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New Christian Studies

Begin your new life with a strong biblical foundation.

These twelve in-depth studies present foundational New Testament teaching from a church of Christ perspective. Learn how to live in Christ, understand biblical authority, worship faithfully, serve in Christ's church, share the gospel, and remain committed to Jesus.

Begin Lesson One
A person studying Scripture with an open Bible and notebook

Course Map

Twelve lessons for a faithful beginning

01Your New Life in Christ02Assurance of Salvation03How to Study the Bible04Prayer05The Church Christ Built06Why Christians Assemble07New Testament Worship08Overcoming Temptation and Sin09Growing Christian Character10Christian Relationships11Sharing the Gospel12Remaining Faithful
An open Bible beside calm water in the light of sunriseLesson 01

New Christian Studies · 01

Your New Life in Christ

Baptism is the beginning of a faithful walk with Jesus.

Key Scriptures
  • Romans 6:3–6
  • Acts 2:38–47
  • 2 Corinthians 5:17
  • Galatians 3:26–27
  • Colossians 2:12–13
  • 1 Peter 2:1–3

What the Bible teaches

When you were baptized into Christ, you were united with His death, burial, and resurrection. You did not merely complete a religious ceremony. In obedient faith, you entered a new relationship with Christ, received forgiveness, and rose to walk in newness of life.

A new Christian is still learning and growing. Old habits may not disappear immediately, but your direction has changed. You now belong to Christ and should allow His Word to reshape your thoughts, choices, relationships, and priorities.

The first Christians continued in the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer. Follow that pattern: learn Scripture, assemble faithfully with the church, pray regularly, and build relationships with mature Christians who will encourage you.

Baptism is not a human work that earns salvation. It is the obedient response of faith appointed by God. In baptism we are buried with Christ, raised with Him, clothed with Christ, and receive the forgiveness He purchased with His blood. The power is not in the water or in human merit; the power belongs to God, who acts through faith according to His promise.

Your former life no longer defines you. Put away sinful speech, dishonesty, sexual immorality, bitterness, greed, and every practice that dishonors Christ. Replace them with truth, purity, kindness, service, and holiness. This transformation will require daily decisions, repentance, and patient growth.

Questions for reflection

  1. What changed when you were baptized into Christ?
  2. What makes baptism an act of obedient faith rather than a meritorious work?
  3. Which part of your former life most needs to change?
  4. Who can encourage you as you grow?

Put it into practice

Write down three differences you want Christ to make in your life, and pray about each one this week.

Prayer suggestion

Thank God for forgiveness and ask Him to help you walk each day as a new person in Christ.

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An open Bible in steady golden light near a window after a stormLesson 02

New Christian Studies · 02

Assurance of Salvation

Trust God’s promises and continue walking faithfully in the light.

Key Scriptures
  • 1 John 1:5–2:2
  • Romans 8:1–4
  • John 10:27–29
  • Hebrews 3:12–14
  • 2 Peter 1:5–11
  • Revelation 2:10

What the Bible teaches

God does not want faithful Christians to live in constant terror and uncertainty. Those who are in Christ are no longer condemned, and His blood continues to cleanse those who walk in the light.

Assurance is not permission to return deliberately to sin. It is confidence in God’s faithfulness as we trust Him, confess our sins, repent when we fall, and continue following Jesus. Our hope rests in Christ’s sacrifice rather than in our ability to live without ever making a mistake.

Faithfulness is a continuing relationship. Listen to Christ, obey His voice, remain close to His people, and do not surrender when trials come. God is able to keep His promises, and no outside power can take a faithful disciple away from Him.

The New Testament also warns Christians that they can develop an unbelieving heart, turn away, or become entangled in sin. Such warnings are meaningful because faith must be continued. Biblical assurance does not rest on the claim that falling away is impossible; it rests on God’s reliable grace as we continue trusting and following Christ.

Grow in assurance by remembering the gospel, practicing what Scripture teaches, confessing sin promptly, and adding Christian virtues to your faith. A tender conscience should move you toward God—not drive you away from Him. Jesus is our Advocate, and His sacrifice is sufficient for every person who sincerely returns to Him.

Questions for reflection

  1. What is the basis of a Christian’s assurance?
  2. What should you do when you sin?
  3. Why does the New Testament warn believers against falling away?
  4. How is confidence in Christ different from careless presumption?

Put it into practice

Read 1 John 1 each day and note what it says about walking in the light, confession, and forgiveness.

Prayer suggestion

Thank God for the cleansing blood of Jesus and ask for a faithful, honest heart.

