Fresh Bread and Core Values
We can be flexible about many things, but in Scripture God has given us bedrock, unbending truths that don’t change no matter how much time passes or culture shifts.
1. Have you ever had to trust God for an outcome that seemed unresolvable? Explain.
Ask two people to read aloud Daniel 2:1-3, 17-23, 26-30, 47-49, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize these verses.
2. King Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream (vv. 1-3) wherein God revealed the future. Why do you think God communicated in this way to a pagan ruler?
3. When Daniel was made aware of the king’s dream, he urged his friends “to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery” (v. 18) so that he could interpret the dream. What does this say to you about Daniel’s faith?
4. It was only by God’s intervention that Daniel was able to tell the king what he had dreamed and what the dream meant (vv. 26-30). In what ways have you depended on God’s intervention in your life?
5. As a result of Daniel’s interpretation, Nebuchadnezzar recognized Daniel’s God as “the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries” (v. 47). How can our faith, trust, and obedience today point people to God as the one true God?
6. Because he acted on his trust in God, Daniel was rewarded greatly by the king (v. 48). Does God always reward faithfulness in this life? What does it mean to trust and obey God regardless of rewards?
7. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Daniel 3:1, 4-6, 8-28. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts and the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
We can be flexible about many things, but in Scripture God has given us bedrock, unbending truths that don’t change no matter how much time passes or culture shifts.
The public may have lost confidence in higher education more generally, yet I believe we may be entering another golden era in Christian higher education.
Someday we will lay down our WOMBATs and our treasured accomplishments. What will matter most then? Clinging to Christ and the cross.
For the Christian, a new year means another growth step to take, another goal to set, and more fruit to bear in God’s kingdom.
From the Christian Standard archives, Dorothy Errett reminds every Christian of New Year’s resolutions we all should make to begin the new year.
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