Courage in Babylon

Welcome to the Gathering Insights taken from this week's message from the Gathering.

1. Take a few minutes and read Daniel 4 or 5 or BOTH. What were your takeaways from these stories that we weren't able to cover in this week's Gathering?

2. In Daniel 6 Daniel is now in his 80s, yet he still continues to be effective for whoever the pagan King is. What do you think allowed him to be such an influence as a Jew who fears the Lord, in a pagan and dark nation? From your earlier answer, what needs to grow in your personal walk in order for you to Thrive in Babylon?

3. We said that "Courage is doing what is Right." In our Modern Day Babylon we have opportunities to do what is right on a daily basis. What does courage look like for you: to forgive, to love, to serve, or maybe like Daniel to pray – even for your enemies? Go ahead and write down specific areas you might seek out to be courageous.

4. The statement: “Christian character is not forged in the moment of adversity. Christian character is revealed in the moment of adversity." is one that we want you to sit on for a while. How are your daily holy habits building your character to be revealed when the trials come? What small things do you need to begin today that will make a big difference when life gets hard?

5. Read Hebrews 11. Here we see the Hall of Fame of Faith and real courageous heroes. These men and women took great risk in obedience to the Lord. The last paragraph describes those who the Lord didn't deliver. They were beaten, banished, and burned. What is your view of the Lord when you read that not everyone's story ends happily in "Babylon?"