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ONE
Evelyn Foster is one of the many Christians hidden in the society of Imperialis, living under the constant threat of being found and killed because of her faith. Due to this, she is afraid to tell anyone about Jesus Christ. It can be easy to let the fear of being ridiculed, hated, or creating conflict keep us silent about our Lord, isn't it? Sometimes, talking about our faith and salvation can be uncomfortable and awkward. But that eternal soul, in the end, is worth those few seconds of awkwardness.
Do you ever have the desire to teach someone about Christ?
Are you tempted to stay silent rather than be uncomfortable?
What are some things that make you hesitate about sharing the Gospel (being made fun of, creating conflict, lack of knowledge, etc.)?
Who are a few people you can think of that could use the Gospel of Christ?
Prayer: Dear Lord, You have commissioned me on an assignment to bring souls to You, but ________________ makes me afraid to do so. Give me the courage to speak up about Your sacrifice and be a vessel through which You can reach _______________ heart(s). In Your Name, Amen.
TWO
Throughout Collector, there are several incorrect and misguided philosophies that Imperialis and Haylen Alter believe:
The Past Must Be Dismissed; The Future Must Be Determined. (Forget the faulty history and decide your own future.)
Minimize the Initial Human Reaction (Do not feel emotion because emotion makes you imperfect and causes more harm than good.)
Personal/Social/Evolutionary perfection. (There is no fault and no more room for improvement.)
Truth is Relative/Opinion Dominates Fact (Everyone has their own version of what is true, correct, or moral and opinion is equal to or higher in importance than fact.)
The End Justifies The Means (It doesn't matter what you do to reach your goal as long as you reach it.)
These are beliefs that place man at the center of man's own heart (Chapter Zero).
How are these philosophies unbiblical or dishonoring to God?
Have you seen examples of these philosophies in society today?
What do you think are the results of these philosophies and how might they harm a person or society or lead them into sin?
What would be some biblical counterparts to these philosophies?
Prayer: Dear Lord, reveal to me anything I believe that is dishonoring to You. Show me Your truths and let me know Who You truly are. Help me see any false teachings and recognize the lies Satan is whispering in my ear. I want to honor You in everything I do. In Your Name, Amen.
THREE
Haylen Alter struggles to open up to her parents about her emotion. She pushes them away and keeps secrets from them. In addition, her parents don't tell her a lot about Collecting and ask that she just trust them. This causes a lot of conflict between Haylen and her parents, especially her father, Benton. It can be hard to trust when you don't know the full situation, right? It might feel like you aren't trusted enough, yourself, to know certain information. It might feel like no one believes in you or believes you can handle hard things. But sometimes, as in Haylen's situation, the not knowing and having to be patient and trust in authority is to protect us.
Can you think back to a time when your parents/guardians/loved ones asked you to trust them when you didn't know what was going on?
Have you ever had to trust God when the future was uncertain to you?
How did having to trust or be patient in the unknowing make you feel?
Do you know what the Bible says about trusting God? If not, here are some great verses to get you started: Joshua 1:9, Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 37:4-6, Psalm 56:3–5, Psalm 91:1–6
Prayer: Dear Lord, I ask that You give me a trusting heart. You can see the things that I can't. You know the future in ways I couldn't even imagine. I know that Your plans are for my prosperity, not harm even though I might not see it yet. It isn't easy trusting You, but I ask that You work in me and help me relinquish my worries to Your faithful hand. In Your name, Amen.
FOUR
In Chapter Seventeen, Haylen is reading Evelyn's journal and she comes across an entry for June 1st, which was the first day of Haylen's Collector Internship. During this entry, Evelyn goes on to say that, even though she fears Collectors, she feels the need to pray for them. Collectors are the enemies of Christians, and no one on Earth would blame Evelyn if she let fear and hatred stir in her heart. But... she didn't. She prayed for Collectors, her enemies. Doesn't that seem like such a backward thing to do? The world teaches us to hate our enemies. There is war, conflict, arguments, broken relationships, rivals, bullies, and all kinds of "enemies" that we could experience, and our "initial human reaction" is to despise them. That is the instinct that sin has ingrained in us from the beginning of time.
