Acts 11:19-30 || Barnabas, Paul and "Christians" Launch!

When I went to Furman University back in the early 70s, I was giving the nickname “Kid”. It’s what all the people in the band and music department called me, it was on the back of my Phi Mu Alpha fraternity jersey, even to this day, 50 plus years later, my college friends call me “Kid”.

I’m not quite sure how I came to be called “Kid” … but it stuck. Maybe it was because I acted like a kid or looked like a kid, I never really knew.

Do you have a nickname? What is it? Who gave you that name? How did you get it? 

Nicknames are given for a lot of reasons. Some are given to honor you. Some are given to embarrass you. Some are given because of the way you act, the way you look or the way other people see you.

In ancient times, the city of Antioch was famous for creating and giving nicknames to people, places and things. These nicknames could have been given in honor or ridicule. 

In Antioch, the Followers of Jesus were given a very distinct nickname based on their passion for, and devotion to Jesus… and it stuck!

I encourage you to read Acts 11 as we discover and unpack this nickname and look at how God was active, present and alive in Antioch and how believers changed the entire feel of the city.