Choices, Faith, and Perseverance: Lessons from Daniel

 

Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound impact of our choices, using the life of Daniel as a guiding example. We began by acknowledging the sheer number of decisions we make daily, emphasizing that our current state is a direct result of these choices. Daniel's story, particularly his unwavering faith and integrity, serves as a powerful testament to the importance of making godly decisions. Despite being taken from his home and thrust into a foreign culture, Daniel's faith remained steadfast, largely due to the foundational choices instilled by his parents and his own commitment to God.

We delved into the significance of building confident faith through consistent, intentional choices. Just as Daniel chose to remain faithful in Babylon, we too must choose faith over fear, especially during crises. Daniel's life illustrates that our choices not only shape our own lives but also influence those around us. His decision to maintain his faith led to God's favor and protection, ultimately impacting an entire nation.

Moreover, we discussed the importance of strengthening our faith during peaceful times, preparing us for inevitable challenges. Daniel's consistent prayer life and study of God's word fortified him, enabling him to face crises with confidence. We were reminded that our faith should be exercised consistently, not just in times of trouble, but as a daily practice.

Finally, we were encouraged to persevere in faith, even when answers seem delayed. Daniel's persistence in prayer and fasting exemplifies the power of perseverance. As we navigate our own lives, we are called to make choices that honor God, influence others positively, and grow our faith.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Power of Choices: Our lives are shaped by the multitude of choices we make daily. Like Daniel, who chose faithfulness in a foreign land, our decisions can lead to God's favor and influence those around us. Each choice is an opportunity to align with God's will and impact our future. [45:06]

2. Building Confident Faith: Confident faith doesn't happen overnight; it is cultivated through consistent, intentional choices. Daniel's life shows us that faith is strengthened by daily practices like prayer and studying God's word, preparing us for life's challenges. [46:52]

3. Faith in Crisis: Our response to crises is a reflection of our faith. Daniel's unwavering trust in God during trials demonstrates that strong faith can lead to divine intervention and protection. Our choices in times of peace prepare us for these moments. [55:52]

4. Influence of Integrity: Daniel's integrity and faithfulness influenced even those in authority over him. Our choices can serve as a testimony to others, drawing them closer to God. Living a life of integrity can have a profound impact on our community. [58:53]

5. Perseverance in Faith: Perseverance in prayer and faith, even when answers are delayed, is crucial. Daniel's persistence in seeking God for answers teaches us the importance of steadfastness in our spiritual journey. Our faith must endure beyond immediate crises. [01:08:07]

Youtube Chapters:

- [0:00] - Welcome
- [43:41] - Introduction to Choices
- [45:06] - The Impact of Daily Decisions
- [46:52] - Building Confident Faith
- [48:24] - Daniel's Early Life and Faith
- [49:59] - Parental Influence on Faith
- [51:27] - Daniel's Faithful Choices
- [54:24] - Faith in Crisis
- [55:52] - The Influence of Integrity
- [57:26] - Strengthening Faith in Peace
- [58:53] - Consistent Faith Exercise
- [01:00:31] - Scheduling Life Around God
- [01:02:05] - Exercising Faith Over Fear
- [01:03:39] - The Power of Influence
- [01:05:17] - Growing Faith Post-Crisis
- [01:08:07] - Perseverance in Faith

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Daniel 9:1-4
2. Daniel 6:4-10
3. John 16:33

---

Observation Questions:

1. What was the significance of Daniel's prayer in Daniel 9, and how did it reflect his faith and commitment to God? [43:41]

2. How did Daniel's upbringing and the choices made by his parents influence his faith and decisions later in life? [48:24]

3. What was the reaction of King Darius to Daniel's faithfulness, and how did it impact the kingdom? [01:05:17]

4. How did Daniel's consistent prayer life and integrity influence those around him, even in positions of authority? [58:53]

---

Interpretation Questions:

1. How does Daniel's story illustrate the importance of making intentional choices in building a confident faith? [46:52]

2. In what ways did Daniel's faith prepare him for the crises he faced, and how can this be applied to modern-day challenges? [55:52]

3. How does the sermon suggest that our choices during peaceful times can prepare us for future crises? [57:26]

4. What role did perseverance play in Daniel's life, and how can it be a model for our spiritual journey? [01:08:07]

---

Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a recent decision you made. How did your faith influence that decision, and what was the outcome? [45:06]

