We often find ourselves allowing our situations and circumstances dictating our responses. Today, I want to remind us that our relationship with God must determine how we show up to every situation. Enjoy this message preached at Abundant Life Worship Center. Lesson 7: Not Making Excuses Key verse: O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. (Daniel 9:4-5) Read: Daniel 9:1-19 1. According to verse 2, what specifically did Daniel glean from the scriptures? 2. What actions do you think Daniel was motivated to take after seeing God's plan for the future? 3. What did Daniel do in response to the alarming news (verse 3)? 4. In light of verse 3, how would you describe Daniel's prayer life? 5. Why do you think Daniel made no distinction between his own sins and the sins of his people (verse 7-9)? 6. What happens when we thumb our noses at God's commands and reject the advice of people who tell us the truth (verse 11)? Have you ever experienced this personally? 7. Based on verse 13, how would you define repentance? 8. What would it mean for the people to give attention to God's truth? 9. Why do you think Daniel chose to put himself in the same boat as the rest of the people? Goals for growth: * Eliminate the habit of blaming others. * Energetically pursue repentance and confession when needed. * Immediately apply God's revealed truth to my words and deeds. Study guide used: Being God's man...by standing firm under pressure. (Stephen Arterburn, Kenny Luck & Todd Wendorff) Not Intimidated Scripture background: Daniel 6 Key Verse: Then they said to the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day." (Daniel 6:13) Study questions: 1. What qualities made Daniel different from the other government administrators (verse 3-4)? 2. What was the response of Daniel's co-workers in verse 5? What do their comments tell us about who Daniel really was? 3. What dilemma did Daniel face (verse 6-9)? How did he respond to the challenge (verse 10)? 4. Why did Daniel seemingly have such an easy time deciding what to do in response to the king's decree? What does that tell us about his relationship with God? 5. According to verses 10 and 11, what was the substance of Daniel's prayers? 6. In a such a perilous situation, did thanking God make sense? Explain. (Suggestion: Recall a situation in your life when thanking God was the best response.) 7. What evidence did Daniel's adversaries use to indict him (verse 13)? 8. What price was Daniel willing to pay for his faithfulness to God? 9. How does the situation look to you in verse 17? What saved Daniel in the end (verse 22-23)? 10. What was the end result of Daniel's decision to fear God more than he feared men (verse 26, 28)? What personal application comes to mind? Study guide used: "Being God's Man...by standing firm under pressure" by Stephen Arterburn, Kenny Luck & Todd Wendorff Being Obedient in Touch Circumstances Scripture background: Daniel 5 Key Verse: This is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians. (Daniel 5:26-28) Study questions: 1. What do verses 1-4 suggest about Belshazzar's character? 2. Why do you think God picked this time to communicate His judgment to the king? Why do you think God chose to write on the wall? 3. Why did God involve Daniel? What purpose did that serve? 4. Be Daniel for a moment. What is going through your mind on the way to the palace? 5. How did Daniel handle the situation when he arrived (verse 13-17)? How did he respond to the king's flattery (verse 17)? 6. What did Daniel do in verses 18-21? If you had been Daniel, would this speech have been difficult or easy for you? Explain. 7. What message was God communicating to the king through Daniel in verse 22 and 23? How did Daniel know these details? Why do you think God had him go into this detail? 8. What was God measuring on His scales (verse 27)? 9. Whose responsibility was it to remove the proud king from power? Call to action: Do you know someone with whom you need to have a tough conversation? Do you need to confront a sin in that person's life, or are you aware of an attitude that, if unchecked, will lead to God's judgment? What steps will you take to address the problem in love? Final thoughts: It was very encouraging and as always right on time. We as Christians have to be aware of our spiritual exposure in our high points as well as our lows. They can become footholds tor the Devil. (Michael Corks) Thank you for joining us for this month’s show. As we read through the 5th chapter of Daniel remember that GOD is the one and only and he holds each of our lives in his hands! HE also wants us to behave a certain way as children of the Lord. So during this week we should remember the scale that God puts us on, how do we compare to how God wants us to behave while on earth? (Christopher Johnson) Study guide used: "Being God's Man...by standing firm under pressure" by Stephen Arterburn, Kenny Luck & Todd Wendorff Speaking What People Need to Hear in the Moment Scripture background: Daniel 4 Key Verse: Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue. (Daniel 4:27) Study questions: 1. Be Daniel for a moment. Why are you so unsettled by King Nebuchadnezzar's dream (verse 19)? 