Note: For audio clips of Frank’s shows, visit www.frankpastore.com.

Chapter 1: Out of the Blue
1. How did Frank define success before the baseball accident? What is your definition of personal success?
2. Not everyone’s life is full of the drama that Frank’s was during his time in Major League Baseball. However, everyone’s life has change. Do you have a defining moment in your life when “everything” changed? (The change could be either positive or negative.) If you don’t have a dramatic before-and-after event to share, tell about one of your life’s milestone moments such as high school graduation, marriage, a funeral, a spiritual epiphany, buying your first car, or the first day of a new job. How did that event impact your life and goals for the future?
3. At the end of chapter 1, Frank says, “Prayer was for weaklings and losers. The fact that my pitching elbow and my dreams were both shattered had nothing to do with God. I didn’t believe in God. I was raging at Someone who didn’t exist.” Can you relate to Frank’s feelings of doubt/anger about God’s existence? Do you believe there is a God? Why or why not?

Chapter 2: The Great Adventure
1. Frank believes that everyone experiences setbacks or loss. He says, “But this story . . . [is] really about what happens to all of us at some point. Pitching arms get randomly whacked. Careers end. Accidents, illness, and death destroy lives. Loved ones betray us. Relationships rupture. Kids break our hearts. We mess up. Life can be so hard, and sometimes the difference between what we want and what we get almost kills us.” If you feel comfortable doing so, tell about a disappointment that caused you great heartache.
2. What is your view about personal suffering? Do you believe that Christians are spared from suffering just because they have “received Jesus”? Why or why not?
3. Frank gives us a visionary statement about the gospel:
The gospel of Jesus Christ is about the ultimate victory of real, robust good over sick, twisted evil. It’s about justice for those who can’t speak for themselves; it’s about peace with God and peace in relationships with other human beings. It’s about right racial relationships and the care of God’s green earth. It speaks to economics, philosophy, government, and law. The big gospel vision informs everything from our birth through our dying breath; it encompasses eternal dimensions we can’t yet perceive.
How does this statement compare to your understanding about the gospel of Christ? Is Frank’s description new to you? What, if anything, is appealing to you about Frank’s view of the gospel?
4. Frank uses the story about his son’s first visit to Disney World as an analogy to illustrate that there is more to Christianity than just getting “in.” Franks says that there are adventures beyond the entrance. “And like my showing Frankie around Disney World, exploring new thrills at every turn, God wants to take us farther up and farther in to the adventures in His kingdom. Our experience won’t be perfect until the ultimate restoration, when sin and death are banished forever. But life with the King in His kingdom begins right now!” To what extent do you buy into Frank’s analogy? Do you believe or would you be open to believing that God offers Christians an adventurous life through knowing Him?

Chapter 3: Fat Kids Can Dream Too
1. In chapter 3, Frank describes a less-than-ideal relationship with his mother (to put it mildly). List two or three things that Frank feels were his mother’s bad qualities.
2. Can you relate to Frank’s social ineptness in junior high? What three words best describe your junior-high experience?
3. Despite the obstacles and negative influences in his life, Frank was still able to hope and dream when he was a young teen. He dreamed of playing in Major League Baseball. What role does hope play in the human experience? What role does hope play in the Christian experience? (For some verses about hope, see the following list: Job 13:15; Psalm 33:18; Proverbs 13:12; Isaiah 40:30-31; Jeremiah 29:11; Acts 24:14-15; 26:6; Romans 5:3; 8:24; 12:12; 15:4; 2 Corinthians 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:13.)

Chapter 4: Life in the Witness Protection Program
1. Frank’s father spent a lot of time with Frank, but they didn’t talk about anything significant. What are some of the challenges that you face as a parent?
2. Frank says, “Life in my family was like growing up in the Witness Protection Program: Never let anyone get too close. Don’t reveal too much about yourself. Don’t contact your extended family. Don’t allow visitors. Don’t make any friends; keep them just as acquaintances.” Describe what a healthy sense of family should include. Is your answer based on biblical principles?
3. How has your sense of family shaped your attitude toward God and/or Christianity? Has your sense of family helped or hindered your spiritual journey?

Chapter 5: No Crying in Baseball
1. Frank’s dad had wanted to play professional baseball. Frank had a similar life dream. If you know your father well enough to answer, tell how your life dreams are similar to your father’s dreams. In what ways are your life dreams different from your father’s dreams?
2. Frank’s dad was like Superman to him. What are the drawbacks to having human heroes? Who should be our main role model for life? Is that goal always easy to reach?
3. Frank cherishes the memories he has of his father being his baseball coach. What can you do this week to create a positive memory for your children, spouse, or other family members?
4. Frank describes a time when his father had to be firm with him. He says: “A shadow appeared in front of me. My dad ripped the jacket off my head and pulled my chin up with his ham-sized hand. ‘Get your head up,’ he said. ‘There’s no crying in baseball.’ ” That was a defining moment for Frank. Can you tell about a friend or mentor who influenced your life in a positive way?
5. Frank earned his father’s respect when he could throw a baseball hard enough to hurt his father’s hand. He describes it as a “huge coming-of-age moment.” As Christians, whom should we be seeking to please? (For some Scriptures to discuss, refer to the following list: Exodus 3:13; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Psalm 10:4; Proverbs 8:34-35; Hebrews 11:6; 2 Peter 1:17.)
6. Most families try to appear happy and healthy when they are in public. Frank says that his family looked normal on the outside at baseball games, but he knew they were dysfunctional due to his mother’s destructive personality. Do you think that at some level we all try to cover up our failings? Why is it so natural to want to appear “normal” to the outside world?

