The idea behind this post is to present a question that you’ve always wondered about or wanted to ask but didn’t think it was safe or questionable. The goal is to get readers to THINK in an effort to challenge and provoke them to go on a personal pursuit of understanding.

So here’s the question:

What exactly is a Christian?

Where does this word come from? Where exactly do we derive it’s present-day meaning? And most importantly, does it carry the same meaning today as it did centuries ago? These questions spark interest in me. I’m finding that so much of the Christian faith is taken out of its proper – or should I say original / Biblical – context. I do believe that our finite minds cannot conceive all of what God knows, but I also believe that He has made an immense effort to reveal enough of His Truth at a level that we can understand. And that portion of insight can be found in a collection of writings we refer to as the Holy Bible. As I continue to challenge the idea of what exactly is a Christian and begin to rap my mind around what Jesus defines as a Christian or follower, I am discovering a huge disconnect of what many of us define as a Christian today.

So, what exactly is a Christian?

You tell me…

Dude, I must say… God is indeed, rocking my world. And it is not fun and it is not all that exciting. I have been literally blown by Andy Stanley’s teaching these past few Sundays as he laid down some hard hitting truths about “Faith, Hope & Luck”. Now mind you, Andy rarely teaches @ the Buckhead Church campus, so it was great being able to see him live, raw, and in action – touching on some misunderstood ideas of Christianity. This really opened my eyes to what and why I’ve been feeling the way I have lately.

One thing that stands out to me that I am learning through life is that God is not some “Buy One Get One Free” deal that I can get at the store. He is not a formula or slot machine that I pull down enough times in hoping that I’ll win it big… maybe that’s why North Point used the slot machine theme for this series – I never thought about that (lol).

What are YOU doing?

Definitive [n.]: something that is fully differentiated or developed; complete; a final example or version of its type.

We as bloggers, thinkers, teachers, students, mothers, fathers, doctors, designers, pastors, leaders and artists define ourselves by our occupation. In most cases, if you ask a person who they, the first thing they tell you is their occupation (ie. “I’m a doctor.” or “I’m a designer.”). But is that truly you? Is that really who YOU are?

The idea of becoming definitive is not about being better than someone else or making yourself look unique or different. Becoming definitive is a discovery. It’s a coming-to-grips with who you really are and what you’re really made of. Many of us limit ourselves to terms and vocabulary that have already been carved out. Terms like ‘doctor’, ‘lawyer’, ‘engineer’, etc. Yet when we dive into our true colors, we find that these terms often times limit us.