Why is there so little agreement on what it means to be a Christian? In this eight-session video-based Bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately), join pastor and bestselling author Andy Stanley as he examines the characteristics Jesus used to define those who follow him and the implications these characteristics have for believers today. In Christian: It's Not What You Think , you'll learn: The one word that should be descriptive of every Christian. - How Jesus' followers should treat those who are outside the faith. - Why people love Jesus but can't stand his followers. So, what does it mean to be Christian? Curiously, the term 'Christian' was a label used by outsiders to define Jesus' followers. Jesus simply used 'disciple' to describe his followers and stressed the fact that they would be known by their love—a radical concept not only in their day, but in ours as well. Throughout these eight sessions, Andy Stanley unpacks the qualities Jesus prescribes for his followers that made them unique. What if believers today embodied these traits and put them before all others? Would the non-believing world put aside its derisive definition of 'Christian' and instead know us by our love? Sessions include: Brand Recognition - Quitters - Insiders, Outsiders - Showing Up - When Gracie Met Truthy - Angry Birds - Loopholes - Working It Out Designed for use with the Christian Video Study 9780310693352 (sold separately). Communicator, author, and pastor Andy Stanley founded Atlanta-based North Point Ministries (NPM) in 1995. Today, NPM consists of eight churches in the Atlanta area and a network of 180 churches around the globe that collectively serve over 200,000 people weekly. As host of Your Move with Andy Stanley , which delivers over 10.5 million messages each month through television, digital platforms, and podcasts, and author of more than 20 books, including Irresistible ; Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets ; and Deep & Wide , Andy is considered one of the most influential pastors in America. Christian Participant's Guide By Andy Stanley Zondervan Copyright © 2012 North Point Ministries, Inc. All right reserved. ISBN: 978-0-310-69334-5 Contents Introduction: A Problem-Loaded Word.....................5Session 1: Brand Recognition............................9Session 2: Quitters.....................................21Session 3: Insiders, Outsiders..........................33Session 4: Showing Up...................................45Session 5: When Gracie Met Truthy.......................57Session 6: Angry Birds..................................69Session 7: Loopholes....................................81Session 8: Working Out..................................93Leader's Guide..........................................103 Chapter One SESSION 1 Brand Recognition In the book of Acts, we see that people in Antioch (one of the Roman Empire's largest cities) were the first to identify followers of Jesus as "Christians" (11:26). Later in Acts, when Paul is under arrest and testifying for his defense, he preaches Christ to King Agrippa and expresses his longing for this man to come to faith. The king answers, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" (Acts 26:28). The final occurrence of this word in Scripture is in 1 Peter 4:16. "If you suffer as a Christian," Peter writes, "do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name" (1 Peter 4:16). The implication is that those persecuting the followers of Jesus had thrown this label "Christian" at them, but Peter urges his readers to see the intended slight as cause to praise God. But the New Testament highlights a different name for the followers of Jesus—and exploring it will both teach and challenge us. DISCUSSION STARTER What comes to mind when you think of the word "Christian" (associations, people, etc.)? How would you normally define this term? What has it primarily meant to you in the past? How have you noticed that other people define this word differently than you do? VIDEO OVERVIEW For Session 1 of the DVD In the book of Acts, we see a Jesus community forming in a city called Antioch (in modern Turkey), where many—both Jews and Gentiles—embraced this new faith. Church leaders in Jerusalem sent a man named Barnabas to Antioch to observe and help this new church. Barnabas later brought a man named Saul (known later as Paul) there to help him. "For a whole year," we read in Acts 11:26, "Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch ." So "Christians" was a label that others gave them. In the New Testament—specifically in the four Gospels and in Acts—a different term is used more consistently to describe these people who were part of this Jesus movement. It's the term "disciple." Notice again Acts 11:26: "The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch." What is a discipl