In Christianity, faith is a transfer of trust. This happens when you transfer leadership of your life and hope for your future to Jesus instead of deciding for yourself. When we trust in Jesus, we are freed from the guilt of sin before God. The theological term for this is justification. When you transfer trust of your life over to Jesus, you are “justified” and declared “not guilty” of sin before God. This means, from this moment on, you are a Christian, a member of the Body of Christ, and a citizen of the Kingdom of God.

What is transferring trust?
Transferring trust to Jesus means giving Him the authority to lead your life and trusting Him to secure your future. It means making Jesus the King of your life instead of yourself.

Why do Christians trust Jesus?
Christians trust their life and future to Jesus because in all human history only one man claimed to be God and then resurrected from the dead to prove He was God. It is because of the deity, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christians trust Him.

How do I trust Jesus today?
Anyone can place their trust in Jesus at any time. A true transfer of trust is a matter of the heart and will, not just words. To trust Jesus today, all you must do is turn away from living life for yourself and commit to living your life for Jesus. Most people make either a verbal statement or a prayer of faith to express the decision that is made in their heart and mind. There is no perfect prayer or statement of faith you have to say to be a Christian. At this most basic principle, you must admit that Jesus has not been the King of your life but that from this moment on, you place your trust in Him to lead you and to secure your future in this life and the next.    

In Christianity, faith in Jesus is an everyday thing. We are saved by trusting Jesus and also live following His leadership. This is where the transfer of trust in the previous step begins to work into our daily lives. In Christian theology, this process is called sanctification. Justification, the moment of being declared “not guilty” of sin before God happens once. Sanctification, the process of learning to live obediently for God, is a lifelong process. Humans are selfish creatures, and we love to have our way. This is why we must give intentional effort to stop living for our own purposes and start giving our lifestyle obedience to Jesus.

What is lifestyle obedience?
Lifestyle obedience is the practical application of Jesus’s leadership of our life. In short, it is choosing God’s design over our desires. Every believer should choose to conform the decisions, relationships, and activities of their life to God’s purposes and plans and not their own.

Do I have to do this to be “saved?”
No. In Christianity, we are saved by faith, not by works. But the real question is, if your lifestyle doesn’t reflect your faith, is that faith real? Think about it this way, when you love someone, you often make choices to either avoid doing things that hurt them or intentionally do things to please them. Following Jesus is the same. If you truly place your full trust in Jesus’s leadership, then you would choose to follow Him in your lifestyle. If you refuse to change anything at all about your life, then your trust in Him is shallow or fake because you are still the “king” of your own life.

I want to live for Jesus, how do I learn to do this?
Remember, lifestyle obedience is a life-long process. So, you don’t have to approach it like a checklist. Learning to live obediently to Jesus happens by studying the Bible and being in close, vulnerable relationships with other Christians. Many people mistakenly believe they can just read the Bible on their own and that’s enough. But Scripture’s portrait of the Kingdom of God is a community, not isolation. The common phrase “iron sharpens iron” illustrates this perfectly. A knife cannot be sharpened if it avoids contact with the sharpening stone.

The Christian faith is a community, and you need to be in close, vulnerable relationships with other Christians to help you grow. For centuries, the Christian faith has been handed down by those who are further along in the growing process to those just starting out. There is no point at which any of us stop growing. But, at a certain point, you may have grown enough to help someone else grow. This is called discipleship, and we are all called to grow and help others to do the same. The best way to grow is to ask someone you know who is more spiritually mature than you are, and who you are willing to be vulnerable with, to be your spiritual mentor. Meet with them regularly. Read the Bible together. Pray together. Ask questions. Learn from them. Accept corrections from them. This is the heart of learning lifestyle obedience.

Christianity is not just a faith, it is also a worldview and a set of teaching. Theology is the study of God. So, what Christians believe about God is Christian theology. Within Christian theology there is a smaller area of study which establishes the reasons why Christians believe what they do. This is called Apologetics. Put simply, theology is what Christians teach, apologetics is why they believe it. Both of these are necessary to know because if you don’t know why you believe what you believe, you won’t be able to answer questions when others ask, nor will you be able to share your faith with others. This is why every Christian should seek to learn what they believe and why they believe it.

How do I learn Christian Theology?
The easiest way to begin to learn the teachings of the Christian faith is to connect with a local Bible-teaching church and attend regularly. There are plenty of styles and service types to choose from, but the most important thing is what is taught from the pulpit or stage be the text of the Bible itself and not something else. When the Bible is taught, Christian teaching will flow from it. In addition to Bible-based sermons, there should be other opportunities to learn in a local church community. Small groups, Bible studies, special events, formal classes, or one-on-one mentoring can all take place within a single local church family.

There are also a large amount of resources available online. From books and videos, to full online classes and colleges, Christian learning is available in a myriad of different formats today. Find a local church, get involved, and ask what kind of resources they have available. Ask the pastor or local leader for a recommendation of a theology book or video series. Services like Right Now Media, Study Gateway, and others offer Christian teaching in a Video on Demand format.