Chapter 6: Getting Jumped, Part One
1. Frank grew up in an area where there was white/Hispanic racial tension. How do unhealthy racial attitudes affect you? How do they affect our culture? Do you think Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) in part to teach about racial tension?
2. When he was in seventh grade, Frank was beat up by four members of a rival baseball team. They attacked his pitching arm, apparently with the motive of keeping him from pitching. At his first opportunity, Frank retaliated by punching one of his attackers just before class. As a result, Frank was suspended from school for four weeks. How did these two violent events combine to catapult Frank into a safer and more academically challenging high school (Damien High)?
3. Frank looks on those events and believes that God was working in his life. He says: “It’s pretty ironic now when I look back and see that God propelled me to Damien by means of blunt force—as in the Chicano gang. But of course back then, I didn’t believe in God and wouldn’t have had a clue about how He works in people’s lives. Nor would I have cared. But He got me where He wanted me, through some pretty creative—and painful—means.” When you look back over your life, do you see points at which God was doing good, even though you didn’t recognize it then? Do you believe that God can use evil things for His holy purposes? (See Genesis 50:20.)

Chapter 7: Becoming a Catholic Atheist
1. Frank’s parents weren’t actively religious. In fact, his mother badmouthed people of faith. How did Frank’s mother’s opinions about religion influence him? What was your religious upbringing? How do your opinions about faith affect your children?
2. Frank describes his mother’s atheistic convictions in this chapter:
As I’ve said, she was outspoken about her disdain for religious faith. It was stupid, for wimps and weaklings. Mom had taught me that evolution and chance were the only explanations for life, which was basically painful and pointless. From her perspective, the only goals, really, were to accumulate as much stuff as you could and have as many pleasures along the way as you could afford. In the end, when you died, you just ceased to exist. Nothing.
Have you ever held similar views or do you now? Have you ever considered yourself to be an atheist, someone who is sure God does not exist?
3. Frank’s mother lied about her commitment to the Catholic church. She probably believed “the end justifies the means.” What is attractive about that philosophy? Why isn’t it a good philosophy to live by? What is dangerous about it?
4. In this chapter, Frank describes two embarrassing events. The first was when he threw up at his first football practice. The second was at a dance when the makeup he used to cover his acne smeared his shirt. He says of the second event: “It was far worse than getting jumped by the Chicanos. This was emotional agony. That night ended, eventually, but then on Monday morning, everyone in the entire school knew about me wearing makeup to the fall dance. I was the absolute laughingstock of the campus.” Which do you think is harder to bear: emotional agony or physical agony? Explain your reasoning. Do you think some people become Christians in part to gain release from the emotional agony of having sinned? Why or why not?

5. Frank threw an 85-mile-per-hour fastball at one of his former attackers (see chapter 6) and hit him in the ribs. Frank thought revenge would feel sweet, but he was disappointed to find it wasn’t as emotionally satisfying as he thought it would be. Why is it easy to seek revenge? Why shouldn’t it be emotionally satisfying for Christians? What does the Bible say about revenge in Romans 12:18-20?
6. By the end of his freshman year in high school, Frank had found his place via his pitching ability. He says, “My identity was set: I was Frank Pastore, pitcher.” When you were in high school, what did you base your identity on? What do you base your identity on today?

Chapter 8: Reinventing Myself
1. When you were growing up, were you comfortable bringing friends over to your house? How did you feel if/when friends came over?
2. When Frank visited his friends’ homes, he realized his family wasn’t the same as theirs. It wasn’t “normal.” What are the advantages of healthy friendships?
3. Frank found a mentor in Jim Steck. He says, “Mr. Steck was present in my life in a way my dad was not.” Who are the people in your life who have mentored you or who became a parent substitute? Are you a mentor or a special influence to anyone today?
4. The Pignotti family welcomed Frank and offered him food, love, and attention. It made a difference in his life. What is one thing our church or small group can do to become a more welcoming place, to make a difference?

Chapter 9: Dreams Come True
1. By the end of high school, Frank had finally made it to the popular crowd. Is popularity always negative? What are some of the positive aspects of being popular?
2. Frank recalls: “So here I was with the Cincinnati Reds in my kitchen, offering me major bucks to join the team, and I was telling them I wanted to go to school instead. ‘Are you crazy?’ the Reds’ scouting director sputtered. ‘This is the largest bonus in Reds history! It’s twice what we gave Johnny Bench when we signed him!’ It was fifty thousand dollars.” How did having a sudden wad of cash affect Frank? What would happen to you if you won the lottery? What do you think Jesus would have done with 50,000 shekels of silver?
3. Frank’s dad supported his choice to play in the major leagues. His mother did not. How have your parents supported your dreams/career choices? What impact has that had on you?

Chapter 10: Stanford Man Is No Curry Fan
1. Frank went to Stanford to “game the system.” It didn’t work, since the admissions office had revoked his academic scholarship due to a change in financial status. Why is “gaming the system” sometimes tempting? What’s the difference between taking advantage of the system and being wise with your money?
2. Stanford didn’t work out for Frank. Can you relate to his experiences? Tell about a time when you had a significant sudden change of plans (it can be a decision that you made or one that was thrust upon you).

