Drawing Them In or Driving Them Away?: Developing a Christlike Character That Commits to Love, Cares for the Fallen, Cultivates Peace, and Compels the Lost to Christ

Why aren't more people coming to Christ through your life? Why aren't they finding safety, restoration, and real love in your presence—or in your church? In Drawing Them In or Driving Them Away?, Bishop Lambert W. Gates sounds a clarion call to every believer—whether pew-sitter or pulpit leader—to reflect honestly on the one thing that often keeps others at a distance: our disposition. With wisdom forged in experience, biblical conviction, and pastoral humility, Bishop Gates invites us to measure our lives not by church activity or titles, but by the Christlike character we display. Do we love like Him? Forgive like Him? Create safe places for the fallen and the seeking—like Him? This book is a challenge to those who claim Christ but fail to reflect Him. Through deep spiritual truths and relatable real-talk, Bishop Gates helps us: Examine the selfish, judgmental, prideful patterns that turn people away Cultivate a disposition of empathy, love, peace, and maturity Replace performance-based religion with Spirit-led transformation Create churches that are not museums of perfection—but havens of hope Whether you're a new believer or a seasoned minister, this book meets you where you are and challenges you to grow. With every chapter, you'll be prompted to ask: When will I finally start living like Christ—not just in word, but in visible, transforming love? If we want to reach the lost, restore the broken, and reflect the Kingdom, we must become the kind of people who draw others in—not drive them away.