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An organized Bible study desk with an open Bible, notebook, pen, and warm lampLesson 03

New Christian Studies · 03

How to Study the Bible

Learn to read Scripture carefully, in context, and with a willing heart.

Key Scriptures
  • 2 Timothy 2:15
  • 2 Timothy 3:14–17
  • Acts 17:11
  • Colossians 3:17
  • Hebrews 8:6–13
  • Psalm 119:105

What the Bible teaches

The Bible is God’s inspired Word and equips us for every good work. Regular study helps us know God, understand salvation, recognize error, and learn how Christians should live and worship.

Begin by asking who wrote the passage, to whom it was written, why it was written, and what the surrounding verses say. Distinguish the old covenant given to Israel from the new covenant of Christ, while remembering that the Old Testament still teaches valuable lessons.

Read to understand before trying to prove a conclusion. Compare related passages, notice repeated words, write down questions, and obey what you learn. A humble student asks, ‘What does God’s Word require of me?’

Learn how Scripture establishes authority. The New Testament teaches through direct statements, approved apostolic examples, and conclusions that the text itself requires. We must also respect God’s silence: when Christ has specified what His church is to believe, practice, or offer in worship, human preference must not add a competing practice.

Do not build doctrine on one isolated verse. Gather every relevant passage, distinguish descriptive details from approved patterns, and allow clearer texts to help explain difficult ones. Study with others, but test every sermon, book, tradition, and opinion by the inspired Word.

Questions for reflection

  1. Why does context matter?
  2. What is the difference between the old and new covenants?
  3. How do statements, approved examples, and necessary conclusions teach us?
  4. Why must every religious tradition be tested by Scripture?

Put it into practice

Study one short New Testament chapter using four questions: Who? To whom? Why? What must I learn or do?

Prayer suggestion

Ask God for wisdom, humility, concentration, and a sincere desire to obey His Word.

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Folded hands beside an open Bible in quiet morning lightLesson 04

New Christian Studies · 04

Prayer

Speak honestly to the Father through Jesus Christ.

Key Scriptures
  • Matthew 6:5–13
  • John 16:23–24
  • Philippians 4:6–7
  • Hebrews 4:14–16
  • 1 Timothy 2:1–6
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:17–18

What the Bible teaches

Prayer is the privilege of speaking to God as His child. Christians approach the Father through Jesus, our High Priest, with reverence and confidence. We may praise God, thank Him, confess sin, ask for wisdom, and place our needs before Him.

Jesus warned against praying to impress people or using empty repetition. Prayer should be sincere. The model prayer teaches us to honor God’s name, seek His will, depend on Him daily, request forgiveness, forgive others, and ask for help against temptation.

God may not answer every request in the way or time we expect. Trust that He hears, knows what is best, and works according to His will. Prayer changes circumstances at times, but it always draws a faithful heart nearer to God.

Christians pray to the Father through the mediation and authority of Jesus Christ. Scripture presents Jesus—not departed saints or other human mediators—as the one Mediator between God and humanity. Saying ‘in Jesus’ name’ is more than attaching words to the end of a prayer; it means approaching God through Christ and seeking what agrees with His will.

Pray not only for yourself but also for rulers, the sick, those who are spiritually weak, gospel workers, enemies, and people who need salvation. Congregational prayer should be understandable, reverent, and offered so that others can sincerely join in the ‘amen.’

Questions for reflection

  1. What subjects did Jesus include in His model prayer?
  2. Why can Christians approach God confidently?
  3. What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name?
  4. How should we respond when an answer is delayed?

Put it into practice

Set aside a regular time each day to pray using praise, thanksgiving, confession, and requests.

Prayer suggestion

Ask the Father to teach you to pray sincerely and to trust His wisdom.

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Christians studying an open Bible together in a welcoming roomLesson 05

New Christian Studies · 05

The Church Christ Built

Understand its owner, members, organization, and mission.

Key Scriptures
  • Matthew 16:18
  • Acts 2:38–47
  • Acts 20:17–28
  • Ephesians 1:22–23
  • Ephesians 4:4–6
  • 1 Timothy 3:1–13

What the Bible teaches

Jesus promised to build His church, purchased it with His blood, and serves as its only Head. The church is not a building or a denomination; it is the body of saved people who belong to Christ.

In Acts 2, those who received the gospel were baptized, and the Lord added them to His people. They learned together, shared fellowship, prayed, and worshiped. Christians should become active, dependable members of a faithful local congregation.

The New Testament describes qualified elders shepherding each local congregation, deacons serving, evangelists preaching, and every member working. The church’s mission is spiritual: proclaim the gospel, strengthen believers, worship God, and practice biblically directed benevolence.