Chapter 11: Real Men
1. Frank writes: “So began my great love affair with tobacco. I went on over the years to do every form of tobacco known to man: dip, chew, snuff, plug, leaf, pipe, cigars, cigarettes, filtered and unfiltered, regular, menthol, and the very best chew of my life—homemade peach-leaf tobacco in Atlanta, courtesy of Johnny Bench.” Many people believe that tobacco use is a sin. What, if anything, does the Bible say about tobacco use?
2. What role did music play in Frank’s life during his baseball days? What role (positive or negative) does music play in your life? What was the last song you listened to? What was its message? Did that message build up or tear down a healthy view of God?
3. Read 2 Kings 2:22-24. What do you think God would say about the antics of Frank’s traveling baseball team?
4. Frank writes: “The baseball life was guy heaven sometimes, like camp for grown-up boys. All it needed was women. There were plenty of them on the road, of course, and I regularly took advantage of their availability.” Frank wasn’t married at the time. Was this behavior wrong according the Bible? (If you need some examples from Scripture see 1 Corinthians 6:13-20; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; and 1 Thes¬sa¬lonians 4:3.)

Chapter 12: Johnny’s Little Sister
1. What were the differences between Frank’s relationships with the cheerleaders, groupies, and models he dated and his relationship with Gina?
2. Frank explains:
You have to remember that this was in olden times, so we had no cell phones, no texting, no instant communications. We actually wrote each other letters every day when we were apart. We splurged and called each other once a week, on Sunday nights. When we were together, it was as if we were in our own special zone. Time stood still . . . or zoomed at three times its normal rate. I couldn’t stand being apart from her.
What was healthy about the type of communication Gina and Frank shared?
3. In what ways was Frank ready for marriage? In what areas do you think he needed to grow?

Chapter 13: Mom’s True Love: A Boy Named Dude
1. What were some of the setbacks and distractions Frank faced during the next baseball season?
2. How did Dude’s reappearance into his mother’s life affect Frank and his family?
3. Do you think Frank’s family’s instability had anything to do with his decision to elope with Gina?

Chapter 14: Robert Ludlum Would Have Been Proud
1. Frank tells us that Gina’s dad said that she was too young to get married. That made Frank, “more determined than ever” to elope. What do you think spurred Frank’s decision to thwart a man whom he viewed as a father?
2. What reasons does this chapter give for Gina’s willingness to agree to an elopement?
3. Frank quickly decided to elope. But it took him five months to plan it. What state and federal laws did he decide to break? What relationship or spiritual laws was he also planning to break?
4. What risks was Frank taking by eloping? What were the possible consequences?

5. As you were reading this chapter, were you rooting for Frank and Gina or for Gina’s father? Does that answer surprise you?
6. If you had been Mr. Pignotti, what, if anything, would you have done differently? How would you feel if your child eloped at the age of sixteen?

Chapter 15: Bonnie and Clyde
1. Frank was good at fast-talking. He writes:
With all my careful planning, I had missed a crucial point. Robert Ludlum would have been disappointed. When I booked our flight, I had used an alias. The tickets were there for us, but when I whipped out my checkbook to pay for them, the names didn’t match, and the ticket person wouldn’t take the check.
I pleaded.
No use. She called for a supervisor. I had to think quickly.
“May I help you?” asked the supervisor.
“Yes, thank you,” I said smoothly. “We’d like to buy our tickets.”
“But sir,” she responded. “Federal regulations require that you travel under your real name for purposes of identification should something unforeseen happen.”
This never came up in Ludlum.
I took a long shot. “Yes, ma’am, I understand that. But, you see, I’m a pitcher with the Cincinnati Reds, we’re in a tight pennant race with the Dodgers, and I’ve got an injury that we’re trying to keep out of the press.” I showed her my Cincinnati Reds ID card, driver’s license, and splinted finger. “Well,” she said, impressed by my credentials and seduced by the idea of being part of the conspiracy, “yes, we can accept your check, but we’ll have to change the manifest to reflect your real names, regardless. Is that okay? I’m sorry, there’s nothing else I can do. Federal regulations.”
Frank has a lot of personal charm and a winning personality. How can that be an asset? How can those qualities be a liability? What’s the difference between honest persuasion and selfish manipulation?
2. Gina left “everything to run away with” Frank. She was totally committed to the relationship. In what way was Gina’s decision similar to making a commitment to following Christ? (See Matthew 10:37-39.)
3. Frank had a lot of anxiety during the trip to Birmingham, Alabama. Why was he worried? Was getting caught a worry that should be part of a healthy wedding? What is the relationship between guilt and worry? Our culture talks a lot about false guilt but rarely about true guilt. What are some of the emotional consequences of true guilt?

Chapter 16: What Happens When Felons Sign Your Marriage License
1. Frank’s mother exhibited some more disagreeable qualities in this chapter. What were they? Were you surprised to find out she would steal from her own son? Why do you think Frank trusted her even when he knew she wasn’t trustworthy? Why is parental betrayal so devastating? (See Matthew 7:7-15 for further discussion.)
2. Frank writes:
My mother came to the door and said, “Gina, it’s your father. He knows you’re here.”
Gina got up and went to the phone, quietly ready for her doom. I went with her, rubbing her shoulder while she talked.
“Hi, Daddy,” she said.
“Is this what you want?” her father asked.
“Yes, Daddy,” she said. “You know I love Frank with all my heart.”
“Honey, you know we were going to give you a church wedding once you graduated,” he said. This was news to Gina.

