Trusting God Instead of Worry: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 12:22-34

This Bible study series is for people who are learning English. It is designed for advanced beginner and intermediate learners, but children or adults who prefer simple English may also enjoy it.

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Luke 12:22-34 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 12:22-34 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

What is something you sometimes worry about?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn how Jesus teaches people not to worry about food, clothes, or money. He reminds us that God cares for us. We will hear how to trust God and think about his kingdom first.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

faith: (noun) Believing and trusting in God.
God’s kingdom: (phrase) The place or way where God rules as king.
harvest: (verb) To gather crops from the fields when they are ready.
heaven: (noun) The place where God lives.
last: (verb) To continue to exist for a long time.
little flock: (phrase) A small group of people who follow Jesus.
riches: (noun) A lot of money and expensive things.
treasure: (noun) A collection of very valuable things like gold.
trust: (verb) To believe that someone is good and honest.
worry: (verb) To feel unhappy because you are thinking about problems.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

barn: (noun) A building on a farm for animals or grain.
clothes: (noun) Things that people wear to cover their bodies.
destroy: (verb) To break something completely.
faith: (noun) Believing and trusting in God.
forever: (adverb) For all time without an end.
God’s kingdom: (phrase) The place or way where God rules as king.
harvest: (verb) To gather crops from the fields when they are ready.
heart: (noun) The part of a person where they feel and think.
heaven: (noun) The place where God lives.
important: (adjective) Something that matters a lot.
last: (verb) To continue to exist for a long time.
little flock: (phrase) A small group of people who follow Jesus.
riches: (noun) A lot of money and expensive things.
share: (verb) To give a part of what you have to others.
steal: (verb) To take something that does not belong to you.
surely: (adverb) Without any doubt.
treasure: (noun) A collection of very valuable things like gold.
trust: (verb) To believe that someone is good and honest.
wildflower: (noun) A flower that grows in nature without help.
worry: (verb) To feel unhappy because you are thinking about problems.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

add: (verb) To put something with another thing to make it more.
alive: (adjective) Living and not dead.
always: (adverb) Every time or at all times.
barn: (noun) A building on a farm for animals or grain.
beautiful: (adjective) Very pretty or nice to look at.
beautifully: (adverb) To do something in a way that is very pretty or very good.
bird: (noun) An animal with wings and feathers that can fly.
body: (noun) The whole physical part of a person or animal.
care: (verb) To feel that something is important.
clothes: (noun) Things that people wear to cover their bodies.
crow: (noun) A large, black bird.
destroy: (verb) To break something completely.
enough: (adjective) As much as you need.
even: (adverb) Used to show that something is surprising.
faith: (noun) Believing and trusting in God.
Father: (noun) A name for God.
fear: (verb) To be afraid of something.
feed: (verb) To give food to a person or animal.
field: (noun) An open area of land.
fire: (noun) The heat and light from something burning.
first: (adjective) Coming before all others in time or order.
flower: (noun) The colorful part of a plant.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
forever: (adverb) For all time without an end.
God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
God’s kingdom: (phrase) The place or way where God rules as king.
grass: (noun) A green plant that covers the ground.
great: (adjective) Very large or very good.
grow: (verb) To become bigger or older.
harvest: (verb) To gather crops from the fields when they are ready.
heart: (noun) The part of a person where they feel and think.
heaven: (noun) The place where God lives.
important: (adjective) Something that matters a lot.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
just: (adverb) Only or simply.
keep: (verb) To hold onto something or to continue to have it.
king: (noun) A man who rules a country.
kingdom: (noun) A country or an area that is ruled by a king.
last: (verb) To continue to exist for a long time.
little flock: (phrase) A small group of people who follow Jesus.
look at: (verb) To turn your eyes toward something to see it.
lost: (verb) To have had something taken away or to no longer have it.
make: (verb) To create or build something.
more: (adjective) A larger amount of something.
moth: (noun) A small insect that can eat holes in clothes.
much: (adjective) A large amount of something.
need: (verb) To require something because it is important.
next: (adjective) Coming right after.
none: (pronoun) Not any of a group of people or things.
only: (adverb) A word used to show that no other person or thing is included.
plant: (verb) To put a seed in the ground so it will grow.
put on: (phrase) To dress yourself with something.
rich: (adjective) Having a lot of money or things.
riches: (noun) A lot of money and expensive things.
save: (verb) To keep something for the future.
sell: (verb) To give something to someone for money.
share: (verb) To give a part of what you have to others.
should: (verb) A word used to say what is the right thing to do.
Solomon: (noun) A very wise king of Israel.
steal: (verb) To take something that does not belong to you.
store: (verb) To keep things in a place until they are needed.
surely: (adverb) Without any doubt.
than: (conjunction) A word used to compare two things.
thieves: (noun) More than one thief.
think: (verb) To use your mind to have ideas.
throw: (verb) To use your arm to send something through the air.
treasure: (noun) A collection of very valuable things like gold.
trust: (verb) To believe that someone is good and honest.
way: (noun) A path or a method of doing something.
wear: (verb) To have clothes on your body.
wildflower: (noun) A flower that grows in nature without help.
work: (verb) To do a job or use effort to finish a task.
worry: (verb) To feel unhappy because you are thinking about problems.
worth: (adjective) Having a certain value.

