I think I will attempt to answer the question in three parts: 1. I should not go out of my way to be unnecessarily offensive. 2. I should not be afraid of being offensive when necessary. And 3. I should get busy doing practical good deeds that, in general, people will find it hard to object to.

In his 2015 book, “Extreme Ownership,” author Jocko Willink defines the title concept as follows: “On any team, in any organization, all responsibility for success and failure rests with the leader. The leader must own everything in his or her world.  There is no one else to blame. The leader must acknowledge mistakes & admit failures, take ownership of them, and develop a plan to win.”

A few years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to become a part of the Board of Directors of International Disaster Emergency Service (IDES). I’ve been exposed to IDES and their incredible ministry for as long as I can remember and have, on several occasions, had the joy of sharing in its work. From participating in work trips to a storm-ravaged Pearlington, Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina, to helping with shed building projects after a tornado ripped through our neighboring region in 2012, to volunteering with numerous “God Always Provides” (G.A.P.) food packing events, IDES has always been a familiar and beloved mission to me.

One of the founders of AA, Bill Wilson, has said, “We believe (in the church world) that faith without works is dead (James 2), but in AA we have conclusively proved that works without faith are dead also.” For the alcoholic, that means it’s not enough to just try; you need a spiritual foundation. And for the Christian, being a “good person” is not enough; we need what Christ and the church offer. In fact, what he said mirrors the dual message of Scripture, as we compare James 2 with Ephesians 2. And yet, both sides of this equation can be lacking among many who claim allegiance to Jesus. 

I recently met a fan of Bible trivia who asked, “What preacher left Joppa because of Gentiles?” After a moment, I replied “Peter”, thinking of Acts 9. Actually, it turned out to be a bit of a trick question. It turns out Peter, as well as the prophet Jonah, both left Joppa but under different attitudes toward Gentiles. This left me curious enough to explore the parallels between these two departures.

In our culture, religion is polarizing. Often, we are even predisposed to avoid engaging in religious discussion. In this article, I would like to present an approach Christians can follow to build bridges with those who: 1) firmly hold to differing beliefs, 2) will listen to you just to tell you where you are wrong, or 3) have never had their own beliefs challenged to deeper reflection. My overarching question is this: “As Christians, when have we fulfilled our duty in sharing the Gospel?”

Philippians 2:8 says of Jesus, “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Did you ever give much thought to the statement “He humbled Himself?”

Yet, the love that Jesus commanded is not about “working to make your neighbor happy by affirming their perceived identities or choices.” For one, happiness is not the defining quality of love. Happiness often accompanies the type of love that Jesus commands, but not necessarily in the short run.

Sometimes Christians can get so excited about the redemption Jesus brings that they fail to tell any other part of the 
Biblical story. We rightly rejoice that our sins are forgiven; this truly is great news! However, if this is the only 
part of the story you know — or if you mistake this part as being the whole story — it is easy to end up with a 
fragmented or even reduced view of the gospel.

Every year, right before Resurrection Sunday, Google searches for "church" skyrocket, making it the time of year when Americans search for a church more than any other. People who normally don't think about stepping into a building are suddenly pulling out their phones and looking for a place to go. This is not an isolated phenomenon but a predictable, recurring sociological pattern.