Do Hard Things Study Guide

8/3/2019 Do Hard Things Study Guide

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Dear Friend,

I you’ k u, kg wh oh bou wh you’ g hp you c

wh you hk how o po o wh book yg. T chp-by-

chp uy gu o hp you o ju h. U o po

uy, you wh, bu w hk wok b goup. A h b goup

o wh you’ uou by oh who c bou h m hg you o

y o pu uh o co.

Do’ you hv o poc vy quo. I’ o , o o,

h’ o o gh w. Ao, o’ ou quo m wh you k o

wh you go. Ak Go o c you hough co. A k Hm

o coug—o o . Bcu bg wk w’ o wg o

hm hp how w hk v. So u h uy gu o zo o h

, choc, co h m mo pomg hpu o you

you . T pc g hg o hpp you v you o h

hg o h goy o Go!

You Fow Rbuo,

Alex and Brett Harris

THE OFFICIAL DO HARD THINGS STUDY GUIDE

- PAGE -

bY DAVE KOPP WITH ALEX & bRETT HARRIS



“W bv ou go y o hk wh cpb o og

bcomg.” Wh h m, h uho h g o cuo

bou og hg y. T hy y h uqu g o Do Hard

Tings: o bg book wh u how o chg, ’ co-

vo mog who y o h wy. A B k by

bou h bckgou o o wg h book. Ty w o

b g ow pco cm h u po o h y.

CHAPTER ONE: MOST PEOPLE DON’T

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A DIffEREnT KInD Of TEEn bOOK

As you read the inside aps o the book and the rst chapter, how did you

react to the authors’ talk about change, hard things, and “rebelution”?

Usually we try to look to older (hopeully wiser) people or lie advice.

Do you see any risks when teenagers—in this case, two nineteen year

olds—try to persuade other young people to change how they think? On

the other hand, what might be some advantages to the authors’ age?

“We don’t think ‘average teenagers’ exist,” write the twins. Do you eel

average? I so, why? Does that ever eel like a good thing? I not, what is it

that makes you eel not average?

Te ctional Dundress monks were well intentioned but unhappy Chris-

tians who believed that more misery must mean more holiness. Have

you ever thought that? Where do you think that kind o thinking comes

rom?

In what ways do you think popular culture misrepresents what the teen

years are or? Can you think o one thing that would change i you and

your riends believed—really believed—that low expectations were rip-

ping you of?

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

Questions for Discussion or Reflection:



I h chp, A B h oy o h jouy om bg bo

o bg Supm Cou , cmpg wok, bog ho. Bu bo hy

h w pc hy h w —bg k:

• Our generation is getting robbed!

• Tere has to be more to the teen years than goong of.

• Ordinary teens can make a big diference in the world.

• Young people can handle big responsibilities.

• With big dreams come big challenges.

• What teens working together can accomplish is amazing!

Ty co h chp by vg o jo hm upg “g cu-u m- h w h pupo po o h y h

o cpp ou go.”

CHAPTER TWO: THE BIRTH OF A BIG IDEA

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RumbLInGS Of A REbELuTIOn

Looking back, do you see a season, a book, or an event that changed

what you believe or how you live? I so, talk about it. How are you di-

erent now?

One teen told Alex and Brett, “Everyone I know at school is shackled by

low expectations.” Could you say the same thing? I so, talk about why.

Have you ever ound yoursel responsible or a task that seemed too big

or you to succeed at? I so, what happened? Did that experience turn

out to be a bad thing or a good thing in your lie?

Did you identiy with the story o shy Heidi Bentley (pages 19-22)? I so,

talk about it.

History shows that youth movements against God-established author-

ity have generally not amounted to much. How do the authors set their

message apart rom such movements?

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)




A ph cby powu b h c b by pc o w. (No kg.) A h powu m ju mgh b you, y A

B. Why? Bcu oy buy o “h Myh o Aocc.” T myh

umpo h h y c’ up o much m o b

p om o o vco om poby. Uouy, ho ow -

pco up ppg mg o o goo o. Bu o’

hv o b h wy. Ev h wo g, h uho po ou, c

vo. W c choo o v by hgh . W c v chh wy

bh gow up. W c c o o h hg. T, y h w,

wh h Rbuo .

