Read Daniel Chapter 3

Now we get to learn a bit more about Daniel’s three friends and what stuff they are made of. I always think it’s interesting that Daniel gets to be the “famous one” and have the book in his name. But he is surrounded by some cool men.

What do you learn about the character of these three young men?

What do you learn about God and who He is from this chapter?

How do you think that the community of the four of them (including Daniel) there in Babylon impacts how they live?

What does community look like for you right now? Who are your “three friends” (figurative – you don’t have to actually a specific number!) that surround you with strong witness and courage?

Spend some time thanking the Lord for the list above.Thank Him for His provision of people in your life. Ask Him if there is a void or people in your life. Search your heart about the person you are to the people around you.

Pray for our community of believers at Riverside.

Read Daniel Chapter 2

Daniel 2:17-18 show Daniel asking his friends to pray for understanding the mystery of the dream. We also need understanding- so pray and ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and heart to the text today.

I think it’s funny that Nebuchadnezar ‘resolves” in verse 5 to not reveal the dream. He and Daniel both making resolves!

What do you learn about Deniel’s character from this chapter?

What do you learn about God from this text?

Spend some time praying about how, in your daily life, you could be a witness that causes someone to exclaim, “surely your God is the God of gods…” Ask God to give you the desire for that to be true in your life.

Hopefully, watching the video yesterday gave as all some context for what Daniel and his three friends were dragged into.

Read Danel Chapter 1

From the narrative in chapter 1, describe Daniel’s character? What do we learn about him?

What from Daniel’s character stands out to you, or pops out as something you would like to be said about you?

The word “resolve” means: to decide firmly on a course of action; resolute; single-minded; a firm determination to do something. In your life, what are your “resolves”?

Stop, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to impress on your heart/mind things that He would want you to resolve spiritually in the next few weeks.

As Keith preached from the book of James on allowing/conforming our actions to accurately reflect our words of faith, I was reminded of Daniel in the Bible.

Daniel is thrust into an extremely hard situation where he could have had many reasons to just fall in-line with those around him instead of continuing to worship God with his heart and actions.

Head to the link below and watch the video explaining the book of Daniel. It will be a great overview before we launch into reading some chapters during the week.

https://thebibleproject.com/explore/daniel/

After watching the video, pray… Pray to God based on what you learned from this overview of the book of Daniel.

Write out the 14 verses from Ephesians 1:1-14 on a sheet of paper. (This will also help with you memorize the passage!)

Spend some time praying and thanking God for the phrases and actions that pop out to you. Use a sheet of paper to write them down as they come to you.

Read Ephesians 1:13-14

Here it is again – “in Christ”.

We heard the word of truth.
We believed in this word.
We were marked with a seal.

This is exciting stuff!

What do you think we stand to inherit from being in God’s family as a son or daughter?

How does it make ou feel to know that you were “included”? What kinds of thoughts does that word bring up for you?

Spend some time sitting quietly and reflecting on how incredible it is that God sought you out, pursued you, and wanted you to be His own.

Give some time thoughtout today working on momorizing these verses.

Continue reciting the verses aloud as you work to memorize them.

Read Ephesians 1:11-12

It is astounding to me that I can bring Christ praise and glory. Why do you think He allows Himself to be ‘yoked’ with us in this way?

What does God’s choosing and predestining say about who He is?

What are the daily implications of “hoping in Christ” versus our initial “hope in Christ”? How are these similar and different?

Give some time throughout today working on memorizing these verses.