The Red and The Blue. Week 2: Resolved Study Guide
Main Idea: If you are going to live daily under God, you need to make some resolutions to follow him ahead of time.
Key Scripture: Daniel 1:3-8
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility—young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.
Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.
Key Principles:
- You cannot passively be a disciple of Jesus.
- To faithfully live under God, you need to make some predetermined resolutions.
- Humble yourself and let the Spirit bring correction.
Discussion Questions:
- Who is the most influential person in your life?
- On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being under culture, and 10 being under God, where do you rate yourself? Our country? What thoughts led to your answers?
- Read the story of Daniel, found in Daniel 1:1-21, as a group. Share what stands out to you.
- List these in order of how much they influence you: entertainment, work, money, faith, and approval of others. What do you think about your list?
- What compromises are you making that cause you to drift away from living under God?
- Pastor Brian asked us to make some predetermined resolutions for living daily under God. What’s on your list?
- Have you ever felt humbled or corrected by God? What was that experience like? How did it turn out?
- Do you tend to see God more as a merciful friend and servant, or as a righteous judge and King of Kings? How does this impact the way you live?
Next Steps: Commit to a step and live it out this week.
- Work to discover your predetermined resolutions to live under God? What small steps will you have to take to follow through? What is your first step?
- Ask someone to keep you accountable to taking your steps.
He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service. But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine… Daniel 1:8 NIV
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:6 NIV