Following Jesus Is Costly: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 14:25-35

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Luke 14:25-35 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 14:25-35 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Have you ever started a big job or plan and found it harder than you expected? What happened?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn what it means to truly follow Jesus. Jesus teaches that following him is not always easy, but it is worth it. We will also talk about how God wants us to live with care and purpose.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

ask for peace: (phrase) To send a message to an enemy saying you want to stop fighting.
carry the cross: (phrase) To be willing to suffer or have a hard life because you follow Jesus.
cost: (noun) The amount of money you must pay for something.
decide: (verb) To make a choice.
defeat: (verb) To win a fight against someone.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
influence: (verb) To have an effect on the way someone thinks or acts.
plan: (noun) A set of steps to do something.
salt: (noun) A white powder used to give food flavor.
worth: (adjective) Having a certain value.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

able: (adjective) Having the power or skill to do something.
against: (preposition) In opposition to or in conflict with.
army: (noun) A large group of soldiers who fight for a country.
ask for peace: (phrase) To send a message to an enemy saying you want to stop fighting.
carry the cross: (phrase) To be willing to suffer or have a hard life because you follow Jesus.
cost: (noun) The amount of money you must pay for something.
cross: (noun) Two pieces of wood put together that were used to kill people.
decide: (verb) To make a choice.
defeat: (verb) To win a fight against someone.
dung: (noun) Waste from animals.
enough: (adjective) As much as you need.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
influence: (verb) To have an effect on the way someone thinks or acts.
laugh at: (phrase) To make fun of someone in a way that is not kind.
lose: (verb) To have something taken away or to no longer have it.
peace: (noun) A time of quiet and no fighting.
plan: (noun) A set of steps to do something.
salt: (noun) A white powder used to give food flavor.
throw away: (phrase) To put something in the trash because it is no longer useful or good.
worth: (adjective) Having a certain value.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

able: (adjective) Having the power or skill to do something.
again: (adverb) One more time.
against: (preposition) In opposition to or in conflict with.
another: (adjective) A different one.
army: (noun) A large group of soldiers who fight for a country.
ask for peace: (phrase) To send a message to an enemy saying you want to stop fighting.
began: (verb) To have started something.
begin: (verb) To start something.
build: (verb) To make something by putting parts together.
building: (noun) A place with walls and a roof where people live or work.
carry: (verb) To hold something and move it from one place to another.
carry the cross: (phrase) To be willing to suffer or have a hard life because you follow Jesus.
come: (verb) To move toward a person or a place.
cost: (noun) The amount of money you must pay for something.
cross: (noun) Two pieces of wood put together that were used to kill people.
decide: (verb) To make a choice.
defeat: (verb) To win a fight against someone.
dirt: (noun) The ground where plants grow.
dung: (noun) Waste from animals.
enough: (adjective) As much as you need.
even: (adverb) Used to show that something is surprising.
far away: (adverb) At a great distance from a person or a place.
fight: (verb) To use force against someone.
finish: (verb) To reach the end of a task.
first: (adjective) Coming before all others in time or order.
follow: (verb) To obey or listen to the teaching of someone.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
given: (verb) To have handed something over to another person.
hear: (verb) To receive sound with your ears.
influence: (verb) To have an effect on the way someone thinks or acts.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
job: (noun) The work that a person does to earn money.
just: (adverb) Only or simply.
king: (noun) A man who rules a country.
laugh at: (phrase) To make fun of someone in a way that is not kind.
leave: (verb) To go away from a place.
listen: (verb) To pay attention to a sound with your ears.
lose: (verb) To have something taken away or to no longer have it.
love: (verb) To care very much for someone and want what is best for them.
make: (verb) To cause a feeling or a change.
many: (adjective) A large number of people or things.
might: (verb) A word used to show that something is possible.
much: (adjective) A large amount of something.
must: (verb) To need to do something.
own: (adjective) Belonging to a specific person.
peace: (noun) A time of quiet and no fighting.
plan: (noun) A set of steps to do something.
salt: (noun) A white powder used to give food flavor.
salty: (adjective) Tasting like salt.
send: (verb) To cause someone or something to go to a place.
sit down: (phrase) To move your body from a standing position to a seat or the floor.
still: (adverb) Continuing until now.
taste: (verb) To notice the flavor of food in your mouth.
than: (conjunction) A word used to compare two things.
think: (verb) To have a specific opinion or a thought in the mind.
throw away: (phrase) To put something in the trash because it is no longer useful or good.
travel: (verb) To go from one place to another.
try: (verb) To make an effort to do something.
use: (verb) To do something with a tool or an object.
whoever: (pronoun) Any person who does something.
work: (noun) A job or the things a person must do.
worth: (adjective) Having a certain value.
would: (verb) A word used to talk about something that might happen or something someone wanted to do.

