Episode 1 · What Does Jesus Actually Expect?3 min 24 s
A Bible study series

Follow Through

What Jesus required of his followers, and an honest look at how we're living it out.

Start here

Watch Episode 1, then take the self-assessment below. It walks through nine areas Jesus stressed again and again, weighted by how often and how strongly he taught them.

Each episode after that takes one area in depth. New this week: Episode 3, The Greatest Commandment.

Take the assessmentSee the series
The series · 13 episodes, about 5 minutes each

One area of discipleship at a time

Watch one episode a week, then revisit that area of your assessment with your group.

  1. 1

    What Does Jesus Actually Expect?

    Grace first, then a call to follow
  2. 2

    The Will of God, Plainly Stated

    Believe in the Son; do the Father's will
  3. 3

    The Greatest Commandment

    Love for God and neighborAssessment area 1 →
  4. 4

    Connected to the Vine

    Faith, prayer and abidingAssessment area 2 →Coming soon
  5. 5

    Hearers or Doers?

    Obeying what Jesus saidAssessment area 3 →Coming soon
  6. 6

    The Cost of Following

    Repentance and allegianceAssessment area 4 →Coming soon
  7. 7

    Seventy-Seven Times

    Mercy and forgivenessAssessment area 5 →Coming soon
  8. 8

    Light That Doesn't Hide

    Witness and enduranceAssessment area 6 →Coming soon
  9. 9

    The Towel and the Basin

    Humility and servanthoodAssessment area 7 →Coming soon
  10. 10

    Inside Out

    Integrity and purity of heartAssessment area 8 →Coming soon
  11. 11

    Where Your Treasure Is

    Generosity and stewardshipAssessment area 9 →Coming soon
  12. 12

    Taking an Honest Inventory

    Walking through the full assessmentComing soon
  13. 13

    Realign and Follow Through

    Building a growth planComing soon
Disciple self-assessment

The expectations of Jesus

About 15 minutes. Rate each area 1 to 5 based on how your life actually looks right now, not how you'd like it to look.

A note on grace. This is a tool for honest self-examination, not a way to earn God's favor. Jesus taught that eternal life is received by believing in him (John 3:16; 6:29), and that fruit grows from staying connected to him (John 15:4–5). Read each score as a signpost for growth, not a verdict.
1Emerging: rarely practiced yet
2Occasional: mainly when easy
3Growing: present in some settings
4Frequent: lapses corrected quickly
5Consistent: others would name it in you
1

Love for God and Neighbor

16% of total

Do I love God with all I am and others as myself, including enemies?

Jesus summed up the whole Law in loving God with heart, soul, mind and strength, and loving neighbor as oneself. He gave a new commandment to love one another as he loved, and extended love even to enemies.

What to look for

  • God is loved first and wholeheartedly, not as one priority among many
  • Love for fellow believers is visible enough that outsiders notice
  • Neighbor is defined broadly, across ethnic, social and political lines
  • Enemies and critics are prayed for and treated with goodwill

What it looks like today

  • Guarding unhurried time for worship and Scripture before the day's demands
  • Bringing meals or childcare to a church family in crisis, without being asked
  • Helping a stranded stranger, like the Good Samaritan
  • Praying by name for a coworker who undermined you, and refusing to gossip
Key texts (ESV)
Your rating · Episode 3 covers this area
2

Faith, Prayer and Abiding

13% of total

Do I trust Jesus, stay connected to him and pray persistently?

Jesus called people to believe in him, taught persistent prayer, and said that apart from abiding in him his followers could do nothing.

What to look for

  • Trusts God's provision rather than being ruled by anxiety
  • Prays regularly, privately and persistently
  • Stays connected to Jesus through his words, so fruit flows from him
  • Acts in faith when the outcome is uncertain

What it looks like today

  • A daily rhythm of prayer and Bible reading kept in busy seasons
  • Bringing a job loss or diagnosis to God before spiraling into worry
  • Keeping a prayer journal and noting answered prayers
  • Taking a step of obedience before the path is clear
Key texts (ESV)
Your rating · Episode 4 covers this area
3

Hearing and Doing the Father's Will

13% of total

Do I put his words into practice and bear fruit?

Not everyone who calls him “Lord” enters the kingdom, only those who do the Father's will. Obedient hearers build on rock, and those who love Jesus keep his commandments.

What to look for

  • Puts Jesus' teaching into practice, not just knowledge or agreement
  • Bears observable fruit in character and good works
  • Responds to correction from Scripture with change
  • Treats obedience as the evidence of love for Jesus

What it looks like today

  • Leaving a sermon with one concrete action and following through that week
  • Ending a habit Scripture clearly addresses, even at social cost
  • Applying the Sermon on the Mount to how you speak at home
  • Choosing the honest path in a deal that would profit from a shortcut
Key texts (ESV)
Your rating · Episode 5 covers this area
4

Repentance, Self-Denial and Wholehearted Allegiance

12% of total

Is Jesus first above comfort, possessions, reputation and family?

Jesus opened his ministry calling people to repent. He required followers to deny themselves, take up their cross, count the cost, and love him above everything else.

