Our need for God

I have been wrestling with some thoughts lately so i thought i would post about it and see what feedback may be conversed over...

So often in the church (Evangelical western America) the message communicated is our need for God in our lives because of the atrocities in the world around us, and mainly in our hearts.

Not don't' get me wrong Jesus said in Mark 7:20-23 that what is inside man can & does defile us (as well as many other areas of the gospels). But if our only message to the unbelieving world is you need God cause you are a bad person does that not create a, "I need to be a puppet for God so i can be viewed someday as a 'good person' by God" syndrome?

Or was more of Jesus message of living life with passion & wonder so the inner parts of our souls are met with answers to questions of why we exist, why is there love, what is my purpose, where am i going in life?
What Jesus message one of helping us live out life with a relationship with God to allow the kingdom of God to be seen by all. A kingdom or lifestyle that shows dependency on the nature of God, love of God for people, serving those around us and creating change in this world the way God designed it to be?

I struggle when churches create a false sense of this relationship with God as now your not a unbeliever but now you are believer so "here is what believers do" box theology. That there needs to be a conformity of EXACTLY what a christian is. And we take a look at all the denominations in the world each denomination has its focal points and there own focal points help create their own "box theology".

I am not a denominationalist. I don't prescribe to a denomination. I serve in one, but don't' agree with all of what it stands for. What i do follow is the teachings of Jesus. Now i will be the first to admit that i struggle in following Jesus. But i am more willing to follow Jesus than a set of code of conduct.

I have been really wanting to better understand the culture that Jesus lived and taught in with 1st century Judaism and Roman era. For over a year now i have read, researched, meditated and thought about much of Jesus teachings. I have come to many new insights and understandings, but the biggest is this, many churches in America teach a comfort theology or a conviction theology when it comes to a life lived with God.

Many churches don't teach & more importantly live out a transformation theology. That your life with Jesus will transform your own thoughts, passions & mindset about life for the sake of sharing the reality of Jesus with the world, NO MATTER WHO OR WHERE YOU MAY BE.

Many churches are more concerned with fitting the right "look" or the "in" way of doing things than really helping people understand who Jesus is and what this extraordinary life could really be like.

Just some random thoughts i have had and as the espresso from my Starbucks just kicked in i thought i would share with you.