Leader’s guide · 12 weeks
Leader’s guide: All of Grace (For Teens)
Using this guide with a class? See Ochorus for schools or homeschool families
This guide takes your group through “All of Grace (For Teens)” in twelve weeks, one chapter a week. It retells C. H. Spurgeon’s much-loved little book on how a person is saved, freely and entirely by God’s grace, for teens aged about 13 to 18. It suits a youth group, a homeschool or a small group, and it serves both teens who are exploring the Christian faith for the first time and those who have grown up in church but have never been sure where they stand with God.
Each session takes about 30 to 40 minutes. Open by saying the memory verse together (3 minutes). Read the chapter, either aloud together or beforehand at home (8–10 minutes). Talk through the chapter’s three questions, which come with answers to help you (10 minutes). Do the activity (10 minutes). Then close by praying the chapter’s prayer, or one of your own (2–3 minutes).
To prepare, read the chapter and its closing “Now — what is this actually about?” section, which puts Spurgeon’s point in plain terms. Spurgeon speaks to the conscience about sin, guilt and judgment, so keep the book’s own emphasis on the free gift in front of everyone. Chapter 8 mentions being tormented by horrible thoughts; if a teen tells you they struggle with intrusive or distressing thoughts, listen kindly and help them find further support from parents, a pastor or a professional. Some teens may want to talk about trusting Jesus for the first time, especially near the end of the book, so leave room to talk privately after a session, and never press anyone to make a decision in front of the group.
Week 1 — Not Calling for the Rent
Spurgeon opens with a man whose roadside drinking fountain was criticised by an art critic; he only cared that thousands of thirsty people drank from it, and Spurgeon offers his plain book in the same spirit. He then tells of a poor woman who didn’t answer a minister’s knock because she thought it was the man calling for the rent, when he had come to give her money. Most people hear God the same way, but Spurgeon insists he is “not calling for the rent”: salvation is all of grace, free, and the one knocking is Jesus. The big idea: God’s first word to us is not a demand but an offer.
“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” — Isaiah 1:18 (ESV)
Memory verse
Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
Isaiah 1:18
Talk together
Why didn’t the poor woman open the door when the minister knocked?
She heard him but thought it was the man calling for the rent, so she pretended not to be home — even though he had come to give her money.
What does Spurgeon mean when he says “I am not calling for the rent”?
He means the book isn’t making a demand on the reader but bringing a free gift: salvation that is “all of grace” — free, for nothing.
What do you usually expect God to want from you? How might it change things if the first word is an offer, not a bill?
The chapter’s point: many people hide from God because they think he has come to collect what they can’t pay. If the knock is a gift, the thing to do is stop hiding and open the door.
Activity
Who’s at the Door?
You will need: Paper and pens
- Retell the story of the woman and the minister, and ask what she missed by staying quiet.
- Ask the group to list the things people expect God to “collect” from them when he comes near.
- Have each person write privately one honest sentence: “I think what God wants from me is ___.”
- Ask them to keep the paper safe and read it again when the group finishes the book.
Week 2 — Good News for the Ungodly
Spurgeon builds on Paul’s phrase that God “justifies the ungodly.” Since no one is righteous, Jesus came not to reward good people but to make the guilty right, just as a doctor goes where people are sick and only debtors can have debts cancelled. The gospel is for those who have ignored God and for those who sang in the choir without knowing him; the street-sweeper who arrived washed and in a borrowed suit was sent away because the artist wanted him as he was. The big idea: God’s grace starts where we actually are, so don’t wait to clean yourself up before coming.
“And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.” — Romans 4:5 (ESV)
Memory verse
And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.
Romans 4:5
Talk together
Why was the street-sweeper sent away from the artist’s studio?
He had washed, combed his hair and put on a respectable suit, but the artist wanted to paint him as the ragged sweeper everyone knew. He was needed as he was.
Why does Spurgeon say forgiveness can only be for the guilty?
A doctor is for the sick and a debt can only be cancelled for someone who owes it. In the same way, God’s pardon is only for those who have actually sinned — so being a sinner is the reason you can be saved, not the reason you can’t.
Is there something you feel you need to fix before God would want you? What does this chapter say to that?
The chapter’s point: God justifies the ungodly, and his grace meets you in your worst state. Waiting to clean yourself up first is the street-sweeper’s mistake — come as you are.