CHAPTER THREE: THE MYTH OF ADOLESCENCE

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EXPOSInG EXPEcTATIOnS THAT ARE RObbInG OuR GEnERATIOn

Have you ever visited a zoo, seen beautiul and powerul animals caged

by glass or bars, and elt that something was terribly wrong? I so, talk

about it. Why do you think some teens might identiy with a wild but

caged bird or animal?

Do you think that harmless-sounding lies about the teen years could be

holding back both you and other teens you know? alk about it.

What was your reaction to the stories o George, David, and Clarissa

(pages 31-32)? Have you ever thought you could accomplish a lot more

than you are now?

What do your parents expect you to do at home in an average week?

Do you deliver? Be honest. How much time and efort does it take to do

what’s asked o you? Do you think your parents require too much or too

little?

Have you ever ound yoursel behaving very diferently—and accom-

plishing a lot more—simply because someone expected you to? Describe

the experience.

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)




T chp wh h oy o Ry, py guy who h’ gow up,

’ u h w o. H’ choog u ow ov h uu h y h w. H’

hg ow wh h uho c “ u o uch.” Why? Bcu h

y k vg bo h, w o h gh po, w uch u o ou

b pob uu. I w m (o o’ v jump), w k v uchg. Mo

o u kow Ry— “ku”—who h’ uch wy-fv, hy, o v

o. T uho h y fv cgo o h hg h pom o v

hgh-mpc u ow w o hm.

CHAPTER FOUR: A BETTER WAY

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REcLAImInG THE TEEn YEARS AS THE LAuncHInG PAD Of LIfE

Do you know a “kidult” like Ray? Describe his or her lie. Do you think

there’s anything that anyone could say to this “Ray” that would moti-

vate him or her to change direction? I so, what? I not, why not?

Te authors write, “What each o us will become later in lie largely

depends on what we become now.” Do you agree or disagree? What

might a mature adult who knows you well say you are becoming?

Te “strict training” Alex and Brett talk about doesn’t sound appeal-

ing at rst. But what might be some payofs rom that kind o disci-

pline in your lie now, and your dreams or your uture?

Which o the ve hard things that the authors list motivates you the

most? Why?

What are some o the hard things you’ve already done in your lie?

What were the results? What would you say you learned throughthese experiences?

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)




“L u o cy hg,” w A B. Mo o u c ! T pob-

m com wh w o como m wh w mp o m o ou

v. Mo o pk pubc, y omhg w, go omwh

w, o m w pop. Igy, h pc uuy u ou po-

vy—o gv u h mo g o. I w’ wg o c p

o , k u wh cy, u Go, ou v w chg cy

o h b. A w’ ccomph mo h w v cou hv mg.

CHAPTER FIVE: THAT FIRST SCARY STEP

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HOW TO DO HARD THInGS THAT TAKE YOu OuTSIDE YOuR cOmfORT zOnE

Would you say that ear o ailure or discomort afects you (a) not at all,

(b) a little, (c) oten, or (d) all the time? alk about your answer.

Identiy the areas in your lie where you try hardest to stay in your “cozy

little routines.” In each case, what negative outcome are you most araid

o? What very positive outcome might come about i you took that rst

scary step despite your ears?

Most o us associate words like aith and courage with positive eelings. But Alex and Brett write that many who choose to act out o aith or

courage actually experience intensely negative eelings, such as ear, un-

certainty, worry, and doubt. I you have ever made a courageous choice

but elt terrible while you were making it, talk about it. What happened?

What did you learn?

Why might God be able to accomplish more through us when we act in

spite o our weaknesses rather than out o our condence or strength?

“Our story started with a simple step into the unknown,” Seth Willard

says in this chapter. “But by God’s grace, our story has only just begun.”

