Based on the best-selling book by belovedChristian author Janette Oke, Love’sEnduring Promise continues the story ofClark and Marty Davis, a pioneer couple,caught in a "marriage of convenience" thatover time turned into deep mutual respectand love. In this sequel, they now presideover a growing family in their little prairiehouse. But as they reach out to those in theirfrontier community, they discover that loveis not limited by the size of a dwelling.

This free discussion guide draws out thethemes in the film, touching on suchimportant topics as relationships, marriage,parenting, prayer, forgiveness, and others.Each topic is complete with thought-provoking questions, related scriptures, andhelpful lessons, making this guide perfectfor small group leaders, Sunday schoolteachers, and pastors are looking for a greatway to get their group talking.

To supplement the lessons, clips from themovie have been chosen and are offered asa visual aid. These clips are available fordownload at www.foxfaith.com or may beshown through a specially made DVD thatyou can request at the same website. Theseclips and the guide, used in Sunday schoolclasses, other small groups, or by parents,will provide you with the opportunity todiscuss situations that a child may experienceas they journey toward adulthood.

For more information and additional Churchresource material, go to www.foxfaith.com.

DISCUSSION GUIDE© TCFHE. All rights reserved.

As a pastor or Bible study leader,you’re very careful about the mediayou recommend to your congrega-tion or discussion groups. Fortunately,Love’s Enduring Promise is a film you candiscuss without reservation. Uplifting,family-friendly, and heartwarming,Love’s Enduring Promise was created bypeople who care as much aboutpreserving innocence in our enter-tainment as you do.

Janette OkeA pioneer in inspirational fiction,Janette Oke is the leading author inthe category today. Following thesuccess of her first novel Love ComesSoftly, she released the sequel Love’sEnduring Promise. She has soldnearly 20 million copies of her 75books worldwide and helped pioneerthe “prairie romance” as a viablegenre of Christian fiction.

Michael Landon, Jr.Son of the famous star of Little Houseon the Prairie and Bonanza, he’s also thedirector, and co-writer of the film.

The Hallmark ChannelLove’s Enduring Promise was producedfor this enter-taining, family-friendlynetwork. Since it originally aired,Love’s Enduring Promise has received aCAMIE (Character and Morality inEntertainment) Award for beingan “uplifting motion picture thatprovides a positive influence forgood” and the film is also nominatedfor an Epiphany Award for mostInspirational Television program.

Dale Midkiff is nominated for aGrace Award for his portrayal ofClark Davis.

Love’s Enduring Promise has also attractedgood reviews. Christianity Todaysaid it was, “warm and filled with lifeand light” and Moviepicks called it“an inspiring movie…one of the bestof the year”.

As proclaimed, Love’s Enduring Promiseis a tender, heart-warming film forthe entire family, created from theimmensely popular best-selling bookseries by Janet Oke. This sequel toLove Comes Softly finds the Davis familya few years older and happily settledinto family life with their two youngsons and Clark’s daughter, Missie.

As with most American pioneers ofthe West, Clark and Marty know thatraising crops for a successful harvestmeans everything to their survival.But, when tragedy strikes Clarkthrough an unfortunate accident,the Davis household faces some ofits most difficult challenges. Not onlydo they have to deal with thedaunting task of planting the cropswithout the only family member whocan adequately perform the labor,but also they must live with thefear that Clark may die.

In the midst of this hardship athome, Missie, who is a devotedschoolteacher, copes with a differenttype of ordeal – finding true love.While her heart ponders the com-plexity of relationships, she discoversher future as she chooses between

The way this relationship begins isby responding to God’s lovingkindness, to leave our wrongful waysand seek Jesus as your Lord andSavior. By receiving God’s gift (JesusChrist) to us, we are able to enterinto an everlasting relationship, arelationship that will allow youto see God’s enduring promise.

Have you entered into thisenduring relationship thatgives us the promise that oneday, “He will wipe away allour tears?” If not, one of thecounselors provided will helpyou in this process.

About the Film

God’s Enduring Promise

Clip: God’s Enduring PromiseThe night before when eating dinnertogether, Clark thanked God forproviding Willie to help the Davis’in their distress. Willie wants toknow more about this promise thatClark spoke about so he asks Missieto help him understand.

