Course 01 · English pilot

Follow Jesus

Discipleship is learning to live with Jesus, become like him and join what he is doing. These eight lessons are made for personal reflection, a conversation with a friend, or a small group.

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Grace comes first

Jesus calls you

Big idea: The Christian life begins with who Jesus is and what he has done—not with our ability to make ourselves good enough.

A conversation for reflection

Solveig: Many people think faith begins with everything they must do.

Erling: But the good news begins with God. He loved us and sent Jesus. We respond because grace has already come near.

Solveig: So following Jesus is more than agreeing with an idea?

Erling: Yes. We trust him as Saviour, confess him as Lord and learn to walk with him in ordinary life.

Read

John 3:16–18 · John 14:6 · Romans 10:9–13 · John 1:12–13

Jesus welcomes people as they are, but he loves us too deeply to leave us unchanged. Receiving him opens a new life: we are forgiven, brought into God’s family and invited to learn from Jesus. Faith is not pressure to perform. It is a trusting response to the One who first loved us.

Reflect

Who is Jesus to you today?
What makes it easy or difficult for you to trust him?

Together

Tell someone how you first became interested in Jesus—or what you still wonder about him.

Live it out

Pray simply: “Jesus, thank you for receiving me. Teach me to follow you today.”

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A daily relationship

Walk with Jesus daily

Big idea: We learn to recognise Jesus’ voice as Scripture and prayer become a natural rhythm of everyday life.

A conversation for reflection

Erling: A disciple is a learner. We cannot follow Jesus from a distance.

Solveig: That does not mean every quiet time must feel extraordinary.

Erling: No. Faithfulness often looks very ordinary: opening the Bible, listening, praying and doing the next thing Jesus shows us.

Solveig: Relationship grows through time and attention.

Read

Mark 1:17 · John 10:27 · 2 Timothy 3:16–17 · Matthew 6:9–13

Prayer is conversation with our Father, and Scripture gives shape and truth to that conversation. Read carefully, prayerfully and humbly. Ask what the passage reveals about God, what it exposes in you and how you can respond in faith and obedience. A short daily practice is better than an impressive plan that soon disappears.

Reflect

When and where can you give God your attention?
What helps you listen instead of merely rushing through words?

Together

Share one Bible passage that has helped you recently, and explain why.

Live it out

Set aside ten minutes tomorrow: read a Gospel paragraph, listen in silence, then answer God in prayer.

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A people, not an audience

Follow Jesus together

Big idea: Jesus calls us into his people, where every person can receive, contribute and grow.

A conversation for reflection

Solveig: We need personal faith, but faith was never meant to be private and isolated.

Erling: Exactly. The first believers shared teaching, prayer, meals and practical care.

Solveig: Community can also be difficult.

Erling: That is where we learn patience, truth, forgiveness and honour. Healthy community never asks us to hide abuse or injustice.

Read

Acts 2:38–42 · Romans 12:4–6 · Hebrews 10:24–25

The church is not mainly a meeting we attend; it is a family and a body to which we belong. We grow as others encourage and correct us, and as we use what God has given us for their good. Look for a trustworthy local fellowship where Jesus is honoured, Scripture is taken seriously and people are treated with dignity.

Reflect

Where do you experience Christian community?
What gift, experience or encouragement can you contribute?

Together

Ask one another: “What would help you feel seen and supported this week?”

Live it out

Contact one believer. Encourage them, pray together or share a meal.

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Faith in real life

Trust God through real life

Big idea: Trust is not denying pain or questions; it is placing our life in God’s hands and taking the next faithful step.

A conversation for reflection

Erling: Following Jesus does not give us an easy life.

Solveig: We have known both deep joy and painful loss. Faith does not make grief unreal.

Erling: But God remains faithful. In uncertainty we can ask for wisdom, receive help and refuse to let fear become our master.

Solveig: Sometimes trust means allowing others to carry us for a while.

Read

Proverbs 3:5–6 · James 1:2–5 · Romans 8:28–29 · Psalm 46:1–3

God can form Christ in us even through circumstances we would never have chosen. This does not make evil good or remove the need for practical help. It means suffering does not have the final word. We can bring honest lament to God, seek wise support and choose trust one day at a time.

Reflect

What are you trying to carry alone?
What would one faithful step look like now?

Together

Listen to one another without offering quick explanations. Then pray a short, honest prayer.

Live it out

Name one concern before God and one trusted person. Ask for the help you need.

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Life under God’s loving rule

Welcome God’s kingdom

Big idea: God’s kingdom is his active rule. We enter it by turning to Jesus and learn to express its righteousness, peace and joy.