As you were reading this chapter, did any thoughts come to mind about a

step into the unknown you should or could be taking? I so, what is it?

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)




Wh hpp wh w mu ouv o ou co g b— h b

oo ow? W mgh goo f, bu w’ ky o m ch

h og u. I h chp h w po how ph k “Ju o you b”

c o mo hm h goo. Compo wh how oh pom o’ hp

h. I, o jc compccy by choog vu k “Do wh’

h o you,” “Puu cc, o cu.”

CHAPTER SIX: RAISING THE BAR

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HOW TO DO HARD THInGS THAT GO bEYOnD WHAT’S EXPEcTED OR REquIRED

Te Bible says, “Te complacency o ools destroys them.” Do you think it’s

possible to be popular, smart, and successul and still be complacent and

oolish? I so, how?

Most teens show above-average abilities in at least one area. According to

Alex and Brett, what’s the danger o dening ourselves by that one area?

“Don’t do bad stuf” can easily be the deault standard o excellence in

church circles. Do you see any problem with that? alk about it.

Go through the questions on pages 101 and 102. alk about your answers.

I you decided to measure every area o your lie by “excellence, not excuses,”

what kinds o changes would the people around you start to notice?

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)




A B h oy o K, g who h quo h cou’ fg-u ou o h ow. H commm o g w h o f oh

who cou hp h— o uvy h pu mo h mo h

h f wv hou. I o ug wy wh m oo bg o

u, h w gu, hou u o coboo. T c , wh w wok

wh m o k-m buo, w c o ogh wh w cou

v hv o o. T chp ugg pcc hg h boh hv

wokg wh m.

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE POWER OF COLLABORATION

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HOW TO DO HARD THInGS THAT ARE TOO bIG fOR YOu TO DO ALOnE

Have you ever cared a lot about a project only to drop it because you

couldn’t do it alone? I so, talk about that. What might have happened

diferently i you’d had a team around you to help accomplish that goal?

Have you ever experienced the extra energy or impact a team can gener-

ate—in sports, drama, or some other setting? I so, what was it like?

Alex and Brett talk about how important it is or teens to “walk with the

wise.” What do they mean by this principle, and why does it matter?

All o us have been on some kind o team: sports, academic, community,

church, or work. What, in your experience, makes the good ones terric

and the bad ones miserable?

As you were reading this chapter, did a “too big or just me” but important

goal come to mind? How could you act on that thought or desire? (Hint:

Begin with the rst thing the authors learned about teams: “Start with

questions.”)

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)




Why h oowg hough o m k c b uch hug cho? A B w wh h quo h chp o goo o: hough m h

hg oub vyo, hy o hy o om o h bgg pyo. My og-

m ucc bu o k h com om og m h hg—--

cp, hoy, cocy, houghu— og hm py ov og

po o m. T uho po o h Vkg mp o powu m

who y wy h m b. T ucc w py u o o

mp c: hy ow h ow bo o b w ouy pp!

CHAPTER EIGHT: SMALL HARD THINGS

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HOW TO DO HARD THInGS THAT DOn’T PAY Off ImmEDIATELY

Have you ever elt like Joanna—“ready and motivated to tackle something

big and exciting, but stuck against your will in a seemingly endless round o

chores”? I so, talk about it. Why do you think small hard things can be so hard

or teens?

What are the small hard things you struggle with most? Describe some o the

sel-talk that goes on in your head that makes doing those tasks even harder.

On pages 135-137, the authors identiy the top ve reasons why doing small

tasks is so hard, as well as ve ways we tend to respond in not-so-rebelution-

ary ways. alk about the ve reasons and come up with a rebelutionary re-

sponse to each.

How could doing everything or God’s glory (see 1 Corinthians 10:31) radically

inuence how you think about and complete small hard things?

See what you come up with in response to this three-step suggestion rom page

143: “Do you have a big goal or your lie that you can’t achieve without a com-mitment to small hard things? (1) Write down your big goal. Ten (2) write

out the small hard things that help you achieve it—and (3) how aithully do-

ing those small hard things now will help you achieve your dream later.”