“Well,” he continued, “you’ve left us with no choice, so I guess you have our blessing. I wish you hadn’t done it this way, but you’re my daughter, and I love you no matter what.”
Gina burst into tears, and so did I once she told me what her father had said.
So we were no longer Bonnie and Clyde, fugitives on the run from the feds and the wrath of Mr. Pignotti.
How could better family communication on the Pignottis’ side have helped Gina? Looking back over your life, do you have more regrets about being openly honest or about withholding information? Describe some of the tension between honesty versus wanting control? As a general rule, how do you handle honest communication at your home? Do you tend to withhold information or are you open with it, even if you are not sure your child or spouse can handle it? What are the risks in being open? What are the risks of revealing too much?
3. Frank regrets his efforts to get his dad to return to his mother, even after she had divorced him. At the time, what do you think was Frank’s rationale for asking his dad to reconcile? Was there a financial incentive for Frank to see his parents reunited? What information do you have that tells what Frank’s attitude toward money was?
4. When we do wrong, there are often unintended consequences. What were some of the consequences others had to pay for Frank’s decision to elope?

Chapter 17: Animal Magnetism
1. In this chapter, what impulsive decisions did Frank make?
2. Frank and Gina lived in an apartment. Why do you think Frank bought a dog that needed a large area to run in? What does this reveal about his character at the time? What did Frank mean when he wrote, “I somehow fell in love with the most expensive dog at the pet store”?
3. Why do you think Frank trusted his mother with Suki? What was the result? Who was more at fault—Frank or his mother? In this chapter, do you think Frank is more an optimist or a fool?

Chapter 18: One Pitch from Humility?
1. How do you think Frank and Gina felt as part of the Big Red Machine?
2. Johnny Bench told the manager, “[Frank’s] arm’s ready. I don’t know where his head’s at, but this kid’s got it.” What would you have told the manager about where Frank’s head was at? Do you think this opportunity was good for Frank? Why or why not? What type of person “deserves” a professional sports opportunity and salary?
3. What is telling about Frank’s response to the press after his first major-league pitching experience? Despite Frank’s fear of being cut, is there any sign that he is a humble player at this point?
4. Frank writes:
After all, I believed that I had made myself into a major-league pitcher. I’d worked hard. I was good. I was a winner. Humility was for losers. On that first day in the bigs, I knew I was one of the best pitchers in baseball. The only small problem was that the rest of the league just didn’t know it yet.
But they would know soon enough. I could still hear the roars of the crowd and the feel on the mound as I’d ripped those pitches over the plate. I appreciated Johnny Bench; after all, the man was a legend. But really, I didn’t believe I was just one pitch from humility. I was one pitch from success.

How much of Frank’s pride can be attributed to youthful inexperience? How much do you attribute to his character? A well-know verse is Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” What else does the Bible say about pride? (For some examples, see Psalms 10:4; 59:12; Proverbs 8:13; 29:23; Isaiah 2:11, 17; 13:11; 23:9; Galatians 6:3-5; James 1:10.)

Chapter 19: Other Things I Learned from Johnny Bench
1. Frank found a mentor in Johnny Bench. In what ways was Johnny a good role model for Frank? What was the caliber of the other men in the bullpen? What was more important for Frank: the opportunity to be around the other men or the opportunity to pitch? Were you surprised that Frank was teachable? Why or why not?
2. Did Frank deserve the attention he got from the other players? Who deserves any type of mentorship? What was so funny when Frank spelled “F-A-T”?
3. Frank writes: In Philadelphia once, we were getting on the team bus after a game. There were about 100 fans behind the security barrier, and a few armed guards were on hand to protect us from them. We loaded up and were rolling out when suddenly Bench yelled, “Stop the bus!”
He jumped out and ran toward the now-screaming fans, straight toward a little boy who couldn’t have been more than six, sitting on his daddy’s shoulders. Bench grabbed the Reds hat off the boy’s head, signed it, scruffled his hair, put the hat back on his head, and then turned and jogged back to the bus. The boy’s eyes were huge, his mouth in the biggest smile I’d ever seen. The father had tears of gratitude in his eyes. What was the lesson Frank learned from Johnny?

Chapter 20: Getting Loose
1. How did Frank handle the unflattering introduction he got from Tommy Lasorda at a charity banquet?
2. Frank writes, “That entire off-season I had to watch myself giving up those five home runs on the Dodger highlight reel every time their commercial came on the cable channel.” How did Frank respond to the defeat and humiliation of being sent back to AAA?

Chapter 21: Reds, Greens, and Life in the Fastball Lane
1. What are the reasons Frank gives for why he did not use pot or other drugs? What are some other reasons to avoid illegal drugs?
2. Frank writes, “I’m glad baseball is coming down hard on guys who take banned substances. It puts the whole game under suspicion.” Do you agree or disagree with Frank’s statement?
3. Describe the Mob blackmail setup that Frank heard about from the Drug Enforcement Agency. What good came about from the threat of blackmail?

