10-Week Study & Discussion Guide

Habits of the Household

by Justin Whitmel Earley·71 discussion questions

Lead your group with the discussion already prepared: a reading plan, thoughtful questions, and printable handouts for everyone.

Last updated August 16, 2026

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Week 1 — FreeRead the Introduction of Habits of the Household. Key passages to consider alongside it: Deuteronomy 6:4–9; Luke 2:39–52.

Discussion question your group will work through:

1.Earley opens by describing the chaos of family mornings — the screaming, the lost shoes, the frantic rush — and suggests this isn't just a logistical problem but a spiritual one. Does that framing resonate with your experience of family life? Why or why not?

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About This Study Guide

At a glance: this is a 10-week study and discussion guide for Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley, with 71 questions organized by reading assignment. Week 1 is free to read, with no card required.

In Habits of the Household, Justin Whitmel Earley argues that the most powerful parenting tool available to families isn't a grand strategy or a weekend retreat — it's the ordinary, repeating rhythms of daily life. Drawing on the Christian tradition of liturgy, Earley makes the case that the small moments of the household (waking up, eating together, disciplining a child, putting kids to bed) are not interruptions to spiritual formation but the very place where it happens. The book's thesis is simple but convicting: habits form hearts, and whoever designs the habits of your household is discipling your family — for better or worse. Earley invites parents to be intentional architects of those habits, not passive passengers swept along by whatever the culture (or the screen) offers next.

This study guide is designed to walk you through the book one chapter at a time, over ten weeks. Each week, read the assigned chapter before your group meets (or before your personal study time). Then work through the discussion questions, which are meant to help you move from understanding Earley's ideas to honestly examining your own home and prayerfully imagining what change might look like. Many questions ask you to reflect on specific illustrations and practices from the chapter, so read with a pencil in hand. If you're studying alone, consider journaling your answers before the closing prayer. If you're in a group, resist the urge to rush through every question — it is better to linger on two or three and have a real conversation than to sprint through them all.

By the end of this guide, you should leave with more than good ideas about parenting. The goal is a renewed vision of the household as a spiritual place — a small but real outpost of the Kingdom where children and parents practice, day after day, what it looks like to love God and love each other. Expect to be encouraged, gently convicted, and practically equipped. Above all, expect to see your daily routines in a new light: not as the mundane background of your spiritual life, but as the very fabric of it.

Week 1: Introduction — The Liturgies of Home

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Read the Introduction of Habits of the Household. Key passages to consider alongside it: Deuteronomy 6:4–9; Luke 2:39–52.

Before diving into any particular habit, Earley sets up the whole framework: the household is a liturgical space, and the question isn't whether your home has rhythms, but whether those rhythms are forming your family toward love or away from it. Let these questions help you sit with that invitation.

2.The book borrows the concept of "liturgy" from the church and applies it to the home. In your own words, what does Earley mean when he talks about a "household liturgy"? How is this different from simply having a routine or schedule?

3.Earley argues that habits shape us even when — especially when — we're not consciously thinking about them. Where do you see evidence of this in your own household, for good or for ill?

a.What is one habit your family currently has that is forming your kids (or you) in a positive direction?

b.What is one habit — perhaps around screens, busyness, or conflict — that may be forming your family in a direction you don't actually want to go?

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10-Week Schedule

Week 2: Chapter 1 — Waking

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Read Chapter 1 of Habits of the Household. Key passages: Psalm 5:3; Lamentations 3:22–23; Mark 1:35.

1.Earley suggests that how we wake up sets the emotional and spiritual tone for the entire day. Do you agree? What does your typical morning currently communicate to your children before a word is spoken?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 3: Chapter 2 — Mealtimes

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Read Chapter 2 of Habits of the Household. Key passages: Luke 24:13–35; Acts 2:42–47; Luke 15:11–32.

1.Earley notes that the average American family eats together surprisingly rarely, and when they do, screens often dominate. Before reading this chapter, how did you think about family mealtimes? Has that changed at all?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 4: Chapter 3 — Discipline

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Read Chapter 3 of Habits of the Household. Key passages: Hebrews 12:5–11; Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4.

1.Earley makes a pointed observation: the word "discipline" shares its root with the word "disciple." Why does this etymology matter? How does it change the goal and the posture of correction in the home?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 5: Chapter 4 — Screentime

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Read Chapter 4 of Habits of the Household. Key passages: Philippians 4:8; Psalm 101:3; Matthew 6:22–23.

1.Be honest: what is your current relationship with screens in your household? On a scale of "intentional" to "reactive," where would you place yourself — and your children?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 6: Chapter 5 — Family Worship

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Read Chapter 5 of Habits of the Household. Key passages: Psalm 78:1–7; Deuteronomy 6:20–25; Ephesians 5:19.

1.Be honest: does your family have any regular practice of prayer, Scripture reading, or worship together outside of Sunday morning? If yes, how is it going? If no, what has gotten in the way?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 7: Chapter 6 — Marriage in the Household

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Read Chapter 6 of Habits of the Household. Key passages: Ephesians 5:22–33; Genesis 2:18–25; Song of Solomon 2:1–7.

1.Earley's decision to include a chapter on marriage in a parenting book is itself a statement. What is he saying about the relationship between the health of a marriage and the health of a household? Do you agree?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 8: Chapter 7 — Bedtimes

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Read Chapter 7 of Habits of the Household. Key passages: Psalm 4:8; Psalm 127:2; John 11:11–14.

1.Be honest about your current bedtime experience. Is it a moment of connection and peace, or a frantic battle you are trying to survive? What emotions does bedtime most reliably surface in you as a parent?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 9: Chapter 8 — The Age Chart & Planning the Years

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Read Chapter 8 of Habits of the Household. Key passages: Psalm 90:12; Ephesians 5:15–17; Luke 2:52.

1.Earley introduces the concept of an "age chart" — a tool for parents to map out the years remaining with their child and identify what they want to intentionally cultivate in each season. Before you think about filling one in, what is your gut reaction to the exercise? Does it feel inspiring, convicting, overwhelming, or something else?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 10: Review & Reflection

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Review your notes and journal entries from the entire book. No new reading is required, though you may wish to revisit sections that were most meaningful to you.

1.Looking back across the entire book, which chapter or habit was most personally convicting or transformative for you? What specifically did it surface in you — conviction, hope, grief, motivation?

+ 7 more questions in the full guide

Book Club Questions More by Justin Whitmel Earley Parenting & Family Spiritual Growth & Disciplines For Small Groups For Individual Study Free Question Generator Make a reading schedule for this book

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About the Habits of the Household guide

How many weeks is the Habits of the Household study guide?

This study guide covers Habits of the Household in 10 weeks, with week-by-week discussion questions, reading references, and closing prayers for each session.

How many discussion questions are included?

The complete guide includes 71 discussion questions across 10 weeks — an average of 7 questions per week, designed for group conversation.

Can I use this guide for a book club?

Yes — the questions are written for group discussion and work well for small groups, book clubs, church studies, and couples reading together.

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