2. Daniel's parents instilled a strong foundation of faith in him. How can you intentionally instill faith in the next generation, whether in your family or community? [48:24]

3. Consider a time when you faced a crisis. How did your prior choices and faith practices impact your response? What might you do differently next time? [55:52]

4. Daniel's integrity was evident to those around him. How can you demonstrate integrity in your daily life, and what impact might that have on your community? [58:53]

5. Think about a current challenge you are facing. How can you apply Daniel's example of perseverance in prayer and faith to seek a resolution? [01:08:07]

6. How can you schedule your life around the things of God, rather than fitting God into your schedule? What practical steps can you take this week to prioritize your faith? [01:00:31]

7. Identify one area in your life where you need to exercise faith over fear. What specific action can you take this week to choose faith in that situation? [01:02:05]

Devotional

Day 1: The Power of Daily Decisions
Our lives are a tapestry woven from the multitude of choices we make each day. Daniel's story exemplifies the profound impact of choosing faithfulness, even in challenging circumstances. Despite being uprooted from his homeland and placed in a foreign culture, Daniel's commitment to God remained unshaken. His decisions to uphold his faith led to divine favor and influenced those around him, demonstrating that each choice is an opportunity to align with God's will and shape our future. As we navigate our daily lives, we are reminded that our decisions can lead to God's favor and positively impact those around us. [45:06]

"Choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15, ESV)

Reflection: What is one decision you can make today that aligns with God's will and could positively influence someone in your life?


Day 2: Cultivating Confident Faith
Confident faith is not an overnight achievement; it is cultivated through consistent, intentional choices. Daniel's life illustrates that faith is strengthened by daily practices such as prayer and studying God's word. These practices prepare us for life's challenges, enabling us to face crises with confidence. By building a strong foundation of faith during peaceful times, we are better equipped to handle the storms that come our way. As we reflect on Daniel's example, we are encouraged to make faith a daily practice, not just a response to adversity. [46:52]

"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." (Colossians 2:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: What daily practice can you incorporate into your routine to strengthen your faith and prepare for future challenges?


Day 3: Faith in Times of Crisis
Our response to crises is a reflection of our faith. Daniel's unwavering trust in God during trials demonstrates that strong faith can lead to divine intervention and protection. His story reminds us that the choices we make in times of peace prepare us for moments of crisis. By choosing faith over fear, we can experience God's presence and guidance in our lives. As we face our own challenges, we are encouraged to trust in God's plan and remain steadfast in our faith. [55:52]

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you." (Isaiah 43:2, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a current or past crisis in your life. How can you choose faith over fear in this situation, trusting in God's presence and guidance?


Day 4: The Influence of Integrity
Daniel's integrity and faithfulness had a profound impact on those around him, including those in authority. His life serves as a testament to the power of living with integrity and the influence it can have on our community. Our choices can serve as a testimony to others, drawing them closer to God. By living a life of integrity, we can positively impact those around us and inspire them to seek a relationship with God. As we reflect on Daniel's example, we are encouraged to make choices that honor God and influence others positively. [58:53]

"Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation." (1 Peter 2:12, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you demonstrate integrity in your daily interactions, and how might this influence those around you to seek God?


Day 5: Perseverance in Faith
Perseverance in prayer and faith, even when answers are delayed, is crucial. Daniel's persistence in seeking God for answers teaches us the importance of steadfastness in our spiritual journey. Our faith must endure beyond immediate crises, and we are called to remain faithful even when the path is unclear. By persevering in our faith, we can experience God's presence and guidance in our lives. As we reflect on Daniel's example, we are encouraged to remain steadfast in our faith and trust in God's timing. [01:08:07]

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel tempted to give up? How can you persevere in faith, trusting in God's timing and plan?

