Bible Study for New Believers: Four First Sessions

After becoming a Christian, you may hear words such as grace, discipleship, and fellowship before anyone explains them. These four studies connect those words to passages you can read for yourself.

Use one sitting for each session. Read the passage, answer the question in your own words, and bring one question to a trusted Christian or church leader.

Four sessions to begin with

Your first four studies

1. 1.Jesus: Mark 8:27-38

   What does Jesus say about his mission and following him?

2. 2.Grace: Ephesians 2:1-10

   How does the passage connect salvation with God's gift and good works?

3. 3.Prayer: Matthew 6:5-15

   What priorities appear in the prayer Jesus teaches?

4. 4.Community: Acts 2:42-47

   What do these believers do together, and whom do they care for?

Session 1: Who is Jesus, and what does following him mean?

Read Mark 8:27-38. Peter identifies Jesus as the Christ, then struggles with Jesus' explanation of suffering and death. Notice how the conversation changes what following Jesus involves.

Your question: Which part of Jesus' answer challenges what I expected Christianity to be?

Discipleship means learning to follow Jesus. In this scene it includes accepting his teaching about his mission, even when the disciples find it difficult. Write one thing you want to understand better and discuss it with someone who can read the passage with you.

Session 2: What does grace mean?

Read Ephesians 2:1-10. Grace describes God's unearned favor. The passage connects salvation to his mercy rather than human achievement, then describes a life of good works.

Your question: What comes from God here, and what kind of life follows?

Write a two-sentence answer before using the Ephesians commentary. If you confuse being accepted by God with earning his acceptance, notice the order of verses 8-10.

Session 3: How do I begin praying?

Read Matthew 6:5-15. Notice what Jesus criticizes before he gives the prayer. Then follow its concerns: God's name and kingdom, daily needs, forgiveness, and help against temptation.

Your question: Which concern is usually missing from my prayers?

Use one line as a starting point for a short prayer in your own words. For a closer explanation, read the guide to the Lord's Prayer.

Session 4: Why do Christians need a church?

Read Acts 2:42-47. Fellowship here includes shared teaching, meals, prayer, and care. Notice both the community's practices and the needs it addresses.

Your question: What kind of participation goes beyond attending a meeting?

Ask a local church how a new believer can learn, ask questions, and get to know people. Acts describes a particular early community; it does not supply every detail of a modern church timetable.

What should I read after these sessions?

Continue with a whole Gospel using the first-week Mark plan. If you want help working through each paragraph, the beginner study method shows the process.

Keep your questions. Learning the faith takes time, conversation, and repeated reading. Protos can help explain the text while you build those habits alongside other Christians.