FriendSpeak Luke Workbook
Sample questions and seed thoughts for each lesson:
These open-ended questions were created by people like you who were preparing for FriendSpeak reading sessions. Each person read through each lesson with the seed thought in mind, formulated questions independently, and then met with a group to share ideas. Combining their questions gave them more options for conversation during their sessions. These are not the only questions to use – feel free to pick through and choose the ones that fit the relationship you have with your Reader and to create more of your own. Only questions are listed—mostly open-ended ones—so you will need to decide on how you would answerthem for yourself. Additionally, you might anticipate how someone reading the story for the first time without any other knowledge of the Bible might answer and how you would respond. Your Reader’s answers may often surprise you with a perspective very different from your own. Remember to listen to your Reader, to seek to really understand what they are saying to you, and to keep focus on the text for the session. It’s better to leave them a little hungry for your next meeting time than to stuff them so full of new ideas that they can’t digest anything! May the Lord bless your conversations and may your Reader see Jesus in you!
Sample questions:
Lesson 1—Seed Thought: Luke believed he was writing about true events.
- Tell me about an historical event that’s interesting to you.
- What have you studied carefully? Why was it important to you?
- How did you feel after studying it?
- Why was it important to Luke to write down everything that happened?
- What fairy tales do you tell to children in this country/your homeland/culture?
- Have you ever written a research paper?
- How did you find good information sources for it?
- How did you gather you information?
Lesson 2— Seed Thought: God can do anything.
- Have you heard this story before? When? Where?
- Why was Mary confused?
- What things did the angel tell Mary?
- What will Mary’s baby be like?
- What things are people afraid of today? What makes you afraid?
- What helped Mary feel better?
- Why does Luke include this story in his history of Jesus?
Lesson 3— Seed Thought: Luke believed he was writing history(with names of real people & places)
- How do people register to be married in this country?
- Does your country have a census? How often? How is it done?
- What happened to Mary in Bethlehem?
- What would you have done/thought/felt if you were Mary?
- Why is this an important part of the story?
- Have you ever traveled when hotels were full? What happened?
- How do you celebrate the arrival of a new baby?
- How does this story compare with what the angel told Mary about the baby?
Lesson 4— Seed Thought: Jesus was man.
- Tell me about an important festival in your culture.
- Describe someone whose wisdom amazes you.
- Why were Jesus parents in Jerusalem?
- Tell about one of your family traditions.
- What things amaze you?
- Have you ever been lost?
- Where would you look for a lost 12-year-old boy?
- How did Jesus get along with his parents?
Lesson 5— Seed Thought: Jesus was God.
- Why is John’s message ‘good news’?
- Have you ever seen a farm?
- Have you ever seen someone baptized? What was it like?
- What things have you hoped for in your life?
- What amazing things have you seen?
- What have you wondered about?
- Why do you think people were hoping for the Christ to come?
- How do you feel after you receive something you’ve been hoping for?
Lesson 6— Seed Thought: Jesus was as human as we are.
- What is more important to you than food?
- Have you ever gone for a long time without eating?
- What would you do if offered all the power in the world?
- What is more important to you than power/fame?
- What things are hard to resist?
- Why is it bad for Jesus to do these things? Why should he resist?
- Why does Luke include this story? (What important thing will Theophilus learn about Jesus from this story?)
- How does Jesus answer the devil?
- Who is the devil to you?
- Why is the devil tempting Jesus?
- What does it mean to be tempted? Tell about a time you were tempted to do something.
Lesson 7— Seed Thought: Jesus was concerned with the spiritual& the physical.
- Why were so many people there?
- How do you react when you’re interrupted?
- Have you ever been in a big crowd?
- What power do you respect?
- What sins do you think this man did?
- Describe a time when you forgave someone.
- What would you break through a roof to get?
- What healed this man?
- How would you have reacted if you had been there?
- What do you remember about your teachers in school?
- Why were the Pharisees/teachers of law mad?
- What do you think sin is?
- Why did Jesus heal the man?
- Why did Luke include this story?
