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FWIW, Newsboys has pretty much absorbed DC Talk. Their show at Lifest was like 1/3 DC Talk songs.

Worship = Good.  Milking it = Defeats the purpose.  Unless it's Becoming the Archetype, and they only did one song.

Yeah, that album was fail. The newest album is win.

I didnt realize they had picked up michael tait.  I havent looked at a New newsboys album since 2003 or so.  I migh tjust go pick this one up.

I agree that the new Newsboys album is good.  But DC Talk was the first band that I have ever listened to so I am a bit biased towards Michael Tait. 

The "techno feel" is a good thing imo.

I agree with this 10000000%

Wow, that's alot!

You can release a christian product without mentioning Christ.  movies like Remember the Titans can easily be considered a christian movie because of their message even if they dont explicitly mention Christ.

I agree more like 50%.  True, not EVERYTHING has to have a Jesus label on it, but He IS supposed to permeate everything we do, and our whole entire purpose in life is to bring HIM glory and to make disciples of all nations.  It is kinda hard to do that without mentioning the one who is supposed to be getting all the glory, and without mentioning the only one who can save.

If you have an opportunity to perform 10 songs for a group of lost people, shouldn't you try to have at least one of your songs contain some reference to your Savior, or to the hope we have in Him?  Or if you write a movie, and the heroic character is who he is because of Christ, should that not be made clear at some point?  Isn't that why God gave you that talent/gift in the first place?  If we use our gifts to bring glory only unto ourselves, then are we truly being faithful stewards?  Are we ashamed of Christ?  Or do we just not feel an urgent need to witness?  Regardless of the reason, the result is the same if we leave Christ out of too many opportunities: the lost won't hear the good news.

Interesting post.  However, one qualm:

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and without mentioning the only one who can save.

Disagree strongly. Preach the gospel at all times, and--if necessary--use words.

A.) Since when is that biblical? (go out into all the world and make disciples, not go and do nice things)
B.) There are plenty of secular people who are nice, and may somewhat follow biblical principles, for whatever reason.  How am I supposed to know the difference between the two?

I know for a fact you are not reformed, so why you saying that the only means to salvation is through the preaching of the word (though, to be fair, the reformed would add the additional restriction that the word must be preached in a church also)?

There are many possible ways of salvation.  However, unlike Redemption, we should not limit the ways a lost soul could be saved by keeping our mouths shut.

And there are plenty of Christians are not nice and not following bilical principles. How am I supposed to know the difference? I am not supposed to. God knows the difference, and will use both Christian, non-Christians, correct and incorrect lives to work his plan of salvation for those whom he has chosen.

Same point as above.  We should not hinder God's plan by staying silent.  What if Joan of Arc had kept quiet?  What if Smith Wigglesworth or William Booth had decided to just be nice and hope that God would let people know?  Clearly, if God wants something done, He has it within His power to do it.  However, He has delegated His power to us.

Oh, and

I know for a fact you are not reformed,

in order to put everything out in the clear (I don't want anyone getting the wrong impression), I'm a Spirit-filled Pentecostal, attending an Assemblies of God church.

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If we use our gifts to bring glory only unto ourselves, then are we truly being faithful stewards?  Are we ashamed of Christ?  Or do we just not feel an urgent need to witness?

This offensive string of text assumes that only direct evangelism is a legitimate means of glorifying God, and that "witnessing" has less to do with relationship and, well, letting people witness you living a certain way (hence the name), and more to do with jibber-jabber.

The name "witness" does not stem from other people looking at us.  The disciples were Christ's eye witnesses.  They declared in the court of the world what they had seen and heard.  Like a witness in a trial.  Now, even though we did not SEE Christ, we have witnessed His work in our lives.  Now, WE are Christ's witnesses.  We take the stand and tell people about what Christ has done in our lives: saved us.

We can't possibly be bringing glory to God if we don't point directly to Him at some point in what we do.  Who gets the credit/glory for what I do?  Do I publicly declare my thanks or credit to God for what he has enabled me to do?  If so, I am bringing Him the glory.  If I just live a nice life and make people think, "wow, he's pretty good!" then I am not bringing glory to God.

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

How can they praise my Father in heaven if they don't know he is my Father in heaven?  And how can they know if they have not been told?  Or at least seen me wearing a Christian t-shirt, or having a Christian fish on my car, or SOMEthing to identify me as a Christian?  

If we live lives as "undercover Christians," then that is like a witness who refuses to take the witness stand.  The witness in a trial is sometimes judged by manners and mannerisms, but the chief purpose and method of a witness is to use words.

I'm about results. How many people have I made an impact on when preaching at first and building relationships with after? Zero. And the other way around? Well, none, because I don't preach at people. But following the spirit rather than the letter, many people.

We’re not businessmen.  We don’t need to see the results.  A few years ago, one of the major denominations was very excited that over 900,000 "decisions" or "prayers" were achieved by its members during that year.  During later follow-up, it was found that only 1% of those people ever attended a church during the following year.  We shouldn't be going for numbers, but instead preach in a way that will convey to others God's law, their sin, and how to repent (as Jesus did in Luke 18 and John 3-4), and leave God to do the saving.  Many people get saved long after the encounter has ended, after they have begun to realize what they’re been told.  We'd never know.

You know, I've never gotten a phone call or weird feeling inside or a special thought telling me who to talk to, and I don't see anything in my Bible about explaining the system to me.  What feeling should I be waiting for?  (Until I know what to look for, I'll just talk to whoever I can, just in case.)

It's not our job to save people. It's our job to do what God has for us to do.

God saves people, yes.  They still need somebody to tell them that they need to be saved.  Check out Romans 10:14-17: "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!' But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, 'LORD, who has believed our report?' So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35).
Seems like God's Word is on my side yet again. No talking required to be demonstrably Christian.

You can demonstrate that you are different than the world, yes, and we should.  But people won't go repent from sin just because we are nice to one another.  I've yet to have anybody walk up to me and say they’ve given up their immoral lifestyle because I was wearing a cool t-shirt.  We are all called to act right, but this is different than actively witnessing, something only 2% of Christians have ever done.

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

2 Timothy 4:1-5
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.


We are responsible to tell the world about God's coming judgment.  They are like a blind man walking across a rotting bridge.  They don't need us inviting them to hang out and become friends over three years.  They need to be told that they are in trouble immediately, they need to realize they are in trouble, and they need to be told how to get to safety, for they may plunge to their death at any moment.

Ezekiel 3:18
When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.

"Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that. The saving of souls, if a man has once gained love to perishing sinners and his blessed Master, will be an all-absorbing passion to him. It will so carry him away, that he will almost forget himself in the saving of others. He will be like the brave fireman, who cares not for the scorch or the heat, so that he may rescue the poor creature on whom true humanity has set its heart. If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for." Charles Spurgeon

Speaking of using words, that was a much better use of them than me.  Thanks.