Yes, Yes, Yes, No

PRAY:

Read Psalm 139:1-6

"O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it."

After you read it, spend a minute or two silently reflecting on the passage. Then spend some time praying for anything that this passage draws to your mind or stirs up in your heart.

ONE ANOTHERING:

Whether you are meeting together or not, check in with one another to make sure that everyone is cared for and has what they need. Does someone in your group need help with grocery shopping, childcare, or caring for themselves? Let's be there for one another.

Remember that the Benevolence Ministry is a resource for our comGroups.

  • How can we love or serve one another this week?

OPENING:

  • What do you know about the book of Daniel?

  • What stories from this book are you most familiar with? What impact have these stories had on your life with God?

  • What questions do you have about the book of Daniel?

  • In what ways do you hope to grow from studying this book of the Bible?

SCRIPTURE:

Daniel 1:1-21

After reading through this passage, allow a few minutes for quiet meditation.

DISCUSSION:

  • What stands out to you from these passages?

  • As God's people, how do we navigate living in a culture which is going in a completely different direction? How did Daniel and his friends answer this question? How might you respond given your own life and context?

  • In the book of Daniel, an attempt is made to assimilate Daniel and his friends as Babylonians. In what ways does the society and culture in which you live apply similar pressure? How might Christians maintain a distinctive identity as God's people today?

  • Are there wrong ways to try to distinguish ourselves from the wider culture? What might some of these wrong ways look like?

  • What happens when those who are loyal to the Kingdom of God find themselves working for—and with—those who are loyal to the kingdoms of the world? How does Daniel encourage you to live amidst these tensions?

PRAY:

End your time by reading Psalm 139:7-12

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.”

Spend some time silently reflecting on this passage before you close in prayer.