Lesson 8— Seed Thought: Jesus is the friend of people with problems & weaknesses.
- What common complaints are heard in your house?
- When do you go to see the doctor?
- Have you ever gone somewhere with someone you didn’t know?
- What do people think are ‘dishonorable’ occupations today? in your country? (Who are today’s ‘tax collectors’?)
- How does Jesus help people? Why do people need his help?
- How does Jesus react to the Pharisees?
- How is Jesus different from the other religious people?
- What kinds of ‘teachers’ do people follow today?
Lesson 9— Seed Thought: The wise one builds on a solid rock.
- What does Jesus expect from someone who follows him?
- Do you have floods here? How often? What happens?
- Which of the two people in the story are you like?
- Tell about a time you felt destroyed by something.
- How do you feel about your life? (going well/falling apart?)
- What kinds of things make a person strong?
- What are some of the floods in life?
- What things can hold a house together?
- Have you ever built a sand castle? Tell me about it.
Lesson 10— Seed Thought: Jesus is the friend of those who need help.
- How do people show appreciation in this culture?
- Why does this woman love Jesus so much?
- What valuable thing are you saving for a special occasion?
- Have you ever owed a big debt that you couldn’t pay back?
- What did the people in the town think of the woman?
- How does Jesus react to the ‘important people’ in the story?
- How does Jesus react to the ‘social outcast’ in the story?
- What will Theophilus learn about Jesus from this story?
- How did the woman feel about her life?
- How did the Simon feel about his life?
- Have you ever given a dinner party?
- How does it feel to apologize for a mistake?
Lesson 11— Seed Thought: what kind of soil are you?
- What things do people worry about today? What do you worry about?
- What ‘roots’ do you have?
- How can people change to a different kind of soil?
- How can soil be made better? How can people be ‘made better’?
- What kind of soil are you?
- Why did the farmer scatter seed everywhere?
- Why did Jesus teach with stories?
- What stops people from thinking about God?
- How do you feel about the stories we’ve read (banker, farmer)?
Lesson 12— Seed Thought: Jesus is from God. OR: Following Jesus is not easy.
- What kind of Kingdom was Jesus talking about?
- When did your parents say ‘no’ to you? What was it like?
- Why do parents tell their children ‘no’?
- Has anyone ever confused you with someone else?
- How do other people describe you?
Lesson 13— Seed Thought: Jesus is God’s son. OR: Don’t listen to other prophets.
- How did Peter feel when he woke up and saw Jesus?
- What made the men afraid?
- Have you ever seen anything amazing?
- Have you ever suffered before?
- Why does Luke include this unusual story in his history of Jesus?
- What does the voice tell the men?
- How would you feel if you saw this happen? What would it be like to be there?
Lesson 14— Seed Thought: Followers of Jesus are socially involved.
- Why did the teacher ask Jesus which people he had to love?
- Why didn’t the priest and Levite stop to help the injured man?
- What are some of the most respected professions today? Some of the least?
- Why does Luke include this teaching?
- How does Jesus expect his followers to treat people?
- Do you have obligations/duties to help anyone?
Lesson 15—If we keep looking, we will find it.
- What do people look for in our cultures today?
- What do people think is most important to have?
- What does Jesus say about finding important things?
- Do you ever pray? What do you pray about? Who do you pray to?
Lesson 16— Seed Thought: God cares about inside things, not outside things.
- What are some of your customs for taking care of visitors to your home?
- What are some of your mealtime traditions?
- What does Jesus think about the religious leaders of his day?
- How does Jesus want the religious leaders to act? What should they change?
- What will Theophilus learn from this teaching?
Lesson 17— Seed Thought: Jesus taught values different from those of today.
- What kind of person do you think God would call “rich”?
- Why does this man come to talk to Jesus?
- How can people ‘guard against selfishness’?
- How is what Jesus teaches different from what our cultures teach us?
- What was more important than the brothers’ inheritance?
Lesson 18— Seed Thought: God provides for us if we trust him.
- Why do people worry about life?
- How do people stop worrying about things?
- How does Jesus want his followers to live?
