Damaged but Not Destroyed Study Guide: From Trauma to Triumph - Softcover

Todd, Michael

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0593444914 ISBN 13: 9780593444917

Publisher: PRH Christian Publishing, 2023

Synopsis

Good news--God's not done with you yet. This companion resource to Damaged but Not Destroyed by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Relationship Goals will show you how to apply his key insights to pursue a hope-filled future, no matter your past mistakes or current challenges.

It's time to stop letting the pain you've experienced and the mistakes you've made define your value and your future. You are not less than or somehow unworthy, no matter your regrets, sin, or struggles. As someone who's overcome his own significant challenges, Pastor Michael Todd brings together Bible-rich teaching, personal insights, and reflection questions to help you experience growth and healing and ultimately see yourself as God sees you.

Along with candid lessons and pages for journaling, study sessions include:
- Simple exercises that help identify the types of damaging hits life has dealt you
- Reflection questions to help you observe the impact of those hits
- Prompts to guide you to consider how God is inviting you to step toward healing
- Relatable and encouraging scripture
- Prayers to send you into the day with a reminder of God's presence

Get unstuck and step into God's big, bold future for your life.

About this title

About the Author

Michael Todd is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Relationship Goals and Crazy Faith and the lead pastor of Transformation Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His driving passion and the vision of his ministry is re-presenting God to the lost and found for transformation in Christ. Michael speaks at a variety of influential churches, events, and conferences each year, including Elevation Church, C3 Conference, Lakewood Church, VOUS Conference, Relentless Church, XO Conference, and many others. He and his wife, Natalie, have been married since 2010 and live in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with their four beautiful children: their daughters, Isabella, Ava, and Gia, and their son, Michael Jr.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Session 1

The Hit You Didn’t See Coming

Based on chapter 1 of Damaged but Not Destroyed

As we go along in life, our relationships, circumstances, and choices inflict damage that won’t heal with an ice pack. Hits leave bruises on our minds, bodies, and souls. These hits come whether we expect them to or not. They’re inevitable. Unavoidable. Predictable, even. Many times they leave us looking a mess. Our thoughts and feelings are fragmented and disorganized. Our physical, financial, and vocational health are limping along on life support. From the outside perspective, we look destroyed.

But here’s good news for you: What’s inside you—­your true gift, your spirit—­can’t be destroyed by outside damage, because your spirit was handcrafted by God in His own image.

Please hear this: No matter what happened to you, no matter who hurt you, no matter how hollow you feel . . . the value is still in you.

Let the Word In

Read Psalm 139:1–­18, out loud if possible. Explore a few Bible translations to get a fuller picture of what God is saying in this passage.

After you’ve finished reading, sit quietly for a minute or two. In our crazy, loud, busy, hyperconnected world, being quiet is a radical act that helps us make space for God. Don’t check your phone! Just be here, right here, where you are.

As you read Psalm 139, what feelings come up in you? Assurance? Disbelief? Hope? Fear? Anger? Write them all down, even if they’re mixed up or conflicting. Note which lines in the psalm provoke a particular feeling in you. (For example, verse 7 might inspire calm or anxiety in different people.) Take five to ten minutes with this exercise. The goal is to get an accurate inner temperature reading when it comes to your belief in the value God has placed inside you.

Let the Truth Out

1. In chapter 1, we learned about a few different kinds of damaging hits. Which ones have you experienced? Write down a few details about each hit you’ve taken.

The Dumb Hit: I did it to myself.

The Distracted Hit: I didn’t see it coming, because I was looking the wrong way.

The Delayed Hit: So ferocious that I couldn’t feel it until later.

The Direct Hit: Straight-­up sin that I couldn’t or can’t escape.

The Disaster Hit: A widespread event that affected everyone around me.

The Disguised Hit: I thought it would be a blessing, but instead, it knocked me on my butt.

The Domino Hit: A knockout punch that began an unstoppable chain reaction toward hopelessness.

Other Hits: Anything and everything not covered by the definitions above.

2. When you think about the hits you’ve taken so far in your life, which have made the biggest or most lasting impact? Why do you think that is?

3. Which areas of your life have been most affected? Which areas are top priority for you when it comes to healing? Why?

4. Dealing with our past pain, our present problems, and the fight for our future will get messy. But it’s so incredibly worth it.

How do you feel about the healing adventure you’re starting here? Nervous? Excited? Skeptical? Is it easy or hard to believe that it will be worth it? Why?

Most of us have a hard time believing we have value, especially when the metaphorical gift of our lives—­our covering and container—­has been kicked, cut, bleached, torn, and torched. But anchor yourself in this truth until you know it way down deep in your bones:

Your contents—­your spirit, your core, your eternal essence—­were handcrafted with love and purpose by the Creator of the universe.

Your value is so significant that once you understand who God has made you to be, it becomes power to achieve victory in every circumstance. Your value is for victory.

5. When you imagine victory in every circumstance of your life, what might it look like? Be honest with yourself and God. He may want to tweak or transform your definition of victory, but that can happen only if you’re H.O.T. (humble, open, and transparent).

Edition details

• Publisher: PRH Christian Publishing
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0593444914
• ISBN 13: 9780593444917
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 112