But Jesus says to love your enemies. We were made in the image of God and were made to walk in His footsteps, and He is the One Who loved his enemy first. What is His enemy? Sin, and we are of sin from the moment we have life. From the womb, we are slaves to hatred, vanity, blasphemy, and all sorts of sin. From the first bite of the forbidden fruit, we offended God, and we continue to offend Him, dishonor Him, reject Him time and time again.
Despite all of this, however, He continues to love us and because of that love, He sent His only Son to make a way so that we could be transformed from "Enemies of God" to the "Children of God." The world tells us to hate our enemies, but God showed us a mercy that none could ever be worthy of, and as His redeemed children, we are to show the same mercy and love to our trespassers. I do want to be clear about this: that doesn't mean to allow toxicity in our lives or to open up harmful/dangerous relationships. It might look like reconciling with someone, yes, but it could also look like forgiving someone in your own heart or praying for someone who has hurt you, that they might see the truth, even if they are never part of your lives again.
Can you think of an enemy you could pray for?
What are some feelings that come up when you think of praying for your enemy? (Anger, fear, hatred, hurt, etc.)
How are some ways God can work in your heart to pray for and love your enemy?
Have you ever been an enemy someone needed to pray for or love, despite the wrongs you've done against them?
How does it feel knowing God loves you despite your sin?
Prayer: Dear Lord, Thank You for loving me even when I don't deserve it. Thank You for showing me mercy and adopting me into Your family. I come to You with this burden of hurt: _________________ has done things that I need to forgive, and it is hard to love them. But I ask that You work in me so that I can find forgiveness in my heart, and I pray that You reveal Yourself to them. And if I have done something wrong that needs to be forgiven, I ask You to forgive me and I ask that You work in the hearts of those I hurt that they might find peace and forgiveness. Help me to do better in the future. Let Your will happen, Lord, whatever that might be and however that might look. In Your Name, Amen.
FIVE
In Chapter Twenty-One, Haylen asks the Lord what she wants Him to do, and she receives a simple prompting: Leave. This was a horrifying notion for Haylen, and she struggled to obey the command. Sometimes, the Lord leads us through situations that aren't what we expected. Maybe they require a difficult change that we weren't ready for. Maybe it requires us to walk ahead when we can't see. Maybe it means we have to make a painful decision. These can be scary times, hard times - times when you doubt everything or everyone, and you might start to feel like it is hopeless. But, while the Lord will call us out into the raging waters, He will not let us sink. He will use difficult situations to test our faith or to teach us to rely on Him, but He will not allow them to bury us. The situation may be more than we can handle alone, but it won't be more than He can handle, and there will be something good and beautiful on the other side. 1 Peter 1:7 says, Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire. And these trials will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold that can be destroyed. They will show that you will be given praise and honor and glory when Jesus Christ returns.
Have you been through the trials of "fire?" Are you still going through them? What are some things that you've struggled with throughout that journey? Write down your struggles and pray over each one. Ask God to specifically work on these places in you and to reveal the things that you need to continue working on. And remember, you don't have to minimize the initial human reaction. You can feel anger, hurt, or ask Him questions. God is big enough to handle our emotions, questions, and doubts. When they come, though, take care to not let your anger lead you away from Him. Instead, turn to Him in those moments, turn to the Bible, and open your heart to His guidance.
Does it ever feel like God has abandoned you? Does it feel like He has thrown you into a situation that you can't handle? If so, read these verses: Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 23:4, John 16:31–33, Psalm 139:7-10. What are some ways the Bible says God will take care of you? Is there any place too low or too dark for Him to reach? Is there any situation that He cannot lead you through?
Obedience to God can often be a scary or uncomfortable thing. Is there anything in your life right now that God is asking you to do? What, if anything, is causing you to hesitate? Write them down and pray over each one as above.
Prayer: Lord, I know You are God of the universe. I know You will take care of the sparrow, and You will take care of me, but this is hard. I don't know what to do and I am afraid of what obedience to You will do to the life I am comfortable with now. Do not let me become complacent and hesitate to move. We are Your hands and feet - and you are the healer of the broken and lame. Heal the paralysis in my heart. Help me fight the hesitation I feel and lead me in the direction You want me to go. I know You will not abandon me, even when You are silent. I know Your ways are bigger than mine. Calm the fear, anger, or doubt I feel and lead me to do Your will. Help me obey. In Your Name, Amen.
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