LESSON TO LEARN:In life no two days are alike. Everyday is different. However it isreassuring to know that there is onething that will not change and thatis God. God lived out hessed in theperson of Jesus Christ in order to payour debt of sin so we might enjoythis loving relationship for all eternity.(Read John 3:16-17 & Ephesians 2:8-9)

Hessed carries with it the idea ofmercy, in that God reaches out toman to initiate a relationship withman that he did not deserve. It alsohas the meaning of faithfulness overa lifetime. Lastly, God often incor-porates this love to families. So whenthe writers speak of God’s love inthese passages, they mean God’smerciful loving kindness for alleternity to mankind and their families.

Questions:

What do you learn about Godfrom these verses and this film?Why would this knowledge of themeaning of this word be helpful infollowing God and living life?

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This guide is an easy-to-use way tokick start interesting discussionswithin your small group, and it workswithout any of your members havingseen the film. However, it isrecommended that you announceyour intentions of using the filmclips ahead of time. For example,the week before you intend to havea clip-oriented discussion, you mightshow the film trailer (included withthe clips) to your group or congre-gation and let them know that youwill incorporate it into yourdiscussion the following week (orthe next time you meet). This willallow your members the opportunityto view the film themselves (rent orpurchase) if they so desire.

Discussions:

In an effort to help you reinforcethe themes and messages of LoveComes Softly, we have chosenclips from the film that you canshow to your group. These clipscan be downloaded online atwww.foxfaith.com or shown througha specially made DVD that you canrequest at the same website. Theseclips are followed up with questionsand scripture. These questionsshould draw your group membersinto a conversation about what theyhave just seen. It is not necessary totackle these topics in a row, or all inone night. If you would prefer tojust cover one or two, feel free. It’sall up to you.

a dashing railroad heir from backeast and a mysterious stranger witha troubled past. Through it all,Missie comes to realize what is trulyimportant as the Davis’ experienceGod’s faithful loving-kindness whilethey meet the challenges in life andrelationships.

Love’s Enduring Promise is a great filmfor all ages. It provides many oppor-tunities to discuss problems andconcerns a family or individual mightface in their lifetime. The filmtouches on several different topics,making it ideal not only as enter-tainment, but also as a conversationstarter. Relationships, parenting,coping with grief, prayer, and God’sloving kindness--these and othertopics are addressed in the movie,which is why we’ve created thisLeader’s Guide. With this bookletyou or any other leader can utilizethe messages in Love’s Enduring Promiseas a group discussion tool. Collegeand career, singles’ groups, othersmall groups; there are a variety ofpeople in the church congregationthat can benefit from the lessons inLove’s Enduring Promise.

The lessons are supplemented byclips from the movie you’ve eitherreceived or downloaded online.These clips were specifically selectedto help you set the tone and furnishthe context for your discussion orBible study. There are also suggestedscriptures for your group to studyin-depth, and we’ve provided severaldiscussion-provoking questionsbased on the different scenes.

First of all, you will introduce thediscussion by saying something like:“Tonight we are going to talk about(topic i.e. Relationships, Trials,Prayer, etc.) We have some scenesfrom a movie called Love’s EnduringPromise that we are going to look atand then analyze to see what wecan learn from them.”

Next, give a brief overview of thefilm. Then, have your groupmembers read the provided bibleverses. After that, roll the clip(s) youdecide to use. Once the clip plays,open the floor up for discussionusing the questions we haveprovided, or use some of your own.To finish, you can close the sessionsby giving the brief “Lesson to Learn”provided at the end of the topic.

NOTE: Since some of your group membershave likely not seen the film, it is a goodidea to provide them with the context of theclip before watching it. This can be foundin the italicized text that precedes the scripturereference for the particular clip.

Please keep in mind that you donot have to get through all the clipsin order to have a successfuldiscussion. Also, you do not needto sacrifice a good conversation tofinish the scenes. As we mentionedabove, discussion times go best whenyou allow freedom, but still providethe framework that will point tolessons in God’s word.