Activity
Come As You Are
You will need: Nothing
- Retell the story of the street-sweeper and the artist.
- Ask: what are the “borrowed suits” people put on before they come to God, such as acting more spiritual or waiting until they’ve stopped a habit?
- Read Spurgeon’s line “The law is for the self-righteous, to humble their pride: the gospel is for the lost, to remove their despair,” and talk about which half people need most.
- Invite everyone to pray silently and privately the prayer from the end of the chapter, exactly as they are.
Week 3 — How a Just God Can Forgive
Only God can justify us, Spurgeon says, because our sin is against him, and when he does, it is settled: “If the Judge acquits me, who can condemn me?” As a guilt-crushed teenager, Spurgeon heard “Look unto me, and be ye saved,” looked, and was justified. But how can a just God let the guilty go? Because the Judge’s own Son took the sentence; the penalty was really paid, and like people leaping into a lifeboat we bring nothing. The big idea: real forgiveness doesn’t pretend sin didn’t matter; Jesus paid its full cost.
“It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” — Romans 3:26 (ESV)
Memory verse
It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:26
Talk together
What words was Spurgeon given when he was crushed by guilt, and what happened?
He heard “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.” He looked to Christ, and says that in a moment the Lord justified him and gave him peace.
How can God be both completely just and still forgive the guilty?
Because Jesus, God’s own Son, took the punishment in our place. The penalty was really paid, so God can forgive without pretending sin doesn’t matter.
Whose verdict on you do you lean on most — friends, family, your own feelings? How is God’s verdict different?
The chapter’s point: other people’s opinions shift, and justifying yourself is self-deception. When God justifies someone because of Christ’s sacrifice, it is settled — “If the Judge acquits me, who can condemn me?”
Activity
“It’s Fine” or Forgiven?
You will need: Paper and pens
- Ask the group why “it’s fine, whatever” often doesn’t feel like real forgiveness.
- List together what the chapter says makes God’s forgiveness different.
- Read aloud Spurgeon’s line “God will spare the sinner because He did not spare His Son.”
- Encourage everyone to read Luke 23 slowly at home this week, and to stop at the cross and say privately, “He paid it.”
Week 4 — A New Heart
Some people understand forgiveness but cannot stop sinning, and Spurgeon says salvation must deal with that too: we need to be purified as well as pardoned. God deals with sin’s penalty, its power and one day its presence, and in Ezekiel he promises, “I will give you a new heart.” Like a pig that runs back to the mud however often it is scrubbed, we need a new nature, not just new habits, and the change is God’s work, not ours. The big idea: Christianity is not a self-improvement plan but God giving us a new heart.
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” — Ezekiel 36:26 (ESV)
Memory verse
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26
Talk together
What is Spurgeon’s point in the picture of the cat and the pig?
A pig can be washed but runs back to the mud because it’s against its nature to stay clean. The only way to get it to wash itself would be to turn it into a cat — just as a person needs a new nature, not just better habits.
What three things did Jesus come to take away, according to Spurgeon?
The penalty of sin, the power of sin, and finally the presence of sin. The power can be broken now, as God gives a new heart.
Where have you been relying only on willpower to change? What would it look like to trust God’s “I will” instead?
The chapter’s point: you cannot change your own heart, but God has promised to. Keep fighting sin, but put your hope in what he has said he will do, not in your own strength.
Activity
Hose Down or Make New?
You will need: Paper and pens
- Retell the picture of the cat and the pig, and ask what point Spurgeon is making.
- List together the ways people try to “hose themselves down”: new rules, promises, apps, fresh starts.
- Talk about why these can help for a while but can’t change a nature.
- Ask each person to write privately the one sin they are most tired of losing to, and to pray Ezekiel 36:26 about it each day this week.
Week 5 — Grace Is the Fountain
Before he explains faith, Spurgeon points to the source: we are saved by grace, and faith is only the aqueduct that carries the water, not the water itself, so “never make a Christ out of your faith.” A trembling hand can still receive a golden gift. Faith has three parts: knowing who Jesus is and what he did, believing it is true, and trusting, leaning your full weight on him. The big idea: faith isn’t a feeling or a performance; it is resting on Jesus, and what saves is who you lean on, not how hard you lean.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” — Ephesians 2:8 (ESV)
Memory verse
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.
Ephesians 2:8
Talk together
What three parts does Spurgeon say faith is made of?
