Beyond the Pain: Adolescent Book and Study Guide Outline

Chapter One

Many youth in society struggle to believe if God truly loves them because like Anna they struggle with the negative choices they have made.  Yet too struggling to believe that Jesus Christ could truly greatly loves them.  The sadness of the consequences of their negative choices enhances their fear that Jesus Christ does not love them because of their negative choices and consequences. 

Anna struggled in her shame, fear and rejection of peers silently.  Though once a vibrant and outgoing youth her shame caused her to be isolated behind destructive walls of negative defeating emotions.  Yet, the continuous question of her heart was, “Does God love me”? The answer is yes to all youth is yes! You are greatly loved by God almighty.

Let’s journey with Anna and the illustration of her journey of knowing that she is greatly loved by her Heavenly Father.

Chapter Two

Galatians 2:20

As we will see with Anna living a surrendered life in Jesus Christ is a journey that required trusting the Lord, prayer, studying God’s Word, and having a strong peer support group due to peer pressure and fear of rejection. 

These issues cause many youth to greatly struggle in living a surrendered life and being able to say “Lord, I surrender every area of my life to you”. 

 Chapter Three

Anna learns that a surrendered life in Jesus Christ is only lived by God’s power and His love through the Holy Spirit.  As Anna continued her journey with the Lord, she can see that God’s great love for her never ceases because of her life struggles in her journey of surrendering to Him.  Lamentations 3:21-23.

Let’s journey with Anna and the illustration of her journey of surrendering her life to Jesus Christ.

Chapter Four

Sadly, as with Aaron in society depression, anxiety and fear affects many precious youth as they try to make sense of life.  Often, feeling or wondering if anyone cares.  Life often moves quickly in the busyness of life; but while one’s life may be derailed and the heart has lost Hope.  Though Aaron felt hopeless, yet he was not without Hope and Healing.  Like Aaron’s journey there is always great hope and help is always available no matter the pain or stage (depression, shame, anxiety, pain) of your struggle. 

Like many youth today that have found Hope there is always Hope and Healing for you in this journey.

Let’s journey with Aaron and the illustration of his journey of Hope and Healing.

Chapter Five

Leah a beautiful youth Psalm 139:14-18) with a unique birthmark was judged and mocked because of her birthmark.  Though her peers did not see her true beauty, but they chose to mock her because of the uniqueness of her birthmark.  Sadly, many are judged or mocked because of another’s insecurities.  The beauty of who God says you are does not change by one’s opinion of you; you are beautiful. 

Let’s read about beautiful Leah journey as she embraces the beauty of who she is.

Chapter Six

Mary struggled in the grief of her brother’s passing.  Yet, as with other youth there can be deep sadness and heartbreak of a love one passing.  Yet, some youth struggled with the guilt of a loved one passing.  The journey of grief can be one of sorrow, but it is not a hopeless journey because there is emotional healing in the journey.  And with the journey of the emotional healing of guilt or shame can truly be your reality.

Let’s follow Mary’s journey of healing in her sorrow of emotional pain, guilt and shame.

Chapter Seven

Bullying is a cruel behavior that is shown toward innocent victims and can be prolonged until intervention begins.  This behavior targets innocent youth with verbal, emotional or physical abuse and is wrong and unfair.

Yet, bullying must be reported immediately because the one bullying often increases in their negative behavior.

Let’s read about Mark’s journey and the hope he found in a trusted friend and adult intervention.

 Chapter Eight

The sadness of divorce affects multitudes of homes in society leaving youth devastated with issues of shame, angry and sometimes bitterness.  Also, leaving youth with emotions of guilt wondering what could they have done to keep their parent from divorcing.  Divorce is a choice that is made by one or both the parents.  This decision is made by the choices of parent(s) and there should not be any guilt of the children for the parent(s) final decision of divorce. 

Let’s journey with Mary as she heals in the pain and devastation of her parent’s divorce.

Chapter Nine

Abuse is wrong!

Sadly, many lives have been wounded by the pain of abuse; but there is Healing!

You are not alone in your journey as the Lord will rescue you in your pain and heal you.

Let’s journey with Abby as she processes her emotional pain and healing one day at a time (Lamentations 3:21-23).  You are not alone.

*Please know there are various resources of “Help” at the end of the chapter.