The New Testament reveals one body under one Head. Local congregations were not governed by a worldwide headquarters, pope, convention, or denominational board. Each congregation, when qualified men were available, had its own plurality of elders—also called overseers and shepherds—who cared for that local flock under Christ.

Names matter because ownership matters. ‘Church of Christ’ is not intended as a denominational title but as a biblical description: the church belongs to Christ. Christians should avoid exalting human founders or sectarian names and simply seek to be Christians, members of the body Jesus purchased.

Questions for reflection

  1. Who owns and leads the church?
  2. How did people enter the church in Acts 2?
  3. How is a local congregation organized in the New Testament?
  4. What responsibilities belong to every member?

Put it into practice

Learn the names of the elders, preachers, and several members of your congregation, and ask where you can serve.

Prayer suggestion

Thank God for adding you to Christ’s body and ask Him to make you a faithful, useful member.

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A welcoming congregation gathered for Bible study and worshipLesson 06

New Christian Studies · 06

Why Christians Assemble

Gather to worship, learn, remember Christ, and encourage one another.

Key Scriptures
  • Hebrews 10:19–25
  • Acts 20:7
  • Acts 2:42
  • 1 Corinthians 11:23–29
  • 1 Corinthians 14:26–40
  • Ephesians 5:19

What the Bible teaches

Christians assemble because God is worthy of worship and because disciples need one another. The congregation is a spiritual family where we learn, pray, sing, remember Jesus, give, and encourage faithfulness.

The first disciples gathered on the first day of the week to break bread. The Lord’s Supper keeps Christ’s sacrificial death at the center of the church’s life. It should be observed thoughtfully, with gratitude and self-examination.

Attendance is more than occupying a seat. Come prepared to worship, listen, participate, and strengthen others. When Christians withdraw unnecessarily, they lose encouragement and deprive the congregation of the help they could provide.

The first day of the week has special significance because Jesus rose on that day and disciples assembled to break bread. Churches of Christ ordinarily observe the Lord’s Supper every Sunday, following the pattern of Acts 20:7 rather than limiting it to monthly, quarterly, or annual occasions.

Assemblies must also be orderly and governed by the teaching of Christ. Personal talents and preferences do not control worship. Men and women are equally valuable before God, while the New Testament assigns different responsibilities in the assembled congregation. Every participant should act for edification and with respect for God’s order.

Questions for reflection

  1. What purposes does the assembly serve?
  2. Why do churches of Christ partake of the Lord’s Supper every Sunday?
  3. How does the assembly edify the whole church?
  4. How can your presence encourage someone else?

Put it into practice

Prepare for the next Lord’s Day by reading about Jesus’ death and arriving early enough to focus your mind.

Prayer suggestion

Ask God to help you worship sincerely and encourage your brothers and sisters.

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An open Bible beside simple communion bread and a cup in warm lightLesson 07

New Christian Studies · 07

New Testament Worship

Honor God in the ways revealed through Christ and His apostles.

Key Scriptures
  • John 4:23–24
  • Acts 2:42
  • Acts 20:7
  • Ephesians 5:19
  • Colossians 3:16
  • 1 Corinthians 16:1–2

What the Bible teaches

Jesus said true worshipers worship the Father in spirit and truth. Our hearts must be sincere, and our practices must be guided by God’s revealed truth rather than personal preference or religious tradition.

New Testament assemblies included the apostles’ teaching, prayer, congregational singing, the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week, and giving as Christians prospered. Each act has a spiritual purpose and should be offered thoughtfully.

Singing teaches and encourages the congregation while praising God from the heart. Giving is willing and purposeful, not payment for salvation. Worship is not entertainment; it is the reverent response of grateful people to their holy God.

The New Testament repeatedly commands Christians to sing and identifies the heart as the instrument that accompanies praise. Churches of Christ therefore practice congregational a cappella singing, seeking to follow the worship Christ authorized without adding mechanical instruments for which the New Testament gives no authority in Christian worship.

Each first day of the week, disciples remember Christ in the Lord’s Supper and give as they have prospered. The collection is the church’s shared treasury for its authorized work, not a commercial transaction. Preaching and teaching must proclaim Scripture faithfully, while prayers express the congregation’s dependence upon God.

Questions for reflection

  1. What does worshiping in spirit and truth mean?
  2. What acts of worship appear in the New Testament?
  3. Why do churches of Christ sing without mechanical instruments?
  4. How can you prepare your heart for worship?

Put it into practice

Look up each Scripture above and write the worship practice taught in each passage.

Prayer suggestion

Ask God for a reverent heart that values His will above personal preference.

