How to Disciple New Believers with the You Said Yes Devotional

What happens after someone says yes to Jesus at your church?

It’s one of the most incredible moments you’ll ever witness. Someone steps forward, raises their hand, and their eternity changes. But then what? They step out of your service, and now they’re standing at the beginning of a journey they don’t know how to navigate.

New believers need a next step. They need someone to walk with them as they figure out what it means to follow Jesus.

At Life.Church, we noticed something incredible: people were saying yes to Jesus every weekend. But we also noticed something was missing. That missing piece was a discipleship tool that was comprehensive, simple, and packed with powerful truths to walk alongside new believers.

That’s why we created the You Said Yes devotional—a 21-day guide to help new believers understand what it means to follow Jesus and why their “yes” is so important. We use You Said Yes at all 45 of our campuses, and thousands have been impacted by this resource. 

Why New Believers Need This

Here’s the truth: You’re going to encounter new believers who have been around church for years, and then you’re going to have others who just stepped into church for the first time. Some know the basics. Others don’t even know where to start.

We know your heart is to care for each person in your church. But we also know you’re only one person. You can’t personally disciple every new believer, sit with them every day, and answer every question they have.

That’s where the You Said Yes devotional comes in. It’s designed to lighten your ministry load and equip you to effectively disciple people right where they are, whether they’re brand new to faith or just taking their first steps toward commitment.

What’s Inside the Devotional

The You Said Yes devotional answers 21 questions over 21 days, walking alongside new believers as they begin to follow Jesus. Each day includes:

• Daily thoughts from the Bible
• Reflection questions
• Practical steps to live it out

Questions it answers:

• What does it mean to say yes to Jesus?
• How do I read the Bible?
• How do I pray?
• What is baptism?
• How do I handle doubt?
• What does it mean to follow Jesus every day?

It’s more than a blueprint. It’s a companion for the first stretch of their journey with Jesus.

Two Versions: In-Person and Online

This 21-day devotional isn’t just for your physical church—it’s also a powerful tool for your online ministry.

If you’re like Life.Church, you’ve probably felt a need within your online ministry for greater engagement and connection with online attenders beyond the screen. After a series of interviews with Life.Church Online attenders, we discovered that many online attenders feel isolated and lonely after they accept Jesus.

We were passionate about You Said Yes meeting this need, so we created a special digital version that specifically addresses loneliness and encourages attenders to find deeper community—whether online or in person.

Because we know that behind every screen is a soul looking for connection. And You Said Yes meets them right where they are.

How to Use the Physical Version

At your physical campus, you can hand out printed copies of the You Said Yes devotional to anyone who commits their life to Jesus during one of your services.

What This Looks Like:

Hand it out immediately.
After your call to Christ, point them to your church’s information area, and hand them the devotional at the connection table, or catch them in the lobby on their way out of the building!

Use it in small groups.
You can provide leader discussion questions to help facilitate deeper conversations in small groups or one-on-one mentorship settings.

Customize it for your church.
Download the unbranded, editable version from Life.Church Open Network and customize it for your church’s branding and context.

Pro tip: We’ve found that more people respond when the pastor or leader holds up the physical booklet for attenders to see.

Here’s a simple script you can use after any call to Christ:

“We are so excited to celebrate this life-changing decision you’ve made to follow Jesus—so we have a gift just for you. It’s a devotional called You Said Yes, and its purpose is to help you as you step into this amazing journey of following Jesus.

You can find anyone with a lanyard or stop at the connection table in the lobby to get your free devotional. More than anything, we want to walk alongside you and celebrate you as you navigate this new life with Christ. Welcome to the family of God!”

How to Use the Digital Version

Now here’s a simple way to implement the digital version for your online attenders:

Step 1: Download the digital version of You Said Yes as a PDF and customize it to fit your church branding.

Step 2: Host the PDF somewhere online, like Dropbox or Google Drive, and make it shareable.

Step 3: Set up an easy email signup form that attenders can fill out.

Step 4: Create an automated email with a personal welcome and a direct link to the devotional.

Both the physical and digital versions of the devotional are available on Life.Church Open Network—completely free.

Keep Crushing It

By providing this resource, you’re not only celebrating the decision new believers have made, you’re also walking alongside them as they begin their journey with Jesus.

Whether in-person or online, the You Said Yes devotional is a powerful tool to help new believers grow in their faith and feel connected to their church community.

Remember: Committing your life to Jesus is just the beginning. Following Jesus is a lifelong journey. And with the right tools and support, we can walk alongside new believers every step of the way.

Ready to take the next step?

Download You Said Yes on open.life.church

Let’s disciple new believers together.