Sermon Study · Study Guide
Proof of Identity
August 16, 2026 · Conrad Wozniak
The Big Idea
If we identify as a Christian, there should be proof of that identity.
Remember Sunday’s message
Sermon reminders
The Scattering Church
After Stephen was killed, the scattered believers spoke about Jesus, and men of Cyprus and Cyrene crossed over to the Hellenists in Antioch. Conrad said Antioch, at the crossroads of three continents, is much like Ventura County, where the nations of the world live around us.
Barnabas, Saul, and the Name "Christian"
Barnabas saw the grace of God in Antioch, brought Saul, and they taught the church for a whole year. There the disciples were first called Christians, probably as a put-down from outsiders who saw how differently they lived.
Biblical Terms for Believers
Scripture also calls believers disciples, saints, God's household and believers. The word Christian appears only three times, and Conrad summed it up as one who ascribes to the ways of Jesus.
The Main Challenge: Proof of Identity
This is not proving ourselves to God, since Christ proved his love at the cross. It is the fruit of a life that belongs to Jesus, seen by our children, our neighbors and the people we work with.
Marks of Christian Identity from the Text
From Barnabas and the church in Antioch, Conrad drew marks of that proof: faithfulness, steadfast purpose, goodness, being full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, unity and generosity.
Wednesday’s conversation
Reflect & discuss
Read Acts 11:19–26 together in the ESV.
The world in our backyard
Some who scattered spoke only to Jews, but men of Cyprus and Cyrene spoke to the Hellenists also, and Conrad said the nations of the world now live in our own backyard. Where in an ordinary week do you cross paths with someone whose background is very different from yours, and what makes it easier or harder to talk with them about what matters to you?
What Barnabas saw
Verse 23 says that when Barnabas came and "saw the grace of God, he was glad," and verse 24 calls him "a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith." When have you seen the grace of God that plainly in another believer's life, and what exactly did you see?
A name from outsiders
Conrad said the name Christian was probably first a put-down from outsiders, who noticed that "their conduct, their speech, their way of living" was different. If the people on your street or at your work gave you a nickname based only on what they see you do, what might it be, and what would you hope it would be?
On trial
Conrad asked, "If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough proof?" If the people who see you at home or at work on an ordinary Monday were called as witnesses, where would the evidence be thinnest, and what is one thing you will do about it before next Wednesday?
Carry it into the week
Next Steps
From the sermon
- When you call yourself a Christian, or someone calls you one, stop and consider the weight of that name.
- Ask yourself: if you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict?
- Notice the people from other nations and cultures you meet at work and around town, and take the chance to share the message of Jesus with them.
- Love your neighbors as yourself, rather than putting them down to get what is yours.
Application
Before next Wednesday, write down the one piece of evidence you named in Q4, and ask one person in the group to pray for you about it during the week.
My notes
Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV Bible, © 2001 by Crossway. Text Edition: 2025. Used by permission. Permissions. Prepared for this small group from the August 16, 2026 sermon; questions and applications are editorial study material.
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