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A narrow woodland path leading from shadow into clear morning lightLesson 08

New Christian Studies · 08

Overcoming Temptation and Sin

Recognize temptation, use God’s escape, and seek forgiveness when you fall.

Key Scriptures
  • 1 Corinthians 10:12–13
  • James 1:12–16
  • James 4:7–10
  • Romans 6:11–14
  • 1 John 1:7–2:2
  • Acts 8:22

What the Bible teaches

Temptation is not itself sin. Sin occurs when desire is welcomed, nurtured, and acted upon. Learn your weaknesses and the situations that make disobedience more likely, then make wise choices before temptation becomes stronger.

God promises that temptation will not be irresistible and that an avenue of escape will be available. Escape may mean leaving a place, ending a conversation, turning off a device, calling a mature Christian, praying, or recalling Scripture.

If you sin, do not hide from God or surrender in despair. Confess honestly, repent, seek forgiveness, and correct any harm you caused. Growth often includes learning from failure and putting stronger safeguards in place.

A Christian is not sinlessly perfect, but neither may a Christian make peace with sin. Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness. Present yourself to God, refuse to let sin reign, fill your mind with what is pure, and remove influences that repeatedly lead you away from Christ.

When a Christian sins, the New Testament directs that person to repent, confess sin to God, and pray for forgiveness. Baptism is not repeated each time a Christian fails. Baptism marks entry into Christ; afterward, the Christian continues to receive cleansing by walking in the light and returning honestly when sin occurs.

Questions for reflection

  1. How does temptation grow into sin?
  2. What escape routes can you prepare now?
  3. Why is baptism not repeated whenever a Christian sins?
  4. What should a Christian do after sinning?

Put it into practice

Identify one recurring temptation and write a specific escape plan, including one trusted Christian you can contact.

Prayer suggestion

Ask God for alertness, self-control, courage to flee sin, and humility to confess wrongdoing.

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A healthy fruit-bearing tree growing beside a sunlit streamLesson 09

New Christian Studies · 09

Growing Christian Character

Let the Spirit’s Word form the character of Jesus in you.

Key Scriptures
  • Galatians 5:16–25
  • 2 Peter 1:5–11
  • Colossians 3:1–17
  • Romans 12:1–2
  • Ephesians 4:20–32
  • Titus 2:11–14

What the Bible teaches

Christian growth is intentional. God’s Word renews the mind, and faithful practice develops habits that resemble Jesus. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control should increasingly appear in our lives.

Peter teaches Christians to add moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love to their faith. These qualities protect us from becoming ineffective and unfruitful.

Growth is usually gradual, like fruit developing on a healthy tree. Do not compare your progress proudly or despairingly with others. Examine yourself honestly, accept correction, practice what is right, and depend upon God’s help.

Walking by the Spirit does not mean following private impressions apart from Scripture. The Spirit revealed God’s Word through inspired apostles and prophets, and that Word teaches us what to put away and what to put on. Spiritual growth joins dependence on God with deliberate obedience to what He has revealed.

Character is tested in ordinary life: keeping your word, controlling anger, working honestly, practicing sexual purity, giving generously, honoring family responsibilities, and treating difficult people with grace. Maturity is not measured merely by how much Bible information we can repeat, but by whether truth is shaping our conduct.

Questions for reflection

  1. Which fruit of the Spirit is strongest in your life?
  2. Which quality needs focused growth?
  3. How does the Spirit’s revealed Word guide growth?
  4. How do repeated choices form character?

Put it into practice

Choose one Christian quality and practice it deliberately in three situations this week.

Prayer suggestion

Ask God to expose selfish habits and form the character of Christ within you.

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Two Christians studying an open Bible together at a welcoming tableLesson 10

New Christian Studies · 10

Christian Relationships

Practice truth, love, forgiveness, and peaceful conflict resolution.

Key Scriptures
  • John 13:34–35
  • Ephesians 4:1–3, 25–32
  • Matthew 5:23–24
  • Matthew 18:15–17
  • Colossians 3:12–14
  • Galatians 6:1–2

What the Bible teaches

Jesus said His disciples would be recognized by their love. Christian love seeks another person’s true good. It speaks truth, keeps commitments, shows patience, refuses gossip, and serves even when service is inconvenient.

When someone sins against you, speak to that person privately rather than spreading the matter. Listen carefully, pursue peace, and forgive as God has forgiven you. Forgiveness does not call evil acceptable, but it releases personal vengeance and seeks restoration.

Christians will sometimes disagree. Handle differences with humility, accurate words, self-control, and respect for Scripture. Never allow pride, suspicion, or careless speech to destroy fellowship.

