Christian Bible Study Participant's Guide

If you’re looking for deeper insight into Andy Stanley’s new small group study, mysteriously named ‘Christian’, you’ve scrolled down to the right place. Read on to find more info on the message of this study, the purpose of the study, and how it will benefit your small group.

Pastor and founder of Northpoint Church, Andy Stanley, is renowned for his biblical creativity. I’m not calling him heretic, but referring to his ability to communicate fascinating biblical insight in creative ways. This particular DVD study, put simply, is about creating a community that are defined by one thing – LOVE.

So why is it called ‘Christian’. Why not ‘Love Your Neighbour’, or ‘8 Ways to Love One Another’, or ‘The Love Commandment’?
It’s because the word we use to define us isn’t good enough. It represents lots of different things, like political agendas, split denominations, justification for imposing one’s ideals, family values, rules, and so much more. Andy knows that the word ‘Christian’ has many different meanings to many different people. And he also knows ‘Christians’ are uncomfortable to call themselves it because of these multiple meanings.

So, Andy wants us to re-shape the meaning of that word – ‘Christian’. He transports us back into the 1st Century, to the original ‘Christians’, and uses historical research and biblical know-how to show us that much of what the world has associated with ‘Christianity’ is plain wrong.

Andy begins his study by trying to define the word ‘Christian’, but he simply can’t. He turns to the Bible, and even the Bible can’t do it. That’s because the word only appears three times:

“The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” – Acts 11:26, when Barnabus and Saul went to Antioch to teach a growing number of Greek believers.

“Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?’” – Acts 26: 28, when Paul was on trial in Caesarea.

“However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” – 1 Peter 4:16, the only place other than Acts that mentions the word ‘Christian’.

The word ‘Christian’ was the name the Greek community labelled the early believers, it was an outsiders name for an emerging sub-culture (much like scally’s, or goth’s). None of the verses explain what a Christian is. The early community never used the word ‘Christian’ to describe themselves.

With this shockingly blunt foundation – that much of what we understand about being a ‘Christian’ is wrong – Andy revels how the early believers describe themselves, and builds his teaching series around the one characteristic that defines them. The last, and in many ways simplest, commandment Jesus gives his 12 disciples:

“A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples.” – John 13:34-35.

That’s what this DVD study is trying to achieve, it asks those who are willing: “I know you are a ‘Christian’, but are you a ‘disciple’? Do you love each other?”

Ultimately, Andy Stanley wants to ‘rebrand’ Christianity. For your small group (and then your churches) to represent Christianity as Jesus meant it – as a community who radically loves. This isn’t a means to an ends, a quick-fix or a 5 step formula. It’s a ‘relational breakthrough’ to define those who follow Jesus.

Imagine what that would look like ... imagine how your small group would change ... imagine how people looking into your life would be dumb-stuck by how you treat each other ...

‘Christian’ is a small group study that encourages and teaches genuine change, genuine community, and genuine relationship. It takes the complex and convoluted religion – ‘Christianity’ – and simplifies it into one relational instruction – to love each other.

What does it mean to be a Christian? Ask 100 people that question and you are likely to get 100 different answers. In the Christian Study Guide, an eight-session small group study correlating to the Christian DVD study, you will explore with pastor and bestselling author Andy Stanley the message Jesus gave his followers to define and empower them.

What does it mean to be a Christian?

Ask 100 people that question and you are likely to get 100 different answers. One reason people have such difficulty defining what a Christian should be is that the Bible never gives a definition. The followers of Jesus did not defer to themselves as Christians, it was a label placed on them from the outside. The early believers called themselves disciples, and the Bible is very clear in defining what a disciple looks like.

Jesus gave his disciples one word that should define them. What if we as his followers embodied this one word? What if our behavior was so consistent with this word that folks around us were drawn to us---and to God?

In Christian, you will learn:
• What one word should be descriptive of every disciple
• How Jesus followers should treat those who are outside the faith
• Why people love Jesus but can’t stand his followers

This study guide with help you dig deeper into the teachings from Andy Stanley on the corresponding DVD (sold separately) and includes discussion questions for individuals and/or small groups, between-session devotions, DVD teaching overviews, and a leader’s guide.