Entering the Kingdom of God: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 18:15-30

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 18:15-30 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 18:15-30 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

When you were a child, what made you feel safe and happy?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn how Jesus welcomes children and teaches about entering the Kingdom of God. We will also hear a story about a rich man and learn what is most important in life.

Vocabulary List for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

accept: (verb) To take something that is given to you.
command: (noun) An order that someone must obey.
eternal life: (phrase) A life that never ends with God in heaven.
follow: (verb) To go after someone to be their student or helper.
God’s kingdom: (phrase) The place or way where God rules as king.
obey: (verb) To do what a rule or a person tells you to do.
poor: (adjective) Having very little money or things.
respect: (verb) To show that you think someone is important.
rich: (adjective) Having a lot of money or things.
save: (verb) To keep someone from danger or death.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

accept: (verb) To take something that is given to you.
belong: (verb) To be in the right place or to be connected to something.
bless: (verb) To ask God to be kind to someone.
command: (noun) An order that someone must obey.
commit adultery: (phrase) To have sex with someone who is not your husband or wife.
eternal life: (phrase) A life that never ends with God in heaven.
follow: (verb) To go after someone to be their student or helper.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
God’s kingdom: (phrase) The place or way where God rules as king.
lay hands on: (phrase) To put hands on a person to show they are special or to ask God to bless them.
murder: (verb) To kill someone on purpose.
obey: (verb) To do what a rule or a person tells you to do.
poor: (adjective) Having very little money or things.
possible: (adjective) Something that can happen.
respect: (verb) To show that you think someone is important.
reward: (noun) Something good given for doing a good job.
rich: (adjective) Having a lot of money or things.
save: (verb) To keep someone from danger or death.
steal: (verb) To take something that does not belong to you.
tell lies: (phrase) To say things that are not true.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

accept: (verb) To take something that is given to you.
belong: (verb) To be in the right place or to be connected to something.
bless: (verb) To ask God to be kind to someone.
brought: (verb) To have taken someone or something to a place.
call: 1. (verb) To give a name to someone or something. 2. (verb) To ask someone to come to you or to meet with you.
camel: (noun) A large animal with a hump that lives in the desert.
come: (verb) To move toward a person or a place.
command: (noun) An order that someone must obey.
commit adultery: (phrase) To have sex with someone who is not your husband or wife.
easier: (adjective) More simple to do than something else.
enter: (verb) To go inside a place.
eternal life: (phrase) A life that never ends with God in heaven.
eye of a needle: (phrase) The very small hole in a needle for sewing.
follow: 1. (verb) To obey or listen to the teaching of someone. 2. (verb) To go after someone.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
give away: (phrase) To give something to someone for free.
God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
God’s kingdom: (phrase) The place or way where God rules as king.
hard: (adjective) Very difficult to do.
heard: (verb) To have received sound with your ears.
heaven: (noun) The place where God lives.
home: (noun) The place where a person lives.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
know: (verb) To have information about something in your mind.
lay hands on: (phrase) To put hands on a person to show they are special or to ask God to bless them.
leader: (noun) A person who is in charge of a group.
left: 1. (verb) To go away from a place. 2. (verb) To be remaining or to stay behind when others are gone.
let: (verb) To allow something to happen.
look: (verb) To use your eyes to see something.
more: (adjective) A larger amount of something.
much: (adjective) A large amount of something.
murder: (verb) To kill someone on purpose.
must: (verb) To need to do something.
need: (verb) To require something because it is important.
obey: (verb) To do what a rule or a person tells you to do.
only: (adverb) A word used to show that no other person or thing is included.
other: (adjective) Different from the one already mentioned.
Peter: (noun) One of the main followers of Jesus.
poor: (adjective) Having very little money or things.
possible: (adjective) Something that can happen.
promise: (verb) To say you will surely do something.
refuse: (verb) To say no to something.
religious: (adjective) Relating to religion or the worship of God.
respect: (verb) To show that you think someone is important.
reward: (noun) Something good given for doing a good job.
rich: (adjective) Having a lot of money or things.
riches: (noun) A lot of money and expensive things.
save: (verb) To keep someone from danger or death.
saw: (verb) To have looked at something with your eyes.
sell: (verb) To give something to someone for money.
since: (preposition) From a certain time until now.
steal: (verb) To take something that does not belong to you.
still: (adverb) Continuing until now.
stop: (verb) To prevent someone from doing something.
teacher: (noun) A person who helps others learn.
tell lies: (phrase) To say things that are not true.
than: (conjunction) A word used to compare two things.
through: (preposition) Moving from one side to the other.
times: (noun) The number of times something happens or is repeated.
told: (verb) To have given information to someone.
truth: (noun) The things that are real and true.
welcome: (verb) To greet someone in a friendly way.
world: (noun) The earth and all the people on it.

