Fifty Shades of Grace

By Shauna Marie Hyde

Fifty Shades of Grace provides a scriptural look at what the Bible says about relationships. Too often in the education of relationships, abusive and unhealthy relationships if discussed are not done so with enough depth. This book will compare what society tells us, in the form of entertainment and media, with what God tells us in the Bible about what healthy and loving relationships are. It will explore what abuse is and why many of us are in abusive relationships and what we can do about it. "I hope this book helps people not to fall into the trap of harmful relationships." - Rev. Shauna Hyde, author.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Energion Publications
• Release date: Apr 25, 2013
• ISBN: 9781631993718

Book preview

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Praise for Fifty Shades of Grace

Shauna Hyde has delivered another powerful, God-inspired arsenal of ammunition for those seeking to destroy the effects of the enemy in their lives. Very few authors have the fortitude to tackle tough subjects within healing from relationships; but her solid, God-given wisdom on some of the toughest obstacles offers a hope for those who need a lifeline. One of the most basic truths within her writing is that the results of healing do not come without doing the hard work of healing. That truth, along with the exposure of various myths of modern day thinking, have laid a wonderful foundation for the reader to gain a foothold towards living out the free life that the Lord Jesus intended us to live.

Iris Subel Davis, author God’s Promise of Victory

Atlanta, GA

Rev. Hyde dispels a number of romantic myths that pervade relationships today. From Grimm’s to Grey, she explains how these fairy tales inhibit our ability to find supportive, healthy relationships, romantic and otherwise. She goes a step farther and asks deceptively simple questions at the end of each chapter which provoke thought and emotional growth and offer a means of exploring how to improve nearly all relationships. She respectfully confronts the conventional wisdom of Biblical teachings and clarifies the meaning behind often misused verses. For those who seek a faith-based exploration of the dynamics of dysfunctional relationships, and suggestions how to improve one’s self and one’s interactions with others, this volume is ideal.

Ariana J. Kincaid

Violence Against Women Resource Prosecutor

West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Institute

God knows what we need to hear and when we need to hear it. This book is exactly what I needed! Fifty Shades of Grace helps establish healthy ways to love and be loved. I want my teenagers to read it, my husband and a long list of friends. It is a God-inspired guide to show us characteristics of real love, and a warning if we are in an unhealthy relationship. This little book is packed with wonderful advice and scripture. It is a must read for everyone. A great group study or individual read.

Kimberly Gordon, author It’s in the Bag and Please Love Me

Pensacola, FL

With his Hierarchy of Needs, Abraham Maslow emphasized the fundamental need that we humans have to be in relationship with each other. Our need for love and belonging is preceded only by our most basic survival and safety needs. It is within these relationships that we can experience our greatest joys and our most devastating losses. Relationships are not all good or bad, not all joy or sorrow, rather they exist on a spectrum of ebb and flow, give and take.

In Fifty Shades of Grace, Shauna Hyde reminds us that healthy, lasting relationships are not the result of fairy tales and happenstance. To love and be loved is not passive but requires intention. Shauna helps us to discover and define our unspoken expectations, our unmet needs and our secret payoffs. Does our Christianity smooth the path along our way or have we turned it into an obstacle? By expertly challenging myths with scripture, Shauna lifts the veil that separates reality and fantasy revealing a spiritual path that empowers us to create the lasting and loving relationships that we desire.

Felicia L. Bush, MA, Director of Medical Services

WV Family Support and Rehabilitation Services

Love is no fairy tale. It is something far more challenging, more beautiful, and more rewarding than all that... just like Rev. Shauna Hyde’s inspired new work, Fifty Shades of Grace. We may all be cracked vessels, but Rev. Hyde draws from scripture, Niebhur, Cinderella, and her own experience to present us with a map for navigating the treacherous waters of romance, love, and even abuse. If you are truly in love with someone, or if you someday want to be, this book is for you.

Stephen N. Smith, Executive Director

West Virginia Healthy Kids and Families Coalition

Fifty Shades of Grace

Shauna Hyde

Energion Publications

Gonzalez, FL

2013

Copyright © 2013 Shauna Maria Hyde

Unless otherwise stated all cripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U. S. A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cover background image © Trudywilkerson | Dreamstime.com

Used by permission.

Electronic ISBN

ISBN13: 978-1-63199-371-8

Print Edition (Perfect Bound Paperback)

ISBN 10: 1-938434-15-3

ISBN 13: 978-1-938434-15-0

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013938614

Energion Publications

P. O. Box 841

Gonzalez, FL 32560

energionpubs.com

Table of Contents

Preface v

Introduction vii

What’s Love Got To Do With It? 1

1 Corinthians 13 The Gift of Love 2

Matthew 22:36-39 The Two Great Commandments 3

How do we live out love in our relationships? 5

Discussion/Reflection Questions

for Chapter One: 8

Once Upon A Time … 11

Myths Perpetuated 11

Beauty and the Beast 11

Sleeping Beauty 12

The Little Mermaid 13

Cinderella 14

Twilight 14

Fifty Shades of Grey 15

Generic Romance Novel 16

Discussion/Reflection Questions

for Chapter Two: 18

Relationships Of Grace 21

Discussion/Reflection Questions

For Chapter Three: 28

Self-Image vs Self-Love 31

Discussion/Reflection Questions

For Chapter Four: 37

Abuse 39

One Body with Many Members 47

Discussion/Reflection Questions for Chapter Five: 54

Shame On You ... 57

Discussion/Reflection Questions For Chapter Six: 63

Healing And Reconciliation 65

A Five Week Study on 1 and 2 Corinthians: A Guide to Reconciliation 65

Week One: Foundational work and first theme (love) 65

Week Two: Second Theme: True Humility 68

Week Three - Spiritual gifts and the Marks of Ministry 71

Week Four: Respect and Reverence 73

Week Five – Justifying and Sanctifying Grace 75

Happily Ever After … 78

Preface

This book has been written to honor all people, male and female, who have been mistreated, overlooked, and unloved. If I could have one wish for this world come true, it would be that we learn to treat each other well and recognize that each person is sacred and valuable. There is no life that should be thrown away. This has become a passion of mine as I have lived through, survived, and overcome that which is horrible. I have learned the hard way that not everyone is reasonable and loving and that many people have a tremendous capacity for manipulation and cruelty. I have knelt at an altar and asked God, Why? I have worked so hard and tried for so long to be the Christian wife I am to be so why can he not be the partner in my life who would love me and treat me as sacred? I have lived through the days when I prayed that one of us would die and I did not care which one it was. I have lived through the ensuing faith crisis where I received the message that I would now be destined for Hell and that I had horribly failed. I sat through counseling sessions in which I was guilted into