In the spirit of my homeboy Martin Luther, this is a 25 Thesis declaration of my frusturations with Christians , in no particular order.

25) The classic secular vs Christian battle in terms of music, books, movies, and every other form of media that is enjoyable to my life. Yes, I like secular music; it's okay. Secular stuff is still inspiring, and in some cases God inspired. Different things speak to different people... personally Metallica taught me how to pray rather than corrupting my mind. (True story; Enter Sandman)

24) The used of the word saved, especially when used in contexts like "before I was saved" or "maybe some people will get saved after I tell them my testimony". Yes, I know that salvation is Biblically accurate and that there is a change in someone when they except Christ... but we do not need to use the verb saved. What are you being saved from? You didn't get saved; you accepted salvation. You were saved the moment that Jesus died on the cross for your sins; you just couldn't reap the benefits of that atonement because you refused to recognize your salvation.

23) Using the terms believers and nonbelievers to distinguish Christians from nonChristians. There shall be no divisions amongst people, between Jew and gentile. Who cares if my neighbor is Christian? I am still going to treat him the same as I would a Christian. Let's not use labels and create divisions in our minds.

22) The phrase or implication of the phrase "because I'm Christian". No, you do not do something because you are Christian. Your actions and thoughts stem from your morals and your convictions. If you are trying to follow Jesus, then yes you should strive to uphold His teachings.... please explain your reasoning. Using a religious label as justification or an excuse makes you sound close minded and judgemental.

21) The prosperity Gospel, televangelists, and commercialized cultural Chrisitanity. I am lumping all of this together because it meshes in my mind. Joel Olsteen, the Crystal Cathedral, and Testamints are all not cool in my book. The Bible tells us to be humbled.... being a celebrity Christian who preaches heresy and steals money from folks is not humble. Having a church with a drive in worship service is not humble. Wasting money on corny Bible themed candy is not humble. This is not Dogma, and we do not all need to promote Buddy Jesus.

20)Using "I'll pray about it " as a synonym for no. If you need to pray about something and contemplate something, then please do so. Take the time and prayer that you need to come to a decision. If you already know that the answer is no, say no. Honesty is key.

19) Using prayer as a way to dish out pity or to try to figure out whats going on in someone's life. If I look upset, please do not walk up to me and say "Can I pray for you?" just to either show that you feel bad or to try to pry into what's wrong. If you care, ask to talk and then if you want to pray then that's probably okay... but if you don't care enough to be real and be a friend, then please do not ask to pray for me... if you felt the need strongly enough, you'd pray anyhow without my permission, so it shouldn't matter.

18) Pulling the God card to prove a point. Also known as "I feel like the Lord is saying" or "I think God wants you to" but really using your own thoughts and associating them with God so that you have a legit reason to project your opinions on me... God may be speaking to you, but He is also speaking to me about my life... so don't try to pull the God card unless it is authentic.

17) Bickering between denominations. We all love God, we all believe that Jesus died for us, and we should all be trying to live a godly life.... why do we dissect doctrine and create massive divisions. Who cares about the time of communion, baptism or confirmation? So what if I don't have a prayer language? What's wrong with centering with some tradition or some rosary beads? Catholics, Lutherans, Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals.. whatever the defining term is... we are all Christians- we all have the same basic beliefs. We are all using our uniqie worship styles and interpretations to try to pull ourselves closer to God... perhaps if we let down our guard against each other, we could actually help one another in our spiritual journeys.

16) Two words: BLIND FAITH. This annoys me like no other. When you approach someone and say why do you belief this? And someone says because the Church says or because the Bible says.... but they can't explain it in their own words or even paraphrase the scripture because they have never persued a personal faith. Yet, they are the first people to criticize you for not showing up at church on Sunday, but the last people to actually pick up a Bible or question anything for themselves. Please use the mind that God gave you... and form your own viewpoints on the questions of faith.

15) Thinking that becomming a Christian is a distinct point rather than a process. Remember salvation, justification, sanctification, and glorification. Salvation occured at the cross. Justification is the point at which you realize "I am a sinner, Christ died for my sins" and repent and accept Jesus as your Savior. Sanctification is the process of becomming more holy and following in the footsteps of Jesus. Glorification is the holiness shining through you. The phases may overlap a bit... but it is still an ongoing process. The point of "conversion" isn't being saved; it's being justified in the salvation that Christ gave you when He died on the cross. You cannot think that the Jesus prayer is the end all be all of becomming a Christian. I think Kierkergard was right in saying that there are no true Christians, because being Christian implies that one is the image of Christ and we sinful people can only continue to strive towards that....

