Timothy Keller continues to be an inspiration to me.  I listened recently to a sermon he gave from Acts 20:17-37.  He made a strong point about how important it is to be committed to truth.  He used himself as an illustration so I will use myself.  If you were interested in getting to know me better and someone told you that I'm a really organized guy who loves to do 'handy-man' projects, you could believe that if you wanted to.  But it simply wouldn't be true.  In the same way, if a big part of the Christian life is getting to know God better and someone tells you that God is the conscience of the universe, you could believe that if you wanted to but it simply would not be true according to what the Bible teaches about who God is.
He then went on in the discussion about Biblical truth to point out how it will offend every one in every culture at some point.  For example, if some one from a shame and honor culture hears Jesus' teaching about turning the other cheek or about loving your enemy, they will be offended by that.  It doesn't fit with a long history of a strong cultural more of defending one's own and one's families honor.  On the other hand, when some one from this kind of culture hears the Biblical teaching about marriage and sexual morality, it resonates with them and what their cultural values are.  Now, contrast this with our western culture.  When we hear the Bibles teachings about love and justice and even the difficult challenge to love one's enemies and turn the other cheek, it resonates with us.  But the Bibles teachings on marriage and sexual morality have been judged archaic and out of touch with where we are as a culture.
The point is, the Bible is truth from and about God, his ways and his will.  It is outside of all culture and will move to reform all cultures at different points.  The question is, are willing to submit human wisdom and human cultural understanding to the wisdom of God as revealed to us in the Bible?  This certainly doesn't mean that we bash people over the head with truth, which we Christians have tended to do.  It doesn't mean that we posture ourselves in an 'us-against-them' way, which we also have tended to do.  But it is a clear call for us to 'not shrink' from engaging in a respectful dialogue within our sphere's of influence with those who place human wisdom and cultural values and popular opinion above a higher source of authority.  When we learn to understand the truth for ourselves and then let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, then, we can 'speak the truth in love'.

In varying forms I have had this conversation many times over the course of twenty-seven years of being a pastor.  It goes something like this:  "So, you're a pastor?  Where is your church?  How big is it?"  Usually at this point in the conversation I try to remind them that it isn't 'my' church and then try to interject something humorous about the square footage of the church building where we meet.  Then the person continues, really not wanting to hear anything else from me.  "Well, I used to go to church but I find I can connect with God better out in the wilderness.  Besides, I think religion has done more harm to the world than good and I think God is basically the same in all the religions.  I think we should just live and let live."
Believe it our not these thoughts in various articulations are pretty common these days in our culture.  Fuzzy notions about who or what God is abound.
I find it fascinating how current the apostle Paul's speech on Mars Hill is.  It is found in Acts 17:22-34.  In it he puts forth a very clear description of God that clarifies and corrects much of this fuzzy thinking.  He basically makes five related points about the God of the Bible:
1.  God is a revealing being so that it is possible to have real knowledge OF God, not just knowledge ABOUT God.
2.  God is a living, personal being, not an inanimate, impersonal force.
3.  God is the self-existent Creator, not a dependent creation.
4.  God is the transcendent King of the universe and the immanent sustainer of it.
5.  God a a present and a righteous judge, not an indifferent or even doting grandfather.
I find these thoughts to be helpful in my personal journey and in giving me direction in more conversations I hope to have with people about the God in whom I believe.
A related subject is the issue about our reason, for humanities reason for being on this earth.  The Westminster Shorter Catechism puts it this way:  "What is the chief end of man-kind?"  Good question!  The answer:  "To glorify God and enjoy Him forever."  The understanding of God articulated above gives greater meaning to this answer.  How people think about God and how people think about the reason for their existence will say a great deal about how they go about living their lives.