- What does Jesus say God will do for followers who trust him?
- What do you worry about most?
- What does Jesus think is the most important thing to want?
Lesson 19— Seed Thought: Not everyone chooses to follow Jesus.
- How did the host feel when the guests said ‘NO’ to his invitation?
- Who is usually invited first to a fancy dinner? Who is hardly ever invited?
- Why didn’t the guests come?
- Why did the host send his servant out 3 times?
- What would you do if you had a party and no one came?
- What does this story tell about God’s nature?
Lesson 20— Seed Thought: Regardless of how far away we go, God always welcomes us back.
- Why did the younger son want to leave home?
- What was his journey like?What made the son come home again?
- How was he different?
- How did his father react?
- How would you have felt if this were your son?
- How did the son feel about his father’s reaction?
- What does this story tell followers of Jesus about the nature of God?
- Why does Luke include this story?
Lesson 21— Seed Thought: We cannot have two masters.
- How can money be a ‘master’ to people?
- What do most people use their money for?
- How can money be used for doing good things?
- Why are ‘little things’ important to Jesus?
- What does this story say about how followers of Jesus should live?
Lesson 22— Seed Thought: We make our decision about Jesus in the way we live.
- Why is the rich man suffering?
- What were the rich man’s priorities in life?
- Why does the rich man want to send messengers to his family?
- What makes people decide to believe in God?
- Why does Luke include this story?
- What does Abraham say will help the people believe in God?
Lesson 23— Seed Thought: We recognize our weakness in order to come to God.
- Was the Pharisee really a perfect person?
- Why wasn’t the Pharisee forgiven?
- What might the tax collector have done wrong?
- Why was the tax collector forgiven?
- How does each man see himself? How does each man think of God?
- What is Jesus teaching his followers about attitudes that make God happy?
- What does this story tell us about followers of Jesus? (What are they like?)
Lessons 24—31:
THE POWERFUL STORY OF JESUS DEATH & RESURRECTION.
These lessons create rich conversations easily on their own. If Reader comprehends the text the events of the trial, crucifixion, and resurrection will be a surprising and disturbing part of the story. Luke’s book details so much good done by Jesus that these events are puzzling end.
Spend your sessions helping them understand what is happening in the lesson text. Try hard not to wander to other passages of scripture. Let the Word speak to them. Answer the questions they ask you.
Be sure to ask your Reader the most important question of all:
“Now that you’ve read about Jesus, His life, His teachings, His death and resurrection, what do you think about Him?” Be prepared for how your Reader may respond –no matter what degree of faith their answer shows.
Below are some example questions you might use with your Luke workbook. Remember, these are merely suggestions. You will want to create questions that reflect your own experience with each text as well as your unique personality. Remember to think about how you will react to your Reader’s answers.
Lesson One: Luke believed that he was writing about true events.
What kind of document was Luke writing? Why do you think he was writing this letter? When you write letters to your friends or family, what kind of things do you write about? What is the difference between a history book and other kinds of books? Why did Luke want Theophilus to know he was writing history? How could this help Theophilus? When you write letters, do you write about true events or do you make up facts? Did Luke believe that what he wrote was true? How do we know? How did Luke get his information and data? Why did Luke study everything so carefully? If you received this letter from a good friend, would you be interested in reading more?
Lesson Two: God can do anything.
How do people get engaged in your country/culture? What news did the angel bring to Mary? Why? Who was Elizabeth? Why does Luke mention Elizabeth? How did Mary feel about what the angel said? How would you feel if you were Mary? What things are most people afraid of today? What makes you afraid? What helped Mary feel better? What does Mary believe about God? What does the angel tell Mary about her baby? What kind of person will he be? (note: Reader will need to know that King David & Jacob were famous ancestors of the Jewish people) What do you think: can God do anything? What would you like for God to do for you? Why does Luke include this story in his history of Jesus?
Lesson Three: Luke believes he is writing history.
