When Bad Christians Happen to Good People

I thought this was a great book! It is one thing for a pastor like myself to observe Christians acting badly towards one another and cringe. It is especially telling when a layperson is so aware of the effect of bad Christians not only on those who do not believe but on the church in general. Jesus calls us to love and it is supposed toi be that love that will help others see Jesus in us. Too often others do not experience the love of Christians. Instead, they experience hypocrisy and condemnation. The solution is not that hard if we could only truly live our lives as Jesus called us to live them. Burchett offers some basic ways to refute the effects of bad Christians by living the life of a Jesus-filled Christian.

When Bad Christians Happen To Good People, written by Dave Burchett.

The Good:

The title of course is excellent. Dave does a good job writing in a conversational style with great humor. I highly recommend this book! However, if you are on the sensitive, legalistic end of Christianity you may not enjoy the humor as much as the rest of us.

The Bad:

When I was reading it, my complaint was that there just wasn't much meat in the book. Yes, Christians are hypocrites in transition (my words not his) and we have hurt each other. So what now? Anyhow by the end Dave addressed that question in the last third of the book. What surprised me was how many pages I'd dog-eared to come back to later. Evidently I got more from it then I realized while reading it!

The Ugly:

It brought back memories of church wars. Some of us have a bit of PTSD. Worst yet, it brought back memories of when I've been the bad Christian. Conviction is necessary - but ugly.

I'll be recommending this book. It drops a star only because the inside wasn't quite as good as the title. That's impossible I realize, but hey, it's my review. So there.

Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers sent this book to me free for an unbiased review. That's what I've tried to give. As a Christian who is sometimes bad, I might could be bribed, but not for ten bucks.

This book is full of eye opening truth from Dave Burchett's heart. As I read through his book, I could sense how much he cared about the topic and how it also troubled him at the same time. He's honest and not afraid to tell what he believes that God has shown him through his own experiences. In this book, he shares some of his experiences on the topic and addresses a topic that many us face, head on. Separated into parts, this book offers great insight to what we as Christians face in this world when it comes to why we lost our non-christian audience and what we can do to claim it back.

Filled with stories, quotes, and the cold hard truth, some Christians may feel uncomfortable with what is being said in this book. It will definitely give you a new perspective on the way you treat others and how you look at your faith. If you're open to a new way of looking at your fellow Christians and non-Christians, this is a book for you.

4/5

I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

I know I haven't been alone in my thinking when some whack job does something wacky. There's plenty of these people out there. But then it's made so much more enjoyable when said whack job gets a microphone shoved in front of himself and they claim the reason for their wackiness is they are a Christian.

Awesome!

Well, Dave Burchett was thinking the same thing when he wrote When Bad Christians Happen to Good People. As he said early on, 'this book is for everyone who has been disgusted by the hypocritical arrogance of a church congregation or its leadership. It is also for Christians who inflict the wounds.'

I thoroughly enjoyed Dave's style, as he didn't mince words, but readily acknowledged that all Christ followers can be both the offended and those who offend. He spoke openly with Christians about our style and approach to all sorts of topics. But he also spoke about the expectations of non-Christians.

Some of these arguments have indeed been made before. But the honesty in which Dave approaches this topic doesn't leave one feeling chastised. Rather, it is more like a good conversation one knows he needed to hear.

As a pastor, I can see this being a great small group resource, so that perhaps whole pockets of people could begin to enact change within their churches. Let's face it, when we get together in large groups, we can do some pretty dumb and awful stuff.

On the other hand, we can also grow and learn together how to accomplish this great mission Jesus has called us to. This way, when the next microphone gets shoved in front of one of us, the rest of us might not wince with expectant doom.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

If you want to check out more:

More Info Read Chapter One Author Bio

When Bad Christians Happen to Good People by Dave Burchett

Ok, so we all know the famous quote from Bara Dada, "Jesus is ideal and wonderful, but you Christians -- you are not like him." But while voices from those on the outside looking in can easily be dismissed, when the cry comes from the inside, we need to stop and listen.

Reading Burchett's book can be compared to riding a roller coaster. While for the most part the ride is enjoyable - and Burchett is a master entertainer and comedian - there are also many nail biting, terror-filled (scream: "oh no, that's me!"), "ouch" moments. Yes, the book is filled with horror stories of emotional and spiritual in-house butchery (one in particular is a very personal story about the author's daughter, Katie), but it also has golden-glow-sunrise, life-changing, joy-filled stories of Christians whose reflection of the amazing grace and love they received served as the healing balm of Gilead. The title seems to indicate that the book is filled with finger pointing, soap-opera, "it's all your fault!" stories, but it is actually more like a reality check (his analogy of going to the dentist fits well). Of all the communities of the world, evangelical Christians are often the most dishonest people, simply because being real may result in their being hurt by other equally dishonest people. (Pastors especially are privileged to provide their flock with so much to talk about..."bless his heart".) Burchett shines the spotlight on us all and reveals that we are all broken, hurting people desperately needing other broken, hurting people to understand our pain and help us deal with the ups and downs of life in a fallen, dysfunctional world...ahem...and Church.

To me, parts II and III are the most important sections of the book. While Christians may be licking their wounds received from other Christians (some of whom, sadly, never recover enough to risk returning for a possible second dose), non-Christians turn their heads away in disgust and walk away justifying their refusal to follow Christ. Bara Dada is a case in point. So, true: Jesus weeps...and still does...but Burchett then moves on to deal with non-sugar-coated Gospel living in a badly scripted, role playing world. There are some amazingly jaw-dropping steep drops in this section as well, but far from being a list of rules slapped on thickly like rancid butter on too little bread, Burchett points us in the right direction. In my humble opinion, he hits a home-run on page 176 where he says this:

"It is easier to be critical than truly helpful. In the gospel of John, Jesus talked about how we must be in relationship with Him before we can be fruitful in our endeavors. Simply stated, when you are in a vital relationship with Christ, your thoughts and actions will reflect that connection."

Jesus lived a very real and thus very counter-(religious)-cultural life. Burchett invites us to walk with Him.

And yes, there is a bonus. An eight-session study guide to change knowledge gained to attitude changed to conduct altered. "I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review." ? More Info ? Read Chapter One ? Author Bio