What to look for

  • Turns from known sin promptly rather than managing it
  • Jesus' claims come before career, comfort, reputation and family expectations
  • Willing to lose status or opportunity for the sake of obedience
  • Has counted the cost and keeps following when it is hard

What it looks like today

  • Confessing a sin to a trusted believer and taking steps to turn from it
  • Declining a promotion or deal that would compromise convictions
  • Honoring God's priorities under pressure from family or friends
  • Giving up a habit that crowds out time with God
Key texts (ESV)
Your rating · Episode 6 covers this area
5

Mercy, Forgiveness and Reconciliation

11% of total

Do I forgive freely and show mercy to the needy and the least?

Jesus tied receiving God's forgiveness to forgiving others, told Peter to forgive without limit, urged reconciliation before worship, and said care for “the least of these” is care for him.

What to look for

  • Forgives fully, without keeping score or nursing resentment
  • Takes the first step toward reconciliation
  • Shows practical mercy to the poor, sick, imprisoned and overlooked
  • Extends grace rather than harsh judgment

What it looks like today

  • Calling an estranged sibling to seek peace
  • Releasing a grievance instead of pursuing every right you have
  • Volunteering at a shelter, food pantry, hospital or prison ministry
  • Visiting a homebound neighbor or welcoming a refugee family
Key texts (ESV)
Your rating · Episode 7 covers this area
6

Witness, Mission and Faithful Endurance

10% of total

Do I confess Christ, make disciples and stay faithful under pressure?

Jesus called his followers the light of the world, sent them to make disciples of all nations, required them to confess him openly, and called them to stay ready until he returns.

What to look for

  • Openly identifies with Jesus rather than hiding faith to fit in
  • Shares the gospel and invests in helping others follow Jesus
  • Lives so that good works point people to the Father
  • Stays faithful through opposition and lives ready for his return

What it looks like today

  • Telling a curious coworker simply why your faith matters
  • Meeting weekly with a newer believer to read Scripture
  • Supporting or joining missions, locally or abroad
  • Keeping convictions graciously when they are unpopular
Key texts (ESV)
Your rating · Episode 8 covers this area
7

Humility and Servanthood

9% of total

Do I take the lower place and serve rather than seek status?

The greatest must be servant of all, the humble will be exalted, and disciples must become like children. Jesus washed his disciples' feet and told them to follow his example.

What to look for

  • Seeks to serve rather than to be recognized
  • Takes the lower place and lets others receive credit
  • Teachable and open to correction
  • Uses influence for the good of those under it

What it looks like today

  • Cleaning up after an event no one will thank you for
  • As a leader, doing the unglamorous work alongside your team
  • Publicly crediting a colleague's contribution to a win
  • Receiving honest feedback without defensiveness
Key texts (ESV)
Your rating · Episode 9 covers this area
8

Integrity and Purity of Heart

8% of total

Is my inner life consistent with my outward religion and speech?

Jesus confronted hypocrisy sharply. He located sin in the heart, told followers to let their yes be yes, and to give, pray and fast for God's eyes rather than people's.

What to look for

  • Private life matches public religious life
  • Guards the heart and eyes against anger, contempt and lust
  • Speaks truthfully and keeps commitments
  • Practices spiritual disciplines without seeking an audience

What it looks like today

  • Using accountability tools or partners to guard your eyes
  • Reporting expenses and hours accurately when no one would check
  • Giving anonymously instead of seeking recognition
  • Dealing with anger before it becomes contempt or slander
Key texts (ESV)
Your rating · Episode 10 covers this area
9

Generosity and Faithful Stewardship

8% of total

Do I hold money and gifts loosely and invest them for the kingdom?

No one can serve both God and money. Jesus told followers to store up treasure in heaven, praised the widow's sacrificial gift, and required faithful investment of what God entrusts.

What to look for

  • Money and possessions do not compete with God for loyalty
  • Gives generously, sacrificially and cheerfully
  • Uses time, talents and influence for God's purposes
  • Content, not consumed by accumulating more

What it looks like today

  • Giving a planned percentage of income before discretionary spending
  • Quietly paying a struggling family's utility bill
  • Using professional skills to serve church or community
  • Living below your means so you can give more
Key texts (ESV)
Your rating · Episode 11 covers this area
Your results
– / 5.0
Rate all nine areas to see your overall score
0 of 9 areas rated
1. Love for God and Neighbor–
2. Faith, Prayer and Abiding–
3. Hearing and Doing the Father's Will–
4. Repentance, Self-Denial and Wholehearted Allegiance–
5. Mercy, Forgiveness and Reconciliation–
6. Witness, Mission and Faithful Endurance–
7. Humility and Servanthood–
8. Integrity and Purity of Heart–
9. Generosity and Faithful Stewardship–

Reflect and plan

  • Where would a friend or mentor rate me differently, and why?
  • Which area, if strengthened, would help the others grow?
  • Where can I thank God for real growth since my last review?

Your answers stay in this browser only. No one else can see them unless you copy and share them.

Weights reflect how often and how strongly Jesus stressed each theme in the Gospels; they are an interpretive guide.

– / 5.00 of 9 areas rated

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