In this week's installment of my Messages About Purpose and Strategy, I'll turn to a communication method that preachers have been overusing for years. The tried and true lesson-starter begins with the words, "I saw a bumper sticker this week," then the speaker connects some thought from current culture with a spiritual lesson.

The bumper sticker I saw said something like: It takes more than a chrome fish, buddy! The car was northbound on 5. Headed toward Portland, you could guess!

Was that driver a Christian or a pagan? Was that person indicating his or her stance as a post-Christian? Or as a cynical Christian? Or, and this one gets me, was the person saying something as a true Jesus-following Christian to wannabe Christians? Is this a message to poseurs? Maybe it is a message to all of us from an angel, not an antagonist.

My guess is that this bumper sticker is intended to stimulate some thinking about what makes a person a Christian. And the wording suggests that there better be more than a superficial statement of faith.

Some challenges that are uncomfortable are also important. In my Bible reading this week, I came across 2 Cor. 13:5, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?"

Jesus also mentioned a test. And it was not any outward emblem of faith. In John 13:35 we learn that people will recognize us as Christ's followers by our love.

That makes me think long and hard about what I'm doing for people that demonstrates real, tangible love. Without that, our profession of faith is neutralized (1 Cor. 13:1-3). Picture every opportunity to serve, smile, give and share as a chance to show love and thereby to show that you are really following Christ.