Knowledge (knowing who Jesus is and what he did), belief (being convinced it is true), and trust (leaning your whole weight on Christ).
Why does Spurgeon warn, “Never make a Christ out of your faith”?
Because faith is only the channel — the aqueduct — and grace is the fountain. The power to save is in God, not in how strong our believing is, so we should look at Jesus rather than at our own faith.
Do you tend to check how strong your faith feels? What would it mean to look at Jesus instead?
The chapter’s point: a trembling hand can still receive a golden gift. What saves is not the strength of your faith but the one you’re trusting — so lean on him and stop measuring the lean.
Activity
Know, Believe, Trust
You will need: Bibles, paper and pens
- Write the three parts of faith across the top of a sheet: Know, Believe, Trust.
- Read John 3:14–18 together and list under “Know” what Jesus says about himself.
- Talk about the difference between believing something is true and actually trusting it, using the chair picture from the chapter.
- Give a quiet minute for anyone who wishes to tell Jesus privately that they are leaning their whole weight on him.
Week 6 — Pictures of Faith
Spurgeon gives a run of pictures of faith: the eye that looks, the hand that takes, the mouth that eats, the swimmer who lifts his feet, and the limpet that clings to the rock with no understanding at all. Faith can grow, from clinging, to following a guide, to the trust that comes from love, to obedience, and finally to mature faith like the old woman who wrote “T” and “P” beside the promises she had tried and proved. The big idea: real faith can be small and simple, and it grows as we stop relying on ourselves and lean on Jesus.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” — 2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV)
Memory verse
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7
Talk together
What does the limpet do when it hears the blow on its neighbour, and what does Spurgeon compare it to?
It clings to the rock with all its might so it can’t be knocked off. He says it is the limpet’s life to cling to the rock, and the sinner’s life to cling to Jesus.
Why does Spurgeon include obedience among his pictures of faith?
Because trust shows itself in action: a captain who trusts the pilot follows his directions. Faith that refuses to do what Jesus says is only pretending.
Which picture of faith fits you best right now — the limpet, the blind man, the doctor’s wife, the sailor? Why?
The chapter’s point: faith comes in different sizes and grows over time, but even the smallest real clinging to Jesus is enough to be safe. Start where you are and let it grow.
Activity
Picture Match
You will need: Slips of paper with the chapter’s pictures written on them
- Write each picture on a slip: eye, hand, mouth, swimmer, limpet, blind man, doctor’s wife, ship’s captain.
- In pairs, have teens draw slips and explain what that picture shows about faith.
- Ask the group to list ways they already trust people every day, such as a bus driver or a doctor.
- Ask each person to write John 6:37 somewhere they will see it this week, ready to mark “T” and “P” beside it when they have seen it hold.
Week 7 — Why Faith? The Rope and the Log
Spurgeon suggests why God chose faith as the way we receive salvation. Faith simply receives, like a child’s hand taking an apple; it gives all the credit to God; and it connects us to him, as in the story of two men above Niagara Falls, one holding a rope and saved, the other letting go for a bigger log and swept over. Faith is also the mainspring of a holy life, and the key that opens heaven’s gate where pushing fails. The big idea: faith saves not because it is impressive but because it joins us to the One who is.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” — Ephesians 2:8–9 (ESV)
Memory verse
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:12
Talk together
What happened to the two men swept toward Niagara Falls?
Both grabbed the rope thrown from the shore. One held on and was pulled to safety; the other let go to grab a big log, which went over the falls with him because it wasn’t connected to the shore.
Why does Spurgeon say faith is fitted to receive salvation without taking any credit for it?
Like a child’s hand taking an apple, faith doesn’t make, improve or deserve the gift — it only takes it. So it gives all the glory to God and leaves no room for boasting.
What “logs” are you tempted to cling to instead of the rope? What would letting go of them look like?
The chapter’s point: our own works and religious habits may look bigger and safer, but they aren’t connected to the shore. Only faith joins you to Christ, who does the pulling.
Activity
Logs and the Rope
You will need: Paper and pens
- Retell the story of the two men above Niagara Falls.
- Ask the group to list the “logs” people cling to in order to feel okay with God.
- Talk about why these things are not wrong in themselves but can’t save, because they aren’t tied to the shore.
- Have each person make two private lists, “my logs” and “the rope,” and pray silently, letting go of the first and holding on to the second.
