Life with Jesus: A Discipleship Course for Every Christian

by Tim Chester

A curriculum of 12 Bible studies that unpacks what being a Christian is really all about. For churches and small groups. What does Christian Discipleship look like in practice? This 12-session discipleship course, perfect for individuals or groups, looks at how the gospel and God's grace can shape our attitude towards church, Bible reading, prayer, suffering, how to use our money, and many other aspects of life. Incorporating Bible study, clear explanations, and thought-provoking discussion questions, these sessions can be completed in around an hour and are designed to be used flexibly in different contexts. Includes plenty of material to engage mature Christians as well as new believers, and an emphasis on practical, real-life application to help people follow Jesus in every area of their lives.

Genres: Discipleship

96 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2023

About the author

Dr Tim Chester is involved in The Crowded House, a church planting initiative in Sheffield, UK. He was previously Research & Policy Director for Tearfund UK, and has been published widely on prayer, mission, social issues and theology. He is married to Helen and has two daughters.

Reviews

[Alison Marple · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have just finished going through this helpful study guide with the teenager group at church. This helped to engage them in discussions around the basics of becoming a Christian and how a Christian should live.

Each chapter introduces a topic and uses a bible passage to see what the bible says about it, followed by discussion questions about the passage and applying the principles to daily life.

The study is designed simply and is accessible though allows you to springboard into topics more deeply as you feel is appropriate. I found it to be fairly denominationally neutral (i.e no opinion given re baptism) but was very clear on the need to be part of a church. It also included topics that we might naturally shy away from (money and sex) but that are so important to discuss with new/young believers.

Ideally I think this would be used by an older/mature Christian with a new Christian and is very well designed for this.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this devotional, Tim Chester covers a variety of topics that are fundamental to the Christian faith, church life, and personal holiness. Each section includes an imaginary anecdote, a Scripture reading and explanation, comprehension questions, and suggested action steps. This is appropriate for individuals to work through by themselves, but the author primarily designed this for people to go through with a friend or in a discipleship group. At the end of the book, Chester includes advice for group leaders, suggesting different ways that they can adapt the material for their group's use and foster meaningful conversations.

Life with Jesus: A Discipleship Course for Every Christian has a somewhat misleading title. It is for "every Christian" in the sense that it isn't for any particular demographic group, but this is best for new believers who are learning about their faith. People who have already been Christians for years may find this to be a helpful review, but the material focuses on basic concepts that will already be familiar to most Christians. Although there is nothing shallow about the material, it is very basic, and the title and book description could have better reflected the book's target audience.

This is appropriate for teenagers and adults, and can be a helpful discipleship tool in one-on-one meetings or in a group, but this is for people who are just beginning to learn about their faith, or who may have come out of a very shallow church where they didn't learn fundamental things about Christianity. If someone is looking for a deeper take on the topics this book covers, they are better off looking for another resource, especially if they are trying to deepen discipleship relationships in a group of people who have already professed faith and attended church for long periods of time.

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve just read this through in one sitting, to prepare for possibly using it with someone else. It was a very easy read and I can see this is going to become a very valuable resource for the young people I am caring for. It’s answering great questions, using solid Biblical evidence, and encourages deep thinking on how to live out a Christian life as a follower of Jesus, acknowledging the struggles we can face along the way.

[Luke Watts · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great & practical title that does a wonderful job of covering the foundations of Christian life, blending together good theology with a good life, with the right emphasis on God’s work in Jesus. There was one question mark for me in the chapter on communion where the discussion around the presence of Christ was not just unnecessary (given the otherwise reformed / Protestant approach), but also distracting. Chester’s claim that Jesus is spiritually present in the bread and wine is confusing in its context. That kind of discussion far better left for a theological work than a discipleship course. That alone probably limits how I could use this otherwise helpful title in my setting.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the well organized, simple nature of this book while it is at the same time, foundational, profound and applicable. Tim Chester keeps the foundational concepts at the center and doesn't get too wordy or complex on theological concepts. it is also very Scripture-centric and applicable. excellent discipleship book for new or long time believers!

[Dougal Burrowes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really superb discipleship material. Will be using with a recent convert in coming weeks.

Think it has a lane to stay in - this wouldn't be good for a church-wide small group study, but for a new believer it's golden (in my opinion which may change when I run through it with him!)

[Reid Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource for discipling a new believer!

[David Meiklejohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent set of 12 lessons in Christian living, useful for discipling new Christians in particular.