Make Disciples
How to Disciple a New Believer
Don’t Just Help Someone Meet Jesus. Help Them Follow Jesus.
Sharing the gospel is not the end of the Great Commission. Jesus commanded His followers to make disciples. Discipleship is helping someone follow Jesus faithfully through God’s Word, prayer, obedience, fellowship, and the life of a faithful local church.
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations… Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…”
— Matthew 28:19–20 (KJV)
1. Return to the Gospel
Make sure their confidence rests in Jesus Christ—not a prayer, emotional experience, baptism, church membership, or good works.
2. Read the Bible Together
Begin with the Gospel of John. Ask what the passage says, what it teaches about God, and what Christ calls us to believe or obey.
3. Teach Them to Pray
Pray together, then help them praise God, confess sin, ask for wisdom, and pray for others on their own.
4. Encourage Obedience
Teach the difference between obeying because we have been saved and trying to obey in order to earn salvation.
5. Connect Them With a Faithful Church
Online resources can help someone grow, but they cannot replace biblical teaching, fellowship, baptism, worship, service, and pastoral care in a faithful local church.
6. Walk Through Real Life
Ask how they are doing, pray with them, open Scripture together, encourage them, and correct them lovingly when necessary.
7. Help Them Make Disciples
A healthy disciple learns to depend on Christ, read Scripture, pray, share the gospel, and eventually help someone else follow Jesus.
A Simple Discipleship Rhythm
Read
Read Scripture together.
Talk
Discuss its meaning and real life.
Pray
Pray about the Word and your needs.
Go
Choose something to obey and someone to serve or share Christ with.
Read. Talk. Pray. Go. Keep Christ and His Word at the center.
Your Great Commission Challenge
Ask a new or growing believer, “Would you like to read the Bible together and help each other grow in following Jesus?” Then begin. Open God’s Word. Pray. Walk together. Eventually help them do the same with someone else.