Following Christ and Helping Others Follow Him
Jesus calls people not merely to agree with certain beliefs but to follow him. A disciple trusts Jesus as Savior, submits to him as Lord, learns from his Word, becomes increasingly like him, participates in the life of his church, and joins his mission in the world.
This course is designed to help you become established in several foundational truths and practices of Christian discipleship. It will not address every aspect of the Christian life. Instead, it will provide a simple biblical framework that can help you grow in Christ and help another person do the same.
The goal is not merely to complete twelve sessions. The goal is to develop gospel-centered patterns of knowing Christ, becoming like Christ, and making Christ known.
The Wheel Illustration
The Wheel illustrates several essential relationships and practices of a growing disciple.
Christ at the Center
Jesus Christ is the center and source of the Christian life. Christianity is not primarily a program of self-improvement or a collection of religious activities. Through faith, believers are united to Christ in his death and resurrection. We receive our new identity, life, acceptance, and power from him.
Obedience through the Holy Spirit
Christ’s life is expressed through Spirit-empowered obedience. We do not obey God to earn his acceptance. Because God has shown us mercy in Christ and given us his Spirit, we offer our whole lives to him in trusting and grateful obedience.
The Word and Prayer
God speaks to us through his written Word, and we respond to him through prayer. Scripture renews our minds, reveals Christ, corrects our sin, strengthens our faith, and equips us for faithful living. Prayer expresses our dependence upon God and brings every part of our lives before him.
Fellowship and Witness
The Christian life is lived both within Christ’s church and before the watching world. In fellowship, believers worship, learn, pray, serve, encourage, forgive, and grow together. Through witness, disciples participate in Christ’s mission by praying for people, loving them, explaining the gospel, and inviting them to follow Jesus.
The parts of the Wheel belong together. A healthy disciple does not pursue one practice while neglecting the others. As Christ forms us, these relationships and rhythms increasingly become part of an integrated life of faith, love, holiness, and mission.
How the Course Is Organized
The twelve sessions are arranged in six pairs. The first session in each pair studies a foundational biblical truth. The second develops a practical gospel rhythm flowing from that truth. Plan for 60–75 minutes per session, protecting time for discussion, prayer, and hands-on practice.
- Sessions 1–2: New life in Christ and daily communion with Christ
- Sessions 3–4: Gospel-centered obedience and Scripture memory and meditation
- Sessions 5–6: Meditating upon, understanding, and applying God’s Word
- Sessions 7–8: Abiding prayer and bringing every concern to God
- Sessions 9–10: Fellowship and intentionally encouraging another Christian
- Sessions 11–12: Following Christ into his mission and explaining the gospel
Each session builds upon the previous sessions. Daily Quiet Time, Scripture memory, prayer, fellowship, and witness are introduced gradually and practiced together. Sessions 4–6 develop one connected skill: Session 4 demonstrates remembering and meditating, Session 5 explores their biblical purpose, and Session 6 develops careful interpretation and faithful application.
What You Will Practice
During this course, you will learn to:
- Explain your new identity and life in Christ
- Establish a regular Daily Quiet Time
- Use the 5Rs to read and respond to Scripture
- Use the 3EQ to reflect upon a biblical passage
- Memorize and meditate upon Scripture
- Observe and interpret Scripture in context, then make a measurable, attainable, personal application (MAP)
- Pray using Praise, Thanksgiving, Confession, Intercession, and Petition
- Participate meaningfully in Christian fellowship
- Encourage another believer toward maturity
- Pray for people who do not know Christ
- Explain the gospel clearly
- Share a brief Christ-centered testimony
- Help another Christian practice these same rhythms
How to Participate
Before each meeting, read the assigned passage and make brief notes on the core study questions. You do not need a polished answer to every question. Bring your Bible and notes, including anything you do not understand. Our 60–75 minutes together will include discussion, prayer, and hands-on practice. Between meetings, use one integrated preparation rhythm:
- Read and reflect on Scripture during a realistic rhythm of Daily Quiet Times.
- Learn the assigned memory passage at a manageable pace and review a small selection of earlier passages.
- Record the main truth and practice one measurable, attainable, personal response with God’s help.
- Let that same passage guide your prayers for yourself and others.
- When possible, share what you are learning with one person; practicing with a fellow participant counts.
- Bring one insight or question and one experience of putting the truth into practice.
Growth will not be perfectly even. Some practices may be new or difficult. The purpose is not to produce guilt, compare yourself with others, or measure your acceptance with God. Your acceptance rests entirely upon Christ and his finished work. These practices are ways of responding to God’s grace and cultivating communion with the Christ to whom you already belong.
Personal reflection prompts are invitations, not additional required assignments. Choose the prompt that best helps you respond to the passage. Keep sensitive reflections in your own notes and share only what you choose. The optional fourteen-passage lists provide material for ongoing practice; they are not extra readings to finish before the next meeting.
Learning to Help Another Christian
Christian discipleship is personal, but it is never merely private. Jesus calls his followers to make disciples who will also help others follow him.
Throughout this course, you will therefore learn not only to understand and practice each truth but also to pass it on. A simple pattern will guide us:
- Explain the biblical truth or practice.
- Demonstrate how it works.
- Practice it together.
- Follow up with encouragement and prayer.
You do not need to become an expert before helping someone else. Begin with what God is teaching you, depend upon the Holy Spirit, and help another person take one faithful step. Practice first with a fellow participant when helpful. Repeated training opportunities throughout the course develop confidence; they do not require a separate new assignment every week.
Our Prayer
Our prayer is that Christ will use these sessions to establish you more deeply in the gospel, form his character within you, strengthen your participation in his church, and equip you to make him known.
May you increasingly live with Christ at the center, in obedient dependence upon the Holy Spirit, rooted in the Word, devoted to prayer, committed to fellowship, and ready to bear witness to the good news of Jesus Christ.
Based upon The Wheel® Illustration, ©1976 The Navigators, all rights reserved. The illustration itself is not reproduced in this web edition.