Who was Augustus? Who was Quirinius? Where is Syria? Why do you think Luke mention these people and places? What do you know about the Roman Empire? Why did the people go to be registered? Why did Augustus want them to register? Does your country have any type of registration process or Census? Tell me how it works. Where was Jesus born? Why do you think he was born in this way? How does the description of Jesus’ birth compare to what the angel told Mary about the baby? What do you know about Jesus?
Lesson Four: Jesus was man.
Does your family have any traditions? What is a feast? (big dinner)
What is the Passover Feast (the Jewish nation’s celebration of freedom from slavery)? Do you have feasts in your country/culture? Tell about it. Were you ever lost as a child? Tell about it. How did you feel? What happened after this Passover Feast? How long did Joseph and Mary look for Jesus? How do you think they felt? Where would you look for a lost 12 year old boy today? Where did they find Jesus? What was he doing? Why was that amazing? Was Jesus surprised that his parents were worried? Why? How did Jesus react when his parents didn’t understand him? How is Jesus like you and me in verse 52? Why is it important for Luke & Theophilus to know this about Jesus? Why would a follower of Jesus need to know this?
Seed Thoughts:
- Lesson One: Luke 1:1-4 LUKE BELIEVED THAT HE WAS WRITING ABOUT TRUE EVENTS.
- Lesson Two: Luke 1:26-38 GOD CAN DO ANYTHING!
- Lesson Three: Luke 2:1-7 LUKE BELIEVES HE IS WRITING HISTORY.
- Lesson Four: Luke 2:41-52 JESUS WAS A MAN.
- Lesson Five: Luke 3:15-18, 21-22 JESUS IS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD.
- Lesson Six: Luke 4:1-13 JESUS WAS AS HUMAN AS WE ARE.
- Lesson Seven: Luke 5:17-26 JESUS WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL.
- Lesson Eight: Luke 5:27-32 JESUS IS THE FRIEND OF PEOPLE WITH PROBLEMS AND WEAKNESSES.
- Lesson Nine: Luke 6:46-49 THE WISE PERSON BUILDS ON A SOLID ROCK (JESUS).
- Lesson Ten: Luke 7:36-43 JESUS IS THE FRIEND OF THOSE WHO NEED HELP.
- Lesson Eleven: Luke 8:4-15 WHAT KIND OF SOIL ARE YOU?
- Lesson Twelve: Luke 9:18-27 JESUS IS FROM GOD or FOLLOWING JESUS IS NOT EASY.
- Lesson Thirteen: Luke 9:38-46 JESUS IS GOD’S SON. DON’T LISTEN TO OTHER PROPHETS. 106
- Lesson Fourteen: Luke 10:25-37 A FOLLOWER OF JESUS IS SOCIALLY INVOLVED.
- Lesson Fifteen: Luke 11:1-13 IF WE KEEP LOOKING, WE WILL FIND IT.
- Lesson Sixteen: Luke 11:37-46 GOD CARES ABOUT INSIDE THINGS, NOT OUTSIDE THINGS.
- Lesson Seventeen: Luke 12:13-21 JESUS TAUGHT VALUES THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM TODAY’S.
- Lesson Eighteen: Luke 12:22-31 GOD PROVIDES FOR US IF WE TRUST HIM.
- Lesson Nineteen: Luke 14:16-24 NOT EVERONE CHOOSES TO FOLLOW JESUS.
- Lesson Twenty: Luke 15:11-24 REGARDLESS OF HOW FAR WE GO AWAY, GOD WELCOMES US BACK.
- Lesson Twenty-one: Luke 16:9-13 WE CANNOT HAVE TWO MASTERS.
- Lesson Twenty-two: Luke 16:19-31 WE MAKE OUR DECISION ABOUT JESUS IN THE WAY WE LIVE.
- Lesson Twenty-three: Luke 18:9-14 WE RECOGNIZE OUR WEAKNESS IN ORDER TO COME TO GOD.
- Lessons Twenty-four through Thirty-one: THE POWERFUL STORY OF JESUS DEATH & RESURRECTION. HELP YOUR READER UNDERSTAND WHAT AND WHY AND ASK: Now that you’ve read about Jesus and his life, death, resurrection and teachings, what do you think?