BREAKING STRONGHOLDS SEASON 1
FREE STUDY GUIDE
A LETTER FROM OUR SCREENWRITER:
ROBIN MURRAY
Dear Fellow Traveler,
Welcome to the Breaking Strongholds journey! Before I began writing the script for this series, I had a vague, out-of-focus view of “hope in Christ.” By the end, however, I saw it in crystal-clear detail because I had clung to it with all my might. I pray that in times of darkness, this story will inspire you to do the same.
Many members of our Reflective Media Productions team live in Montgomery County, Texas. We were motivated to produce this project by the sobering news that in 2016, our county had the highest rate of teen suicides in the state. In 2018, the project began in earnest.
As the writer, I set out to find “the perfect formula” that communities could follow to end this crisis. I read articles and interviewed clergy and counselors. I was privileged to hear the heart-wrenching stories of many people personally affected by suicide. Parents. Siblings. Teachers. Friends. All were changed forever by the tragic death of a loved one. Each interview led to the next as I continued my quest to find this elusive “formula” that could end the epidemic.
The good news is we can all make a difference. In the series, we feature safeTALK - a proven program that gives people the tools to recognize the signs of suicide and take action. The safeTALK program saves lives, and we are glad to present it in our series.
But, as you may have suspected, I found no “perfect formula.” No 100% guarantee. Humans are not mathematically “worked out.”
That fact was driven home to me when, with all of my newfound knowledge about suicide prevention, I was faced with the very real possibility that suicide could take one of my own children.
The incident wasn’t completely “out of the blue” as some parents have experienced. We have been walking the road of depression and anxiety with our child for years. We have been blessed with access to excellent care. Medications have helped. Therapy has helped. But when a perfect storm of circumstances gathered, my husband and I found ourselves sitting with our child in a hospital emergency room.
Upon entering that room, we nodded a somber greeting to the attendant who sat at the door on suicide watch. Sadly, it was “business as usual” there. Doctors, nurses, counselors, and members of law enforcement who had seen this scenario play out far too many times guided us to the next steps in treatment.
As parents, we struggled to understand the intense emotional pain that led to that moment. We wished we could just open our child’s heart and pour in the light that would chase away the darkness forever.
But we can’t. There is only one Person who can bring light into spiritual darkness.
With the Breaking Strongholds Series and this study guide, we don’t have formulas to offer, but we can point the way to Hope. For the journey there, we need a few things:
We need to speak honestly about suicide. Say the word. Ask the question.
We need to build a network of support in our communities. Teachers, counselors, medical professionals, clergy and law enforcement are on the front lines, but we are all capable of learning how to be suicide alert and to help one another stay safe.
We need to recognize the lies that sound good to “itching ears” (2 Timothy 4:3-5) but can ultimately lead to despair. We do not find fulfillment in “following our hearts” and “believing in ourselves.” It is found in knowing our creator–God. It is in glorifying Him with our lives and resting in the fact that He delights in us. We fight the enemy of our souls with God’s word as we are protected by God’s armor (Ephesians 6:10-18). Therefore,
We need to know God. But how? Jesus said of himself, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection made a way for us to know God–our creator. Knowing Him and understanding that we are fully known and unconditionally loved by Him is foundational for weathering life’s storms. So, finally…
We need Jesus. The people who struggle need Jesus. The people who love the people who struggle need Jesus. The world needs Jesus because as John 1:4-5 says,
“In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Life.
Light.
And the darkness has not overcome it.
Holding tight to His Hope,
Robin Murray
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www.reflectivemediaproductions.org | www.breakingstrongholds.com
Suicide Prevention Hotline: Call 1-800-273-8255 or Text “Home” to 741741