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)




Wh h cow y w omou uc o mo . T’ o wy

b hg, bu w’ o cu, oowg h cow c u y. I

h chp A B k bou why gog g cuu om ch-

g vy buoy w vuy c. T hy ugg pcp o

hp “ h gh m, o h gh hg, o h gh o.”

CHAPTER NINE: TAKING A STAND

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HOW TO DO HARD THInGS THAT GO AGAInST THE cROWD

When Eva decided to live or Christ, she had to make choices that isolated

her rom her riends. Have you ever had a similar experience? I so, talk

about it.

Do you think it’s harder to take a stand or what’s right around riends

who say they are Christians or around riends who don’t? What are some

o the diferent challenges in each case?

Can you think o an example o a Christian you know who took a stand

on an issue but made a choice that didn’t seem wise to you—and perhaps

the outcome wasn’t positive either? I so, describe what happened. Apply-

ing the authors’ principles listed on page 157, how could that person have

made a wiser choice?

Alex and Brett include a letter rom a guy who mostly disagreed with the

values o the Modesty Survey but admired how the site responded to crit-

ics. Do the Christians you observe generally deal with critics respectully,

or generally not? I so, how? I not, how could they improve?

Is there a stand you know you should be taking but haven’t? What are youwilling to do about it, starting now?

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)




Now h h uho hv cb h Rbuo po v, hy k h

cuo gob. Wh wou hpp, hy k, buo w wo-z

c? Wh wou hpp h Rbuo bcm coucuu h

om go? A B ook o wo mp bu poou wo

pcu o how wh h Go-hoog movm mgh ook k: gh.

Ju h oow boh. A , w fgh coupo pv goo. A

gh, w h uh wh ho pop k. o bg chg, goy

coucuu mu b uppo by wh A B c “h h p o h

Rbuo”—chc, compc, coboo.

CHAPTER TEN: GENERATION RISING

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cREATInG A cOunTERcuLTuRE fROm ScRATcH (AnD A DASH Of SALT)

Conner Cress’s normal lie got turned upside down one day when he encoun-

tered pictures o hungry, hopeless children. Have you ever had a similar expe-

rience that changed how you saw the world? I so, talk about it.

Do you see signs in your lie and among your riends that teens today want to

make a real diference in the world? I so, what do you notice?

Te brothers deliver a mission statement or rebelutionaries: “We are changemakers who inuence our world both as salt and light. Tat is to say, we in-

uence our world both by ghting against sin, sufering and decay and by

ghting or truth and justice.” In what ways are you already engaged in these

ghts? In what new ways do you think God is inviting you to engage?

On pages 176 to 179, Alex and Brett talk about how we need character, com-

petence, and collaboration to truly succeed in our endeavor. Do you agree?

Which pillar comes hardest or you, and why?

I you were to identiy one passion as your “holy ambition,” what would it be?

Do others know about it? I so, do you eel supported by them? How could

knowing your holy ambition help you make decisions and set priorities in the

months and years ahead?

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)




“Tough h book w’v k wh wou ook k o ou go o v-

g ou h pcp o h Rbuo,” w h uho. “T uh h my

wy ’ y hppg.” A vc, hy ouc o youg pop

k Zch Hu, Jzzy Dy, By Lw, L Lu Rvy, By

Gu, L Moog. Ech “uky ho” o h Rbuo— poo

h vy who o oow Ch c b p o h movm.

CHAPTER ELEVEN: A THOUSAND YOUNG HEROES

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STORIES Of nEW bEGInnInGS, ImPOSSIbLE cHALLEnGES AnD THE TEEnS WHO ARE LIVInG THEm

Alex and Brett write, “Tousands o young people whose examples dey silly

labels like ‘ordinary’ or ‘exceptional’ are creating a whole new set o expecta-

tions.” Would you say that right now you (a) denitely, (b) mostly, (c) a little,

or (d) not at all want to be a part o the movement the brothers describe? I

you are hesitant, describe what is holding you back.

