Discussion
Questions
KYLA
1. What does Kyla's long-term friendship with an unsaved
person like Jasmine reveal about how believers should handle
close relationships with unbelievers? Also consider: Is it
realistic to expect to have an unbeliever as one of our closest
friends? Is it advisable to cultivate or maintain relationships
with people who do not believe as we do hoping that we may
influence them to make a decision for Christ some day? Read
2 Corinthians 6:14-15.
2. Other women envied Kyla because they perceived her to
have the perfect life. Kyla longed for an opportunity to define
herself beyond the roles of wife and mother. Are feelings
of longing like those Kyla confessed to Alexis merely an expression
of a Western push to "have it all" or can such longings
be divinely planted to inspire believers to accomplish more
for the sake of the Kingdom? Read Deuteronomy 5:21; Job 7:2-3;
Proverbs 13:12.19.
3. Given Jefferson's opinion about his wife getting a job,
did Kyla's desire for a career denote a lack of sensitivity
to her husband? Read 1 Peter 3:1-6.
4. How should Christian women who are able to function as
full-time homemakers interpret a sense of longing to do more
than be a wife and mother? Read Genesis 3:16.
5. What, if any, warning signs did Kyla ignore concerning
Jasmine's intentions toward Jefferson? Read Matthew 10:16.
Why do we sometimes ignore warning ques that a friend or loved
one might betray us? Read Judges 16:6-20. How can discern
such ques to know when they warn of imminent danger? When
we are allowing fear and insecurity to rule? Read 1 John 4:18.
6. Despite her anger and hurt, Kyla knew that she needed
to turn to God's Word for an answer. Why was it still difficult
for her to forgive Jefferson so that they could move beyond
his adultery and the damage done to their marriage? Read Hosea
14:1,2; Colossians 3:12-14.
7. Kyla's discovery of Jefferson's infidelity made her afraid
to trust him again. How does Satan use fear to block us from
the kind of spiritual progress that Kyla would need to move
from hurt to restoration in her marriage. Read 2 Timothy 1:7.
8. Kyla's friends, family and pastor advised her to forgive
Jefferson so the healing process could begin. Why is forgiveness
such an important factor in the healing and spiritual growth?
Read Matthew 6:14-15.
PASTOR FORD
1. Kyla's pastor suggested that Kyla needed to release Jefferson
from her own judgment and focus on forgiveness and trust.
How does our own tendency to judge block us from being able
to forgive? Read Luke 6:37; Psalm 32:1.
2. Pastor Ford reminded Kyla that forgiveness is a process
that sometimes requires a lifetime of work. How can we keep
forgiveness as a priority for healthy relationships and spiritual
growth? Read Luke 17:3.
JEFFERSON
1. Jefferson realized all that he had jeopardized by sleeping
with Jasmine. Why do we often fail to recognize the fallacy
of our actions until we are faced with the consequences? Read
Mark 8:18.
2. How should Jefferson have handled Jasmine once he recognized
her blatant manipulations to seduce him and to gain entrance
to his home? Read Proverbs 6:25-26; Psalm 26:4. Why are believers
sometimes deceived into ignoring the warning bells that go
off in our heads, like the warning that Jefferson received?
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:22; Proverbs 4:14-16.
3. How could the enemy deceive Jefferson into seeing Jasmine
as innocent? Read John 8:44.
4. Jefferson knew that he had received God's forgiveness
for his infidelity. How does the assurance of God's forgiveness
help us to move forward in repentance and healing? Read Isaiah
43:25; 1 John 1:9; Psalm 103:12.
ALEXIS
1. Why do you think Alexis described Jasmine as a snake?
Read Psalm 58:3-4
2. How does Alexis's commitment to the Lord regarding premarital
intercourse affirm every believer's obligation to obey God
regardless of the consequences? Read Proverbs 16:6, Acts 5:28-29;
Hebrews 11:25.
3. What kinds of steps should unmarrieds like Alexis and
Brian take to help them avoid temptations and compromising
situations? Read Matthew 26:41.
BRIAN
1. Brian was renewing his relationship with the Lord. Recall
some of Brian's actions and feelings that reveal a lack of
spiritual growth. How did his associations with Alexis, Jefferson,
and Kyla help to strengthen his walk? Read 1 Thessalonians
5:14; 2 Timothy 2:22; James 5:20.
2. How can Brian's philosophy "If you want the lady,
you've got to go along with the lady's rules," help strengthen
Christian women to remain virtuous? Read Proverbs 31:10,30.
3. Brian had made plans for Alexis and perhaps thought that
he eventually would convince her to have sex with him before
marriage. Why do we behave as though our own plans for another
person can supersede God's plans for that person? Read Proverbs
16:3, 9; Jeremiah 29:11.
JASMINE
1. In what ways did Jasmine set herself up for unhappiness
by comparing her life and standard of living to Kyla's? How
does focusing on what we do not have create personal unhappiness
and make us more vulnerable to temptation? Read Ecclesiastes
5:10.
2. Brian grew stronger through his association with Christian
friends. Why do you think Jasmine continued in her same ways
despite her exposure to a circle of strong Christian friends?
Read Jeremiah 7:24
3. Jasmine seemed to blame everyone else for her difficulties
and made others responsible for her happiness. Why do you
think she refused take responsibility for the consequences
of her own choices? Read Psalm 81:11-14.
4. Jasmine's web of lies and deception spiraled as she sought
her prize&emdash;Jefferson. Read Proverbs 11:22. How do
people become blinded by lies, deception, twisted logic, and
distorted truths as they strive to gain what they desire?
Read Psalm 10:2-7; Proverbs 14:8.
©2001Walk Worthy Press Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
There are four ways a woman can handle heartbreak. She can fall apart, seek revenge, turn cold, or move on. The Ex Files is the story of these four women: 
After her scheme to break up her best friend's marriage fails, Jasmine is ready to begin her new life. She attends church every Sunday, swears off married men, and begins her mission to find her soulmate. It doesn't take long to meet the one God has chosen for her - a pastor. (Isn't God good!) But when another man from her past threatens to destroy her perfect relationship, can Jasmine leave behind her lying and devious ways? Or will she find old habits hard to break? 
Reviews
"Fast-paced, witty, entertaining, and inspirational, these
short stories are modern renditions of biblical stories. Sarah
and Abraham, Samson and Delilah, Hannah, Tamar, Jephthah
and The Good Samaritan are all brought into 2003. You
will enjoy the stories written by some of your favorite
inspirational authors including: Jacquelin Thomas, Patricia
Haley, S. James Guitard, Terrance Johnson and Maurice
Gray."
Anya Mitchell has it all: a successful L.A. financial
services company, a loving fiancé, Braxton Vance,
and an unshakable trust in God. However, just months before
her wedding, Anya is brutally attacked one night as she
works late in her office. Her faith, Braxton, and her family
help her deal with the horror, but soon after, Anya is
faced with a heartbreaking dilemma. Now, she must decide
how far she is willing to go to have a future clear of
this tragedy and still maintain her relationship with the
man she loves.
Kyla and Jefferson Blake count their sixteen years
together as a wonderful blessing from God. Kyla knows
that her newly divorced and lifelong friend, Jasmine,
is desperately unhappy and no amount of prayer and encouragement
seems to help. Yet, what Kyla doesn't know is that Jasmine
has a plan to move forward with her life with the type
of man she feels she should have married in the first
place...a man like Jefferson.