Relationships/Marriage

Clip: Missie and MartyAfter an enchanting encounter withGrant, Missie shares with Martydetails of this delightful event. Martythen talks with Missie about theprinciple that has guided her in herdecision-making process for a futurehelpmate. “God has written His ownstory for you and it’s not the feelingsof your heart that it should be basedupon rather thoughts of your heartyou need to hear.”

Questions:

Missie is very excited about Grant,as he fits many of the character traitsshe has read about. He is charming,handsome, rich, and respectful.Missie has many feelings that hemight be, ‘Mr. Right.’ Has there beena time in your life that you thoughtGod had brought the ‘right’ personinto your life?  What did you learnthrough that situation?

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Read Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughtsare not your thoughts, neither areyour ways my ways,” declares theLord. “As the heavens are higherthan the earth, so are my wayshigher than your ways and mythoughts than your thoughts.” Why is it important to realizeGod has a bigger plan in store forus than what we may perceive?

Read Proverbs 3:5-6. Reflecting onthe promises of God in the versesyou just read, how do they enableyou to trust God when faced withdifficult issues? In what does Godwant you to trust Him?

LESSON TO LEARN:God’s purpose to the events thathappen in our life is often verymysterious. One minute we maybe at our wit’s end and a short timelater we experience a peace thatknows no bounds. Though thisworld can seem out of control andwithout purpose, God wants us toknow that He is in total control. Healso wants us to know that there isno issue so big that he cannot forgiveand reconcile. All the while, he ismoving mankind through historytoward His redemptive andgloriously good purpose.

God’s Loving Kindness

Clip: No more tearsMissie and Willie are leaving fora new life together. The familystruggles to say goodbye, butgoodbyes are inevitable. As theypart, we are reminded again ofGod’s faithful promise. 

Read Psalm 86:15 & 89:1. The bigtheme that we see conveyed in Love’sEnduring Promise is God’s love towardthe Davis family. In the two passageswe read, we hear the psalmist’ joyand praise over God’s loving nature.The word the psalmist writers choseto describe this love is the Hebrewword, hessed. Hessed is oftentranslated as love or loving kindness;however those words are inadequatein describing its total meaning.

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Marty warns Missie of the decep-tion of feelings. How have feelingsdeceived you in a dating relationship?What lessons did you learn?

Read Proverbs 16:9 “In his heart aman plans his course, but the Lorddetermines his steps.” Jeremiah 10:23“I know, O Lord, that a man’s life isnot his own; it is not for man todirect his steps.” Why are theseverses an important reminder?

Marty ultimately points Missie tothe true guide of determining the‘right’ person. How can a personknow they are following God’s planin a dating relationship?

LESSON TO LEARN:Trusting someone can be a danger-ous thing, because we often do notknow if they will let us down or not.However, the same is not true withGod. He wants us to trust Him.Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lordwith all your heart and lean not on

your own understanding. In all yourways acknowledge Him and He willmake your path straight.” By trustingGod for His best for us, we freeourselves from all the worries andpressures that accompany the datingworld. In addition, we openourselves up to being amazed at hiswondrous provision.

Clip: Grant’s proposal to MissieSome dates are better than others,and for a young woman like Missie,her date with Grant was beyond herwildest dreams. Upon arriving at histent, Grant communicates howstrong his desire is to make Missiehis wife. When asked by Missie whathis dream is for them, Grant talksabout a life far different from thelife she knows.

What was it about Grant’s visionfor their future life that caused Missieto choose not to proceed further?

Grant had many admirable traitsand resources; he was courteous,respectful, wealthy, knowledgeable,and a gentleman. How had thosetraits impacted his thinking abouthimself and others?

In the story we have seen manyaspects of Missie’s character; givingup her lunch, serving her family,caring for her brothers, and nowstanding true to her principles. Whatis character, and how important ischaracter in preparing for a futuremarriage?

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LESSON TO LEARN:Hebrews 11:6 “Without prayer itwould be impossible to please God,because anyone who comes to Himmust believe that He exists and thatHe rewards those who earnestly seekHim.” For the believer, prayer is anessential, not only to get us throughtroubling times but a means toexpress our faith in God. Takingtime to pray daily may seem tootime-consuming. However, what weusually find is a peace that ‘surpassesunderstanding’ and a joy in knowingwe are pleasing our Father, as weseek Him in prayer. Seek to find atime regularly when you can spendtime with your Father in prayer.