Chapter 22: Forced to Hang with the Christians
1. Why did Gina ask Frank to hang out with the Christian baseball players?
2. Frank recalls, “I got pressured to be unfaithful to Gina from the second I got married . . . and of course, once I said no, some of my teammates pressured me all the more, just for the fun of seeing me fall.” Why do you think Frank’s teammates wanted him to commit adultery? What was at the top of their value system? What was the main reason Frank did not commit adultery? Was that a good reason?
3. What was attractive about the Christian players in regard to their emotional stability?

4. How did Frank respond to the “sharing” of his Christian teammates? How did he get them to stop?
5. Frank responded to his teammates with rhetoric like this:
If everything has a cause, what caused God? If your God is so good and powerful, why is there so much evil in the world? Either He can’t stop it or He won’t stop it; either way, He’s not much of a God. And don’t quote me the Bible; every cult and world religion has its own book. That’s just a self-validating circular argument. Don’t talk to me about faith and religion; that’s stuff for intellectual wimps. You guys need to get out of the Dark Ages. Science has disproved all that stuff. Look, evolution is true, the Bible is false. Deal with it!
How would you handle someone who asked similar questions and made similar statements? Are you prepared?

Chapter 23: The Smallest Guy on the Team
1. Describe baby Frankie’s fight for life.
2. Frank had a decision to make about whether or not to pitch while Frankie was in the hospital. What did Frank chose to do? What was the outcome? What did you learn about Frank’s ability to focus?
3. Frank writes:
Frankie’s at-risk birth shook me. His little life was so precious, so fragile, and yet he was able to jolt me out of the big, strong material world in which I’d been living. Yeah, the trappings of success were fun, but this tiny guy was more important than all of that. This was life and death—a flesh-and-blood situation—and Frankie pulled at something inside of me.
I began to realize, in a way that I couldn’t or wouldn’t even articulate, that I may have had all the external signs of success, but there was something wrong. Something was missing. There was a hole in my life that “more” wasn’t filling. I tried to fool myself that the next good game, the next sports car, the next winning season, or the next big contract would do the job—but they never did. I began to lose faith that baseball would ever make me happy and fulfilled.
I remember looking around the clubhouse at the players one day, and I suddenly realized that though most of these men had become rich and famous, only a few were truly happy. That was very disturbing. Ever since I was nine years old, I had wanted to be just like them, but if they weren’t happy with all of the money and all of the success they had, what made me think I was going to be any different?
Have you ever had an experience like Frank’s, one where you reflected that there had to be something more to life? What was the outcome?

Chapter 24: The Case Against Christ: No Problem
1. Frank was replaceable on the pitcher’s mound. In what areas of his life was he irreplaceable?
2. Right after the ball hit Frank’s pitching arm, his Christian teammates wanted to pray for him. What was Frank’s reaction to their request?
3. Frank writes: The only types of prayer I had ever heard were the memorized types, where you basically put your mind on autopilot and then grab the controls again when you hear the word amen. Prayer was like singing the national anthem, saying the ABCs, or reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. But when these guys prayed, it was different. They spoke as if Jesus Christ was real, and that He could not only hear them but was right there with us in that sweaty training room. That was spooky. I had never heard grown men pray as if they really meant it. I may have had all kinds of arguments against Christianity in my head, but right then, my heart wanted to know more about this Jesus they were talking to.

“Maybe there is something truly supernatural, something suprascientific, about this God stuff,” I thought. It was one thing to raise impersonal intellectual objections against Christianity, as I had done my whole life, but it was another to see teammates you’ve lived with for the past six years really talking to the Jesus your arguments say doesn’t exist.
What has been your experience with prayer? Do you wish you had a better understanding of prayer? Why did the prayers of his friends capture Frank’s interest?
4. In Cincinnati, why is Frank in a humble and spiritually receptive mood?
5. Have you ever believed, as Frank did, that “religion [is] obsolete and that scientists and philosophers like Darwin, Freud, Hume, and Kant [have] found truth for the modern age”? What other ideas and/or philosophies have shaped your spiritual worldview?
6. Why do you think Frank was willing to go to Tommy Hume’s home for a barbecue even though he had refused several previous offers?
7. Why was Wendel’s strategy to have Frank investigate Christianity on his own a good tactic to take? What were the potential risks?

Chapter 25: Surrender in the Men’s Room
1. Why was letting go of his mother’s training difficult for Frank? Did her views on religion reinforce a prideful attitude? Frank was sure Christianity wasn’t rational. What was rational about his previous views?
2. What is a nihilist? Do you think our culture reinforces nihilism? In what ways? (Help from Wikipedia: Nihilism [from the Latin nihil, nothing] is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value. Moral nihilists assert that morality does not inherently exist, and that any established moral values are abstractly contrived. Nihilism can also take epistemological, metaphysical, or ontological forms, meaning respectively that in some aspect knowledge is not possible or that contrary to our belief, some aspect of reality does not exist as such.)
3. Can you define Frank’s “unsolvable problem”? What was the beginning of his spiritual quest? Why did Frank crave the Big Story?
4. Frank writes:
In my usual fashion, I didn’t lack for self-confidence, even though it wasn’t warranted.
“Guys!” I said. “For years you’ve been sharing with me why I needed to become a Christian. I’ve been asking you all these basic questions, like why do you believe God exists, how do you know the Bible is true, why is there evil in the world, why is Christianity the only true religion, what about the person who’s never heard of Jesus—and for more than five years you’ve given me really bad answers. I could have died and gone to hell, and my blood would have been on your hands!”
They all stared at me, wishing they had focused their evangelistic attentions on someone else. Someone nicer. If they had expected that my long-sought conversion would have produced a kinder, gentler Frank, they were wrong.
Were you surprised that Frank said this to his teammates? Was he speaking the truth? What part does the Holy Spirit play in a person’s salvation experience?

