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SURRENDER ONLY TO ONE DISCUSSION GUIDE

The SURRENDER ONLY TO ONE discussion guide is intended for use after viewing the entire film. It’s designed to prompt and generate discussion around eight themes found in SURRENDER ONLY TO ONE.

About The Book

Each session begins with a session overview that’s designed for use in a small group setting. It introduces the group to the challenge that will be the focus of the discussion and later individual work. Each challenge is introduced with a short video and/or related article. Group members should view the video and familiarize themselves with the related article before they engage in the group discussion. The group leader reads through the session overview and answers any questions from the group. As part of the session overview, the leader also introduces the growth objectives that are listed for that particular session. The objectives are tailored to the session’s challenge. The leader responds to any questions related to the session objectives. In subsequent sessions, the leader has the option to conduct a brief review of the previous session and allow for sharing of personal reflections from the previous session.

Surrender only to ONE is a movie dedicated to understanding the myriad of traumatic issues military warriors and their families face, and providing spiritual and lasting solutions that enable healing and spiritual growth.

The stories conveyed in this film are true. The five men and one woman you meet are combat veterans who experienced horrors of war that no one could imagine. All served as Special Operators in the various branches of the military. We’d call them patriots and heroes; but they would say that they were just doing their job. They were fulfilling their oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States.” We’d say that’s a noble thing. They’d say they just wanted to serve because they loved their country and wanted to protect their families. However, they paid a dear price. Each of them came back to us broken, shattered people incapable of enjoying the life they once knew.

“It’s about finding faith and discovering a new a purpose for living. It’s about experiencing hope where there was despair and peace where there was once hatred and violence.”

What’s inside

The eight sessions contain five subsections:

^

Session Overview

Each session begins with a session
overview that’s designed for use in a small group setting.

^

GROUP DISCUSSION

Group discussion focuses on the
videos and articles.

^

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Each member of the group is given an opportunity to further reflect on the material covered in the group session.

^

Key Scriptures

Relevant Scriptures are listed for each
session and are used to enhance group discussion and aid in
individual work that’s conducted between sessions.

^

AFTER-ACTION REVIEW

This section is designed to
summarize the group session, capturing the major lessons learned, and way ahead for members of the group.

INTRODUCTION

War changes anyone associated with it—the warrior, his or her family, and the myriads of innocent people caught up in it. It’s a nasty but sometimes necessary business. But what’s also unfortunate is that the war often continues inside after the warrior returns home. She or he may experience enormous grief over the loss of fellow comrades, grief or guilt over decisions that were made or actions that were taken. So many of these also experience a deep sense of hopelessness and loss of purpose. They feel isolated and alone, unable to reconnect to family and friends. Many marriages end in divorce. Some relationships lead to abuse or violence. Besides such clinical issues as hyper-vigilance, sleeplessness, or intrusive thoughts, most of these heroes suffer from uncontrolled anger and irritability. Anger, a very common symptom, is easily triggered by a sight, a smell, or a thought, and can lead to violence beyond the battlefield. 

Thousands of people in our veteran communities are suffering today from the effects of their combat experience. More have served now in the military in Iraq or Afghanistan than those who served in Vietnam. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have become America’s longest war. According to statistics kept by the Veterans Administration, over 1000 vets attempt suicide every month, and approximately twenty-two take their lives every day. That’s horrific. 

But there’s hope. There’s help. There’s an answer to this problem. And that’s what this film and discussion guide is all about.

The prayer of this writer and the producer is that you will find lasting healing by your full participation in this small group program; that you will discover the answers to the things that give you pain, that have disrupted or even destroyed your life. God is there for you. He loved you enough to give his life for you and provide a way for you to live a whole new life full of joy, hope, peace, and purpose (2 Corinthians 5:17).

SESSION

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But the reality of it, is that I'm surrendering to God, not surrendering to the enemy... It's not a sign of weakness, It's a sign of strength.

AB

About the TEAM.

Dean Bonura is a retired Army chaplain with over 30 years of military service including two combat tours and several deployments to the Middle East and Bosnia-Herzegovina. He has ministered to Service Members and their families at military installations in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, and has served at several levels of command from battalion to installation. He is the recipient of the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star, among other awards. He also is the author of Beyond Trauma: Hope and Healing for Warriors (2016) and holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Corban University, Western Seminary, and a doctorate from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Denise, live in
Memphis, Tennessee.

DEAN BONURA, D. Min.
CHAPLAIN (COL), U.S. ARMY (RET.)
Lead Author

Damon Friedman is an elite Special Tactics Officer and leader in special operations with four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is the recipient of 3 Bronze Stars (one with valor) and the Combat Action medal among other awards. In 2011 He started SOF Missions, a non-profit organization aimed at helping veterans. He is the executive producer of the film SURRENDER ONLY TO ONE which creates awareness of the PTSD and suicide epidemic among the veteran community. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Lewis University, University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Seminary. He, his wife and two kids live in Tampa, Florida.

DAMON FRIEDMAN, D. Is.
Special Tactics Officer (LtCol), U.S. AIR FORCE
Editor, Author

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