Forgiveness & Trials

Clip: Willie shares hisdisappointment to Clark

As we have seen throughout themovie, trials are a reality of life.Some are more difficult than others.We will all face them. Why does aloving God allow trials in our life?

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Read James 1:2-4 & Romans 5:3-5.What do these passages teach us ofGod’s overall purpose in trials thathappen to us? What do trials teachus about God?

After wrestling with the dilemma ofwhether or not he will speak to hisfather, Willie has decided to takeClark’s advice to do so. Unfortu-nately, things do not turn out asWillie had hoped. Willie now facesthe confusion of trying to findmeaning in his Father’s decision.

Questions:

In this scene Willie pursues peace.Romans 12:18 says “If it is possible,as far as it depends on you, live atpeace with everyone.” Why is itimportant to pursue peace andreconciliation?

For Willie and his Dad, the trialthey faced with the loss of theirbrother/son was very painful anddifficult. Sometimes trials do notalways end with a ‘happy’ story, dueto sin and/or evil. Are we to concludethat God has forgotten us or doesnot care? Read Romans 8:28. Whatcan we learn about this passage whenthings do not go, as we want?

Willie was discouraged andunderstandably so, when his fatherrejected his initial attempt atreconciliation. Nevertheless, Godused this circumstance to deal withthe real issue of forgiving himself.

specifically sites Willie as God’sprovidence for them.

Read Philippians 4:6-7. Throughoutthe movie, prayer has been a promin-ent theme and example. Prayer isthe means for mankind to commun-icate to God their heartfelt concerns.It is also the way that God canprovide peace in the midst of atroubled time. The Davis familyprovides a wonderful example ofa family committed to prayer.

Questions:

How did God answer the Davisfamily prayers? What do we learnfrom this family about prayer andtheir relationship to God?    

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Givethanks in all circumstances, for thisis God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”The Davis family certainly gave Godthanks for their lives, their situations,and their work. Why do you thinkit is important to give God thanksin all circumstances? What doesgiving thanks in all circumstancescommunicate to God?

As Missie realized her love forWillie, what did she have to recon-cile within her own heart? Whatdesires did Missie have to give up?What did she gain?

In any marriage relationship wecannot have everything we wouldlike in a person. Missie says thiswhen she reminds herself not todespise, “meager beginnings.” Inchoosing Willie, Missie found God’sbest for her. What blessings didGod give to Willie and Missie inwaiting for God’s best for them?

LESSON TO LEARN:The old adage, “You can’t always getwhat you want, but you just mightfind that you get what you need,” istrue. However, the adage seems tocommunicate adequacy rather thanblessing. For Missie, her refusal ofGrant and her acceptance of Williegave her more than just a faithfulhusband. She had a man that pos-sessed deep character, the kind thatwill make for a fantastic marriage.(Read Ephesians 5:25-28) We need notregret God’s choice for us, becausein the end it is the best for us.

Prayer

Clip: Dad giving thanks to Godfor his provision in NateClark has recovered from his woundbecause of the help he received fromWillie, and now the Davis familygathers to celebrate the passing ofthe fever with a special meal. Clarkthanks God for all his blessings and

LESSON TO LEARN:The future of relationships can bedifficult to discern, especially whenwe have to decide between twopeople. However, often times weget more concerned in finding thatspecial person then being thatspecial person. One relationshipexpert gave the following advice,“Do not spend all the time lookingfor that special someone, insteadseek to be that special someone.Learn from God’s word what theexcellent wife is (Proverbs 30:10-31)or the excellent man (1 Corinthians16:13-14 & Micah 6:8) and seek to be

that person. Then, when you dofind Mr. or Mrs. Right they

will find you.” By focusingyour energies on being theright person versus findingthe right person, you freeyourself up from the pres-sure of performance.

Then, you can restin waiting for God’sbest as you move

through life.

Clip: Confirmation atthe SchoolhouseGod used the events ofmeeting the Davis familyto reconcile Nate’s prev-ious life as Willie. In aneffort to communicate histhanks to Missie for herfamily’s help, Missie realizesthe character of Nate, andher love for him. However,she is somewhat torn withher personal desires and

God’s plan for her.

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