Grounded
Twelve lessons in the essentials of following Jesus. Always free.
Why it's free
Rick was an evangelist for Cru — formerly Campus Crusade for Christ — serving in both Arizona and Idaho. He spent his entire adult life leading people to Jesus. Anyone willing to listen got the same gift: Rick told them what he had found.
When he passed, his family gave us permission to use his 12-lesson discipleship plan on one condition: that it stay free. Forever. No paywall, no email-gate trickery, no upsell. Just the lessons, as he taught them.
Hear Rick in his own words — two messages preserved by Cru:
Recordings courtesy of Cru.
Twelve lessons. One season together.
- Who is Jesus? Who Jesus is, what He has done, and how you know you’re in relationship with Him.
- God the Father What the Father is really like — and how the Trinity holds together.
- Who is the Holy Spirit? The Spirit as a person, the work He does in you, and what “sin in the flesh” means.
- Walking in the Spirit Living day to day in step with the Spirit — what faith is, and honest confession.
- Introduction to the Bible The Bible’s one story of redemption — why there are so many versions, and is it reliable?
- Prayer The why and the how of prayer, with room for the practical questions.
- How to Study the Bible What it means that Scripture is “inspired,” and how to actually sit with it.
- Identity in Christ Your new identity in Christ — your security, value, and place in God’s family.
- God’s Will How to think about God’s will — for marriage, for work, for the everyday.
- Suffering and the Christian Why God allows suffering, the purpose in it, and the forces at work behind it.
- The Church What the church is, what it’s for, and where you fit in it.
- The Christian and Evangelism God’s heart for the world, how to share your faith, and what a disciple really is.
Free · Grounded
Free, always. Because of a man named Rick.
Grounded exists because of a Cru evangelist named Rick — our friend and spiritual mentor, who spent his life telling anyone willing to listen what he’d found in Jesus. When he passed, we promised his wife Jane and daughter Rachel it would never carry a price tag. It won’t. Read Rick’s story › Twelve lessons in the essentials of following Jesus — yours to keep, print, and share.
For small groups
Free to use in your church or small group.
Print as many copies as you need.
No license, no fee — Rick wouldn't have it any other way.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it really free?
Because Rick's family asked us to keep it that way. Rick spent his life telling people about Jesus and never charged for it. When he passed, his wife and daughter gave us permission to use his 12-lesson plan on one condition: it stays free, forever. No paywall, no upsell, no “premium tier.” That's the agreement, and we keep it.
Can I use this with my small group?
Yes — please. Print as many copies as you need, hand them out, walk through the lessons together. No license required, no per-seat fee, no awkward conversation. Same answer for your living room, your church basement, your campus ministry, or your jail Bible study.
What ages is it for?
Written for adults — new believers, longtime believers wanting to reset on the basics, anyone the Lord brings across your path. The lessons are accessible enough that most high-schoolers can work through them with a leader. For middle-schoolers we recommend the Youth Ministry curriculum instead, which is built for that age — but if you have a few middle-schoolers in a mixed group, Grounded works fine with a leader walking them through.
How long is each lesson?
About 30–45 minutes minimum of group time, less if you're reading on your own. A serious group with the question-driven format will easily run 60–75 minutes on the deeper lessons (Identity in Christ, Suffering) — stretch a single lesson across two weeks if a conversation goes long; the plan doesn't care.
Has anyone reviewed the theology?
Yes. Grounded passed our hub-run focus-group review (Trinity wording, Lesson-1 framing, scripture handling, and a BSB cross-check) before release — the same review standard our paid Middle School and High School curricula go through. Preserved as Rick taught them, reviewed for soundness before publishing.
What format will I receive?
Two PDFs — a Student Edition (a copy for each person in your group) and a Leader Edition with notes — all twelve lessons. Print them, save them, share them, email them forward. We'll also add you to DiviNav updates — a few emails a month at most, never daily — with occasional product announcements and free Bible study resources. Unsubscribe anytime; Rick's plan is yours either way, list or no list.