1. Alyce has a desire to do big things for the Lord, but her impetuous nature often leads her into trouble in spite of her good intentions. Are you one to rush into things? Or do you sit back and wait until you second-guess yourself out of them? Which do you think it harder to overcome? How do you live in the middle—ready to obey the voice of the Lord yet willing to wait for confirmation or further instructions?
2. Alyce persuades herself that lying in order to raise money for missionaries is the end justifying her means, even citing Scripture to herself to affirm her actions. But she comes to see things differently by the end. Where does Scripture condone lying? And what was the difference between those situations and Alyce’s? (the midwives in Egypt, the spies in Jericho, etc.) Have you ever used Scripture to justify your actions then later realized you twisted them to mean what you wanted them to mean? Explain.
3. Webster is quietly trying to live our the gospel, but it leads to questions about his character. Lawrence Trotter “talks the talk and walks the walk,” at least in public, which causes Alyce to let her guard down around him. Both men aren’t what they seem, but, in the end, their actions reveal their true character. Are there secrets you hide from others that can be misinterpreted? Do you “put on” a Christian persona in order to hide sin you don’t want others to see?
4. Alyce’s parents are still not saved at the end of the book. Were you disappointed? Did you see any growth in them? Any hope of change in the future? How did it help you think of those in your life who don’t yet know Christ?
5. Even in Alyce’s bungling of everything, the missionaries receive more than she initially promised them. Has there ever been a time in your life where you messed things up royally, but the Lord brought about an end result that was more spectacular than the one you imagined? Tell the group about it.
6. Alyce found it hard to fit in—at school, at church, in town. Yet she consistently reaches out for relationship with others. How do you respond when you don’t fit in? What are some ways in which you saw yourself in Alyce? What are some lessons you can learn from her?