Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 7
Kevin said the early fathers show faith “lived, not just professed,” marked by “unity, holiness, courage, and virtue”; if an outsider examined our churches the way we examine the early church, what evidence would they find of “lived” obedience versus mere profession—and what would they find instead?
Another way to ask: If someone looked at our churches the way we look at the early church, what would prove we really obey Jesus and not just talk about Him? What signs might show we mainly have words without action?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
The transcript doesn’t directly evaluate today’s churches, but it implies the test: do we embody the faith with visible holiness, courage, and virtue, or do we merely talk? An outsider would look for whether our discipleship is costly and practical—especially the kind of conviction Kevin says young people are hungry for.
- Kevin says early fathers “demonstrate what faith looks like when it is lived, not just professed.”
- He describes their church as marked by “unity, holiness, courage, and virtue.”
- He contrasts shallow religion with a costly faith: younger people “long for a faith that costs something…worth living for, suffering for…worth dying for.”
- He urges “studying, guarding, and embodying” the faith, not just knowing it.
- Max likewise emphasizes “apostolic application” and notes their “sacrificial Sermon on the Mount-focused faith.”