Fellowship is spiritual partnership grounded in truth. Love does not require us to approve false teaching or persistent sin, but correction must be offered with humility and a desire to restore. Congregational discipline, when necessary, is intended to awaken the sinner, protect the church, and honor Christ—not to satisfy anger.

Distinguish personal preference from revealed doctrine. Christians may differ about many matters of judgment while remaining united, but no one has the right to bind a personal opinion as though it were God’s law. Pursue peace without compromising what Scripture actually teaches.

Questions for reflection

  1. How does Christian love differ from mere friendliness?
  2. What process did Jesus give for addressing sin?
  3. How do doctrine and personal judgment differ?
  4. What speech habits build healthy relationships?

Put it into practice

Encourage one Christian, resolve one neglected misunderstanding if possible, and refuse to repeat gossip.

Prayer suggestion

Ask God to make your words truthful, gracious, and useful for building others up.

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Two people having a friendly Bible conversation across a tableLesson 11

New Christian Studies · 11

Sharing the Gospel

Tell others about Jesus with courage, gentleness, and biblical clarity.

Key Scriptures
  • Matthew 28:18–20
  • Mark 16:15–16
  • Romans 1:16
  • 1 Corinthians 15:1–4
  • 1 Peter 3:15
  • Acts 8:26–39

What the Bible teaches

Every Christian can help others learn about Jesus. You do not need to know the answer to every question. Begin by telling what you have learned, inviting someone to read Scripture, and offering to connect them with a mature teacher.

The gospel explains humanity’s sin, Jesus’ death and resurrection, and God’s gracious invitation. People are called to hear, believe, repent, confess Jesus, and be baptized into Christ for forgiveness, then live faithfully as His disciples.

Share with courage and gentleness. Listen before answering, avoid quarrels, admit when you need to study further, and keep the Bible—not your personality—at the center. Your consistent life should support the message you speak.

Teach the whole response to the gospel. People must hear God’s Word, believe that Jesus is the Christ, repent of sin, confess their faith in Christ, and be immersed in water for the forgiveness of sins. God then adds the saved to Christ’s church, where they continue learning and obeying everything Jesus commanded.

Avoid presenting baptism as an isolated ritual or a substitute for faith and repentance. In Acts, people heard the gospel, believed it, responded willingly, and were baptized without unnecessary delay. Our task is not to pressure people but to open Scripture clearly and invite an honest response to God.

Questions for reflection

  1. What essential truths belong to the gospel?
  2. What response to the gospel appears in the book of Acts?
  3. How can you respond when you do not know an answer?
  4. Whom could you invite to study?

Put it into practice

Write the names of three people and pray for an opportunity to invite one of them to study the Bible.

Prayer suggestion

Ask God for open doors, clear words, courage, gentleness, and love for the lost.

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A long sunlit path rising toward the horizon through peaceful hillsLesson 12

New Christian Studies · 12

Remaining Faithful

Run with endurance, serve consistently, and keep heaven before you.

Key Scriptures
  • Hebrews 3:12–14
  • Hebrews 12:1–3
  • James 1:2–4, 12
  • 2 Peter 2:20–22
  • Revelation 2:10
  • 2 Timothy 4:6–8

What the Bible teaches

The Christian life is a long-distance race, not a brief burst of emotion. Lay aside sins and distractions that slow you down, keep looking to Jesus, and continue even when growth feels difficult.

Trials can mature faith by developing endurance. Do not face them alone. Pray, study, assemble with the church, accept help, and remember that hardship does not mean God has abandoned you.

Faithfulness includes worship, holy living, service, generosity, and sharing the gospel. When you stumble, return to the Lord. Keep heaven as your goal and finish the life God has given you with trust in Christ.

The New Testament repeatedly warns baptized believers not to drift, harden their hearts, or return to the world. These passages teach that apostasy is possible, but they are given to prevent it. Take the warnings seriously without living in despair; God provides every spiritual blessing needed to persevere.

Build durable habits before a crisis comes. Assemble every Lord’s Day, study throughout the week, pray consistently, serve in the local congregation, and remain accountable to faithful Christians. When discouragement comes, remember Christ’s endurance and the promised crown of life.

Questions for reflection

  1. What weights can hinder your spiritual race?
  2. Why are biblical warnings about falling away important?
  3. How can trials strengthen faith?
  4. What habits will help you remain faithful for life?

Put it into practice

Create a simple weekly plan for worship, Bible study, prayer, service, and fellowship.

Prayer suggestion

Ask God for endurance, courage in trials, and faithfulness until death.

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Keep Growing

You do not have to grow alone.

Continue assembling with a faithful congregation, studying God's Word, praying, serving, and learning from mature Christians.

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