2. What did the dream portend for the king? 3. Why did God have to severely prune the king? What outcome was assured if Nebuchadnezzar obeyed Daniel's advice (verse 26)? 4. What main action step did Daniel advise the king to take (verse 27)? 5. What did Nebuchadnezzar do in spite of Daniel's advice (verse 28-30)? 6. What was God's response to the king's "I'm God" speech (verse 31-33)? 7. What brought the king's wilderness experience to an end (verse 34-36)? 8. What connection do you see between Daniel's advice in verse 27 and the king's prayer in verses 34-37? 9. What did God want Nebuchadnezzar to realize as a result of his wilderness experience and Daniel's willingness to boldly speak God's Word to him (verse 37)? Call to action: Pray about your role in the lives of others. Ask God to use you to help others become better worshipers and followers of Jesus Christ. Final thoughts: In Daniel chapter 4 we find that Daniel has to give some disturbing, unhappy news to king Nebuchadnezzar. He has become arrogant in thinking that his great kingdom was built only by him and that he's the king of kings...WRONG! Daniel has to verbally slap him in the face to help him understand that we have only one almighty God that gives and also takes away. So this week I want us to remember that everything we have, everything we have accomplished so far, and any skills we have were graciously given to us by God. So we must praise him first in everything we do. (Michael Corks) Experiencing Deliverance through devotion to God Scripture Background: Daniel 3 Key Verse: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O King. but even if he does not, we want you to know, O King, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." (Daniel 3:16-18) Study Questions: 1. What decree did the king issue (verse 1-5)? What did he require? What was the consequence of noncompliance (verse 6)? 2. How did everyone in the kingdom respond (verse 7)? 3. What complaint was lodged against God's men (verse 12)? What did their response to the decree get them in return? 4. What was required of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to respond the way they did to the decree (verse 16-18)? 5. What was their perspective on the whole situation (verse 17-18)? What did they willingly choose rather than bowing down to the image of gold? 6. What did their bold stand accomplish in the short term (verse 19)? 7. When did God deliver Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fire? What insights does God's timing in this situation give you about how He works? 8. What practical encouragement do you find in verse 25? 9. What would Nebuchadnezzar have missed if Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had not taken a stand for God? (That is, what did he see as a result of their stand that he wouldn't have seen otherwise?) Call to action: What practical actions can you take this week in the following areas: Trusting God in the face of opposition: Defying the culture when it opposes God's ways: Sacrificing for the kingdom, even when it's difficult: Refusing to get "on board" even when it means disappointing others: Final thoughts: Minister James S. Williams Refusing to take the easy or popular path is hard to do especially when you don't know what will happen to you. Sometimes the easy way can appear to offer certain clear benefits. the 3 Hebrew boys could have thought that to bow down to Nebchadnezzar's idol would benefit them with life, while not bowing down meant death. What was clear to them and what I am learning is that God trumps man's authority and I must follow the Lord even if it means defying powerful men. It must be our pursuit to seek the Lord's approval at all times. Minister Michael Corks I hope you enjoyed the show! In Daniel chapter 3 we learned that not everyone is going to recognize our God as THEE God. So we have to stay strong in our faith and trust in Him to to take care of us. There will be people that see your intimate relationship with God and may become jealous of you and try to belittle the choice that you made to follow Him. Fear not, You are setting a great example of how God wants us to behave. Other people will see that new behavior and realize that they should also be seeking the Lord. Minister Christopher Johnson I found our lesson to be a right on time message for me. I know that God requires our faith as a prerequisite before he delivers us sometimes, as seen in Matthew 13:58 (NIV)"And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith." I took heed to how the 3 Hebrew boys stood on their faith and did what they were supposed to do in standing true to God's word...and