Summary of the Passage

This passage has two important stories about how to enter God’s kingdom. In the first story, people brought their small children to Jesus. They wanted him to lay hands on them and bless them. Jesus’ followers told the people to stop. Jesus did not like this! He called the children to him. He said that God’s kingdom belongs to people who are like these children. He told everyone that people must accept God’s rule like children do. Children are humble and trust their parents. We must trust God in the same way.

In the second story, a rich man came to Jesus with a big question. He asked what he must do to have eternal life. Jesus reminded him about God’s commands. These are rules like not stealing, not telling lies, and showing respect to parents. The man said he had obeyed these rules since he was a boy.

Jesus looked at the man and loved him. He told the man there was still one thing to do. He told him to sell everything and give the money to the poor. Then the man would have riches in heaven. The man became very sad. He had many things and did not want to give away his money. He refused to follow Jesus because he loved his money more than God.

Then, Jesus said it is very hard for rich people to enter God’s kingdom. He said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom. The eye of a needle is the very small hole in a needle used for sewing. A giant camel cannot fit through that tiny hole! Jesus used this picture to show that people cannot save themselves with money. Only God can change a heart. People asked, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus answered that what is not possible for people is possible for God.

This passage teaches us that we should trust God with simple, child-like hearts. It also teaches us to love Jesus more than our money or things. God can save anyone who comes to him!

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.

Jesus Welcomes Children
15 Some people brought their small children to Jesus so that he could lay his hands on them to bless them.
But when the followers saw this, they told the people not to do this.
16 But Jesus called the little children to him and said to his followers,
“Let the little children come to me.
Don’t stop them, because God’s kingdom belongs to people who are like these little children.
17 The truth is, you must accept God’s kingdom like a little child accepts things, or you will never enter it.”
A Rich Man Refuses to Follow Jesus
18 A religious leader asked Jesus,
“Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?”
19 Jesus said to him,
“Why do you call me good?
Only God is good.
20 And you know his commands:
‘You must not commit adultery, you must not murder anyone, you must not steal, you must not tell lies about others, you must respect your father and mother ….’”
21 But the leader said,
“I have obeyed all these commands since I was a boy.”
22 When Jesus heard this, he said to the leader,
“But there is still one thing you need to do.
Sell everything you have and give the money to those who are poor.
You will have riches in heaven.
Then come and follow me.”
23 But when the man heard Jesus tell him to give away his money, he was sad.
He didn’t want to do this, because he was very rich.
24 When Jesus saw that the man was sad, he said,
“It will be very hard for rich people to enter God’s kingdom.
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom.”
Who Can Be Saved?
26 When the people heard this, they said,
“Then who can be saved?”
27 Jesus answered,
“God can do things that are not possible for people to do.”
28 Peter said,
“Look, we left everything we had and followed you.”
29-30 Jesus said,
“I can promise that everyone who has left their home, wife, brothers, parents, or children for God’s kingdom will get much more than they left.
They will get many times more in this life.
And in the world that is coming they will get the reward of eternal life.”
Luke 18:15-30 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 18:15-30 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 18:15-30 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 18:15-30 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 18:15-30 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 18:15-30 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 18:15-30 (ESV)

Luke 18:15-30 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

Who did the people bring to Jesus?
What did the followers do when the people brought the children?
What did Jesus say about the children?
What question did the rich man ask Jesus?
What commandments did Jesus remind the man about?
How did the man say he had lived his life?
What did Jesus tell the man to do with his riches?
How did the man feel after hearing Jesus’ answer?
What did Jesus say about rich people and God’s Kingdom?
What did Jesus say about what is possible with God?
What did Peter tell Jesus the followers had left behind?
What did Jesus promise to those who follow him?

Application Questions

Why do you think Jesus loves children so much?
What are things people sometimes love more than God?
Why is it hard for people with many things to follow God?
What is one thing you can do this week to trust God more?
How does it feel to know God can do what is impossible for people?

Theological Insights

God’s Kingdom is for people who trust him like little children.
Jesus wants us to love God more than money or things.
Only God can save people and give them eternal life.
Following Jesus sometimes means giving up hard things, but God promises great rewards.
God loves people of every age, rich or poor.