Chapter 26: End of a Dream
1. Is the Bible your favorite book? Why or why not?
2. Have you ever given your testimony to someone? If so, what was the outcome?
3. What problems did Frank’s newfound faith bring to his marriage?
4. Why do you think Gina pulled the Playboy magazines out of the trash?
5. Frank writes:
Whenever I did interviews, now I was proclaiming my new beliefs and sharing the gospel. She nearly died of embarrassment. She’d been raised to keep matters of faith private. Civilized people just didn’t discuss religion or politics. Though she’d loved her Catholic faith as a young girl, she’d slipped away from her religious upbringing and just didn’t find it interesting anymore.
In what ways can you relate to Gina’s experience?
6. Why do you think Gina was fearful of surrendering her life completely to God? Can you relate to her gradual process of release? “As [Gina] puts it, ‘I knew the truth now. Even though I didn’t like it, I knew it was true. I began to surrender myself to God slowly over the course of about a year.’”
7. When Frank was choosing a church to attend, what were his selection criteria? What are your selection criteria for a church?
8. What encouragement did Frank find from Dr. Jobe? Have you ever doubted your mental abilities? How does doubting oneself undermine most other areas of life? When you have doubts about yourself, how does that impact you faith experience?
9. Pete Rose wrote a book that was released in 2004. It’s called My Prison Without Bars. In that book he admitted to illegally betting on baseball games. Apparently, Pete also had a “higher love than baseball.” What was that love? Why do you think Pete Rose was so angry at Frank’s humble acceptance of being cut?

Chapter 27: Why We Are Not Friends with the IRS
1. Why do you think Frank quit baseball despite his agent’s urgings to keep trying?
2. Frank’s optimism kicked in when he decided to quit baseball. He writes, “I knew God had great plans for us. I couldn’t wait to find out what they were.” This shows great courage. Who are the people in your life who encourage you when things are down? How does Christian faith offer hope for both this life and the next?
3. What qualities had Frank learned as a baseball player that propelled him toward academic success and good jobs at Digital Equipment Corporation?
4. Why was it difficult for Frank to consider raising support so that he could work in full-time ministry?
5. Frank, as we have seen, was basically a trusting person. He even let his mother have access to his checking account at one point. He writes:
I was also naive about working in Christian organizations. I’d had no illusions about the seamy side of life in pro sports—I’d seen it all. And I knew that churches and Christian ministries are made up of sinful people—people who’ve been saved, yes, and are on the road to heaven but who are still vulnerable to the temptations of pride, ego, turf wars, and jealousy. I knew all that intellectually, but I still had a rosy picture in my mind that working in full-time ministry would be different, that it would be somehow elevated, above all the lures of self and sin. Somehow God would protect it because it wasn’t “business”; it was ministry.

Why is it easy to believe that Christians will get along? What problems did the disciples and early church have? (See Matthew 26:14; Mark 10:35-41; Acts 6:1-3; 15:36-39; 1 Corinthians 2:11-13; Galatians 2:11-21.)

Chapter 28: Wondering as I Wandered
1. How did Frank describe his experience with Athletes in Action? Was it a good fit for him?
2. What was attractive to Frank about attending law school?
3. Have you ever had a “baseball bat” experience like the one Frank had when his friend Danny said, “[God] told me to tell you, ‘Go to seminary’”? What was the outcome?
4. While Frank attended seminary, he and his family lived with the Pignottis. Frank describes it as a humbling experience. Living in humble circumstances is often required of biblical leaders. The prophet Moses is a good example. As a group, take some time to review the story from Exodus chapters 2–3. What are some “wilderness” experiences that you’ve had?

Chapter 29: When the Bluebirds Sang
1. What were some of the “successes” that Frank described in this chapter?
2. How did being on the Live from LA show impact Frank? What was his first experience doing “hard clock” radio like?
3. Describe a time in your life “when the bluebirds sang.” Did it eventually end, as did Frank’s? How do good times and bad times affect your faith in God?

Chapter 30: Getting Jumped, Part Two
1. Frank found himself in a catch-22 situation when he worked at Talbot/Biola. What was his dilemma? What would you have done differently?
2. After Frank was fired from Biola/Talbot, he felt deep anger. He writes: “God, what are You doing?” I screamed inside. “This is so wrong. I hate this! I work my butt off for You and create all this ministry out of nothing, run TIBS on my laptop, raise the money for the radio show, get all this publicity on national television for Biola, host these big shows here in LA, and this is what You do to me! Are You kidding me?
“I didn’t get involved in the coup against the president, and now he fires me! These guys are slandering me all over the place, and I don’t say squat about them, and they win and I lose? Are You up there or not?
“If this is ministry, You can have it. I don’t want anything more to do with Your church, or any more of this Christian BS. It’s over. You can have it. S— ministry!”
Frank’s life was being “shattered” again. Why did Frank initially blame God? Were the questions Frank asked honest? Disrespectful? When is anger at God a sin? How would you have responded?