Week 8 — “I Can’t Do Anything”
Some people believe everything and still say, “I can do nothing,” but Spurgeon says the gospel begins where we are, like the Good Samaritan who carried the traveller, because Christ died for us when we were without strength. He answers each excuse: I can’t think deeply enough, repent enough, quiet my horrible thoughts, believe, give up my sin, or stand firm with friends. Each time his answer is not “try harder” but that Christ died for people exactly like that, and he points to Luther answering the devil, “Christ died to save sinners.” The big idea: our weakness is not a barrier to grace; it is where grace starts.
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” — Romans 5:6 (ESV)
Memory verse
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Romans 5:6
Talk together
How did Martin Luther answer the devil when he said, “You are a sinner”?
Luther said, “Christ died to save sinners,” turning the accusation into the very reason for his hope — cutting off the devil’s head with his own sword.
Why does Spurgeon say you won’t produce repentance by trying to squeeze out feelings?
Because repentance comes from looking at Christ, not the other way round. Seeing what Jesus suffered for his enemies is what melts a hard heart.
Which “I can’t” from this chapter sounds most like you? How does Romans 5:6 answer it?
The chapter’s point: Christ died for us while we were still without strength. Every kind of helplessness is answered not by trying harder but by trusting what he has already done.
Activity
Answer the “I Can’t”
You will need: Index cards and pens
- Write each excuse from the chapter on a card: I can’t think, repent, stop these thoughts, believe, give up my sin, stand firm.
- Hand them out and have small groups find Spurgeon’s answer to each in the chapter.
- Share the answers, and notice together what they all have in common.
- Ask each person to write privately the excuse that sounds most like them, with Romans 5:6 underneath, to keep for the week.
Week 9 — How Faith Grows
Asked how to get more faith, Spurgeon says the shortest way to believe is to believe, but he also gives practical help: take your puzzles to God, hear the gospel often, and listen to people it has changed, like the man who stepped onto a frozen river only after he saw others cross. Jesus’ invitation gives us the right to come, as John the foreman learned from his employer’s card, and Spurgeon asks why anyone would distrust Jesus. Believing and new birth both come from the same Lord, and we trust a living Saviour who is our Advocate. The big idea: faith grows by looking at Jesus and the evidence, not by staring at our faith.
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” — Romans 10:17 (ESV)
Memory verse
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Romans 10:17
Talk together
Why did the foreman John feel he had the right to go to his employer’s house after work?
Because his employer had sent him a card telling him to come. His boss then showed him that Jesus’ invitation, “Come unto me,” gave him the same right to come to Christ.
How does Spurgeon fit together “You must be born again” and “whoever believes will not perish”?
Both are true and come from Jesus. It is our part to believe and God’s part to make us new; God gives the new birth to all who believe, and believing is the evidence the Spirit is already at work.
What is one thing you could do this week to “hear” more — and whose story could you listen to?
The chapter’s point: faith comes by hearing, by others’ testimony, and above all by seeing who invites you. The shortest way to believe is to believe — and a living Saviour is there to receive you.
Activity
Your Name on the Card
You will need: Index cards and pens
- Retell the story of John the foreman and his employer’s card.
- Read Matthew 11:28 aloud and ask the group what it means to treat it as an invitation with your name on it.
- Have each person write Matthew 11:28 on a card to keep, with their own name at the top.
- Encourage everyone to ask a Christian they respect this week to tell them in ten minutes how they came to trust Jesus.
Week 10 — Turning Around
Peter says Jesus, exalted to God’s right hand, gives both repentance and forgiveness, and Spurgeon says they always go together: forgiveness without a change of heart would be a licence to sin. Repentance is not the cause of forgiveness but its companion, “a heart broken for sin, and from sin,” and a lifelong grace. It comes from Jesus too, through events like a crowing rooster or an earthquake, and it is not pumped up from our own dry well but given as we look at him. The big idea: repentance is not earning forgiveness; it is turning around because we have been loved.
“God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” — Acts 5:31 (ESV)
Memory verse
God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
Acts 5:31
Talk together
Why does Spurgeon say forgiveness without repentance would be a “lame” mercy?
Because it would leave the person in love with sin — like washing someone and leaving them in the mud. Real mercy frees us from sin’s power, not just its punishment.
What does Spurgeon mean by “look not beneath the ice to find fire”?
