GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE

INTRODUCTION

1. What prompted you to read this book? 2. What are you hoping to learn or experience by reading thisbook? 3. How would you describe love? 4. What does love feel like to you? 5. Have you ever been afraid that Jesus would withhold hislove from you? Why or why not?

CHAPTER 1: LEGACY

1. Describe your childhood home. How did it affect who youare now and the relationships you have as an adult? 2. Have you ever let your anger ruin a relationship? If so,what happened? 3. When have your emotions disrupted your sleep? 4. What do you use as an escape from difficult times? 5. When have you struggled to overcome your past? 6. How have you witnessed or experienced God turning paininto beauty? What effect did that have on you? 7. In 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 the Bible says, “When anyonelives in Christ, the new creation has come. The old is gone!The new is here! All this is from God.” What does this meanfor anyone needing to overcome their past?

CHAPTER 2: DREAMS

1. When have you had to let go of one dream in order topursue another dream? 2. When has God called you to trust him? 3. What can we learn about trusting God from the story ofAbram? 4. Do you ever struggle to stay close to God? Why or whynot? 5. When have you felt shame from choices you’ve made?What has helped you to forgive yourself?

6. Why is being honest an important part of overcomingaddiction? 7. In what ways are confession and trusting God related? 8. God told Abram to “Go from your country, your people andyour father’s household to the land I will show you." (Genesis12:1) What do you think God is telling you to leave behind?

CHAPTER 3: STALKER

1. What were some of the challenges you faced in school orat home when you were young? 2. Did you ever have to move to a new school or town whenyou were growing up? If so, what struggles did you face inyour new home? 3. Is it easy or difficult for you to make new friends? Why doyou think that is? 4. Esther found comfort in knowing that one of the Bible’sheroes, David, once wrote, “How long, Lord? Will you forgetme forever? How long will you hide your face from me?"(Psalm 13:1) What does a passage like this teach you aboutdoubt and hardship? 5. When has the Word of God been a lifeline for you? 6. What verses do you turn to when you need a reminder ofGod’s goodness? 7. How does it make you feel to know that God is with youduring your hardships?

CHAPTER 4: COMEBACK

1. When have you felt doubt about God or your faith? 2. In what ways are fear and doubt tied together?

3. When have you passionately prayed for something? 4. When has God answered a prayer in a way thatdisappointed or angered you? 5. God’s answer to disappointment and hard times is often,“Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10-11)” How canmeditating on God’s presence and existence help you inthose times? 6. How does it make you feel to know that you don’t need tofulfill any requirements in order for God to love you?

CHAPTER 5: CHOICES

1. What do you think would be the most difficult part offinding true love on a reality show? 2. Have you ever felt like you knew God’s plan for you butthen ended up being wrong? If so, describe your experience. 3. When have you strayed from your faith? At what point didyou take ownership of it again? 4. Why do you think starting each day praying and readinghis Bible helped Sean maintain his focus and commitmentsto God? 5. Where are you on your journey of love? How does it makeyou feel to know that God loves you and has a plan for you? 6. Sean’s favorite quote from the Bible reads, “You don’teven know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? It isa mist that appears for a little while. Then it disappears. …you should say, ‘If it pleases the Lord, we will live and do thisor that.’" (James 1:2-4) How can this inform your decisionmaking process?

CHAPTER 6: UNWORTHY

1. What do you think drives people to commit violent acts? 2. What does forgiveness mean to you? 3. What is one of the most powerful stories of forgivenessthat you’ve heard? How did it affect you? 4. Do you believe there are limits to God’s love? Why or whynot? 5. What does “the voice of truth” sound like to you? 6. The Bible teaches that, “It is by grace you have beensaved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is thegift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."(Ephesians 2:8-9) How does it make you feel to know thatyou don’t have to earn God’s love? How does that knowledgechange how you view others?

CHAPTER 7: VALLEYS

1. Have you ever felt that your standing with God was deter-mined by how well you followed the rules? Why or why not? 2. When have you felt pressure to do things you knew werewrong in order to fit in with others? 3. What is the difference between obeying God and givinghim your heart? How are they similar? 4. When have you wrestled with God? What was the result? 5. Why do you think our struggles can strengthen ourrelationship with God? 6. What does it look like for you to live for God? 7. Mike and Carrie found comfort in the Bible passage,Jeremiah 29:11-14, “I know the plans I have for you, plans toprosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope anda future. …You will seek me and find me when you seek mewith all your heart. I will be found by you…and will bring youback from captivity.” What does this verse teach about Godand his love during hard times?

CHAPTER 8: AFTERMATH

1. What do you know of PTSD? 2. Why do you think God allows us to suffer through pain andtragedy? 3. What group or activity has helped you during a difficulttime in your life? 4. Have you experienced a traumatic event? If so, what hashelped you to cope with it physically, mentally, andemotionally? 5. Why is it important to put God in your plans? How do youmake sure God is guiding you as you move forward?