14) Confusing the terms evangelism and proselytising . Evangelism is simply sharing. If you are asked or if it comes up or if you feel you need to do so, talk about God and what He has done for you personally and for all people. Your life is God's story, His Gospel is ment to be shared... so tell it. proselytising is trying to convert people to your religion. The purpose of evangelism is sharing, and sharing only. God will change the hearts of people... don't think that you can save people. And please do not go on a mission trip for the purpose of saving people, go on the trip to serve, to love, to share.... and if you are genuine.. you will help grow the seed that God has planted in the hearts of others.

13) Hiding yourself behind the church. Be open. Be honest. Encourage people to talk about things. Do not put a sign on your forehead saying that "I am Christian.. hear me roar (and I roar in tongues because I believe in prayer languages) or (I roar fiercely because I am one of the elected chosen through predestination)." But, please be honest about your beliefs. Do not lure in people by playing the safe card. If your church is charismatic, encourage discussion about it. If your church is calvinist, encourage discussion about it. And this goes for any belief... you should not have to sift through doctrine to get to the heart of the church.

12)The phrase "in Christian love" . Why not just in love? Our love should not be confined to our Christian friends. It should not be catergorized by societal labels. Our love should be for all people. Jesus loved everyone, and He loved all people with equality.

11) The emphasis on the physical manifestation of gifts or answers to prayers or creations instead of a focus on God- the source of all things. I frankly don't care if I ever see a miracle or have a prayer answered tangibly... because I still know that God is incredible and He loves me. Don't expect to see signs and wonders everywhere. Expect God to be there in His own way... when we expect the wooing at every meeting, we start worhsiping the manifestation and not God... be content with nothing. Know that He will show up, but don't expect Him to wave flags to indicate that He enjoys sitting in your company.

10) Putting God in a box. Forgetting how many times the Bible says that with God anything is possible. Sometimes we judge others inadvertantly and/or criticize God by focusing soley on the truth we think we know... instead of realizing that God is so much bigger than the box that we contain Him in.

9) Forgetting that Christians are terrorists too. Our religion is not without fault. Crusades, Inquisition, Early colonial missionaries.... need I say more. Actually, yes I do. Let's try: abortion clinic bombings and the Oklahoma City bombing. People do bad things in the name of Jesus all the time. We are no better than those who do bad things in the name of Allah. Think about history before you condemn other religions for their actions.

8) Inadvertantly making people, locations, or countries your projects. O yes, this happens. I will help deliver so and so. I will spread the word to all of this city to save the people. This African nation needs saved so I'm going... .forget the religion. Think of the people.... as people. Get to know them as people. God will show up through your genuine love and compassion.

7) Hypocrisy. It's inevitable because we are all human.. but don't kid yourself... sometimes we are no better than the Pharisees.

6) People who quote C.S. Lewis as if he were the fifth Gospel writer. I love the man. I think he is brilliant. The Chronicles of Narnia is not the third book of chronicles. He is a commentary. Please do not quote Mere Christianity the same way you would quote the Gospel according to Mathew.

5) Scripture taken out of context! *cries* The Bible has context, history, literary structure... and a lot of other elements that need to be taken into consideration. You cannot just pluck out a line and say that's it without knowing where it finds into the larger picture. Please break it down word for word, but do so with everything else in mind.

4) Losing the fear of God. the reverance to the Holy Communion. the observation of the days of Holy week... of the importance of obedience. Yes Jesus is love! Incredible. There is also a thing known as the wrath of God... God is a judge as well as a loving Father. Some respect people! "Fear of the Lord" is so important. Respect and reverance are a keycomponent of faith... humblility comes with realizing the athropology of humankind is a cross between beloved heirs and despised sinners.

3) Thinking that your path looks like everyone else. The way to heaven is the narrow gate, but that doesn't mean that the road leading to that gate is the same for everyone. Remember that being a Christian is being in a personal relationship with God. Personal relationship... God knows us better than we know ourselves and he knows how to reach us each in the most effective way. Respect the uniqueness that God created us each with....

2) Praying in a prayer circle as if you were giving a speech for an oratorical contest. God is real. God is listening. Be real. Talk to Him. Forget about the five other people listening, God is the one who you are talking to. He knows contrived crap from genuine pleas... and thanks... and what not. Be real. God loves it. People respect it.

1) Religion is an institution. Faith is a relationship. Use the instititution as a tool... to grow the faith. Worship God, not the church.