Bible Discussion Questions for Adults: Making the Most of a Busy Holiday Season
- steveguidry
- Dec 6
- 5 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
It happens every year: in early December, discipleship pastors, education ministers, and small-church pastors all feel the same tension: your people are busier than ever, but they’re also more open than usual. Concerts, school programs, work parties, travel, and family expectations crowd the calendar—yet guests, infrequent attenders, and curious neighbors walk into your church because “it’s Christmas.”
In that kind of season, your Bible discussion questions for adults can either become one more thing to scramble for, or a simple way to turn limited time into real spiritual conversation.
Recent Barna research found that about three out of four U.S. adults say they want to grow spiritually, and nearly half say they’re more open to God now than before the pandemic. Lifeway studies continue to show that small groups and classes are a key engine of discipleship in the local church. And around Christmas, Lifeway reports that pastors still see the season as one of their highest-attended times—even though less than half of Americans say they typically attend church during Christmastime. (Lifeway Research+2Lifeway Research+2 Links).
All of that means: when adults actually make it to your class in December, the questions you ask really matter.
Why Bible Discussion Questions for Adults Matter More in December
December is not “normal time” in your groups. It’s noisy, emotional, and compressed. Adults show up:
Physically tired
Emotionally stretched (some elated, some grieving)
Spiritually curious, but easily distracted
In that environment, good Bible discussion questions for adults can help you:
Focus scattered attention on a specific passage of Scripture
Give space for both joy and grief without losing hope
Invite guests into the conversation without embarrassing them
Turn a familiar Christmas text into a fresh encounter with Jesus
On the other hand, flat or overly academic questions can make the hour feel like just one more thing on a crowded schedule.
The Core Idea: Questions That Aim at Transformation, Not Just Talk
Think of your questions as the “rails” your class runs on. In December especially, you want those rails to lead somewhere: toward worship, obedience, and hope in Christ.
Here’s a simple contrast using Luke 2:8–20.
Version A – Factual but flat
What were the shepherds doing when the angel appeared?
What did the angel say?
Where did the shepherds go afterward?
These are accurate, and you may need a couple of them—but adults can answer without ever engaging their hearts.
Version B – Bible discussion questions for adults
When you picture the shepherds in vs. 8–9, what part of their experience feels most relatable to your life right now?
The angel calls the news “good news of great joy” (vs. 10–11). Where has joy been easy—or hard—to find for you this season?
If you responded like the shepherds in vs. 15–20 this week, what might change in your conversations with coworkers, family, or neighbors?
Same passage. Same amount of time. Very different impact.
A Simple Checklist for Better Bible Discussion Questions for Adults
As you prepare for December, run your questions through this quick grid:
Are they anchored in the text?
Do your questions point people to specific verses, phrases, or contrasts in the passage?
Do they speak to real life in this season?
Are you naming stress, joy, loss, waiting, or hope in a way that feels honest?
Do they invite participation from everyone?
Could a guest or new believer answer at least some of your questions without feeling foolish?
Do they move toward response?
Is there at least one question that asks, “So what do we do with this?” in a concrete way?
Do they fit the time you actually have?
In a shortened or distracted December hour, simpler, sharper questions usually serve better than a long list.
Three Types of Holiday Questions That Serve Adults Well
To keep things practical, aim to include at least one of each of these in every lesson this month.
1. Text Questions
These tether the group to Scripture instead of drifting into general feelings.
“In Matthew 1:21–23, what do we actually learn about who Jesus is and what He came to do?”
“Looking at John 1:14, which phrase helps you most this week—‘became flesh,’ ‘dwelt among us,’ or ‘full of grace and truth’?”
2. Life-Story Questions
These draw out people’s experiences in the middle of a hectic season.
“When have you felt, like Mary, that God was asking you to trust Him with something you didn’t fully understand?”
“Can you think of a Christmas when God seemed especially near—or especially quiet? What was going on?”
3. Mission / Invitation Questions
These gently point the group outward.
“Who around you might be more open to a spiritual conversation in December than at any other time of year?”
“What is one simple way you could reflect God’s generosity to someone outside your family this week?”
Used together, these kinds of Bible discussion questions for adults turn the hour into more than just “reviewing the Christmas story.” They create room for the Spirit to work in real lives.
But What If You Don’t Have Time to Write All These Questions?
Here’s the honest part: December is probably your worst month for extra prep.
Lifeway’s State of Discipleship work notes that many pastors see discipleship as a priority but admit they don’t have a clear, detailed plan for it. Lifeway Research+1 And that’s in normal months—not the stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.
You’d love to custom-build Bible discussion questions for adults each week, but in reality you’re:
Planning extra services and special music
Managing budgets and year-end giving
Counseling hurting families
Trying to be present with your own family, too
That’s why I created Steve’s Bible Questions worksheets.
They’re designed to:
Keep each lesson anchored in a specific passage
Use layered questions that move from text → understanding → reflection → response
Give teachers a printable, walk-in-ready plan they can use even on a crazy weekend
You still know your people and adjust for your context. The worksheets just remove the “blank page at the worst possible time” problem so you can focus on shepherding.
A Simple Next Step for This December
Before the next Saturday rolls around, you might:
Choose the passage you’ll be in for the coming Sunday.
Draft or adapt three questions:
One “text” question
One “life-story” question
One “mission/invitation” question
If you’d like help, start from a ready-made worksheet instead of from scratch, and tweak one or two questions to fit your people.
You can’t slow the holiday calendar—but you can put thoughtful, Christ-centered Bible discussion questions for adults in front of the people who make it to your class. And God loves to use those simple, faithful efforts in every season.
Like this post? Here's a couple more you might like: https://www.stevesbiblequestions.com/post/adult-sunday-school-discussion-questions
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