6. God promised in Ezekiel 36:26, “I will give you a new heartand put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heartof stone and give you a heart of flesh.” How does thisillustrate God’s role helping Chad through his mental healthchallenges?

CHAPTER 9: ADOPTED

1. What thoughts or feelings do you have when you think ofadoption? 2. What is your knowledge of the foster care system? 3. What do you think would be the joys of fostering children?What do you think would be the hardships? 4. Have you ever considered being famous? How would thatbe different than being famous in heaven? 5. How would you describe God as our heavenly Father tosomeone who doesn’t know him?

6. In what ways have you been transformed by God’s love? 7. In what ways has God provided for you? How does hiscare and provision make you feel? 8. The Bible says, “The Lord watches over the foreigner andsustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates theways of the wicked." (Psalm 146:9) If this is God’s heart,what would it mean for you to align yourself to where God is?

CHAPTER 10: WHOLE

1. Have you felt anger about an event you couldn’t control? 2. Have you ever participated in a competition? If so, whatmade you determined to focus and win?

3. When have you felt as though you didn’t measure up? Howdid you cope with those feelings? 4. Why do you think we often try to control situations in whichwe have no power? 5. Why is it important to know we don’t have to earn God’slove? How does it make you feel to know that God loves youunconditionally? 6. Have you accepted God’s love? If not, what do you think ispreventing you from doing so? If so, how can you help othersexperience God’s love? 7. Jessica needed to know she wasn’t a mistake. Ephesians1:4-5 says, “God chose us to belong to Christ before the worldwas created. He chose us to be holy and without blame in hiseyes. He loved us.” What does this verse teach you aboutyour shortcomings or self-doubts?

CHAPTER 11: REBORN

1. Who influenced you as a child? How did their influenceshape the person you are today? 2. How does it make you feel to know you are a child of theKing? How does that perspective change how you live yourlife? 3. What does being “reborn” mean to you? How have youexperienced it in your life? 4. What holes in your life have you tried to fill with thingsother than God? How can God fill those holes?

5. What might change in your life if you moved aside to letGod work? 6. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A town built ona hill can’t be hidden." (Matthew 5:14) What responsibilitiescome with being a child of God?

CHAPTER 12: MAID

1. What can you learn about God from the story of Balaamand the donkey? 2. Who is someone that has impacted your spiritual life? 3. What do you think is the real meaning of life? 4. What draws you to Jesus? What makes you want to knowmore about him? 5. When is a time that you feel God spoke to you throughanother person? 6. What, if anything, frightens you about turning your life overto God? What about it is comforting?

CHAPTER 13: WHOSOEVER

1. Has there been a time you strayed from God or made poordecisions that you later regretted? What happened? 2. Where or how have you experienced proof of God’sexistence?

3. In what ways have you found freedom in Christ? 4. Jesus warned his followers, “My disciples, does the worldhate you? Remember that it hated me first. If you belonged tothe world, it would love you like one of its own. But you donot belong to the world. I have chosen you out of the world."(John 15:18-19) In what ways is following Jesus an act ofrebellion?

CHAPTER 14: HATER

1. When have you struggled to show God’s love tosomeone? Why was it difficult? 2. When have you experienced or felt hate for someone?How would you describe that feeling? 3. What is your experience or knowledge of racism? What doyou think should be done to stop it? 4. Do you know someone who is consumed with hate? If so,how does it affect that person’s life? 5. Why is it important to show respect to people despite theirpast actions? 6. Jesus said, “Love your enemies. Pray for those who hurtyou. …If you love those who love you, what more are youdoing than others? Even people who are ungodly do that. Sobe perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."(Matthew 5:44, 46-48) What does it mean to love like Godloves?

CHAPTER 15: ALIEN

1. What are your plans for the future? Do you believe thoseare also God’s plans for you? 2. How do you seek God’s will in your life? 3. Do you struggle with your ego? How does this get in theway of following God’s plan for you? 4. How can you help people see God through the work youdo? 5. Why is it important to be humble? 6. The Bible teaches, “In their hearts human beings plan theirlives. But the Lord decides where their steps will take them."(Proverbs 16:9) What steps do you feel God leading you totake?

HOW TO BECOME SECOND

1. What does it mean to “become second”? 2. Have you ever made Jesus first in your life? If not, wouldyou like to? You can talk with God and tell him, in your ownwords, that you want Jesus to be first in your life and that youtrust he died to forgive your sins and rose from the dead togive you new life. Admit to him you know you can’t earn thisnew life, but that you trust his grace to give it to you. 3. What does it mean to Live Second? How does LivingSecond differ from today’s cultural expectations? 4. In what ways might your life change by putting God first? 5. How can your life’s story point others to Jesus? 6. Who can you turn to for wisdom, strength, andencouragement as you learn more about God? 7. What did you learn by reading this book? 8. How would you describe this book to your friends? Wouldyou recommend it to them? Why or why not?

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