Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Christian Bible Study Participant's Guide: It's Not What You Think
    Christian Bible Study Participant's Guide: It's Not What You Think
    Christian Bible Study Participant's Guide: It's Not What You Think
    Ebook114 pages1 hour

    Christian Bible Study Participant's Guide: It's Not What You Think

    By Andy Stanley

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    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:

    1. Brand Recognition
    2. Quitters
    3. Insiders, Outsiders
    4. Showing Up
    5. When Gracie Met Truthy
    6. Angry Birds
    7. Loopholes
    8. Working It Out

     

    Designed for use with the Christian Video Study 9780310693352 (sold separately).

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherZondervan
    Release dateApr 10, 2013
    ISBN9780310693369
    Christian Bible Study Participant's Guide: It's Not What You Think
    Author

    Andy Stanley

    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.

    Read more from Andy Stanley

    Related to Christian Bible Study Participant's Guide

    Related ebooks

    Christianity For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Wednesday, December 5

      Oct 15, 2018

      I’VE BEEN MARRIED TO MY husband, John, for twenty-six years, but for many years I didn’t think that would be the case. My doubt was due to the fears and mistrust I carried into my marriage. I didn’t know my biological dad, and my stepfather was uninv

      1 min read

    • Article

      How Should We Respond To Celebrities Coming To Christ?

      Dec 30, 2019

      If you’ve been following the news lately, you will have noticed a significant wave of celebrities who are turning to Christ. In what is referred to as a massive spiritual movement, the sinful city of Hollywood is turning more and more stars away from

      5 min read

    • Article

      Women Of Grace

      Oct 21, 2019

      Many who read the above scripture are usually quick to grab the promises of prisons shaking, stubborn doors opening, and chains falling away. However, upon deeper study of this scripture, it is evident that the “Suddenly” in verse 26 was a direct res

      3 min read

    • Article

      Making The Word Of God INEFFECTIVE Through Manmade Traditions

      Aug 25, 2023

      Jesus warned His followers against “the leaven of the Pharisees”. Jesus was speaking of the false doctrine of those in Moses’ seat. The Pharisees believed in the resurrection and in the reality of spirits and angels. Most importantly, they believed i

      2 min read

    • Article

      Tuesday, March 26

      Feb 14, 2019

      I ONCE VISITED A CLASSROOM where the students thought of the teacher more as a buddy than an authority figure. They liked his personality and enjoyed being around him but saw no reason to obey his instructions; this attitude led to an unproductive an

      1 min read

    • Article

      The Parables Of Jesus

      Dec 30, 2022

      The Parables Of Jesus
      3 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Sep 24, 2021

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      Tuesday, September 4

      Aug 15, 2018

      AT AN AUTHOR FRIEND’S BOOK signing in a library, I sat in one of the side chairs and observed her interactions with the crowd. In deference to the public library setting, my friend didn’t try to turn the event into a preaching opportunity. She talked

      1 min read

    • Article

      Living With Purpose

      Sep 7, 2021

      Living With Purpose
      3 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Jul 30, 2021

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Dec 30, 2019

      Letters To The Editor
      6 min read

    • Article

      Becoming Imitators Of Christ

      Nov 27, 2020

      Every church-going Christian has heard this scripture before: “We should all be imitators of Christ, becoming more like Him daily” (1 Pet 2:21, Rom 8:29). This encapsulates the goal of every sincere Christ-follower. I have recently started asking som

      1 min read

    • Article

      What Gospel Are You Sharing?

      Apr 13, 2020

      What Gospel Are You Sharing?
      2 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Christian Bible Study Participant's Guide

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Christian Bible Study Participant's Guide - Andy Stanley

      Christian

      IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK

      ANDY STANLEY

      CONTENTS

      Cover

      Title Page

      Introduction: A Problem-Loaded Word

      Session 1: Brand Recognition

      Session 2: Quitters

      Session 3: Insiders, Outsiders

      Session 4: Showing Up

      Session 5: When Gracie Met Truthy

      Session 6: Angry Birds

      Session 7: Loopholes

      Session 8: Working Out

      Leader’s Guide

      About the Author

      Copyright

      About the Publisher

      Share Your Thoughts

      INTRODUCTION

      A Problem-Loaded Word

      by Andy Stanley

      If you and I were in a roomful of randomly chosen people playing a word association game and I called out Christian, how do you think everyone would respond? What images and adjectives and phrases would be tossed about?

      I’m confident our roomful of folks would release a torrent of vastly differing responses—and a good many of their remarks would not be flattering.

      The fact is, though it’s a word we use all the time, there’s no real agreement on what Christian actually means.

      That’s why there are Christians on all sides of every political issue, every social issue, every legal issue, every economic issue. It’s why nations that are predominantly Christian have gone to war with one another.

      Mixed-Up Meaning

      Christianity sports a seemingly endless array of brands and flavors and traditions. Some would say Christian is all about what you believe. Others will argue it’s all about how you behave.

      Getting personal, some would say they were Christians at one time, but no longer are—only to be reproached by those who quickly respond, No, that’s impossible. Once a Christian, always a Christian.

      Others would confess they dislike anything associated with the name. They see Christians as judgmental, homophobic moralists who think they’re the only ones going to heaven and who secretly relish the fact that everyone else is going to hell—though none of that gets mentioned anywhere in the Bible as a description for Christian.

      So Christian is whatever you want it to be. You can slap the label on yourself, hang a shiny cross around your neck, and then believe and do just about anything, adopting whatever lifestyle you prefer at the moment. You can hide whoever you are behind it, then easily redefine it whenever you get the urge.

      What this boils down to is that none of us knows what Christian really represents—since it signifies whatever we choose.

      Why is that?

      Rare at First

      The swirl of confusion over Christian is due mainly to the fact that this term is never defined in the New Testament. Jesus didn’t refer to his followers in that way, nor did they develop it for themselves.

      The word is found three times in the New Testament, but it sprouts up as a label formed by people who were not followers of Jesus to designate those who were.

      It was a manufactured term with a derogatory slant, meant to be a dig. That’s why it’s so rare in the Bible. Later, after the New Testament was written, it picked up more traction.

      It was somewhat like the buzz years ago that generated Deadheads in reference to fans of the band Grateful Dead; at first it was kind of a mocking term, but then they started selling it on T-shirts and the fans loved it and that was that. Over time, the name Christian started to stick, and eventually many followers of Jesus would accept it.

      But that wasn’t the case when the Jesus movement first began.

      A Better Word

      We’ll be exploring another name for Jesus followers that gets far more play in the New Testament. It’s got a much narrower scope, and it’s far more clearly defined in the Bible—which means it can be somewhat scary for us, as we’ll see.

      It’s a word Jesus often used and also a name embraced by those first-century people who adopted his message for themselves. We’ll build on this word and the profound truths and principles that it stands for. We’ll also contrast that with what Christian has unfortunately represented.

      We’ve often been willing to settle for mere Christian instead of pushing for the real thing. But the reality is still calling out for us.

      Ebook Instructions

      In this ebook edition, please use your device’s note-taking function to record your thoughts wherever you see the bracketed instructions [Your Notes] or [Your Response]. Use your device’s highlighting function to record your response whenever you are asked to checkmark, circle, underline, or otherwise indicate your answer(s).

      SESSION 1

      Brand Recognition

      In the book of Acts,

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1