BE A DISCIPLE

Gospel: Leader’s Guide

This lesson is a simple tool you can use to share the gospel with a potential disciple! This clear presentation of the
gospel is a major tool God is using at college campuses around the world to help people start a relationship with Jesus.

Purpose
The goal of this lesson can be summed up into 4 points (shown below). We want to shatter the false gospel that people
can be “good enough” for God and clearly communicate the payment Jesus made for them on the cross.

1. Not everyone is a Christian who says they are. True Christians produce the “fruit” of a changed life.

2. All of us are sinners and no one is “good enough” to get to God by good works.

3. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins through His death on the cross and resurrection! We can be forgiven and get a
fresh start!

4. We must accept His forgiveness and decide to make Jesus Lord (leader) of our lives to be saved.

Plan
1. Start by talking casually and building a relationship with the person, but try and transition to deeper subjects, such
as family and upbringing. Then walk through the three-story outline below.

• Their Story: Ask them to share their story about their experience with spiritual things. Say something like,
“So what’s your background when it comes to spiritual things?” Most people have something to share.

• Your Story: Share your testimony briefly. Try and do a one-minute version.

• God’s Story: Introduce the Bible lesson or illustration. Here’s an example of what to say: “Something that
the ministry I am a part of does is these Bible lessons that teach the basics about having a relationship with
God. Do you mind if I show you one?” or, “I have this illustration that explains the big story of God…”

2. Pull out the gospel lesson and read it with them. It’s that simple! Make sure to sit close enough that both of you can
comfortably see it. You don’t need to add to it, simply take them through the lesson and the illustrations.

3. Make the invitation clear. When you get to the prayer at the bottom of the sheet, hand them the paper and say,
“Why don’t you read this prayer? Don’t pray yet. Just read it and see if it shows the desire of your heart.” Wait and
give them time to read it and think about it. Then ask, “Would you like to pray this and commit your life to Christ
right now?” Then be quiet and say nothing until they respond.

4. If they say “no,” respectfully ask what is keeping them from making this commitment. Don’t be pushy or try to force
a decision! Simply cultivate a relationship. Then ask if they would like to do an investigative study through the
Gospel of John.

5. If they say “yes” to Christ, show your excitement and lead them to pray to God out loud by reading off the prayer.
Tell them to feel free to make it their own because it is not magic words but the attitude of their heart. I usually
open in prayer, thanking God for our time, and then ask them to pray to God out loud.

6. Celebrate and set up a follow-up meeting! Tell them that this is the most important decision of their life! Then say,
“This was fun! There are some other things like this that we could look at if you want to start meeting. Does this
same time next week work for you?” Make sure you schedule a time to meet again before you leave!

7. Thank and praise God for what He is doing!

Pro-Tips
• Read the lesson out loud with meaning and confidence.

• Move quickly through the lesson, and avoid tangents and attempting to explain every Gospel truth. This is not
meant to be an in-depth study on each verse, we want them to meet Jesus and whet their appetite for more, so
BE A DISCIPLE
keep it simple! Be brief when explaining illustrations and points.

• Don’t stop and ask “Have you heard this before?” or “Have you prayed this before?” out of insecurity. Asking those
types of questions will make them feel awkward. Those questions may tempt them to lie even if they don’t really
understand. If they have heard it before it is likely that they will tell you.

• Share the lesson with confidence even if you know that they are a Christian. It will strengthen their understanding
of the gospel and serve as an example for what they can do with future disciples.

• Make sure your tone sounds like you are sharing “Good News!” Which is what the word, “Gospel” is. Don’t present
it with an overly serious “turn or burn” vibe. Have the attitude of “one beggar telling another beggar where they
found bread.” Say something like, “I just wanted to share a lesson that explains the most important thing about our
group.”

• Focus on the fact that Jesus paid for our sins as our substitute on the cross and resurrection. If they don’t get
anything else, make sure they understand that.

• Relax and trust God to use His Word. Don’t be preachy, just share the material with confidence, knowing God has
placed you in this meeting!