How do I learn Christian Apologetics?
Unfortunately, learning apologetics is a bit more challenging than learning Christian theology because it is less prevalent in local churches currently. While most teaching pastors have a college and/or seminary degree, not all have had training in apologetics. However, there may also be resources in the local church that aren’t readily noticeable. Ask your pastor or church leaders what resources or opportunities exist within their church to learn Christian apologetics. There are also plenty of reputable resources online from Christian apologetics ministries. Do a simple search on your favorite search engine for Christian apologetics books, videos, or conferences and you’ll find there is more than enough content to get you started.    

Christianity has been passed down from generation to generation since the first century. It should be no surprise that this responsibility to “pay it forward” is also the responsibility of each and every Christian. The purpose of our growing in maturity is not so we can celebrate or take pride in our spiritual superiority over others, it is so those who are more experienced at trusting, living obediently, and learning Christian teachings can help those who are less experienced. Every believer should see it as their personal responsibility to help someone else trust Jesus, live obediently, and learn Christian teachings. If they are not able to do those things yet, then they should seek help to grow themselves until they are ready. This simple process is what has fueled the worldwide growth and expansion of the Christian faith for the past almost 2,000 years. It is now our job, as the generation of Christians living today, to share what we have learned with others as we continue to grow ourselves. The process of growing never stops. Sanctification is a lifelong process. But if we do not accept the responsibility to help others grow in the faith, we are failing the mission left to the Church by Jesus Himself.

What do I need to know to help someone else grow?
There is a common misunderstanding that you have to have an advanced degree or have been a Christian for a very long time before you are “qualified” to help someone else grow. This is simply not true. If you have learned one thing, then you can share that one thing with someone else. Now, there is a need for caution here. Many times a single lesson may be learned a few different times in a few different ways. So, there is wisdom to be had in not trying to reach farther than you’re able. But the simple truth is, whatever you have learned about trusting Jesus, you should want to share with others.

What does discipleship look like?
The best example of what discipleship looks like is a quote from the Apostle Paul, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” Each of us should strive to follow Jesus and get others to do the same. Discipleship, or Christian mentoring, doesn’t have to be formal, although it can be. What you need to be successful at helping others to grow is a relationship that allows for vulnerability, consistency over time, and character that can be trusted. This last part is the most vital. Character is the currency of ministry. People will not want to “follow” someone who only wants to correct others. Let’s break down Paul’s maxim here. 

“Follow me”
This implies that the person doing the mentoring is the example to follow. When you choose to mentor someone, your lifestyle authorizes their actions. Whatever you do, you are saying they should copy or mimic. The unsaid statement here is that the mentor is living the kind of Christian lifestyle that should be emulated or copied. 

“As I follow Christ”
This implies that the mentor is also still growing and following Christ. There is no such thing as a person who mentors others but is not growing themselves. None of us are perfect. We all have areas of our hearts and minds that need constant tending to keep them submitted to Christ. Believers don’t “graduate” from discipleship and stop learning. Anyone who wants to mentor someone else without accepting correction themselves is probably more interested in authority than ministry. (Yes, I said that.)  

Runners and Coaches
The best analogy I can offer to explain what true discipleship looks like is a long distance runner. Someone who wants to train to run long distances (or any large endeavor really) often seeks out two key relationships. The first is a running partner. Having a partner who is around the same “level” as you in your maturity journey will provide encouragement and endurance when things get difficult. The second relationship needed is a coach. This person has more experience than you and is able to offer wisdom, advice, and correction to help avoid pitfalls and learn from failures. As you progress in your journey, you will gain wisdom and experience and eventually be able to coach someone else. A third relationship then emerges where you become the coach and help a new, less mature believer. This relationship also provides accountability in a way that no other relationship does. 

Like Paul, the coach's choices authorize the actions of the runners he or she invests in. When your lifestyle is the example of how to live for other Christians, you will have a level of accountability and hopefully integrity that is beyond anything else you can do. This is also where the process becomes cyclical and the coach helps a newer runner get stronger, faster, and wiser until they are able to coach someone else.  

Helping someone to grow in their faith and relationship with Christ is an amazing privilege, but it can also be a bit intimidating. Don’t make the task bigger in your head than it needs to be. Remember, Christians have been doing this for one another since the first century! So, we are just doing our part in our day to pass on the faith to the next generation of disciple makers. Here are a few key ideas to guide you as you start to coach someone. Above all else, remember that discipleship is always done in a relationship.

This is not an academic or  check-box style exercise. Every person has their own unique story, situation, and struggles. While the plan to help them progress from Pre-Christian to believer, to follower, and finally to Disciple-Maker; your personal relationship with them and their response to you will dictate how you follow the plan. Like a river flowing over rocky topography, the rocks and shoals of a person’s life will direct the flow of their personal growth and where you may choose to invest in them. Be sensitive as you build your friendship with someone to take notice of areas of hurt, fear, success, education, experience, interest, etc. All of these are part of the journey their life has taken to this point.  

