General questions that often work
- What might happen if we fail to understand this or put this into practice?
- What might happen if we understand or act on this truth?
- What are some ways this could apply to us?
- What are some ways we could act on this truth?
- How could we become the type of person who can do this?
- What are some ways a person might act if they didn’t understand this truth?
- What do you notice here about _(something in the passage)_?
Compare and contrast; Reconcile apparent contradictions
- How is __________ similar to or different from __________________?
- What’s the difference between _____________ and _____________?
- What’s the relationship between ___________ and _____________?
- What do these things have in common?
- How does this fit in with what we read/ said earlier?
- How do you think _______________ reconciles with ________________?
- These both sound good. Let’s hear more evidence for each.
- Set up an apparent contradiction in your introduction, and ask the group how it might be resolved
Application; Connect abstract concepts with concrete realities
- How does _____________ illustrate _________________?
- What would it look like if we applied this in our lives?
- What would it look like if we had __________ but not ___________?
- What kind of results would we see if ______________?
- Ask them how a particular truth might apply either to life in general, or to specific situations you imagine
- Where do you see ______________ play out in this situation?
Reaction; Personal opinion and experience
- We’ve covered several important points. What do you think of them so far?
- Do you agree or disagree with ______________? Why?
- Are you or are you not in favor of ________________? Why?
- What is your reaction to this?
- What does __________ mean to you?
- When you think of _____________ what comes to mind?
- What is your reaction to this statement? (Read a statement from a third party – either real or imaginary)
- Who can share an experience where…
- How do we ______________? OR What are some ways that we _____________?
- What types of things might _____________? (e.g. “God call us to do?” “we need to do in order to forgive?”)
Role play; View from another perspective (especially good for teaching narratives)
- How might _________ have felt when _____________?
- How would you feel if you were in _______’s shoes?
- What thoughts and fears might _______________ have had when ______________?
- How do you think someone from x, y, or z perspective would answer this question?
- How do you think he might have reconciled __________ with ___________?
- What advice would you give someone in this situation?
- Do you think he wanted this to happen? Why?
Summarize, draw conclusions and predict future outcomes
- What results do you think this attitude might produce?
- What trend or pattern are you noticing here?
- What are we to make of this?
- How did you come to this conclusion?
- What would our group look like if we really understood this?
- What themes do you notice in this passage?
- If you had to summarize this in a single sentence, what would it be?
Creative thinking
- If we were going to construct a definition for _____________ what would that need to include?
- What are some other ways that _________ could have responded here? What benefits or drawbacks do you see for each?
- What might be some different solutions to this problem?
Critique, Analyze or Evaluate
- Before we reject this perspective, who can share some of its strengths?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of this position?
- What are some problems with that line of reasoning?
- What do you think of this approach?
- What are the underlying assumptions here?
- What are some suggestions that Paul gives in this passage about how to deal with suffering?
- Present and analyze a complicated ethical situation
- What are the principles at work here?
- What effects did this produce?
- What are some reasons this passage gives…
Other
- Brainstorm and then organize the responses
- Play devil’s advocate