Key Illustrations
The Apple Tree Illustration
Say, “If I showed you a tree and it had oranges hanging on its branches but I told you it was an apple tree would you
believe me? It is the same thing with people. If a person says they are a follower of Jesus, their life should bear the fruit
(actions and attitudes) of a Christian. What fruit do you think should be in a true Christian’s life?”

Semi Truck Illustration

Say, “If I told you that I was hit by a semi-truck today and I showed up to our meeting uninjured and clean, would you
believe me? It is the same thing when you become a Christian. If you have the living God in your life you will be differ-
ent.”

Bridge Illustration
The bridge illustration is a great tool for quickly, clearly sharing the Gospel in a visual way.

1. Draw two sides of a chasm. On the left side, draw two stick figures (they represent you and the person you are
presenting to) and on the right side, write “God.”

2. Explain that we are separated from God due to our sin and that nothing we can produce on our own (good works,
religion, philosophy) can bridge that gap.

3. Draw a cross in between the two sides, bridging the gap between us and God.

4. Explain that Jesus, God’s son, died on the cross in order for us to be able to cross over to God. We cross over
through belief in God and Christ’s sacrifice (John 5:24).
Pie Illustration
The point of the pie illustration is to explain “Lordship.” Lordship means that Jesus is the leader and king of your life.
He calls the shots in every area of life. Lordship means leaving your self-ruled life for a Jesus-ruled life.

1. Draw one pie chart. Say, “this is the way most people live life.” Write in different areas of life such as girlfriend, job,
school, family, future, free time, friends and sometimes God gets a slice. Then say, “that is not what it means to be a
Christian.”

2. Draw a second pie chart. Draw a circle with a cross in the middle and explain that Jesus leads you and empowers
you to do each of these areas in a way that honors Him. Write in those areas and mention how He may impact
those areas. Say something like, “it’s an amazing blessing to have Jesus influencing every area of your life.”

3. Simply ask: “Which pie chart would you like to most represent your life?”
BE A DISCIPLE
WHAT IS A DISCIPLE?
There are many people today who would identify as a disciple of Christ, but how many are true followers of Jesus?
What does that mean? In this lesson, we’ll look at what it really means to be a follower of Christ.

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—
unless, of course, you fail the test?” 2 Corinthians 13:5

How we can test ourselves: The Fruit Test

Jesus really had only one test he told us to conduct to see if someone belongs to Him: the Fruit Test. In Matthew 7:20
He says, “You will know them by their fruit” (Apple Tree Illustration). Fruit is what one’s life produces: words, actions,
and attitudes.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come!”
That means that there will be some changes when you commit your life to Christ (Semi Truck Illustration).

The following verses show the fruit that will be in a true Christian’s life:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father
who is in heaven will enter.” Matthew 7:21

“We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, ‘I know Him,’ but does not do
what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
1 John 2:3–4

If you died right now and God asked you, “Why should I let you into my heaven?” What would you say?
What percentage chance would you have of going to heaven?
Here is a quick, 8-question test to find out if you are good enough to get into heaven. Circle the appropriate answer:

1. Have you ever told a lie? Y/ N

2. Have you given money to charity? Y/ N
3. Have you gone to church regularly? Y/ N
4. Have you ever stolen anything (no matter how small)? Y/ N
5. Have you ever used “God” or “Jesus” as a curse word? Y/ N
6. Have you tried to read your Bible regularly? Y/ N
7. Have you ever looked at someone with lustful thoughts? Y/ N
8. Have you ever broken the first commandment? “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Y/ N

Let’s see how you did…

Have you ever told a lie?

The Ninth of the Ten Commandments is, “You shall not lie.” In Revelation 21:8, God says, “...all liars, shall have their part
in the lake of fire…”

Have you ever stolen anything (no matter how small)?

The Eighth of the Ten Commandments is “You shall not steal.” In 1 Corinthians 6:10, God says, “No thieves... ...shall
inherit the kingdom of God.”

Have you ever used “God” or “Jesus” as a curse word?