Summary of the Passage

This passage is about Jesus teaching his followers not to worry. He told them not to be afraid about what they would eat or wear. Jesus said life is more important than food, and our bodies are more important than clothes. He gave examples from nature to help them understand.

Jesus told them to look at the crows. These birds do not plant seeds or harvest food to store in barns. Yet, God feeds them. Jesus reminded the people that they are much more valuable than birds. He also talked about wildflowers. These flowers do not work or make clothes for themselves. But Jesus said they are more beautiful than the famous King Solomon in all his riches. Solomon was a very wealthy king from long ago, but God dresses the flowers even better than him! Jesus said that if God cares for grass and flowers, he will surely care for people too.

Then, Jesus told them not to act like people who do not know God. Those people worry about food, clothes, and money. Jesus explained that God knows what people need and will give those things to them. He said it is better to think first about God’s kingdom and trust God to give what is needed. Jesus told them to share with the poor. This builds a treasure in heaven that will last forever. It is safe there because thieves cannot steal it and moths cannot destroy it.

This passage teaches us to trust God and not worry. It shows us that God loves us and will take care of us. Jesus wants us to focus on loving God and others, not just on collecting money and things.

Read The Passage

Most English learners should use the Easy-to-Read Version (ERV), the New International Reader’s Version (NIRV), or the Good News Translation (GNT). If you want to try something harder, you can read one of the other Bible versions.

Put God’s Kingdom First
22 Jesus said to his followers,
“So I tell you, don’t worry about the things you need to live—what you will eat or what you will wear.
23 Life is more important than food, and the body is more important than what you put on it.
24 Look at the birds.
They don’t plant, harvest, or save food in houses or barns, but God feeds them.
And you are worth much more than crows.
25 None of you can add any time to your life by worrying about it.
26 And if you can’t do the little things, why worry about the big things?
27 “Think about how the wildflowers grow.
They don’t work or make clothes for themselves.
But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers.
28 If God makes what grows in the field so beautiful, what do you think he will do for you?
That’s just grass—one day it’s alive, and the next day someone throws it into a fire.
But God cares enough to make it beautiful.
Surely he will do much more for you.
Your faith is so small!
29 “So don’t always think about what you will eat or what you will drink.
Don’t worry about it.
30 That’s what all those people who don’t know God are always thinking about.
But your Father knows that you need these things.
31 What you should be thinking about is God’s kingdom.
Then he will give you all these other things you need.
Don’t Trust in Money
32 “Don’t fear, little flock.
Your Father wants to share his kingdom with you.
33 Sell the things you have and give that money to those who need it.
This is the only way you can keep your riches from being lost.
You will be storing treasure in heaven that lasts forever.
Thieves can’t steal that treasure, and moths can’t destroy it.
34 Your heart will be where your treasure is.
Luke 12:22-34 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 12:22-34 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 12:22-34 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 12:22-34 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 12:22-34 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 12:22-34 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 12:22-34 (ESV)

Luke 12:22-34 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

Who was Jesus talking to in this passage?
What did Jesus tell the people not to worry about?
Why did Jesus tell them to look at the birds?
What do the flowers in the field teach us about God?
What happens to grass after a short time?
Who does Jesus say knows what people need?
What did Jesus tell people to think about first?
Where does Jesus say we should save our riches?
Why does Jesus say we should not be afraid?

Application Questions

What are some things you worry about in your life?
How can thinking about the birds and flowers help you trust God more?
What does it mean to focus on God’s kingdom first?
How can you be generous to someone this week?
Where do you want your heart to be — with money or with God?

Theological Insights

God loves and cares for all of his creation, including people.
Worry cannot change our lives or make them longer.
God knows everything we need before we even ask.
God’s kingdom is the most important thing in life.
Our hearts follow what we love the most, so we should love God above everything else.