Opening
Death, betrayal and separation are just a few of the things that can lead to grief and sadness in our everyday lives. Grief and sadness are powerful things in our lives because they remind us of how fragile life can be. Grief and sadness are all too real in our everyday lives, but they can be overcome by the hope and comfort we find in Jesus Christ. Let’s take a look at grief as it played out in the lives of Ronnie and Jonah.

Watch DVD Scenes 12 and 13 (“Everything Can Change” and “Unfinished Business”) Start time: 1:10:52—End Time: 1:19:20 (8:28)

Discussion Questions
1. In this scene, the pending death of their father was causing great grief for Ronnie and Jonah. How did they react to their grief? (Ronnie responded with anger toward her father in the hospital room; Jonah also responded with anger toward Ronnie and Will as he was wondering how he was going to finish the stained glass window he and his father had been working on all summer.)

2. What were some other things in the movie that brought grief to Steve, Ronnie and Jonah? (The divorce brought grief to Ronnie and Jonah; the relationship between Ronnie and her father brought grief to Jonah; etc.)

3. What are some things that bring grief and sadness into your life? (Answers will vary.) How do you normally react when grief and sadness strike? (Denial, depression and anger are just some of the ways we respond to grief and sadness in our lives.)

4. Read Psalms 34:18 and Isaiah 25:8. Who should you turn to for comfort in your times of grief and sadness? (The Lord our God.) Is grief something you can overcome on your own, or do you need the help of God, family and others to overcome it? (It’s hard to overcome grief by keeping it inside. Sharing your grief with others is part of the grieving and healing process.)

5. What are some ways you can help others overcome grief and sadness in their lives? (Experts give the following advice for helping those who are suffering through grief: First, acknowledge the situation. Second, you should express concern. Third, you should be genuine and don’t hide your feelings. Fourth, you should offer support. Finally, ask how the person feels. Don’t assume you know how the grieving person is feeling on any given day. All of these steps deal with just being there for the grieving person.)

6. Why do yout think grief and sadness are such powerful emotions in our lives? (Answers will vary.)

7. The Bible gives us many verses to bring us comfort in the dark times of our lives. Read Psalms 9:9; Psalms 18:2; Psalms 62:5-6. What comfort do you find in these verses? (The Lord is a refuge and stronghold in times of trouble/grief; the Lord is my rock, my refuge, my shield in time of need/grief; our hope comes from God.)

8. Read Isaiah 40:31; Matthew 5:4; and Revelation 21:4. Hope can help us overcome grief in our lives. What hope do you find in these verses? (A hope of renewed strength, we will not grow weary; we will be comforted when we mourn; the hope of no more mourning, death, crying or pain!)

9. Read Romans 8:35-39. How does it make you feel knowing that grief or anything else in all creation will not be able to separate you from the love of God that is Jesus Christ our Lord? (Answers will vary.)

Closing Thought
An unknown author may have put it best when saying, “Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.” The grief and sadness we experience in this life will be overcome by the hope that awaits us in heaven. No matter what situation may rock your world, never lose sight of the words of the psalmist, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” May you always in your time of grief take refuge in your stronghold, your rock, your God.

Closing Prayer
“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:7).

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Ps. 34:18).

“He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove His people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken” (Isa. 25:8).

“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble” (Ps. 9:9).

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Ps. 18:2).

“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken” (Ps. 62:5-6).

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isa. 40:31).

:Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matt. 5:4).

“‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away'” (Rev. 21:4).

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:35, 37-39).