Word Count: 398 – Est Reading Time: <2 Minutes
What’s Up:
If you can’t tell a Christian from a non-Christian by their behavior, are we really following Jesus … or just using his name? Christians behaving badly – or at least not differently that our non-believing neighbors – has become an epidemic.
So What:
According to Pew, key behavioral differences between self-identified Christians and the general population are practically nonexistent. That’s not just bad PR: It’s a crisis of discipleship.
The Point Is:
Behavior Still Matters
Faith without works may be dead, but faith with no noticeable difference isn’t much better. If our lives don’t reflect Jesus, why would anyone care about our beliefs?
Model the Walk Publicly
Pastors and church leaders need to live conspicuous faith – not performative, but transparent and authentic. Think coffee-shop devotions, not locked-door spirituality.
Train, Don’t Just Teach
Sermons fill heads. Training changes habits. Every biblical teaching deserves a specific, actionable next step.
Practice Real Accountability
Transformation happens in community. Casual check-ins or formal one-on-one discipleship both help people close the gap between what they know and how they live.
And … ?
When 27% of Christians admit to using astrology in the past year (just 1% below the general population), it’s not a quirky statistic. It’s a wake-up call. If you can’t tell believers apart from unbelievers in day-to-day decisions, then we’re not making disciples … we’re just producing spiritual consumers with Jesus-themed accessories.
The answer isn’t more guilt. It’s more guidance. Most Christians know what the Bible says about love, forgiveness, and generosity. But just knowing doesn’t change us. We need people in our lives who show us what living it out looks like, and we need real next steps to get there. Paul wasn’t shy about this: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice” (Philippians 4:9). This isn’t theory. It’s a blueprint. And if we want to see Christians acting like Christians again, it’s time to start building.
Action!
Download the Quick Disciple-Making Blueprint and take the first step toward creating a culture of training, modeling, and accountability: https://effective.effectivechurch.com/org-disciple-making-blueprint
