Using Daniel 1:8-21

There are some specific tips for groups who are NOT doing sermon based studies at the  end of this post.

But Daniel MADE UP HIS MIND...  (NASB)
But Daniel RESOLVED...  (ESV)

In verse 8, Daniel decides to be faithful to God in every situation before a specific situation arises.  There were a lot of things that did not fire Daniel up,   

"Daniel had no outward resistance to attending the University of Babylon, erasing their culture or changing his name. Rather, he is all about the teaching of God's Word."

Commit now to serve the Lord so that you will know better how to respond in challenging situations.

"Not eating meat seems so trivial or small in many ways."

Your faithfulness to God in the big things begins with faithfulness in the small things.

Some discussion helps/questions to use with your group:

• Towards the end of the sermon, "Over 500 years later magi came to worship Jesus because of who Daniel was regardless of where he was."  What does that mean?
• Can you remember a situation in which you were prepared to take a stand and what happened when you stood?  What did you resolve, and what did you do?
• How have you been, are you, and will you prepare yourself to live life for God's glory in this land?

AN ABSOLUTE NECESSARY part of this preparation must be PRAYER.

Take time to pray for your Gospel witness.  

One way you can do this is to have people pray for specific areas of life...

work

neighborhood

Church

family

FOR GROUPS NOT DOING SERMON-BASED

In your study, whether it is Mark, Ephesians, Leadership, or Women in the Bible,  your group should be challenging one another to live counter-cultural, God-glorifying lives like Daniel. 

How does your study this week and every week help you know God more deeply and live for God more dependently?