Small Group Bible Discussion Questions: Making Room for Real Conversation at Christmas

The Saturday before Christmas is a strange moment in ministry life. As a small-group teacher, discipleship pastor, education minister, or small-church pastor, you can feel it in the air:

• Some people are already traveling.

• Some are squeezing in their last holiday errands.

• Some are quietly dreading a hard gathering or an empty chair at the holiday table.

And yet, when your small group meets—around a living room, a kitchen table, or a

church classroom—there’s a unique openness. People are a little more reflective. Many are more willing than usual to talk about Jesus, hope, and the meaning of it all. Research keeps confirming that many adults say they want to grow spiritually and are more open to God now than before the pandemic. (Barna Group Link) That means your small group Bible discussion questions matter even more this time of year.

Lifeway and others continue to highlight small groups as one of the primary environments where discipleship actually takes root, especially when groups stay small enough for people to know and be known. (Links)  In December, those same little circles can become a gentle place for tired, joyful, grieving, and curious people to sit with the Christmas story together.

What your small group can offer this week

Imagine your group gathering sometime in the days just before Christmas:

• Someone comes straight from a crowded store, still stressed about gifts and money.

• Another slips in quietly, feeling the weight of loss or fractured relationships.

• A college student home for the holidays joins you for the first time in months.

• A neighbor, finally accepting that invitation, walks into your home a little unsure.

In that space, small group Bible discussion questions aren’t just a teaching tool. They’re a way of saying:

“You are welcome here. Your story matters. Let’s listen to what God is saying together.”

Good questions slow everyone down. They draw people into Scripture. They make it safe to admit both joy and pain, and they point the whole group back to Jesus.

The heart behind small group Bible discussion questions at Christmas

In December, you don’t need a complicated lesson plan. You need questions that do three things:

1. Lift people’s eyes to the wonder of Christ.

2. Make room for honest stories and emotions.

3. Invite a simple, doable response.

That’s what we’re aiming for when we talk about small group Bible discussion questions—especially in the final days before Christmas.

A simple three-part framework for your Christmas gathering

Take any Christmas passage—Luke 1–2, Matthew 1–2, John 1:1–14—and build your time around three kinds of questions.

1. Wonder questions – “Who is this Jesus?”

These help the group slow down and pay attention to the miracle in front of them.

Examples:

• “In this passage, what phrase about Jesus catches your heart tonight, and why?”

• “If you had to explain this scene to a child in one sentence, what would you say about who Jesus is?”

You’re not asking for full commentary—just inviting adults to pause and worship.

2. Life questions – “Where does this meet us?”

These bridge the gap between the text and the reality of this particular Christmas.

Examples:

• “Where do you especially feel the ‘good news of great joy’ this year—and where does joy feel distant?”

• “Mary and Joseph walk in obedience even when the road is inconvenient and uncomfortable. Where have you seen God asking you to trust Him in the middle of chaos or change?”

Here you’re gently opening space for celebration and sorrow. People who are hurting don’t have to pretend. Those who are full of joy don’t have to hold back.

3. Response questions – “What do we carry into this week?”

These keep the time from staying abstract. They help adults leave with something concrete.

Examples:

• “Because of what we’ve read tonight, what is one small way you want to approach this week differently?”

• “Who is one person God might be nudging you to encourage, invite, or serve in these next few days?”

Application doesn’t have to be grand. For some, it will be a conversation or a phone call. For others, a simple act of generosity or a decision to forgive.

A short checklist for shaping your questions

As you finish planning your gathering, run your small group Bible discussion questions through this quick checklist:

• Rooted in Scripture?Do they point back to specific verses, not just general Christmas sentiment?

• Safe for everyone in the room?Could a guest or newer believer answer at least some of them without feeling out of place?

• Honest about the season?Do your questions acknowledge that Christmas can be joyful, heavy, or both?

• Focused on Jesus?Are you helping people see Him—not just traditions, nostalgia, and events?

• Leading toward grace-filled response?Is there at least one question that sends people into the week with hope and intention?

If a question checks most of those boxes, it will likely serve your group well.

But what if you don’t have time to write questions right now?

The Saturday before Christmas is rarely a slow day for leaders. You’re juggling:

• Last-minute changes to services or programs

• People who need extra care in a hard season

• Your own family rhythms and expectations

You may want to sit with an open Bible and craft the perfect set of small group Bible discussion questions, but reality doesn’t always allow it.

That’s one reason I created Steve’s Bible Questions discussion worksheets.

They’re designed so that:

• Scripture stays at the center of the conversation

• Questions move naturally from wonder, to real life, to response

• A tired leader can walk into a living room or classroom with a printable guide that still leaves room for the Holy Spirit and for personal stories

You still know your people. You still decide what to linger on or skip. But you’re not staring at a blank page when you’re already running on fumes.

A simple plan for this Christmas gathering

Here’s a quick way to pull things together for your next small group meeting:

1. Pick your passage.Choose a Christmas text that fits your group—Luke 2 is classic; John 1 works well with groups that like to think and discuss.

2. Choose three questions.

   • One wonder question

   • One life question

   • One response question

3. Leave space for prayer.After the discussion, ask, “How can we pray for each other in light of what we’ve heard tonight?” Then actually pray, even if it’s simple and unpolished.

4. Consider using a worksheet next time.If this week felt rushed, try starting from a pre-written discussion worksheet next time you meet. Adapt it, shorten it, or add to it—but let it carry some of the load.

As Christmas approaches, your group doesn’t need a flawless lesson. They need a place where Scripture is opened, Jesus is honored, and their real lives are welcomed into the conversation. Thoughtful small group Bible discussion questions can help you offer exactly that.