Which o the stories in this chapter meant the most to you personally? Why?

In telling Zach’s story, the guys write: “Zach had ound a cause that was big-

ger than his ear.” What is the biggest ear that is keeping you rom becoming

a change maker or Christ? Where do you think that ear comes rom? What

does it tell you about yoursel?

Jazzy’s big change happened when she moved rom “rebel” to “rebelutionary.”

Which side o that choice are you on right now? Why?

In nearly all the stories in this chapter, the “unlikely heroes” simply said “Yes,

God” to a need or an opportunity that was right in ront o them. Do you sense

God showing you a similar need or opportunity? I so, what is it? How do you plan to respond?

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)




I h cog chp, A B vw h m hy’v cov. Now h h h c vw o w wy o , hy o om pcc vc o

g “om bg o mgu chg.” Ty ouc h ypc —Noh,

S, Bo— o pobm-ovg o how hy c g p h

co obc. O mo oy y o b o—“ h oy you.”

CHAPTER TWELVE: WORLD, MEET YOUR REBELUTIONARIES

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TRAnSfORmInG YOuR mISSIOn fROm A DEcISIOn InTO A DESTInY

You’re carrying Do Hard Tings through the school library, and you meet

a riend who asks, “Hey, what’s that book about?” What do you say?

Which part o this book inspired you the most? Which part made you the

most uncomortable? Explain why.

Working rom the “ve-step rebelutionary action plans” that the authors

share or Noah, Serena, and Brandon (pages 214–24), what is your action

plan to deal with the distractions and obstacles you ace? Get help rom

riends, amily and other advisers as needed to create the smartest plan

possible. Write it down. Ten keep your ve-step plan where you can read

and review it every day.

Mentally, travel orward one year in your lie. What do you hope will

be diferent then that wouldn’t have been i you hadn’t read Do Hard

Tings? Five years orward, what’s your answer to the same question?

wenty years orward?

ake time in the coming weeks to reect on the ollowing passages about

our inspiring Bible rebelutionaries: David in 1 Samuel 16—17 and Psalm

18; Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1; Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:1-18 and Philippians3:12—4:13; and imothy as seen in Paul’s letters to him in 1 imothy 4:1-

16 and 6:11-21o 2 imothy. Write down key truths rom these passages

in your own words and reread the truths and the verses oten.

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)




I h b mg, A p h wh h pcp o h book ppy o vy-

o (uh uh, ), “w wou v hv w h book o coug youo o h hg w ’ hv Bb-hp, gop-v vw o .” T ug

ju ou wo—Go, m, Ch, po—A ou wh m o po

o h h goo w o vo w Ch o po o po-

y. T omo h Ju o pob oy bcu H ccomph h

um h hg: H ou pc p o ou . Kowg Ch p-

o Svo o oy op up wh Hm o bv, p A, bu o

gv u h pow movo o p ou v joyuy vg Hm kg

o bg pov chg o ou wo H m.

APPENDIX: DO HARD THINGS, THE GOSPEL, AND YOU

- PAGE 1 -

Beore you read this appendix, would you have described yoursel as a Chris-

tian? Why or why not?

Did Alex’s presentation o the good news o salvation help you see something you

had missed beore about what it means to be a Christian? I so, what?

I you are not a Christian, try to identiy what questions or concerns are prevent-ing you rom responding to the gospel. Can you identiy a Christian you could

talk to honestly about these questions or concerns? What steps could you take to

bring closure on this most important decision o your lie?

I you are a Christian, are there steps you can now identiy that would help oth-

ers around you to know more clearly where you stand with Christ? I so, write

them out and attach an action timeline so you don’t just let them slip.

I you haven’t already done so, it’s time to think about how you can spread the

message o the Rebelution to others! Who could you buy a copy o Do Hard Tings

or? What blogs could you visit, e-mails could you send, or calls could you make?

What group could you bring together or a study and strategy session?

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)


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