Why Levels of Biblical Learning Works for Adult Discipleship

Have you ever wondered if people are getting it? Whether you’re a parent, small group leader, or ministry leader; tracking progress in the people you are discipling can be frustrating. Week after week you lead spiritual conversations about core biblical truths: God, the Bible, the world. However, we rarely see progress or results. How can we know if we’re getting the job done?

I believe The Levels of Biblical Learning can help shape and multiply disciples of all ages in your family, small group, and church.

What are The Levels of Biblical Learning?

Levels of Biblical Learning is a discipleship framework formulated by Lifeway that identifies levels of understanding that preschoolers, children, and students can learn as they study God’s Word. The framework spans eight different age ranges from infancy through high school and covers ten biblical concept areas:

• God

• Jesus

• Holy Spirit

• Bible

• Salvation

• Creation

• Church

• People

• Family

• Community

• World

How do The Levels of Biblical Learning Help Adults Grow?

The beauty of levels is that they are only for children or students, but it can be easily adapted to adult learners. In fact, they can address several discipleship needs for ministry leaders.

1. The Levels of Biblical Learning Help Disciple Spiritual Infants

The Scriptures routinely picture new believers as infants (1 Corinthians 3:2, 1 Peter 2:2, Hebrews 5:12-13). Babies need milk, they simply can’t eat solid food! The same is true of followers of Christ who are spiritual infants.

In many ways, people with little to no Bible-background need the lower levels of biblical learning before they can graduate deeper truths. Seekers and new believers may be taught the Levels of Biblical Learning from spiritual infancy to maturity, beginning with the infant stages of Levels and building toward more advanced biblical knowledge. Everyone needs a spiritual foundation. The Levels of Biblical Learning can help build that foundation in those who have little or no Bible background.

2. The Levels of Biblical Learning Provide a Plan for Discipleship

Jesus’s final words before ascending to heaven were a commission to “Go…and make disciples.”

No task is more important than discipleship (Matthew 28:19-20). But how are we going to accomplish the task of discipleship? We need a plan!

Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” Unfortunately, most pastors don’t have a plan for discipleship. In their 2025 State of Discipleship study, Lifeway Research concluded that U.S. Protestant pastors believe in the importance of discipleship, but don’t have a specific plan for discipleship.² Moreover, only 30% of U.S. Protestant pastors say their church has specific methods for measuring discipleship.³

Pastors can “equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,” (Ephesians 4:12) by intentionally training leaders and disciple-makers with Levels. Small Group leaders can use Bible Studies for Life to teach Levels. Disciple-Makers can incorporate one biblical concept per week into their discipleship conversations. The Levels provide pastors, small group leaders, and disciple-makers with a concrete plan for teaching people the core biblical concepts of the Bible.

3. The Levels of Biblical Learning Address a Big Problem

American Evangelicalism has a big theology problem. Lifeway Research and Ligonier Ministries’ 2025 The State of Theology nationwide survey reveal glaring theological misunderstandings among American Evangelicals. Here are a few:

• 24% believe Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God.

• 42% believe the Holy Spirit is a force, but is not a person being.

• 35% believe that God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. ⁴

These theological errors, and others, are directly addressed in Levels of Biblical Learning:

• “Whereas many claim that Jesus was a good man or a great teacher, the truth is that Jesus is God.”

• “Whereas many see the Holy Spirit as an energy or force, the truth is the Holy Spirit is a person, co-equal with the Father and the Son within the Trinity, and is Himself God.”

• “Many today believe there are many gods and many ways to heaven, and that we are free to define God according to our personal perspectives. However, Scripture teaches there is one God with only one way to heaven through trust in His only Son, Jesus.”¹

The Levels of Biblical Learning are intentionally designed to provide a robust and biblical understanding of core theological truths.

How do you get started?

I’m excited to intentionally install The Levels of Biblical Learning in our discipleship efforts across every age and stage, including adults! Will you join me in this journey? Here are a few steps we’ve taken in the process:

Action Steps:

1. Download a free copy of Reboot: Renewing Our Minds One Belief at a Time.

2. Consider beginning a Bible Study for seekers and new believers based on the foundational elements of Levels of Biblical Learning.

3. Invite those in your church and community with little to no Bible background.

4. Challenge disciple-makers to utilize The Levels of Biblical Learning in their discipleship relationships.