The essentials of following Jesus come down to six big questions, and this SALT Boot Camp lesson gives you a quick overview of all six. They come from The Pursuit for Students, a six-lesson series built for teenagers: Can I really know God? What’s wrong with the world? Who is Jesus? What is saving faith? How do I follow Jesus? And can teenagers make disciples? Together, they form the foundation for everything you’ll do in SALT this year.
Why SALT Starts Here
SALT is about owning your faith and serving in your church, but you can’t lead others somewhere you haven’t been yourself. Before you serve on a team, read through the New Testament or help a friend take a step toward Jesus, it helps to be clear on what you believe and why. That’s what this overview is for.
Some of you have already gone through The Pursuit for Students, and this will be a refresher. For others, it’s brand new. Either way, think of this lesson as a map of the whole series. We’ll walk through it two lessons at a time.
Lessons 1–2: Know God and See What’s Broken
The series starts with good news: God isn’t hiding. He made you in his image for a relationship with him, and he has been pursuing you all along. The Bible, written by about 40 authors over 1,500 years, tells one story of a God who wants to be known. And he makes a promise to anyone who looks for him honestly.
Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
So why does the world feel so broken? The Bible calls the problem sin, our choice to go our own way instead of God’s. Sin isn’t just a few bad choices; it’s independence from God, and it shows up in our hearts, our friendships and our schools. Being honest about that problem is what makes the solution so good.
Lessons 3–4: Trust Jesus
Lesson 3 asks who Jesus really is. He’s God the Son, the Lord of all, who lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead to offer forgiveness to everyone who believes. He isn’t just a good teacher or a role model. He’s the rescuer we can’t be for ourselves.
Lesson 4 explains saving faith. It’s more than knowing facts about Jesus. It means turning from your sin, declaring that Jesus is Lord and receiving salvation as a gift you could never earn.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
That takes the pressure off. You don’t have to perform for God’s approval, even as a student leader. You can simply trust Jesus. If you’d like to learn more about putting your faith in Jesus, check out How can I become a Christian?
Lessons 5–6: Follow Jesus and Help Others Follow Him
Lesson 5 is about following Jesus day to day. New believers in the Bible took a first step of baptism, then grew by relying on God’s Spirit, God’s Word and God’s people. Habits like prayer, Bible reading, worship, giving and mentoring help your faith become your own, which is exactly what SALT’s read-daily, serve-weekly rhythm is built to do.
Lesson 6 makes the bold claim that teenagers can make disciples. Jesus gave every follower the same mission, no matter their age:
Matthew 28:19-20 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.”
You don’t need to know everything to help a friend take a next step. You just need to know Jesus, pray for them and be willing to start a conversation. By the end of your SALT year, that’s the goal.
Go Deeper This Year
This overview covers the big picture, but each lesson deserves more time. If you haven’t gone through The Pursuit for Students yet, plan to work through the full series during the year. It’s a great way to get connected to a mentor from SALT, someone a step or two ahead of you who can answer questions and cheer you on.
Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
Faith grows best in relationship. Ask a SALT leader to go through the series with you, and someday you’ll be ready to walk a friend through it too.
The Takeaway
The essentials of following Jesus, covered in The Pursuit for Students, are knowing God, understanding sin, trusting Jesus by grace through faith, growing in your new life and helping others follow him too. That’s the foundation for your SALT year.
