What is a "Christian"? This may seem like a silly question to ask because it has an obvious answer. But as the first followers of Jesus Christ are identified by this title for the first time in Antioch in Acts 11, it's good for us to pause and think deeper about what this means. So join in today as we learn the 13 things that the text tells us "Christians" are. But more than simply memorizing those 13 things, we learn deeper today that "Christians" are nothing more or less than those who image Christ, and become little versions of Him in our world.
Jesus: The Christ (Mark 8:27-9:1)
This is the turning point in the gospel of Mark. Jesus begins to unveil to his disciples the identity of the one they've watched heal, teach, and forgive people. Jesus is "the Christ", the long-awaited Savior for the world. But what does His identity teach us, and, more so, what does it show those who take on His identity, "Christian"? Journey with us and Jesus to a place the world sees as a place for fools, losers, and outcasts. But Jesus all the while is paving a more redeeming, yet surprising, path.
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot
Jesus: The Caller (Mark 1:16-45)
Americans make and receive about 6 billion phone calls each day and constantly communicate with one another through a variety of different technology platforms. But we also live in a polarized world as a direct result of such communication. So in a world full of calls to allegiance, how is Jesus’ call unique? In Jesus’ 6 different encounters in Mark 1, we discover that Jesus’ call is in a league of its own. It is a Call uniquely to himself and his Kingdom.