Branded by Tim Sinclair and $50 Amazon Giveaway by Tim

When we think of Jesus, we don’t usually think of branding and marketing. As Christians, we think of him as our Savior who died on the cross for our redemption of sin. Non-Christians most likely think “Here we go again, a bible-thumper”. Tim Sinclair, author of “Branded: Sharing Jesus with a Consumer Culture”, did think branding and marketing though and he shared it with us in a down to earth and eye-opening manner. He shows us that we, as Christians, need to get with it and bring our methods of faith-based communication to the fore-front. Not by means of promotional advertising, but by personal branding. Brand your life, not your possessions, for Christ

As a Christian, are you truly living the life Christ wants you to live? Or are you putting out there what you want the world to see? As Mr. Sinclair points out in his book, many of us have an “-ing” problem. We are adept at “say-ing but not so good at do-ing, act-ing but not so good at be-ing and pretend-ing but not so good at truly liv-ing” the way Christ wants us to.

In “Branded” we are called out as Christians. Tim doesn’t point fingers at any one directly (aside from celebs in the media who are known for a bad act). But he does ask the questions that need to be asked making you take a long hard look at your life and how you are living. Our truthfulness is called into question and he points out that we, as Christians, don’t necessarily “market” our faith and our Lord in a way that would really get people to notice and want to join us. Instead, we tend to push non-Christians away and make ourselves look… well.. less than Christ-like. Churches are closed off to only their own members, church groups are sometimes private and clique-y. We don’t reach out and show Jesus in the way that a big business would promote it’s product. And why not? Doesn’t Jesus deserve the same big marketing that anything or anyone else does. Isn’t that how brands get the word out about their products? And I don’t mean T-shirts that say I heart Jesus. I mean, using what the Bible teaches us. Showing others that we are using it and loving it.

He isn’t saying we should actually “sell” Jesus, but that we should live our lives showing others that He is what we want. His ways are our ways. Don’t be fake, be real and honest in everything you say and do and others will want to follow! Others WILL follow! Don’t shove your God down peoples throats with preachy, old-fashioned methods. Show the world that your God is awesome and fresh and just as capable of being in the here and now as all the technology out there.

I once made the comment that I wondered how many true Twitter followers or Facebook fans Jesus would have if he used Social Media to reach us. And you know what? The world has changed. And I honestly believe that Jesus would use those methods in this day and age. I think that along with traveling around and teaching His Word, He would be all over Twitter and Facebook and so would His disciples. But He wouldn’t do so in a condescending way, which unfortunately, many Christians now days sadly seem to do. He would just… be. And this book points that out and makes you question yourself. NOT your faith, but yourself. It makes you step-back and take a long, hard look at your life and ask yourself if you are truly doing all you can to show the world you ARE a Christian and not live a closet life where you go to church on Sunday and “listen to Christian radio during morning commutes so you don’t feel as bad about watching Desperate Housewives the night before” (excerpt from Branded). In other words, are the things you do in the privacy of your home, the same things to put out there for others to see? Or do you hide behind your faith in the daylight? Don’t we all in some ways? We shouldn’t but the sad truth is that we do. No one is perfect and we WILL slip-up. We will make mistakes but don’t hide behind them, be honest. Let others know you’re not perfect but that you try your best for Him. How about we change things and let Jesus brand us and make us his imperfect but ready for the job PR team?

GIVEAWAY by Tim Sinclair:
Kregel Publications is sponsoring a $50 Amazon.com giveaway open to both you and your blog readers. If you post for the blog tour you’re already entered into the contest.
About the Giveaway!
To enter all you have to do is send a tweet (using #litfuse) about Branded or share about it on Facebook!

If you tweet we’ll capture your entry when you use @litfuse. If you share it on Facebook or your blog, just email us and let us know (info@litfusegroup.com). Easy. (All Litfuse bloggers who post a review are automatically entered and do NOT need to email us.)

Not sure what to tweet/post? Here’s a pre-populated status for you, just click to Tweet!.
Branded by @timjsinclair – Jesus is a life-changing product with lousy sales-people! #litfuse @litfuse http://ow.ly/566nr

FACEBOOK THIS: Branded by Tim Sinclair is a compelling look at what Christians can learn from companies like Apple & Starbucks about sharing their faith! Jesus is a life-changing product with lousy sales-people! http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13338985

About Branded:

The church spends $1.5 million for every one new follower of Jesus. Apple sells 26 iPads every minute. What is it that makes Apple so exciting and Jesus so boring? What is it that compels someone to bring their iPod everywhere and their Bible nowhere? In a word: marketing. Jesus is a life-changing product with lousy salespeople-people who are intimidated and embarrassed by the word “evangelism” and who show more enthusiasm for their gadgets than their God.

What would life look like if we stopped mass-marketing Jesus and started marketing our faith like Nike and Apple market their products–sharing relationally, from person to person? Using examples from these and other successful companies, author Tim Sinclair challenges Christians to throw out their casual attitudes toward faith and sign on for a marketing campaign for the Savior.

Written with the wit and wisdom of an experienced marketer, Branded peels away the feelings of fear and encourages readers how to share their faith in ways that are honest, authentic, and, most importantly, effective.

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/Branded-Sharing-Jesus-Consumer-Culture/dp/0825438942/ref=sprightly-20

About the Tim Sinclair:

Tim Sinclair is a radio personality on one of the top Christian morning shows in the country, Mornings with Tim and Pam. For over a decade, he has been helping radio stations and various other businesses creatively and effectively market themselves. His award-winning productions have been heard on more than 2,000 radio stations worldwide and recent clients include McDonald’s, Word Records, Moody Press, and the country’s most-listened to Christian nonprofit radio station KSBJ/Houston. Tim has written for CCM Magazine and the Huntsville Times. For more about Tim, please visit his website, http://www.tim-sinclair.com.

I received a complementary book for review purposes as part of the LitFuse Group Blog Tour. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are strictly my own.