BREAKING STRONGHOLDS
Season 2 - Study Guide
Episode 4: Light In The Darkness
MEET THE CHARACTERS:
YOUNG NICK AND ATHENA
As the episode begins, we flash back several years to see Young Nick and his mother, Athena, outside Damon Dupree’s New Orleans mansion at night. Athena has arranged to have Damon’s Golden Order of the Ancient Light family book stolen to replace the one belonging to her family that was burned in the fire that Young Nick accidentally started. Since her husband was killed in the fire, Athena wants Damon’s family book so that her son, Nick, can have it to continue accomplishing the steps for her family line.
It so happens that on the night she goes to collect the book, Ella has beaten her to it. As we saw in the previous episode, Ella tried to steal the book to protect her daughter, Zulie, but was only able to rip out the sealed pages and take them. They are the most important pages, though, because they describe the ritual in which the Spirit of Love is sacrificed so that one can achieve apotheosis–equality with God. Damon is convinced that Zulie (later called Grace) is that Spirit of Love and instructs his grandson, Redmond Quinn, to find Ella and Zulie and to complete the steps for the family written in the book.
Once Athena realizes that the most important pages are missing and young Nick realizes he actually had them in hand for a moment, but gave them back to Ella, their lifelong quest to get the pages back from Ella and the book from Redmond begins. They infiltrate Redmond’s Clarity Ranch organization to do so.
LEE STROBEL–AS HIMSELF
Lee Strobel is not a character in Breaking Strongholds played by an actor. Instead, he is an actual well-known Christian speaker and author. We are so grateful for his participation in this project.
Lee was an award-winning journalist and staunch atheist until his wife became a Christian and he could see true heart change in her. That began his nearly two-year investigation into the resurrection of Jesus. That investigation led to his becoming a believer in Christ in 1981.
After trusting Christ, he began writing Christian books giving evidence based on reason and provable facts to support the Christian faith. He has written over 40 books which have sold more than 18 million copies worldwide. His most famous work, The Case for Christ, retraces his journey from skepticism to faith and was adapted into a 2017 feature film.
In this final episode of Breaking Strongholds, Lee Strobel reiterates the key points of the Breaking Strongholds story. He makes clear that the deceptive message and practices of Redmond Quinn and his “Clarity Way” lead to darkness and death while truth and light are found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
JOURNAL PROMPTS:
After watching Breaking Strongholds Season 2, Episode 4, Journal your thoughts on the following questions. If you are viewing the series as a group study, discuss your answers with the group.
1. In the opening flashback, we see Young Nick and his mother, Athena, as they try to steal Damon’s book to continue their own family line in the Golden Order of the Ancient Light. This “Golden Order” and Redmond Quinn’s “Clarity Way” are based on many real-life organizations that have levels to achieve and secrets to uncover.
*Why do you think people are motivated to join this type of group?
*What deep needs are people trying to meet by being in a group such as this?
2. Redmond has finally succeeded in luring Grace (formerly Zulie) into his presence. According to the “rules” of the ancient book, she must willingly give her lifeblood as the sacrifice that will allow him to achieve apotheosis–to become like God.
*Is she truly there “willingly?”
*What does Redmond say will happen if she doesn’t choose to give her life as part of the ritual?
3. The scenes with Redmond and Grace are reminiscent of what happened when Jesus was confronted by the religious leaders who wanted to kill him. To them, Jesus said,
“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!” (John 8:44-45.)
*Who has Redmond Quinn been listening to in the spiritual realm?
4. As Grace gains more understanding of why Redmond has used Lindsey as bait to lure her there, she sees that he has been deceived and that he “needs help.”
*Remembering flashbacks of young Redmond from previous episodes, who started Redmond on this path of deception?
*Do you think Redmond had chances to hear the truth and follow a different path during his lifetime?
*If so, what do you think kept him from listening to the truth and changing his life choices?
5. Write the following verses into your journal or on index cards:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
6. Do you know of anyone who, like Redmond Quinn, has grown to love the darkness and hate the light? Someone who has chosen to live in sin, “missing the mark” God set for us?
*According to Romans 6:23 above, what does one receive in “wages” or payment for sin?
*According to both of the verses you have written, what must we do to have eternal life and freedom from the wages of sin?
7. Karl was definitely loyal to a fault. Because of his loyalty to the wrong person with the wrong message (Redmond Quinn), Karl was betrayed and paid dearly for it. How can we be sure we don’t fall prey to a false friend as Karl did?
8. When Lee Strobel is interviewed, he explains how Redmond Quinn’s message can lead to despair when life gets hard. However, a solid foundation for life is knowing that you have value just because you are loved by your creator, God.
Copy the following verse into your journal or on an index card:
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3)
9. Believers in Jesus have access to divine power. It is not from us, but from God. According to the verse you’ve just written,
*What type of life does this divine power help us live?
*What does this power come to us “through?”
*Whose “glory and goodness” are then demonstrated through us?
10. Even though Ella had fallen for the lies of satan when she was younger, she opened her heart to hear God’s truth while she was in prison as Benjamin, the chaplain, shared with her. Though she trusted Christ and knew the truth, her life was not made better immediately. For years she continued in faith until she was finally able to be reconciled with her Zulie (Grace.)
*Can you relate to Ella’s character in any way? How?
*Maybe you relate to Grace? She had to forgive and allow her mom back into her life. What or who helped her do that?
11. How has the Breaking Strongholds series inspired you to begin or to deepen your walk with God?
TALK WITH GOD:
Ask God to reveal to you any lies you might have accepted as truth because of people in your past. Ask God for wisdom in choosing who to befriend and what community to join.
Surrender your will to God’s will if you are holding bitterness and resentment toward anyone. Ask God to take the bitterness away and to replace it with His grace. Ask Him to guide you in restoring any lost or broken relationships you may have. Be open to His guidance even if it means asking for forgiveness or waiting patiently for a reply.