Chapter 31: Sitting on My Bucket
1. Frank had some amazing friends. They reached out to him. How did that help? What were they risking?
2. What is the difference between what a person is thinking and what a person is feeling? Are you a more “thinking” person or a “feeling” person? Why was it important for Frank to understand the difference between the two?
3. Once again, Frank’s professional baseball experience helped him with another area of life. He writes:
I’d never thought about going to a psychologist or psychiatrist. As deranged as my mother was, it just wasn’t something people in our family did. It was for crazy people, and we were “normal.”

Right. But as an athlete I knew the difference between working out by myself and working out with a professional trainer. It made sense to me that if I needed to get in better shape emotionally and spiritually, I should go to a professional. It seemed to me that most of us seek professional help in just about every area of life, from finances to legal issues to car maintenance to physical health, so why wouldn’t I do the same in terms of my mental health?
Do you think it is “unspiritual” to receive psychological counseling? What about taking antidepressants or other psychiatric medicine? Do you think Frank made a good decision to see a counselor? Why or why not?

Chapter 32: Shattered Mirrors
1. Frank writes: But before I came to faith in Christ, I’d suppressed emotions because many of them were too painful to acknowledge. And then after I began believing in God, I suppressed many emotions for a different reason: I thought some of them were wrong, sinful, or just bad, that I shouldn’t be feeling certain ways.
“Good Christians shouldn’t feel this way,” I’d tell myself, and I’d slam the door to that emotion. More closed doors in my heart. I had embraced a Christianity of the mind, but I hadn’t let Jesus become the Lord of my heart. I didn’t know how. Do you ever think, “Good Christians shouldn’t feel this way” as Frank did? Why is it dangerous emotionally to stuff our feelings? Is it spiritually honest? What does Frank mean when he said, “I had embraced a Christianity of the mind, but I hadn’t let Jesus become the Lord of my heart.”
2. Why was it difficult for Frank to show how angry he was at his mother?
3. Explain the “mirror” analogy. If you feel comfortable telling about it, what mirror did you get from your parents? What mirror do you show to your children?
4. How did Gina’s “mirror” help Frank mature? What kind of “mirror” should married people strive to show their spouses?

Chapter 33: Getting Recycled
1. What factors did Frank consider before buying a motorcycle? Was this in step with the impulsive Frank of the elopement/Suki days?
2. Do you think that riding a motorcycle can be a godly endeavor? Why or why not?
3. Frank’s “guardian angel” helped him after his accident. Have you ever had a near-death experience? If so, did it change your outlook on life?

Chapter 34: A Divine Conspiracy
1. Frank writes: Gina and I met with Dr. G together once, and then Gina started going on her own. Our marriage seemed to get better and better. The silly fights that had plagued us since eloping 22 years earlier were getting fewer and fewer. We realized that we had both fallen into the unhealthy patterns of conflict resolution that had been modeled for us by our parents. So my way of dealing with conflict was to pretend it wasn’t happening, and Gina’s was to yell and throw dishes.
We began learning new communication skills not only with each other but also with our kids. We always had a good marriage, but now we were creating a great marriage, piece by piece. It wasn’t as if we were sailing off into a perfect sunset, happily ever after. But the fact was, we were in the same boat, of the same mind, and we were happy together. We were facing whatever lay ahead with the sense that our past didn’t have to dictate our future. How did breaking the chains of the past help Frank’s marriage?

2. How did Christian content on books and tapes help Frank? Frank says, “If I was marooned on a desert island, I’d want the Bible and The Divine Conspiracy.” Which two books would you want?
3. Explain why Frank is passionate about the “Big Story.”
4. According to Frank, “God calls us to go boldly out to the field of battle, to touch wounded lives, to march against an enemy whose defenses cannot prevail against us.” Do you share this vision? In what tangible ways do you “go boldly out to the field of battle”? If you do not yet have that vision, what steps can you take today that will make you better equipped to “march against” the enemy?

Chapter 35: From Bucket to Broadcasting
1. How did a chance meeting with Dan Naulty impact Frank’s life?
2. Dr. Larry Arnn of the Claremont Institute asked Frank:
“How would Christians, from the Bible alone, know how to even do such a thing? After all, Jesus never raised an army, levied a tax, guided a policy debate in a legislature, or administered a government.”
I was stunned. Almost speechless. After an awkward silence I told him, “Larry, I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never even considered any of those questions. I don’t have a clue as to how to answer, but I’m listening.”
For the next two hours, Dr. Arnn laid out the broad contours of an answer. I had never heard anything like it. It was the story of political philosophy, the story of Christianity, the story of Western civilization, and the story of the American founding all rolled into one. He ranged with familiar ease from Plato’s Republic to The Federalist Papers, with stops along the way to consider Jesus, the apostle Paul, Saint Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Machiavelli, John Locke, Montesquieu, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and Ronald Reagan, often quoting from memory.
I was blown away. “Why have I never heard any of this before?” I asked him. “And if I haven’t heard it—and I’ve been an adjunct professor at a Christian college—I guarantee you there’s not one Christian in 100 who knows how to integrate Christianity with political philosophy. This is awesome! People need to hear this! I want to learn it; where do I start?”
Would you be able to answer the questions that Larry asked Frank? What was Frank’s response to the challenging questions?
3. Frank had a medical episode related to his heart. What was the cause of his chest pain? What was the busiest period of your life? How did you manage the stress? Would you go back and change anything about how you handled it? If so, what would you do?
4. How do you think Frank felt when he heard Charles Kesler’s response to the news that Frank was quitting the PhD program? (“Frank! We have lots of PhDs, but we don’t have a whole lot of radio hosts. Go make us proud!”) Have you ever been in similar circum-stances? Have you ever given someone grace under similar circumstances? Explain how you felt.

