Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman
Week 6: Chapter 5 — Knowledge About Him or Knowing Him (Informed but Disconnected)
Read Chapter 5 of Not a Fan. Key passage: Matthew 7:21–23 ("I never knew you").
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Of all the passages in the Gospels, Matthew 7:21–23 may be the most frightening — and Idleman uses it to probe the difference between religious activity and genuine, intimate relationship with Jesus.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.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?
3.He uses the analogy of being a "stalker" — someone who knows enormous amounts of information about a celebrity or public figure but has no real relationship with them. What does that uncomfortable image expose about how we can engage with the Bible, church, and theology as mere data collection?
a.Can you think of a season in your life when you were consuming a lot of Christian content (sermons, books, podcasts) but not actually growing closer to Jesus? What was missing?
b.What practices or habits have genuinely moved you from knowing about Jesus to knowing him?
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