My family has a yearly tradition of reading a chapter a day of the book of Luke, leading up to Christmas. It has been such an enriching experience that helps center our holiday season on what is most important to us. If you’d like to join us in these readings, I’m providing questions to talk through with your kids to help spark conversations and meaningful engagement with what you read. I hope it’s helpful!
(Here is where you can find background information or to start this project at Chapter 1.)
Before you start each night, think about the environment you’re creating for this experience. Check your heart. Lower your expectations. Here is where you can find more ideas on how to set yourself up for success.
Questions before you read Luke 14:
When did Jesus heal a man?
What city was Jesus longing to gather to himself?
I ask my kids to listen for this information while we’re reading and I’ll ask about it after we’re done:
On what day of the week did Jesus heal a man?
Who does Jesus say you should invite to a meal?
What does Jesus ask us to carry?
(Asking them to look for the information before you start reading is super helpful in keeping little learners engaged. They tend to listen pretty hard when they’re listening for something specific. I might even write the questions out so they can hold them and look for the information while we read. I will assign these questions to my youngest kids and target the longer discussion questions to my older kids. If my younger kids need to go to bed while we’re deep in discussion, they still had a chance to participate.)
Questions after you’ve read Luke 14:
In what situations can you show humility?
How are you showing kindness to people who can’t repay you? What does your lunch table look like?
Do you have excuses when God asks you to be obedient in ways that would inconvenience you?
Have you counted the cost of following Jesus? What has it cost you in your own life? How do you see other Christians sacrificing for Jesus?
Was there anything else that stuck out to you or surprised you?
(We might get through all of these questions, or just focus on one or two, depending on how deep the discussion is getting. And some nights, we might listen to the chapter in the car and not have a chance for a great discussion at all. Be flexible.)