He means you won’t find repentance by digging into your own cold heart. It comes as a gift from Jesus, especially as you look at his death for you.
Is there something you’ve been waiting to feel sorry enough about before you turn from it? What would one concrete step look like?
The chapter’s point: repentance is the companion of forgiveness, not its cause, and Jesus gives both. Look to him, and turn — you don’t have to manufacture the tears first.
Activity
What Turning Looks Like
You will need: Bibles, paper and pens
- Read Luke 22:54–62 together, noticing the moment “the Lord turned and looked at Peter.”
- Ask the group to describe two wrong ideas the chapter rejects: feeling bad long enough to earn forgiveness, and forgiveness that never changes you.
- List together what real repentance often looks like in everyday life, using the chapter’s examples.
- Ask each person to write privately one thing they sense God asking them to turn from, and one concrete step they will take this week.
Week 11 — Will I Fall Away?
Many new believers fear they will fall away, and Spurgeon warns that those who trust Jesus to start them but themselves to keep them will not hold on. Living faith needs fresh grace daily, the road has its Hill of Difficulty and Valley of Humiliation, and God’s promise to keep us shows we will need keeping. But God is faithful: he strengthens what he starts, keeps us holy as well as safe, and has called us into partnership with his Son, so “unless Jesus sinks, the believer will never drown.” The big idea: we don’t keep ourselves saved; God keeps us, and that is why we keep going.
“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” — 1 Corinthians 1:9 (ESV)
Memory verse
God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 1:9
Talk together
What mistake does Spurgeon say has caused some people to turn back?
They trusted Jesus for the beginning of their salvation but trusted themselves to keep going. If we trust ourselves for holding on, we won’t hold on.
Why does Paul expect believers to be kept to the end, according to Spurgeon?
Not because they are faithful, but because “God is faithful.” He has called them into partnership with his Son, and he finishes what he starts — so unless Jesus sinks, the believer won’t drown.
What are you most afraid might pull you away from God? How does God’s faithfulness speak to that fear?
The chapter’s point: the saints persevere because God perseveres in grace. Look to Christ for your ending as well as your beginning, and ask him daily for the grace to hold on.
Activity
In the Same Boat
You will need: Paper and pens
- Read Spurgeon’s line “If you look to Christ for your beginnings, beware of looking to yourself for your endings,” and ask what it means.
- List together the things that make teens afraid they will drift from God.
- Talk about why the chapter says God’s faithfulness, not ours, is the answer, and why that is not an excuse for careless living.
- Ask each person to write privately the fear that most worries them, with “God is faithful” written underneath, and to pray about it each night this week.
Week 12 — Now
Spurgeon ends by speaking straight to the reader: reading about grace is pointless unless you take hold of it, like seeing food in a shop and staying hungry. He tells how he stopped writing at that page to kneel and pray for the reader, urges anyone who trusts Jesus to live from free grace, which guards against both pride and despair, and to tell others, starting at home. His last words plead, “Let it be NOW,” and invite the reader to meet him in heaven. The big idea: grace is something to receive today and then live from, gratefully, for the rest of life.
“Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” — 2 Corinthians 6:2 (ESV)
Memory verse
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:2
Talk together
What does Spurgeon say he did when he reached this last page of the book?
He put down his pen and knelt to pray for everyone who would read it, and then pictured himself taking the reader by the hand and pleading with them not to turn away from Jesus.
How does receiving everything as a free gift protect a person from both pride and despair?
Since nothing was earned, there is nothing to be proud of; and since it rests on God’s grace rather than our performance, our failures can’t make us hopeless. It produces grateful love instead.
Is there something you’ve kept “resolving” to do about God but haven’t done? What would it look like to act today?
The chapter’s point: book-reading is worthless unless the truth is taken hold of. Grace is to be received now — “Let it be NOW” — and then lived out in love for others.
Activity
Back to the Door
You will need: The sentences written in week 1, and paper and pens
- Ask everyone to read privately the sentence they wrote in the first week about what God wants from them.
- Ask: has the book changed how you hear God’s knock? Let anyone who wants to share do so.
- Read Spurgeon’s words about pride and despair, and talk about what a life shaped by grace looks like.
- Invite each person to decide privately on one step this week: either to trust Jesus today, or to tell one person what grace has meant to them.
- Let the group know you are glad to talk with anyone privately after the session.