Always

Pete Kersker - Jun 19, 2026

The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch (Acts 11:26b NIV).

The word "Christian" gets thrown around in our day so much that it's lost a lot of its meaning. Christians in the early church were called this because they believed Jesus is the Christ. They were called Christians because they learned what Jesus taught as his disciples (students). They were called Christians because they followed Jesus as their Lord, doing what Jesus told them to do.

"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, if you love one another" (John 13:34-35 NIV).

These simple things (Believe, Learn, Live) made them identifiable as people who knew that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. The real Christians lived this way consistently and faithfully, even when they met resistance. They knew that "Christian" was not just a pop-culture reference. It is a word that describes who they are...always.

It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword (Acts 12:1-2 NIV).

Would first century people be able to identify you as a Christian?
Are you a Christian? Always?