- For lessons aimed at younger students, choose stories that are short and direct, such as the birth of Christ, his visit to the temple, or an example of one of his many miracles. Engage children's sense of wonder by telling one of these stories in your own words. Afterward, help the children make a craft that ties in with the story. For example, if you tell the story of the loaves and fish, have the children cut out cardboard fish and write a verse from Luke's Gospel on it in crayon.
- Lessons aimed at teenagers should be grounded in an understanding of the life and time of Christ. Plan lessons on the Roman occupation described in the Gospel of Luke, or the role of the Jewish priesthood in the Gospel. Discuss the timeline of Christ's life, or how Luke describes his death and resurrection. Ask each teen to memorize a favorite verse from Luke's Gospel and present it to the class. Give the teenagers a chance to ask questions about the accounts, and take them seriously and answer their questions honestly. Invite them to offer opinions.
- Lessons for adults can focus on spirituality and belief, or on scholarly matters related to the style and history of the text. In lessons based in spirituality, encourage and support the sharing of personal beliefs. Use your own examples to help students relate the stories in the Gospel of Luke in ways that are meaningful to their own lives. For example, recount a particular story or verse from Luke's Gospel and relate it back to how it recently helped you make a difficult decision. Focus scholarly lessons on the question of authorship in the Gospel of Luke, and compare Luke to the other Synoptic Gospels for differences in style and audience.
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