THREE THINGS TO KNOW
DON’T MISS THIS. This year, we want to extend a personal invitation to our YEAR-END GIVING
opportunity. This is a significant moment in the life of our church. It helps us make sure we end the
year in a strong financial position while empowering us to move into 2026 with boldness. It also
provides us with the incredible opportunity to bless and invest in other churches in our community!
Each year, we set aside a portion of our year-end giving to bless ministries and churches that share our vision for the gospel. This year, we plan to give to five different projects at five different churches. We can’t wait to see how God will work through your generosity. Take time this week to pray and ask how God might lead you to participate. To give, click HERE.
GROUP VALUES. The Christmas season is a time when our groups naturally embody the value, SHARE LIFE. However, it is also a season that can be littered with reminders that our world is broken and needs restoration. In this week’s sermon, we saw how Daniel responded to the brokenness around him by praying for restoration. Take time this week to share how you see the need for restoration in your lives, families, and communities. Commit to asking God for the hope of restoration in these situations, a hope ultimately revealed in Jesus’s humble birth.
GROW AS A LEADER. Through Daniel’s example, we see that Godly leadership requires the determination and resolve to avoid defiling oneself. To defile means “to spoil or desecrate.” Like Daniel, we face this challenge as we navigate living in two kingdoms, or put another way, navigating life as a Jesus follower in a broken world. Consider what it means for you to resolve to avoid defiling yourself. What pitfalls do you need to be aware of? Is there anything that you need to confess and recommit to God? Once you’ve reflected, take a courageous step and share with a trusted friend.
SERMON DISCUSSION GUIDE
Welcome to the tenth week of our sermon series, EPIC. This week, we examine Daniel’s life in exile and his resolve to remain faithful to God in a foreign land.
ICEBREAKER
What’s something you’ve broken (or someone else broke) that felt irreplaceable at the time?
THIS WEEK’S TEXT
Have someone read Daniel 1:1-21 aloud.
What words or phrases from this passage stand out to you?
How does Daniel’s approach to food differ from those around him? How does he balance faithfulness to God with respect for authority?
What signs do you see in this chapter that God is still engaged and at work despite the devastation?
THIS WEEK’S SERMON
Pastor Jeff Manion continued the EPIC series by examining Daniel’s faithfulness during exile. As a group, recall some of the sermon’s big ideas and main points.
When you look at our world today, where do you see evidence of brokenness that makes people question whether God is present or at work?
Like the people of Israel, we may also navigate seasons of life when we question God. Is there a season in your life when you questioned whether God was still there? What makes that season stand out?
Daniel and his friends had to navigate the tension of being citizens of two kingdoms – Babylon and Israel. How do we as believers navigate the tension of belonging to both God’s kingdom and the culture around us?
Daniel resolved in advance not to defile himself. What are some areas where deciding before the moment can protect our faithfulness to God?
Like Daniel, there will be moments when our convictions conflict with cultural expectations. How can we grow in showing courtesy and grace when navigating those moments?
There are moments in life when we discover God is at work, but in a surprising place and in a surprising way. How might God be working in unexpected ways in your life right now, even if you can’t fully see it?
Like Daniel, we all have a deep longing for the restoration of our broken world. In what broken parts of your world do you need to remember that God is at work?
WRAP UP
This week, we talked about remaining faithful to God and praying for restoration even in disorienting circumstances. What is a takeaway that you need to bring into this week?