Why a Bible Study for New Believers? The Story Behind “Your True Story”

By Susan Freese

God works in the details—the "why" behind the book for new believers.

Imagine visiting a developing nation with the opportunity to serve a local church. You work hard and pray harder. You see God work in and through you to lead people into a relationship with Jesus. New believers in Jesus—so glorious and exciting!

You scramble to find Bibles or Bible study resources to help them with their next faith steps. Nothing is available—or not enough for everyone.

There are few or no discipleship resources for these new believers in their village—maybe a few books left from other visiting Westerners, but no Bible study for new believers in their native language.

For the next two days, you have only a precious few hours to equip them to “run the race” of faith.

What do you do to help these new believers?

This is not some hypothetical scenario but one we’ve lived time and time again at All In Ministries International.

We partner with local churches and missionaries to reach unreached people groups in hard-to-reach places where access to the Good News of Jesus is scarce—and where equipping women to be disciple makers is nonexistent.

In these areas of the world, those who respond to the gospel typically have no discipleship or Bible study materials available for new believers in their heart language to help them grow in their new-found faith.

Heart language: an expression used widely by missionaries to explain a person’s dominant language. For cultures with multiple languages, it is the language that flows naturally as a person prays.

Bible Study for New Believers Idea Started in a Jungle

My first international mission to Mexico’s Mayan jungle in 2010 was a great sacrifice and a huge step of faith. I was a mother of young children, and our decision for me to go impacted everyone.

After much prayer, my husband and I felt this mission was God’s calling for our family. My mother, a devoted believer, offered to make dinners, pick up the boys from school, and help them with their homework (yes, a mom’s role never expires!). My husband took on all the other details—another reason I call him “Mr. Wonderful.” We’re a team, and we prayed for God to use every minute of the mission for His glory.

The reality is that no matter how families approach missions (one goes, all go, etc.), it is a co-calling, and a commitment for all involved.

God Answered Our “Every Minute” Prayer

After a short flight and a long drive, our small mission team arrived in the community where we would be ministering. We arrived late at night, and the next morning I sat next to a young man at our breakfast table. He was introduced to me as my translator for the week.

After a few short minutes of conversation, he shared that he was not a Christian and was unfamiliar with the gospel.

I was shocked. Not a believer? How would he translate faith terms or know where to turn in the Bible? Would he even know the books of the Bible?

Thankfully, those thoughts never crossed my mind, given my inexperience in foreign missions at that point.

After explaining God’s love story, he expressed genuine interest in forgiveness and adoption as God’s child.

Within 30 minutes on that first day of my first mission, God performed a miracle at the breakfast table! The young man turned from his sins and placed his faith in Jesus.

As the week unfolded, the young translator served our small team as we hosted community outreach events and went hut-to-hut sharing the good news of Jesus.

By the end of the week, we asked him to lead the conversation as we approached the next family’s home. At this point, he had translated the gospel dozens of times and saw how easy it was to share one’s faith.

He shared his new faith so beautifully.

God Works In Every Last Minute

As the mission ended and we were boarding the van for the airport, God had more for our young translator.

He needed a ride in the same direction and asked to join us. I talked with the other team members to see if I could sit with him on the ride back to disciple him with the few minutes we had left with him.

The problem was there were no discipleship resources for him — not even a Bible at the church for him to get to know God and His will and ways.

By God’s grace, another team member had brought an extra Bible and gave it to him. He got a tour of the Bible as we examined the table of contents.

On the long ride back in the van, he learned how to have a quiet time, study the Bible, pray Scripture, resist temptation, and much more. Thoughts and ideas of what faith essentials I needed to share just flowed.

I look back now and realize God was in that van to equip His child for his new faith journey. He answered our prayers for every minute to count on that mission.

On the plane ride home, I remember thinking about my young sons and how I wish they could learn and live those faith essentials shared on that divine van ride.

Back home, my husband and I talked about journaling all these lessons for our sons. We began working on a book to capture faith lessons we wished we had known as new believers. Unfortunately, the work fizzled with the demands of life, women’s ministry leadership, and full-time seminary.

