Video Transcript: Lesson 3 Section 4

Once a student confesses faith in Jesus Christ and is baptized and witness of this, they are in  the third stage of discipleship. And this stage is actually a lifelong pursuit. It's called spiritual  formation. The goal of spiritual formation is to help the teenager grow in spiritual maturity  through understanding biblical truths, and practicing Christian disciplines. mentorship from  the youth leader, or another mature Christian is key to this process. And small groups  continue to be helpful for teaching key faith doctrines and modeling spiritual practices in  action. In addition, invite teenagers at this stage to participate in Bible studies where they can learn key doctrines of the Christian faith. The goal is to ground their personal understanding  of God in the language and tradition of Christianity. Teenagers need a systematic explanation  of what Jesus taught and why the Gospel is true and worth defending. Which doctrines you  focus on may depend on your church or denominational affiliation. However, the following  theological subjects are an excellent place to start in communicating the foundational  understanding of God to a new believer. Who is God? Talk about his fundamental attributes  and qualities. What is sin? Discuss the nature of rebellion and its consequences on creation  and people specifically, the redemption story of our salvation, study what Jesus did on the  cross and why His substitutionary death was required for the forgiveness of our sins. The work of the Holy Spirit in sanctification, discuss the role the Holy Spirit plays in our faith  development. Theology of the church, the role of the Body of Christ in this world, and the  church's mission and activities. Theology of Revelation, discover how God reveals Himself to  us, both in creation and in the Bible. This should include a discussion of why we can trust the  Bible is true, and how to read and interpret it. additional topics could include a theology of  Heaven and Hell, a theology of gender, and a study on Spiritual Warfare. Again, remember,  these are just suggestions. Check with your church leadership about the topics they would  consider essential for the new believer. As these doctrines are complex subjects, they may  require additional study and explanation. Take the time you need to study these well, and  leave room for questions and further discussion with your students. In addition to  understanding key doctrines, the other goal in this stage of discipleship is to teach teenagers  how to develop their personal relationship with Jesus Christ through spiritual disciplines.  These include prayer, worship, accountability, and Bible study. These are important practices  that develop a mature faith in Jesus. embracing these habits demonstrate that a young  person is making faith their own. In addition to studying key Bible doctrines, as previously  discussed, simply reading Scripture together can be a great resource to the faith development of teens. Encourage teens to meet with their youth leader or spiritual mentor to simply read  the Bible together and discuss what it says. A good way to do this is to use a Bible reading  plan. A reading plan just means assigning specific passages to be read on specific days. This  gives some structure to your spiritual life and guides the discussion during times you meet  with the student. A good place to start is one of the Epistles in the New Testament. These  letters were written by early church leaders to various congregations, and contain good  instruction and advice for new believers. Many books written by the Apostle Paul are excellent to study. The book of I Peter is especially well suited for a young disciple. It covers topics  including how to endure hardships, the pursuit of holiness, healthy relationships, prayer,  spiritual warfare, overcoming temptation, and serving God's purposes with your spiritual gifts. It is also a fairly short book, and can be read in one to two months depending on how you  divide the reading plan. Choose a pace that fits your student's learning style, and be willing to adjust if necessary. There should be a sense of accomplishment to finishing a book together  that will fuel the students desire to continue. Talk about what they want to learn more about  and pick another book to tackle. Remember, spiritual formation is a lifelong process.  Understanding key doctrines and forming spiritual disciplines are key pursuits for all  Christians. Ensure these are a priority in your own life as you journey with new believers and  model for them what it means to follow Jesus