmental, Opinion pushers, Confused, etc…But then ask them about Jesus and most people will say alot of Good things.

What has happened were Christians have a bad perception but Christ does not? Somewhere they have gotten that conclusion by being in church and dropping out cause of being offended, not agreeing with all that was taught or they were they were told to leave cause they were being judged or something.

Sometimes it’s by what they see in Christians or the media shows.

Right now the media shows nothing good of Christians except for standing outside of funerals or passing out tracts to get a head count instead of really caring for them out of love. Sometimes they have friends that become Christians and those friends get into a church and they are no longer are the way they were. They’re image has changed cause someone has told them they shouldn’t look that way, or they get rid of music cause of someone telling them to. They lose what makes them who they are cause someone tells them how to look. I will tell you right now that sickens me. I’ve tried my hardest to never look a way or get rid of something cause someone has told me to. I focus on my relationship with Christ and if God wants me to get rid of something I will be convicted of that way. I’m not going to conform to what someone wants. Christ was unique; He wasn’t a conformist but a trendsetter. He was real with people and was different than everyone but also he respected people. I try my hardest to be that way. I’m different than alot of people. I have a tattoo, a piercing, listen to secular music (unless I don’t believe its right for me to be listening to) and I dress like people my age do. I watch alot of movies that other people watch. All that is what makes me who I am. I’m not trying to be fake or do what someone tells me I have to do but I do what I now I should do cause I love Christ and I follow him. My goal in my life is to be me but be Christ like to those around me. I have alot more but for the sake of not pushing alot in here I’m going to end part one and will continue with part two later.

Much Love ~ Jeremy Newton

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