Summary of the Passage

This passage is about a time when many people were traveling with Jesus. He wanted to teach them something very important. Jesus said that following him means loving him more than anything or anyone else. He said we must love him even more than our families or our own lives. He told the people that they must be ready to carry their own cross. A cross was two heavy pieces of wood used to punish people long ago. To carry a cross means a person is ready to have a hard time or suffer because they follow Jesus.

Jesus gave two short stories to help the people understand this. In the first story, a man wanted to build a tall building. Before he started, he had to decide how much it would cost. He had to see if he had enough money to finish the job. If he did not plan correctly, people would laugh at him when the building stopped halfway.

In the second story, a king wanted to fight an army from another country. First, he needed to sit down and think. He had to decide if his 10,000 soldiers could defeat the other king’s 20,000 soldiers. If he was not strong enough, he would send a message to ask for peace while the other army was still far away.

Jesus explained that following him is like these stories. People must think carefully before they choose to follow him. It is not always easy. It takes courage. At the end, Jesus said that salt is a good thing. Salt gives food a good flavor. However, if salt loses its salty taste, it is worth nothing. You cannot even use it as dirt or dung. People just throw it away.

In the same way, people who say they follow Jesus must truly live in a way that shows his influence. Influence is the power to change how other people think or act. Just like salt changes the taste of food, a follower of Jesus should change the world around them for the better, even if it means giving up things that we want or like. This is called sacrifice.

This passage teaches us that following Jesus is not always easy, but it is very important. It means giving up some things and being ready for hard days. However, it also means having a full life with God’s love and peace.

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.

Decide if You Can Follow Me
25 Many people were traveling with Jesus.
He said to them,
26 “If you come to me but will not leave your family, you cannot be my follower.
You must love me more than your father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters—even more than your own life!
27 Whoever will not carry the cross that is given to them when they follow me cannot be my follower.
28 “If you wanted to build a building, you would first sit down and decide how much it would cost.
You must see if you have enough money to finish the job.
29 If you don’t do that, you might begin the work, but you would not be able to finish.
And if you could not finish it, everyone would laugh at you.
30 They would say,
‘This man began to build, but he was not able to finish.’
31 “If a king is going to fight against another king, first he will sit down and plan.
If he has only 10,000 men, he will try to decide if he is able to defeat the other king who has 20,000 men.
32 If he thinks he cannot defeat the other king, he will send some men to ask for peace while that king’s army is still far away.
33 “It is the same for each of you.
You must leave everything you have to follow me.
If not, you cannot be my follower.
Don’t Lose Your Influence
34 “Salt is a good thing.
But if the salt loses its salty taste, you can’t make it salty again.
35 It is worth nothing.
You can’t even use it as dirt or dung.
People just throw it away.
“You people who hear me, listen!”
Luke 14:25-35 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 14:25-35 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 14:25-35 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 14:25-35 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 14:25-35 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 14:25-35 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 14:25-35 (ESV)

Luke 14:25-35 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

Where were the people going with Jesus?
What did Jesus say about loving him more than family?
What does it mean to carry your own cross?
Why did the man sit down before building a tower?
What would the people do if the man could not finish the tower?
Why did the king sit down before going to war?
What would the king do if he did not have enough soldiers?
What does Jesus say about people who follow him?
What happens when salt loses its saltiness?
Why do you think Jesus talks about salt at the end of the story?

Application Questions

What is something hard you have done because it was the right thing?
Why do you think Jesus wants people to think carefully before following him?
What are some things people might need to give up to follow Jesus?
How can you be like good salt in your family and community?
Who helps you when life is hard and you feel weak?

Theological Insights

Jesus wants us to love him most of all, even more than family.
Following Jesus means hard days will come, but God will be with us.
We should think carefully about our choices and plans in life.
God gives us value and a job to do, like salt that helps food.
People who follow Jesus must stay strong in faith and not give up.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, Thank you for teaching us what it means to follow Jesus. Help us to be brave and trust you when life is hard. Thank you for loving us and giving us your peace. Amen.