The Third of the Ten Commandments is “You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain.” If you’ve ever used the name
“God,” “Jesus,” or “Christ” as a curse word, that offense is called “blasphemy.” In Leviticus 24:16, God says, “he that
blasphemes the name of the LORD, shall surely be put to death…”
BE A DISCIPLE
Have you ever looked at someone with lustful thoughts?
The Seventh of the Ten Commandments is “You shall not commit adultery.” If you’ve ever looked at another person with
lustful thoughts, according to God’s standards, that makes you an “adulterer” in your heart. Jesus said, “You have heard
it said, You shall not commit adultery: But I say to you, that whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has
committed adultery with her already in his heart” Matthew 5:28. In 1 Corinthians 6:9–10, God says that no adulterers
“...shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

Have you ever broken the first commandment? “You shall have no other Gods before Me.”
The First of the Ten Commandments is “You shall have no other gods before me.” That means that we should love God
with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength.
The Bible tells us that no one has kept this commandment (Psalm 14:2–3).

Have you given money to charity?

Have you gone to church regularly?

Have you made it a practice to read the Bible regularly?

These are good activities, but none of them impress God. The Bible says, “and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away” (Isaiah 64:6). That means, all our “righteous
acts”—these “good deeds” that questions 2, 3, and 6 asked about—can never make up for the fact that we’ve broken
God’s Holy Commandments. Think of it this way: if a person was guilty of a serious crime but gave money to charity,
does that make up for his crime? No. The person’s crime hasn’t been paid for because he gave money to charity. This
“good deed” will mean nothing to the judge when he passes a sentence. The crime must still be punished.

Test Result: The Bad News

This test showed you how you stand up when judged by just five of God’s Ten Commandments. God is perfectly just. If
God judges you by His standard, would you be innocent or guilty? Do you think you would go to Heaven or Hell?

The Solution: The Good News!

Imagine you’re in a courtroom and you’re guilty of many serious crimes. The judge says, “It’s a fine of $500,000,000 or
prison.” You don’t have anywhere near that amount of money, so they begin to walk you out of the courtroom. Then the
judge himself tells the bailiff to stop, pulls out his checkbook, writes out a check for $500,000,000, and says, “I’ve paid
the fine for you.” Now that the fine has been paid, the law no longer has any hold on you. You’re free because of the gift
you’ve been given.

This is what God did for you by sending Jesus to die on the cross in your place.
So that you wouldn’t have to go to Hell, God sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross—suffering the punishment
that justice demands. Then He rose from the grave, forever defeating death!

The Bible tells us:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have
eternal life.” John 3:16

If you will repent of your sins and put your trust in Jesus, God says He will forgive all your sins and grant you the gift of
everlasting life because the payment for your crimes was made by Jesus on the cross.
BE A DISCIPLE
The Bridge Illustration helps explain this verse.
Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The pie illustration shows what it means to make Jesus Lord of your life.

You can turn from your sins and trust Christ by faith through prayer right now. God knows your heart. The words of the
prayer are not magical, but if they reflect the decision you would like to make, you can use it to express your faith to
God.

“Lord, I confess to you that I am a sinner and that I am separated from you. Thank you for sending Jesus to die on the
cross for my sins. I want to turn from all of my sins (name some) and I trust Jesus Christ to come into my life and take
control of my life from now on. Please forgive me and grant me your gift of everlasting life. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”

Does this prayer show the desire of your heart? If so, pray it out loud to God.

If you have truly repented and trusted Jesus, there will be some changes in your life. You will experience a new desire to
honor God, a deeper love for others, and more. 1 John 5:13 says, “I write these things to you who believe in the name
of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

If you surrendered your life to Christ, this is the start of an exciting relationship with God and you can be sure He came
in and will give you eternal life! You should take steps to grow in your new relationship with God. Next time, we can
look further at how to grow as a follower of Jesus.

It is important to remember that salvation is in no way earned because of one’s fruit or good works.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works,
so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8–9

Salvation is a free gift that Christ purchased for us through His death and resurrection. When one receives this free gift
through accepting Christ, their life will change and produce fruit.

Discipleship Challenge: Read back over this lesson. Start reading the Gospel of John one chapter a day and write
down your thoughts and questions.