Episode Details

Courtney Doctor talks with Wendy Alsup and Vaneetha Rendall Risner about their experiences of divorce. They share the Scripture passages that helped them keep going and talk honestly about what to say (and what not to say) to someone going through a divorce. They explain why it can be hard for a newly divorced Christian to go to church and why it’s vital to go anyway.

Resources Mentioned:

• Walking Through Fire: A Memoir of Loss and Redemption by Vaneetha Rendall Risner
• I Forgive You by Wendy Alsup

Related Resources:

• This Was Never the Plan: Walking with God Through the Heartache of Divorce by Vaneetha Rendall Risner
• Hope When Your Spouse Divorces You
• Why I’m Going Back to Church After My Divorce
• A Case for Being Honest with Your Elders
• When Shame Remains After Divorce

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. How has divorce affected your family or close friendships? What were the hardest spiritual or emotional struggles you or those close to you faced during that season?

2. What promises of God are especially important to remember when walking through deep disappointment or loss?

3. If you knew a friend was going through a divorce, what might hold you back from reaching out to her?

4. In what ways have you seen the church support women (and their children) walking through unwanted divorce well? In what ways could the church provide more support or encouragement to the marginalized or hurting?

5. What suggestions from this conversation helped you understand how to walk with friends or family navigating divorce?

6. In seasons when you cannot control outcomes for your family, what does it look like to trust God?

7. What does gospel hope look like in the aftermath of something as painful as divorce?

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