Quotes

1) "Your life choices bring us to who we are, and we are the result today of every decision that we make. We are the result today of every decision that we make. We are the result today of every decision that we make. We are the result today of every choice that we have made. Right here today, you are who you are and where you are because of the totality of choices that you have gone through and that you have made." [45:06] (17 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
Download vertical captioned clip


2) "Confident faith is developed by our choices. We don't just fall into it. You don't wake up one day and say, wow, I have powerful faith. Confident and powerful faith grows by each choice that we make. And that's what we do. We don't just fall into it. We don't just exercise it. Today, we're going to explore how to build and sustain the confident faith that you need before, during, and after the crisis. Looking at Daniel as our example." [46:52] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
Download vertical captioned clip


3) "It's how we react in the midst of the crisis that's directly related to the confident faith that we have. And that, again, is based on the choices that we make. We've made prior, during, and after the crisis. Just to recap from Pastor Terry last week, at around 15 years old, Daniel and some other young men were violently taken by an invading army from their home in Jerusalem and marched all the way to Babylon to serve in the king's court. And as we read the book of Daniel, we can see that even at an early age, when Daniel gets to Babylon, his faith was confident that God would sustain and keep him." [48:24] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
Download vertical captioned clip


4) "Parents, sometimes we have to make choices for our children, okay? Let me tell you just a little bit about some choices that my parents helped make for me. First, I want to say this. My choices, not anything my parents did not do, led me away from God. Not because I didn't get the bicycle that I wanted. Not because I didn't get to do that or go out or do this. It was a choice that I made. But it was also the choices that my parents made, instilling a faith in me early in my life that led me to circle back around to God and bring me to where I am today." [49:59] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
Download vertical captioned clip


5) "Your choices impact, others around you, sometimes more than yourself. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, there was a Russian submarine with nuclear weapons on it, and it was off the coast of Cuba, and they lost communications with the rest of the fleet. And they actually, due to some debris and other things that they saw in the water, they thought the war had already begun. They thought the United States and Russia had already begun. They thought the United States and Russia had already started a war. This particular submarine needed three specific officers, the top three officers, to fire that nuclear weapon. The captain and the first officer wanted to fire that nuclear weapon, but the information officer, Vasily Arkhipov, vetoed it and said, no, we cannot begin World War III without knowing. Think about that. One choice, by one man with limited information, probably prevented World War III and saved probably all of our future lives." [55:52] (72 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
Download vertical captioned clip


6) "We need to choose to strengthen our faith in times of peace and happiness, right? When we're all in a crisis, what do we do? We hit our knees, we open our Bible, right? It's human nature. When things are going well, it's easy to say, eh, maybe I just won't spend as much time with God right now. Things are going well, I'm doing pretty good. But we can see in Daniel's life from what he accomplished that he chose to continue to strengthen that faith during the good times." [57:26] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
Download vertical captioned clip


7) "Ladies and gentlemen, parents, young people, instead of scheduling the things of God around our lives, it's time we begin to schedule our lives around the things of God. Point three, is this. We have to choose to consistently exercise our faith during the crisis, right? Daniel has choices now. The law has been made. Now, the first choice is this. He could take 30 days off. God will understand, right? God doesn't want me to die, Daniel could say. I just won't pray just for 30 days. I That's not what he chooses." [01:00:31] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
Download vertical captioned clip


8) "Daniel's prior choices in the good times gave him the strength to choose faith over fear when he faced his greatest crisis, his imminent death. Your choices, again, impact those of us who are in the midst of a crisis. The king knows he has to kill Daniel. He has to throw Daniel in the lion's den. That's what the law was. We're going to see here where the king actually prayed and fasted for Daniel. The Bible says this, the king said to Daniel, may your God whom you serve continually rescue you." [01:03:39] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
Download vertical captioned clip


9) "Choose to grow your faith when the crisis is resolved, right? That was a pretty big crisis for Daniel. He could have took a little bit of time off. But as Pastor Terry taught us, last week, Daniel continued to choose to grow his faith in three distinct ways. Daniel 9, one through four, tells us this. And during his first year as king, that would be Darius, I found out from studying the writings of the prophets that the Lord had said to Jeremiah, Jerusalem will lie in ruins for 70 years. Then to show my sorrow, I went without eating, dressed in sackcloth and sat in ashes. I confessed my sins and earnestly prayed to the Lord my God." [01:06:47] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
Download vertical captioned clip


10) "We need to choose to persevere in faith when you need an answer. Every single person that's sitting in here needs an answer about something. It could be a relationship. It could be something spiritual. You're struggling with God. It could be financial. Whatever it is, we all need an answer. We need to continue to persevere in our faith. I don't have the time to flesh this out, so this is your next step today. In Daniel chapter 10, Daniel needs an answer. He chooses to fast and pray for 21 days before the answer comes." [01:08:07] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
Download vertical captioned clip