The Unsaved Christian: Reaching Cultural Christianity with the Gospel

by Dean Inserra

Overview

What to do when they say they’re Christian but don’t know Jesus

Whether it’s the Christmas and Easter Christians or the faithful church attenders whose hearts are cold toward the Lord, we’ve all encountered cultural Christians. They’d check the Christian box on a survey, they’re fine with church, but the truth is, they’re far from God. So how do we bring Jesus to this overlooked mission field?

The Unsaved Christian equips you to confront cultural Christianity with honesty, compassion, and grace, whether you’re doing it from the pulpit or the pews. This practical guide will:

• show you how to recognize cultural Christianity
• teach you how to overcome the barriers that get in the way
• give you easy-to-understand advice about VBS, holiday services, reaching “good people,” and more!

If you’ve ever felt stuck or unsure how to minister to someone who identifies as Christian but still needs Jesus, this book is for you. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802418807
Publisher:	Moody Publishers
Publication date:	03/05/2019
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	429,449
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

DEAN INSERRA is a graduate of Liberty University and holds a M.A. in Theological Studies from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the founding pastor of City Church. Dean is passionate about reaching the city of Tallahassee with the Gospel, to see a worldwide impact made for Jesus. He is married to Krissie and they have two sons, Tommy and Ty, and one daughter, Sally Ashlyn.

Table of Contents

Preface 9

Chapter 1 Help Them Get Lost: The Case for Reaching Cultural Christians 11

Chapter 2 Religion without Salvation: Characteristics of Cultural Christianity 21

Chapter 3 Civic Religion: Generic Faith That Demands and Asks Nothing of Its Followers 33

Chapter 4 Bridging the Gap: Challenging Cultural Christian Beliefs 43

Chapter 5 Overcoming Obstacles: Barriers to Reaching Cultural Christians 55

Chapter 6 False Assurance: Once Saved, Always Saved 63

Chapter 7 The Country Club Church: How Lax Church Membership Fosters Cultural Christianity 73

Chapter 8 Christmas and Easter: Moving Beyond Cultural Observance to the Life-Changing Implications 87

Chapter 9 Making Decisions vs. Making Disciples: Why Raised Hands and Sinner's Prayers Don't Guarantee Salvation 105

Chapter 10 God Shed His Grace on Thee: Partisans, Politics, and Prosperity 119

Chapter 11 The Moral Theist: Reaching the Good Person Who Believes in God 131

Chapter 12 Hail Mary Notre Dame Wins: Reaching Generational Catholics 141

Chapter 13 The Watered-Down Word: Reaching Mainline Protestants 153

Chapter 14 Faith, Family, and Football: Ministering to the Bible Belt 167

Chapter 15 The Harvest Is Plentiful: Challenging Cultural Christianity with Courage and Love 181

Conclusion: A Heart Check for Us All: How Do I Know I'm Not a Cultural Christian? 187

Appendix: Types of Cultural Christianity 193

Acknowledgments 197

Notes 199