After many more missions to places without discipleship resources for new believers, God used divine appointments to resurrect our writing project, that is now known as Your True Story: The 50-Day Essential Guide to Your New Life with Jesus.

Why a Book? Why Not Just Leave A Bible for New Believers?

After many weary nights, having worked long hours for years, I didn’t know if I’d ever complete the Bible Study for new believers. There was much spiritual opposition in each season of the book’s development, and I needed help—editors, theological reviewers, and designers.

Doubts and discouragement filled my thoughts. I’d question myself, does the world need another disciple-making tool?

God would remind me of Ezra reading Scripture to the Jews, “making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read” (Nehemiah 8:8, NIV). The Bible was read and explained.

God would point out how one of the principal functions of the Levites was to teach the people (Deut. 33:10). His covenant of life and peace resulted in Levi giving “true instruction” (Malachi 2:6).

Ultimately, Jesus’s Great Commission encouraged us to press on:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Matthew 28:19-20, NIV Tweet

We are not only to teach all of Jesus‘s commands but also to teach believers to obey all of His commands. There is a difference, and often the obedience part is neglected.

Work continued, and God answered our prayers for help. Believers from diverse Christian traditions contributed to this faith journey until we finally crossed the finish line.

A New Bible Study for New Believers Everywhere

After ten years of development, Your True Story: The 50-Day Essential Guide to Your New Life with Jesus is now ready for you—and available in several different languages for believers worldwide.

We’ve taken a unique approach by combining a devotional, Bible Study, and new believer’s handbook into one tool that covers the essentials of the faith.

You’ll learn a lifetime of faith essentials without taking a lifetime to learn them all.

In seven weeks, you can experience authentic faith and immeasurable joy that will change your life, and allow you to fulfill your purpose and live each day with God.

Each week you’ll learn more of the narrative woven through the Bible. You’ll discover secrets of the Christian life, like how to abide in Christ, work through doubts, resist temptation, and worship God during seasons of suffering.

You’ll also learn practical ways to study your Bible, share your faith, make disciples, and pray. If you have not started a relationship with Jesus, you’ll have an opportunity to take that step.

Each day closes with a Great Commandment approach using Scripture, questions, and prayer, as well as an opportunity to process your next steps.

Your True Story contains a lifetime of faith essentials that will bring depth to your friendship with Jesus and equip you with practical skills to be His follower.

With no western anecdotes, idioms, or personal stories, Your True Story serves a global audience.

Several translations are available (view here), and several more are coming soon! We are praising God for His hand in every detail of the process.

You can request your language here.

God is Using Your True Story Locally & Globally

Since its release in 2021, God is using Your True Story around the world to equip new believers . . .

In East Asia . . . “With daily readings from Your True Story, our relationships with Christ and each other are strengthened.”

In Florida . . . a woman began discipling a new believer through Your True Story, and texted us to say, “Thanks for making it easy!”

In Ukraine . . . the translation team used Your True Story for spiritual encouragement amidst the outbreak of war.

In Texas . . . a former Mormon who recently came to faith journeyed through Your True Story, and found that as soon as a question arose in her mind, the next week’s lessons would meet her with answers.

In Brazil . . . a group of women that have been gathering regularly to study the Bible for years decided it was time to multiply — each member of the original group is starting a new group with other women, and planning to use the Portuguese translation of Your True Story starting soon.

While we still have many languages and countries to share this discipleship resource with, we rejoice in what God has done so far — all the glory belongs to Him!

You can be a part of this mission and help provide this tool to under-resourced believers by purchasing a copy and writing a book review.

With our “Buy One, Gift One” approach, each copy of Your True Story purchased in a western context helps fund the translation and distribution of the tool for believers in under-resourced nations. Book reviews help open international publishing doors, so we can spread the gospel near and far.

If you’re looking for a tool to disciple a new believer or someone ready to grow in their faith, purchase a copy today. You will experience joy as you grow together through this faith journey.

*Bulk purchasing options are available for orders of 25 or more.