Riven
by Jerry. B. Jenkins

List Price: $24.95
Pages: 544
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781414309040
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

When a condemned man with nothing to lose meets one with nothing to gain, everyone washed by the endless ripples of that encounter will forever recall the day a little bit of heaven invaded a whole lot of hell. Brady Wayne Darby and Thomas Carey could hardly have been more disparate individuals. Yet when Darby, a no-account loser raised in a dingy suburban trailer park, encounters Carey, a weary man of God, an entire --- state indeed, a nation --- is affected. Embark on a wondrous journey where death, guilt and despair are unfathomably trumped by rebirth, forgiveness and hope.

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1. Can you empathize with Brady’s many mistakes? What’s the one thing you’ve done in your life that you would change if you could?

2. When defending your position on capital punishment, do you rely on Scripture, statistics, or something else? And what conclusion do you come to?

3. Should Thomas have stuck with the ministry, or was God trying to tell him to get into a new line of work?

4. Did you find Katie a sympathetic or unsympathetic character? Why or why not? Was she a victim before her fate was settled, or did she cause her own problems?

5. Consider Rav and her frustration with her parents. Can we increase the odds that our children will communicate with us when times get tough? How?

6. Why does God allow people like Grace to suffer? Have you ever been in a similar situation --- praying for a miracle, but hearing only silence? How did you handle that?

7. How does Grace’s illness help nonbelievers (like Ravinia) understand the nature of God? Is there any way to make even this situation work for the good?

8. Have you ever been betrayed by a friend? How did you respond? Was there a better way you could have reacted?

9. How would you categorize the “types” who populate high school (or high school reunions)? How are you like --- or unlike --- Brady?

10. Why did Peter look up to his brother, Brady? How can we make sure that our children (and grandchildren) focus on positive role models? Are there any true heroes left?

11. Can a guy like Brady ever turn his life around? How can someone like Thomas know whether he’s witnessed a true conversion or a scam?

12. Do you know anyone like Aunt Lois? What makes her faith so transparent and vulnerable?

13. Is there anything you and your family could do to minister to those behind bars?

14. Can guilt trigger spiritual growth? Does despair ever prompt rebirth? In what circumstances?

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