Let's face the truth. Christians have a reputation for being friendly just so we can invite someone to church or talk about faith. Yes, it is part of our faith to share our faith, but we could do this in a way that doesn't cause fear or anxiety. It starts with building a real friendship and being the kind of person that can talk about faith without getting defensive or dismissive.
In our world today, the topic of politics is not going away anytime soon, and the conversations about politics are getting less tolerant and more inflammatory. But the New Testament presents a different perspective on politics, one where people encountering the message of Jesus is vastly more important than creating laws or gaining control of society.
Politics can't save the world, only Jesus can.
Often people think that Christianity is patriarchal, and old-fashioned in its views on gender and leadership in the church. But as we learned on Sunday, the teachings of scripture are constantly and consistently moving toward equality in church leadership.
Under the New Covenant that Jesus Christ began, leadership and authority in the church is determined by spiritual gifts, not gender.