Chapter 36: Fun, Fast, and Real
1. Frank writes: Thinking Christians can be quite comfortable in the arenas of science, history, philosophy, government, and the issues of the day, because a Christian worldview is grand, bold, and extensive enough to inform these issues with real wisdom.
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most comfortable or practically PhD material, how comfortable are you in the areas of science, history, philosophy, and government in regard to Christian worldview? Do you want or desire more wisdom? How can you get more wisdom/

education in order to become a better informed Christian? (Visit Frank’s website at www.frankpastore.com.)
2. Frank says:
Don’t get me wrong: I’m fully invested in what I do. I give it my all to make every show the best it can be. I work as hard as I can “as unto the Lord,” as the Bible puts it. But it’s not like when I was “Frank Pastore, pitcher”; take away the pitching, and I didn’t know who I was. Today I may be “Frank Pastore, radio host,” but who I am, at the deepest level, isn’t dependent on my job, my ratings, or my fan mail. I believe God has called me to this work, that it’s ministry in that it equips people to think with a Christian worldview—and that’s good. Very good. But my identity isn’t tied up in my work. My identity is tied up in God. Do you believe him?
3. How did the pressure of pro baseball pitching prepare Frank for the radio world? Do you think God was preparing Frank to become a radio host even while he was a pro player?
4. How did the vision for “Frank’s Freaky Fridays” fit with Frank’s personality? Do you think you would have enjoyed the shows? Why or why not?

Chapter 37: Losses, Gains, and Breaking Chains
1. In this chapter, Frank describes his efforts to reconcile with his mother. What was her response to Frank’s reconciliation attempts?
2. Frank writes:
Trying to connect with my mother meant stepping into a whirlpool of pain. She had no regrets about her deceit, no repentance about the awful choices she’d made, and no concern about the ways she wounded me as a kid. So there it was. No happy ending, no great reconciliation or restoration. My mother had no interest in a relationship with me, Gina, or our children.
I had two choices. I could deny how much that hurt, stuff it inside, and limp along as if all was well—I hated facades, as you know, so this wasn’t an option—or I could acknowledge the pain and learn to live with it. I decided that I wouldn’t use my mom’s wrongs as an offensive weapon against her. I wouldn’t hover nearby, wanting revenge and trying to hurt her with the ugly facts of how much she’d hurt me. I didn’t excuse my mother’s choices, but I also knew that the ultimate enemy in this was Satan. The Bible says he loves to destroy lives; in fact, he is described as a hungry lion, looking for people to devour. He’d done that to my mom, leaving her as a grotesque parody of a person. But I wasn’t going to let dark feelings against my mom destroy my life. This is where I had to draw deep into the reality of who Jesus really is and the fact that He is truly stronger than Satan. Jesus could take what was meant for evil and use it for good.
Was Frank’s response to his mother biblical and compassionate? What, if anything, could he have done differently? What would you have done under similar circumstances?
3. What was the “miracle” that happened when Frank’s father was in the hospital? Why do you think it was important for Frank Sr. to make sure Frank knew about his decision to receive Christ? Frank doesn’t explain how he felt about his father’s decision; why do you think Frank omitted that from the narrative?
4. Frank decided to go to a speaking engagement instead of visiting his dying mother in the hospital. Jesus often refused to talk to the masses or the Pharisees when they could not understand His spiritual message. Jesus said, “He who has ears, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15; 13:14-16). Frank’s heart told him his mother had been “dead” to him for years. How did you react to Frank’s decision to go to the speaking engagement? What would you have done?

5. Frank writes:
But one aspect of all this has been mended. After I came to know Christ, I realized that I couldn’t change my past, but I could, by God’s power, change the choices I made in the present. I could change the legacy my kids grew up with. I might have had a passive dad and a mean mom and a godless childhood, but that didn’t have to be the case for my son and daughter. By God’s mercy, the generational chains could be broken, and our kids could grow up with a legacy of grace.
Some people who aren’t parents know exactly how to raise perfect children. But those of us who are parents know how hard it is. Nothing has shown me my own sin, my own brokenness, like being a husband and a father. But these roles have also shown me—in a way nothing else could—the unbelievable extent of God’s tender ability to redeem and make new. In my relationship with Frankie, God redeemed the lost bond I never had with my father.
How is Frank changing the spiritual legacy in his home? What have you learned from his choices?
6. Why do you think Frank dedicated this book to his grandson?

Chapter 38: At Peace with the Pieces
1. Why did Frank write this book? Why does Frank think he has a unique voice and the ability to reach non-Christians? Has he reached you on a spiritual level?
2. What does Frank mean when he says, “I’m at peace with the pieces.”
3. Why does Frank tell about his competitive steak-eating accomplishments? What did you learn about Frank in this section? Why do you think he is not trying to break Jaws’s record today?
4. Explain what Frank means when he says, “Now I’ve finally realized I don’t need more. I don’t feel like I have to gulp life down, always hungry for more. No, now I’m free to savor the steak.”