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Oct 18, 2020

Living with Lions (Click for Resources)

Passage: Daniel 6:1-28

Speaker: Brian Land

Series: Daniel

Category: Grace Brevard

Keywords: worship, fear, faithfulness, courage, rescue

We regularly face decisions of fear and faith, revealing what our hearts truly rely on, what we functionally believe. Do we go along with something we know is wrong? Do we choose comfort over sacrifice? Self-protection over bold-obedience? Me over You? The praise of man over living as a child of God? When it feels like the world is going to overcome and destroy us, Jesus himself came to us and destroyed the greatest enemy of all: death. In doing so we can be filled with His bravery knowing that this world can take our life but in Christ we are eternally secure and the best if yet to come.

 

HERE are the worship slides

 

Sermon Discussion Questions:
(HERE are the questions in printable format)

Don’t be afraid of the Lions’ Den, you are already in it. And Jesus has already conquered it.

How is it that we are NOW in the Lions’ Den?

1 Peter 5:8
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.


1) The Lions of Our Lives:
How do these cause real threat and fear in your life?
How do you and others respond to them?

a) Politics -

b) Health - Covid...

c) Relationships - tension, fights, lies, anger, sadness

d) Finances - current and the threat of losing it all

e) Image - What people think of me

f) Control - Out of my control...is God in control? Anybody?


How do you think Daniel felt when he heard about the new law?

Why did he pray boldly and publicly?
Why didn’t he just pray in private?


Daniel faced Jerusalem...symbolically facing his True Home and his True King. What is the importance of what we focus our hearts on?

Why is it so hard to focus on Jesus when lions surround us?

In Daniel 6 we find lots of parallels to Jesus. Talk about how Jesus is the Daniel Finale’.

1) Conspired against by the leaders.
When have you been or felt conspired against?

2) The stone trapping him in the pit (grave).
When have you felt utterly trapped and hopeless?

3) Daniel had an angel with him.
Talk about the “with-ness” of God with us.

vs. Jesus being forsaken by God on the cross, leaving him utterly alone.

4) Darius ran to Daniel’s “tomb”
The hope and anticipation of rescue...how can you have this hope?

5) Daniel “resurrected” without harm
Jesus resurrected, but still bears the scars.
We will be resurrected in glorious unscarred bodies

6) Conspirators thrown into the pit
How can we find hope and peace knowing that, in the end, all that threatens and destroys will be fully put down?

7) We along with Daniel have a “living God”
Why does it matter that our God is eternally allive?

8) Daniel prospered
Daniel wasn’t saved just for his own sake, but to serve others and glorify God. How is that our story as well?

9) We are all finally and fully brought home from exile
How can fixing out eyes on Jesus AND on how he is bringing us HOME empower us to live in hope and purpose today?


Read Hebrews 12:1-2 to help summarize Daniel 6