in return God stayed true to his word in never leaving or forsaking them. Even more so, the 3 Hebrew boys stood not only on their faith but on the knowledge and trust that God works in the way the he knows to be infinitely wise and true, this can be seen in there response to the king "But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of the gold you have set up" Daniel 3:18 (NIV). I receive those two attributes that were displayed on that day in time Men of Righteousness Session 2 Study Guide Not Panicking – Maintaining Strong Convictions and Confidence in Times of Chaos Scriptural background Daniel 2 Key Verse: Daniel 2:24 ~ Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him.” 1. What was Daniel’s initial reaction to the kings’ decree (verses 14-15)? 2. What does Daniel model for us in his initial responses to the officer who has been sent to execute him (verses 14-16)? What do you think Daniel might have said? (Hint: Jot down a few wise and tactful responses he might have given). 3. What does Daniel’s reaction tell us about how he handled pressure? What do you think fueled his responses? 4. Once he had bought some time, to whom did Daniel turn for help (verses 17-18)? What did he specifically ask them to do? 5. What do we learn from the examples of Daniel and his friends about how to handle difficult situations that take us by surprise? 6. How did God respond to this crisis (verse 19)? What do we learn about God from His response? 7. What did Arioch believe was the solution to the king’s problem (verse 25)? Where did Daniel immediately place the focus (verse 27-28)? 8. How did the king respond to Daniel’s interpretation (verses 46-47)? 9. How did God bless Daniel for standing firm in his faith under pressure? 10. Do you think God still rewards men for taking steps of faith for Him? When have you experienced or observed this? Call to Action Pick a situation where God is calling you to trust Him for breakthrough. Choose a few prayer partners to pray for wisdom, guidance, and strength from the Lord for the situation over a 30 day period. Reflect on the situation after 30 days to see how God has revealed Himself and what He has taught you through the process. Final Thoughts James Williams: God is not moved, shaken, or surprised by anything that occurs or will occur. As such if we are His, then we can rest assured that He can carry us through anything. Knowing and living like we are sons of the Most High can center and ground us when all around us appears to be falling apart. In our humanness it is easy to get alarmed and respond emotionally, in fact it is natural. The beauty of God’s spirit is that He is supernatural and is able to keep us even when our own flesh wants to panic. Michael Corks: Thank you for tuning in! During this week I hope that you will join me in staying calm and not panicking in times of crisis or uncertainty. Remember that God knows all things past, present, and future and he is in complete control. So whatever you are going through, God already has a plan to bring you out of it. You only have three things to do. 1) Pray to God 2) Watch God handle it 3) Praise Him for delivering you through that crisis. That's it! Our awesome God will take care of the rest. Men of Righteousness Session 1 Study Guide Not Budging - Staying Loyal to God by Setting and Maintaining Boundaries Scriptural Background Daniel 1 Key Verse: Daniel 1:8 Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief for permission not to defile himself this way.
CALL TO ACTION In what primary area of your life are you tempted to compromise? What boundaries do you need to set for yourself in that area as soon as possible? To whom will you give permission to ask how you’re doing in this area on an ongoing basis? Final thought James Williams: We can learn from Daniel’s example that by being obedient to the Lord we can thrive and be a witness even in wicked environments. Even if you find yourself in difficult situations, you maybe God’s avenue to bring about a godly change in those situatiaons. Michael Corks: I hope you enjoyed our show, but more importantly I hope you learned from it! During this coming week I encourage you to start applying some of those tips we gave you on staying strong under pressure. What helped Daniel stay strong was his love for the Lord and the fact that he had his boundaries set ahead of time. Having your rules established beforehand makes them easier to stay committed to them. Content derived from: S. Arterburn, K. Luck & T.Wendorff (2004). being God’s man…by standing firm under pressure. www.menofrighteousness.weebly.com |
AuthorSPastor James S. Williams, Jr. is a man of vision, desiring to help others reach their full potential. Even though James schedule demands much of his time and efforts, he never forgets his first ministry as husband, father and child of God. Archives
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