 Chapter Ten

Step-Parenting

Often for youth whose parents divorce, remarriage of one of the parents or both may happen.  Also, sometimes death of the spouses may also lead to remarriage.

As the illustration of Jeremiah’s journey there is a increase of step-parenting among homes. The role of step-parenting is difficult for the step-parents and the youth living in the home.

As with the illustration of Joel, step-parenting may lead to emotions of anger, bitterness and rebelliousness and cause a home to become a battleground.  But, there is hope as we will see in Joel’s journey of pain in the death of his mother and his emotions of pain, sorrow and rebelliousness.

Let’s journey with Joel as he finds hope in a situation that seems hopeless.

Chapter Eleven

Sadly, there is an increase of domestic violence among youth, which is a crime.  Also, domestic violence is against the law and the act of abuse is against a teen or adult must be quickly reported whether a teen or adult and should always be reported!

At the end of the story of Ruth there are outreach resources available to obtain help and intervention.

Let’s journey with Ruth in a painful intervention and healing of teen domestic violence.

 Chapter Twelve

Daniel suffered with various physical disabilities.  He lived a life of hope and peace as he journeyed in life with his Savior Jesus Christ.  But, sometimes those that may physical deformities some are not willing to loving embrace someone that is different. Through the illustration of Daniel he met Lisa whom treated him differently because of his physical disabilities though he sought to be her friend.

Sadly, some reject others that are different from them not understanding the beauty of person.

Let’s journey with Daniel in the surprise outcome which causes Lisa to accept the reality of loving embracing someone who is different from her.

Chapter Thirteen

The loss of a parent is devastating to a youth as they journey longing for the presence of their parent.  But as we read the story of Dina, yet as with others who has a loss of a precious parent through death there is hope and healing in the heart of those grieving.  Yet, with every journey Jesus Christ greatly loves you and will not let you journey alone.

Is there hope after a loss of a parent you love? Yes!  How?  Through God’s great love and power to heal you.

Let’s journey with Dina and the illustration of her journey of loss.

 Chapter Fourteen

The journey of struggling in the classroom and the struggle of feeling overwhelmed with class assignments can lead to emotions of anger, frustration and hopelessness.  Yet you are not hopeless and if this is your struggle it will get better.  Please, do not quit or give up.  Persevere, pray and study hard knowing you are not alone because many struggle with their learning, but because of God’s great grace and love one can move forward and do great things.

Let’s journey with Michael and the illustration of his journey in advancing forward in his learning achievements.

 Chapter Fifteen

As with the illustration of Jeremiah often Foster care is a place of loneness and struggling to belong with their peer group living in Foster care.

Yet, for some living in Foster care is the only home that they have known, but God’s love does not have boundaries and is able to reach the broken- hearted in any place, time or location. God cares about the broken-hearted.

Let’s journey in the illustration of Jeremiah’s journey of finding Hope.

Chapter Sixteen

Valerie illustrates how negative choices (sin) can affect ones self-image and seeing themselves in the beauty of who God says they are. (Psalm 139:14-18)

Sexual sin causes many yet to struggle with shame, condemnation and the beauty of who they are in Jesus Christ.  The Lord will never stop loving you and he forgives sin and does forgive his children. (I John 1:9)  There is hope.

Let’s journey in the illustration of Valerie’s journey of healing, God’s forgiveness and forgiving herself.

Chapter Seventeen

The illustration and pain of Ethan affect many youths due to an absent parent. Often this causes a deep longingly and void for that parent. Yet, Ethan struggled not having a relationship that he had so longed to have with his father which led him to have a rebellious heart. When the heart is wounded and there seems to be no solution, please remember that is always Hope.

Let’s review the illustration of the journey of Ethan in his journey of bitterness and anger and God’s healing.

Chapter Eighteen

In the illustration of John he struggled with the sadness of the passing of his grandmother, sickness of his mother and her financial burdens. John began to have more and more struggles of emotional anger because of his fears and difficult journey.

The issues that John encountered were very real and very hard. Let’s journey in the illustration of John’s anger and emotional pain and choices.

 Chapter Nineteen

The usage of substance abuse has increasingly affected the lives of youth in society, often leading to death. Yet, substance abuse affects the body and mind as one may seek to medicate the pain within.

Let’s journey with the illustration of Moriah and her devastating choices