Reel Questions

Use these questions to help bring a Bible story to life. Only use a few at a time. You can read more about these questions and how to use them on the Reel Luke series overview​ page.

Reel Setting (place)

• Where did this story happen? (Describe the setting — in a house, on a road, by a lake, in a city, etc.)
• What do you think that place looked like? smelled like? sounded like?
• Do you think it matters that this story happened in that specific place? Why?
• What about the place in this story feels familiar? What feels strange?

Reel People (characters)

• Make a list of all the people in this story and give a one-word description of each (include “crowd” if there is one). Why did you choose that word?
• What does Jesus say and do in this story? List all the things. Does anything surprise you? Why?
• Which person (besides Jesus) is most interesting to you? Why?
• What details about the characters do you wish were included or explained in the story? Why?
• Why do you think [choose a specific character or the crowd] spoke or acted the way they did?
• What are some different things that [the person from previous question] could have said or done? How would that have changed the story?
• What do you think the onlookers were thinking and feeling as things were happening in this story? Why?
• How do you think the main characters might have changed after this story? Why? (Sometimes it tells us, like with Zacchaeus, but other times it doesn’t.)
• How do you think the crowd or onlookers might have changed after this story? Why?
• If you’d been there, where would you have been standing or sitting? What would you have been thinking or feeling? Why?

Reel Events (plot)

• List all the events in the story.
• List some details that aren't included but are assumed in the story.
• What do you think are the two or three most important moments in this story? Why?
• If this story were a film, when would the music be scary or tense? When would it be joyful or upbeat? Why?
• What do you think maybe happened right before this story? What do you think maybe happened right after this story?
• Does the biblical story before or after this one matter to this story? How? Why do you think that?
• What are some different ways things could have happened or ended in this story?
• If this story were happening today in your school or town, what are ways Jesus might have acted or explained things for your context?
• What would you call this story if it were a full-length book or movie? Why?

Real Faith

• What’s a way people could misunderstand or misuse this story?
• Why do you think this story is in the Bible? Why would God want us to read and learn from it?
• What are you learning about Jesus (or his Father or the Spirit) from this story?
• What are you learning about following Jesus (living for Jesus and living like Jesus) from this story?
• After reading this story, what are some questions you have about Jesus and following him?