Daniel: Resilient Faith
Week 1: The Book of Daniel: History, Prophecy, & Apocalypse
In Daniel 7, we encounter something different. It’s a bit like Dorothy opening the door to Oz. Suddenly everything is in technicolor & bizarre. "We’re not in Kansas anymore." Daniel invites us to peak behind the curtain of human knowledge & see what can only be seen with eyes of faith. We are invited to hear the story of the end, the story of our world, the story our lives… as told by God.
Week 2: Where Do You Draw the Line? Daniel 1
If you live, dress, eat, talk, shop, work, and consume media just like everyone else, at what point do you become just like everyone else? In Daniel chapter 1, we watch as Daniel and his friends are sent off to the University of Babylon. There the Babylonians attempt to erase their identity as children of God and give them a new Babylonian identity. They reprogram them in the language, values, and gods of Babylon. But, when it comes to eating the king's food, Daniel refuses to participate. This week, we explore how Daniel's courageous act is model of godly wisdom for how we might make critical decisions about where to draw the line in our day and our Babylon.
Week 3: Raising Kids in Babylon: Parenting Panel Discussion
We are in the midst of a cultural war, and our kids are at the frontlines. This week, we're pausing the Daniel series to host a panel discussion designed to help you practically wrestle with the question: How do we raise kids in Babylon? DISCLAIMER: While we can attest to the character of the panel participants, their views do not necessarily reflect the official position of New Story. They were intentionally selected because they reflect the spectrum of parenting decisions. You should prayerfully discern what is the right decision for you and your family.
Week 4: Anxiety, Bad Dreams, & Being on the Right Side of History. Daniel 2
He's wealthy and successful, but he can't sleep. He has the world's best security... but he's filled with anxiety. In Daniel chapter 2, we get an intimate look into the mind of one of the most powerful people in the history of the world. Through a dream, God reveals to Nebuchadnezzar (and to us) why we're so anxious, the aim of history, and how to get a good night's sleep.
Week 5: Standing When the Whole World Bows. Daniel 3
The pressure to bow to the spirit of the age is not new. The tools of manipulation, control, and intimidation might be new, but the story is an ancient one. In Daniel chapter 3, we hear the story of three exiles who are forced to choose between bowing or being burned alive. It's a story that forces us to ask: How do you stand when the whole world is bowing to pressure? And, perhaps more importantly, where is God when my life is burning down?
Week 6: Before We Lose What Makes Us Human. Daniel 4
Apart from God, we will forget what it means to be human. Our lives will become increasingly animalistic. We will dehumanize ourselves and one another. The philosophers of old saw this coming, we see this happening in our world, and, in Daniel 4, we see this dramatically play out in the life of Nebuchadnezzar. Yet, even when we are at our worst, God's love pursues us still.
Week 7: Death, Distraction, & the Fall of Babylon. Daniel 5
You are going to die. Everything you create/do/build/write will one day end up on the dust pile of history. This world in its present form is passing away. It's an uncomfortable and unfortunate fact. In the modern world, whole industries are devoted to distracting us from this fact. But the fact remains. In a world inebriated with things that won't last, Daniel chapter 5 is a slap in the face. In this story, Daniel urges us to sober up and consider our lives in light of the end of all things.
Week 8: Lions, Liars & Legends of Faith. Daniel 6.
Some people believe that extraordinary men and women of God do extraordinary things in times of crises. That's not true. In times of crisis Godly men and women continue to persist in the extraordinary things they have been practicing all along. It’s only in times of dire crisis when those things become like weapons in the battle, with which they are highly skilled.
Week 9: The Four Beasts, Antichrist, & the Story of Your Life. Daniel 7
The Book of Daniel is the story of a few 6th century Hebrew exiles, who are assimilated into the city and culture of Babylon, serve in the Babylonian government, and live among the Babylonians. And yet, they manage to keep their identity as the People of God. They live in the world but are not of the world. In this message, we begin to unravel how Daniel's life and visions help us make sense of what is happening in our lives and our world.
Week 10: The Shadow of the Antichrist. Daniel 8
At one level, Daniel 8 is just about some historic events. It's just the story of some king who persecutes the People of God. That’s it. But, as the story unfolds, something changes. We’re no longer just talking about some man. We're talking about the spiritual forces behind the man, spiritual forces that are still at work in our world today. This is an uncomfortable text that forces us to ask some uncomfortable questions about how we see the world.
Week 11: Five Things That Will Transform Your Relationship With God. Daniel 9:1-19
If the Book of Daniel is an apocalypse (or unveiling) of human history, then Daniel 9 is an apocalypse of Daniel’s heart. It is the unveiling of what is really going on in Daniel’s soul. It allows us to peek behind the curtain to see what’s really going on. And it is stunning. In this text, we discover five things that shape Daniel's relationship with God and could transform your relationship with Him too.
Week 12: The 70th "Seven." Daniel 9:20-27
In Daniel 9, God allows us to peek behind the curtain of human history in this mysterious vision of 70 "sevens." We get a glimpse of the aim and end history. In it, two things become astoundingly clear: One, the end is certain. God wins. If you are a child of God, you will prevail. And, two, the road to the end will likely be more brutal than you can even imagine. Both are true. If we can cling to faith while facing this brutal reality, then three is almost nothing we cannot overcome.
Week 13: If You Only Knew What Was Really Happening. Daniel 10-12
History matters. World history. Your personal history. The way you think about the past matters. In this final vision of Daniel, we get one last peek behind the veil of human history. There we see unseen forces at work in our past, the inevitable collapse of humanity apart from God, and the hope of resurrection. It's a vision that suggests if you only knew what was really happening, you'd be horrified... and yet not without hope.