142: What is Truth Plus Love in a Polarizing Culture? (feat. Matt Brown)

You’d have to be living under a rock to miss the fact that we’re living in an unbelievably polarizing time in history. Just look at social media. Within the last few years, the days of dogs, babies, and #foodie posts have taken a back seat to the chest-beating, opinion-wielding, “truth”-slinging voices shouted from atop the digital soapboxes. On it, we throw stones, take sides, and spew contempt. Adding to the mix, despite the issue, our sense of gratification and genuine contribution as a society has become enmeshed in the emotional payout of retweets, likes, and blistering commentary.

Here’s the questions you’re probably asking: Aren’t we allowed to speak our opinion freely? Of course. Shouldn’t we speak unashamedly about our moral and ethical convictions? Certainly. Shouldn’t we engage with our peers and spur each other on to enlightened thinking? Indeed. But I believe we’re going about it the wrong way in the wrong forum. As a nation, we are more divided than at any other time in recent history (just look at the exit polls of the 2016 election). By 2015, research provided the statistic that only 52 percent of Americans indicated that they trusted their neighbors.

So as followers of Jesus, the challenge is to engage in difficult conversations and difficult relationships, bringing truth in love, without “Bible thumping,” and at the same time, not confusing love with a message of limp tolerance and universalism, baked in humanistic values. So, what is the answer to these multifaceted issues storming our society? Joining us today to discuss this critical topic and answer these questions is author of the brand-new book, Truth Plus Love, Matt Brown, whose passion for evangelism has opened doors to helping millions of people around the world.

Buy the Book

Imagine what our world might look like if Christians became known for remarkable love, as well as life-giving truth.

The stakes are high and the need is great for Christians to represent Jesus to a watching world. And today, we have more influence than ever before–for better and for worse. We are among the first generations to have access to a global megaphone through social media. But it’s not enough to speak truth louder to a noisy culture. To counter the reputation Christians have earned, our love must be just as loud.

Ask evangelist Matt Brown, and he will tell you Christians today are facing a crisis of influence. In our rush to speak truth to today’s tensions, cultural issues, and trending controversies, it becomes all too easy to focus on proving our points rather than extending God’s grace. Conversely, when we seek only to love yet never proclaim a better way, we short-circuit God’s plan.

Truth Plus Love: The Jesus Way to Influence invites you to rediscover the biblical framework for engaging culture as ambassadors of Christ. Through biblical insight, cultural analysis, and practical principles, Matt Brown outlines how to champion truth without compromise, how to love unconditionally, and ultimately, how to step into this great adventure of representing God to the world. It’s hard, it’s messy, and it’s the unfinished project of a lifetime, yet here we find our great adventure: representing God to a watching world. Buy Truth Plus Love: The Jesus Way to Influence now.

Review “Win Today”

Click here to read the ratings, or even better, please leave me a rating and review on iTunes. Your rating will help the podcast get noticed and positioned on iTunes.

What Listeners Are Saying…

“So great to find a podcast that is both encouraging and challenging! It is professionally produced, yet still has an informal feel like I’m hanging out with Chris… And frankly, I’d love to hang out with him! I really appreciate his heart and have been able to apply many of his topics in my life to help me grow professionally, physically, and relationally. A+!”