Not a Fan

1.Idleman opens by describing what he calls a "DTR" — a Define the Relationship conversation. Have you ever had a DTR moment with Jesus, a point where you clearly defined what kind of relationship you actually have with him? Describe it, or describe why it has never happened.

2.The author distinguishes a "fan" as someone who is enthusiastic about Jesus but not committed to him — an admirer rather than a follower. In your own words, what is the sharpest difference between a fan and a follower as Idleman sets it up in the introduction?

1.Idleman describes a scene from John 6 where Jesus delivers a hard teaching and the crowd drops from thousands to a handful of twelve. Why does he say Jesus seems almost to invite this outcome? Does that picture of Jesus surprise you?

2.The author introduces the idea that many people have a "fan-ship" with Jesus — they like what he does for them (healing, feeding, teaching) but are not interested in who he is and what he demands. Think about the crowds in John 6. What were they drawn to about Jesus, and what were they not willing to accept?

1.Idleman walks through three brief encounters in Luke 9:57–62 — the enthusiastic volunteer, the man who wants to bury his father first, and the man who wants to say goodbye to his family. How does Jesus respond to each one, and what does his response reveal about the cost of following him?

2.The author describes the first would-be follower as someone who is all enthusiasm but no counting of the cost. Have you ever made a commitment to Jesus in a moment of excitement that you later found yourself unable to sustain? What happened?

1.Idleman points out that in Jesus' day, "follow me" was a literal, physical act — disciples walked behind their rabbi, going where he went. How does recovering that concrete picture change the way you understand what it means to follow Jesus today?

2.He describes followership as having direction (you are going somewhere), requiring daily decision (not a one-time event), and involving imitation (you are becoming like the one you follow). Which of those three dimensions is weakest in your own walk with Jesus right now?

1.Idleman introduces the idea of a "secret follower" — someone who believes in Jesus privately but is unwilling to make that relationship public. What are the most common reasons people give (or that you yourself have given) for keeping faith private?

2.He draws on Luke 12:8–9, where Jesus says he will acknowledge before the angels those who acknowledge him before others, and disown those who disown him. How do you sit with those words? What is Jesus protecting in that statement?

1.In Matthew 7:21–23, people call Jesus "Lord" and point to their impressive religious résumé — prophecy, exorcism, miracles — and Jesus says, "I never knew you." What is so shocking about that exchange? What does it suggest about the difference between religious activity and real relationship?

2.Idleman asks whether we know a lot about Jesus (theological facts, Bible stories, doctrines) while actually knowing him very little in a personal, relational sense. How would you honestly assess your own balance between information about Jesus and intimacy with Jesus?

1.Idleman argues that fans are willing to give Jesus a place in their lives — perhaps even a prominent place — but they are not willing to give him all the places. What is the difference between Jesus having a place in your life and Jesus having all of your life?

2.He walks through several common "competing lords" — comfort, approval, success, romance, family — things that are not bad in themselves but that become rivals to Jesus when we love them more than him. Which of those competitors has the strongest pull on you personally right now?

1.Idleman observes that the crowds are always largest around Jesus' miracles, but that genuine followers are the ones who remain when the miracles seem to stop. Have you ever had a season where God felt absent or silent? What did that season reveal about the nature of your faith?

2.He draws attention to the detail in John 11 that when Jesus hears Lazarus is sick, he deliberately stays two more days before going. What does that delay say about how God sometimes works — and how do you personally respond to God's delays in your own life?

1.Idleman draws a sharp distinction between fans who are hearers of the word and followers who are doers of it (James 1:22). He calls agreeing with Jesus' teaching without obeying it a form of self-deception. Have you ever caught yourself agreeing with a conviction from Scripture for years without it actually changing your behavior? What was that like?

2.Jesus' parable of the wise and foolish builders (Matthew 7:24–27) is not about people who have never heard his teaching — both builders heard the same words. The difference is obedience. What is the "rock" Jesus is describing, and what does building on it actually look like in practical terms?

1.Luke 14:33 says "any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." Idleman argues that this is one of the most ignored verses in the New Testament. Why do you think Christians so consistently overlook or soften it?

2.The rich young ruler comes to Jesus with the right question and a genuinely good moral record, and Jesus loves him (Mark 10:21) — but he asks him to give up the one thing he will not give. What was that thing? What is your "one thing" — the specific possession, position, or security you would find hardest to surrender to Jesus?

1.Idleman argues that fans love humanity in the abstract but struggle to love actual, specific, messy people. Can you relate to that? What kind of person do you find it easiest to love in theory but hardest to love in practice?

2.He uses the parable of the Good Samaritan as a picture of the kind of love Jesus demands — inconvenient, costly, and directed at people we would prefer to classify as "not our problem." Who is the person in your neighborhood, workplace, or family who is currently lying in the road in front of you?

1.When you first picked up this book (or started this study), how would you have answered the question "Are you a fan or a follower?" How would you answer that question now? What has changed, and what still needs to change?

2.Which chapter or idea in the book landed with the most force for you personally? What specific story, illustration, or phrase from Idleman did God use most pointedly in your life during this study?