Baseline Facts: 
1: All Christians are called to grow and make more disciples.
2: The local church is the community in which discipleship should begin.
3: Discipleship requires relational vulnerability.
4: The Word of God is the supreme authority for Christian life and practice.

The Trust Step:
Helping someone to take this first very important step comes down to the act of their will. This is not just an intellectual agreement that Jesus died or even that Jesus rose and is God. Trusting Jesus is an act of the will that transfers leadership for their life from themselves to Him. Helping someone to make this step is partly about presenting them with the truth of Jesus’s divinity, death, and resurrection. But the trust is based on that evidence, it is not replaced by it. 

To help someone trust in Jesus we must patiently and lovingly show them who Jesus is and what He said. “No comes to the Father but through me.” (John 14:6). This may include using apologetic evidence or answering tough questions about the Bible and Christianity, but doesn’t always. It is important to remember at this stage doubt comes in several flavors. 

Intellectual doubt is based on not agreeing with or not understanding an idea. Emotional doubt is rejecting the truth of Christianity because of a hurt or pain from the past that causes them to not want to accept the truth of Christianity. Volitional doubt is based on the inability to give control of leadership of one’s life over to Christ. Each form of doubt requires a different approach, so be careful to listen to what someone says about their questions. Many times emotional and volitional doubt will “hide” behind intellectual questions. Remember, coming to fully trust in Jesus is not a drive-thru style experience. It may be time, in some cases lots of time, to invest in a relationship with someone before they are ready to transfer their trust to Jesus. 


The Lifestyle Obedience Step  
Once someone has placed their trust in Christ, they are like a brand new baby. They have a new spiritual life, but have little to no understanding of what that means or how to live as a Christian. The work in coaching someone at this stage is helping them to begin to do two things: help them stop doing ungodly things and start doing godly things. This sounds simple, because on one hand it is. 

However, the work of building new habits and breaking old ones is never easy and requires consistency and patience. Also, don’t try to “boil the ocean” or change everything at once. Work together to make a list of the things to change. Pick one to stop doing and one to start doing. Work on only those for a month or more. You can’t know how long it will take to break old habits and create new ones, so don’t feel pressured to do it too fast. Likewise, meet regularly and communicate even more so you can provide encouragement during the process. Once one goal is met, create a new one.

Because discipleship is done through relationships and within the context of Christian community, one key step that should be taken at the outset of this stage is connection to and regular attendance in a local Bible-teaching church. If the person you are coaching does not regularly attend a Bible-teaching church, get them to start. Invite them to worship and participate with you in your church if they live locally. Being a part of a local body of believers who worship, learn, and serve together is the expectation of Biblical discipleship.

The Learning Step
Studying the deeper things of the faith is necessary. But be prepared, this can and will look differently for different people. Some people are naturally more “thinker” than others. Those who are drawn to read and study will find this step easy. Those who are more heartfelt and relational in their faith may find it more challenging. That’s why there cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach to personal discipleship. You need to build a relationship with the person you are coaching and get to know them well enough to recommend different books to read or videos to watch. You can do this together or separately. The way in which you interface with learning at this stage is not nearly as important as the learning itself is. 

Learning Theology
There are many approaches and schools of thought within the open ocean of Christian theology. Often when people start studying theology for the first time, they mistakenly assume that all theologians agree about everything. This could not be further from the truth. Within the wide world of Christian thought there are countless debates, positions, and -isms to learn. Don’t let this intimidate you. One way to study theology is to get an introduction to what is called Systematic Theology. Systematic Theology seeks to organize all that the Bible teaches on a given topic. For instance, if you wanted to study the character and/or nature of God, you would look for resources on Theology Proper. Christology is the study of Christ. Pneumatology is the study of the Holy Spirit. Angelology is the study of angels. This is a well established path for studying deeper in one specific area of Christian teaching. There are plenty of resources out there that offer introductions to systematic theology. Pick one together and then select one area to dive into. 

Learning Apologetics
Apologetics is the rather defense of the Christian faith. Or, said another way, apologetics is offering answers to why Christians teach what they do. Like theology, apologetics has several different approaches and/or styles. One is not better or greater than another, though some apologists may tell you otherwise.  The key point to remember when studying apologetics is to learn “the why” behind a teaching. For instance, citing the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus is an application of apologetics. Looking into the scientific evidence for the existence of God is another application of apologetics. Learning other worldviews and how they compare to the Christian worldview is yet another application of apologetics. 

One key thing to remember as you delve into the world of apologetics is you cannot “argue” someone into faith. Apologetics offers reason and evidence for the Christian faith, but it is not a battering ram to bully someone into faith. In many ways, apologetics can work as “pre-evangelism” when speaking with a pre-Christian. People have real questions about the Christian faith and they deserve to hear real answers. This is where apologetics can shine. It is never supposed to replace faith, it is supposed to support it.