A conversation for reflection

Solveig: People often hear “kingdom” and think of a place or an institution.

Erling: Jesus announced God’s rule coming near. The King is present, setting people free and restoring what sin has damaged.

Solveig: So praying “Your kingdom come” also changes us?

Erling: Yes. We surrender our own rule and learn to do the Father’s will here and now.

Read

Mark 1:14–15 · Matthew 6:9–10 · Colossians 1:13–14 · Romans 14:17

The kingdom is already among us through Jesus, yet we still wait for its fullness. Wherever people submit to Christ, forgive, seek justice, heal division and serve in love, there are signs of the coming kingdom. We do not force God’s rule on others; we witness to the King in word, character and Spirit-empowered service.

Reflect

Where do you resist God’s leadership?
Where do you long to see his will done?

Together

Pray the Lord’s Prayer slowly, connecting each line to your neighbourhood or workplace.

Live it out

Choose one act of peace, justice or generous service that makes God’s goodness visible.

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Hear and respond

Let Scripture shape your life

Big idea: The Bible becomes a living guide when we read in the light of Jesus and answer God with confession, faith and obedience.

A conversation for reflection

Erling: We can collect Bible knowledge without letting the word change us.

Solveig: Then the question is not only, “What does this mean?” but also, “How will I respond?”

Erling: Yes. Read carefully and in context. Let clear passages help with difficult ones, and keep Jesus at the centre.

Solveig: And give the word time to take root.

Read

Psalm 119:105 · 2 Timothy 3:16–17 · James 1:22–25 · Matthew 7:24–25

Try a simple pattern: read the passage more than once; observe what is actually there; reflect on what it shows about God and people; pray your response; then practise what you have understood. Notes and memorised verses can help the word accompany you through the day.

Reflect

Do you tend to rush, analyse or avoid applying Scripture?
What passage would be helpful to carry with you this week?

Together

Read a short Gospel passage aloud twice. Share one observation each before discussing it.

Live it out

Write down one verse and one response beginning, “With God’s help, I will…”

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Learning by doing

Practise the words of Jesus

Big idea: A disciple grows through obedient practice, depending on grace and the Holy Spirit rather than willpower alone.

A conversation for reflection

Solveig: We learn many ordinary skills by watching and trying.

Erling: Discipleship is similar. Jesus says, “Follow me.” We watch his way and practise truth, mercy, forgiveness, prayer and service.

Solveig: And when we fail?

Erling: We return to grace, make things right and keep learning. Failure need not become our identity.

Read

John 7:17 · James 1:22 · 2 Peter 1:3–8 · Luke 6:36–38

Spiritual growth is neither passive nor self-powered. God has given us what we need in Christ, and we actively add faithful habits to our trust. Choose practices small enough to become real: tell the truth, forgive, give, pray for an enemy, apologise, welcome a stranger or serve without seeking attention.

Reflect

Which teaching of Jesus do you admire but avoid practising?
What fear or habit stands in the way?

Together

Choose one practice together and agree to ask each other about it next time.

Live it out

Do one quiet act of obedience within the next 24 hours. Keep it simple and concrete.

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Pass it on

Help someone else follow Jesus

Big idea: Every disciple can help another person take a step with Jesus through prayer, example, friendship and simple teaching.

A conversation for reflection

Erling: Jesus did not tell a few experts to make an audience. He told his disciples to make disciples.

Solveig: That can begin around a table—with listening, prayer and an open Bible.

Erling: We share what we are learning and help others obey Jesus. We never manipulate or make people dependent on us.

Solveig: A good guide keeps pointing beyond themselves to Jesus.

Read

Matthew 28:18–20 · 2 Timothy 2:2 · 1 Corinthians 11:1 · 1 Thessalonians 2:7–12

Disciple-making is relational and reproducible. Pray for people, care for them, share the good news, show them how you follow Jesus and give them room to serve. The goal is not control but maturity: people rooted in Christ who can help others grow in turn.

Reflect

Who has helped you follow Jesus?
Who might welcome your encouragement now?

Together

Share one thing from this course you want to pass on. Pray for one person by name.

Live it out

Invite someone to read a Gospel with you or work through this course together.

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Continue the journey

Following Jesus is a way of life

You have reached the end of this course, but not the end of learning. Return to the practices, walk with other believers and help someone else take their next step.

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Course source: Finn din plass 1: Følg Jesus, Erling Thu (2004). Adapted for the Academy. The conversations are teaching dialogues created for this course, not transcripts.