The American church is full of two kinds of members - fools and cowards!  You are either one or the other.

Fools unashamedly tell people about Jesus!     Cowards invite people to church.

Fools get out in the world and engage the lost wherever they are.  Cowards hide in the church building.

Fools are relational.  Cowards are religious.

Fools dare to walk on the water with Christ.  Cowards sit in the boat and question the fool's presumption if they sink

Fools risk losing their talents.  Cowards bury theirs.

Fools lose themselves in worship.  Cowards remind the pastor the Cowboys play at noon.

Fools count the cost of revival and risk it all.  Cowards recalculate and recalculate in hopes the price will come down.

Fools will not sit still while their nation goes to hell.  Cowards will hesitate with their butts starched to their pew "til we all get to heaven."

Fools stand a good chance of hearing, "Well done, good and faithful servant."  Cowards stand a good chance of hearing, "Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity.  I don't know who you are."

Fools walk by faith.  Cowards walk by sight.

Fools charge the gates of hell.  Cowards forward e-mails to their friends bemoaning the evil of the world.

Fools dance like Jesus on top of the Sermon on the Mount.  Cowards make a graven image out of the Ten Commandments.

Fools embrace their responsibility by unloosing heaven on earth.  Cowards escape their responsibility by singing about heaven in church - alot!

Fools burn with passion.  Cowards bask in the lukewarmth of caution.

Fools are being transformed into the dangerous image of Christ.  Cowards have conformed to the politically-correct image of this world.

Fools are Christ-led and Jesus-driven.  Cowards are self-led and purpose-driven.

Fools look like disciples.  Cowards look like Pharisees.

Fools will empathize with these words.  Cowards will criticize them.

     I pray I always remain a fool.  I continue to be blessed by a handful of fools who stand behind my foolish walk of faith.  The Apostle Paul wrote, "We are fools for Christ!" (1 Corinthians 4:10).  Martyred missionary Jim Elliott wrote, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

So Christian, tell me - which are you?  A fool or a coward.