Carol Kent - Between a Rock and a Grace Place Participants Guide: Divine Surprises in the Tight Spots of Life

If you picked up this participants guide, it no doubt means you are someone who is living in the middle of circumstances you wish were more favorable. Or, you might be gathering with a group of friends who want to encourage each other to hold on to hope and find divine surprises in the tight spots of life. Whatever your situation, Im glad you have joined this study!

My own life was turned upside-down when my son, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, was arrested for the murder of his wifes first husband. After going through two and a half years and seven postponements of his trial, he was eventually convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. I know what its like to feel between a rock and a grace place.

One day when I was struggling with sad mama thoughts, my sister Jennie emailed me a verse from the Bible that captivated my heart. Even though I grew up as a preachers kid, went to church almost every Sunday, and have read and studied the Bible throughout my life, I didnt recall hearing Romans 9:33. When Jennie shared Eugene Petersons rendering from The Message, the verse came alive for me:

Careful! Ive put a huge stone on the road to Mount Zion,
a stone you cant get around.

But the stone is me! If youre looking for me,
youll find me on the way, not in the way.

It has now been more than a decade ago right in the middle of my life that I ran into a huge boulder, the likes of which I had never encountered on my lifelong walk with God. It could have been my stopping place the point at which I lost not only some of my most cherished dreams but also my faith, my joy, my purpose, and my passion to go on. Instead, I found out that the Rock in my path represented not an obstacle but an opportunity to encounter the living God in surprising, sometimes astonishing ways. As I have learned to press into the Rock in the middle of my hard places, I have discovered that I am actually in a position of safety, refuge, and grace. Year after year, God continues to transform my hard places into grace places where I discover surprising gifts of faith, mercy, contentment, praise, blessing, freedom, laughter, and adventure tailor-made for me with his tender, loving care.

If you too feel caught in one of those tight spots that seem unusually difficult, if not unbearable, I pray that you will come to realize that the pain of being in this place need not cause you to lose hope. If you press into the Rock instead of trying to get around it, you will discover a surprise far better than a birthday or a Christmas gift. On the road that is your life right now, you can find a new way of thinking about your circumstances, as well as an astonishing experience of grace, tailor-made just for you. As you encounter God on the way, not in the way, you may come to know him as you never have before. Remember what Olympian Eric Liddell said: Circumstances may appear to wreck our lives and Gods plans, but God is not helpless among the ruins.

Id love to stay connected to you throughout your study of Between a Rock and a Grace Place. Youll find regular blog updates at www.CarolKent.org or you can follow me at www.twitter.com/CarolKentSpeaks. I post encouraging quotes and updates on my speaking schedule daily. Please let me know how God is using this study in your life and how he is teaching you to lean into the grace place.

GROUP SIZE

Between a Rock and a Grace Place is designed to be experienced in a group setting such as a Bible study, Sunday school class, or any small group gathering. To ensure everyone has enough time to participate in discussions, it is recommended that large groups break up into smaller groups of four to six people each.

Each participant should have his or her own participants guide, which includes notes for video segments, directions for activities and discussion questions, as well as a reading plan and optional take-home assignments to deepen learning between sessions. Although the study can be fully experienced with just the video and this participants guide, participants are also encouraged to have a copy of the Between a Rock and a Grace Place book. Reading the book along with watching the video sessions provides even deeper insights that make the journey richer and more meaningful.

FORMAT OPTIONS

Between a Rock and a Grace Place can be used by groups that meet for one hour or two hours. Each group session can be completed in one hour but includes optional activities and group discussions that expand the material to accommodate groups that meet for two hours.

TIMING

The time notations for example (20 minutes) indicate the actual time of video segments and the suggested times for each activity or discussion. Adhering to the suggested times will enable you to complete each session in one hour. If you have additional time, you may wish to allow more time for discussion and activities.

Alternate time notations and optional activities for two-hour groups are set off with a gray background. For example:

GROUP DISCUSSION Grace in the Hardest of Places: Surprised by Faith (5 MINUTES)

If your group meets for two hours, allow 10 MINUTES for this discussion.

In this example, one-hour groups allow 5 minutes for the discussion and two-hour groups allow 10 minutes for the discussion.

FACILITATION

Each group should appoint a facilitator who is responsible for starting the video and for keeping track of time during discussions and activities. Facilitators may also read questions aloud and monitor discussions, prompting participants to respond and assuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate.

BETWEEN-SESSIONS PERSONAL GROWTH

Maximize the impact of the course between sessions by reading the corresponding chapter in the Between a Rock and a Grace Place book, memorizing the suggested Scripture verse, and following through with the optional extra assignment. Setting aside just twenty to thirty minutes a day for personal study will enable you to complete the book and participants guide by the end of the course.

In this ebook edition, please use your devices note-taking function to record your thoughts wherever you see the bracketed instructions [Your Notes] or [Your Response]. Use your devices highlighting function to record your response whenever you are asked to checkmark, circle, underline, or otherwise indicate your answer(s).

SESSION 1
G RACE IN THE H ARDEST OF P LACES

SURPRISED BY FAITH

I know God will not give me anything I cant handle.
I just wish he didnt trust me so much!
Mother Teresa

WELCOME!

Welcome to session one of Between a Rock and a Grace Place. You are about to begin a spiritual and personal adventure with the members of your small group. If this is your first time together as a group, briefly introduce yourselves to each other before watching the video. Then lets get started!