Daniel
Conviction in a Culture of Compromise
Faithful to the End
November 20, 2022 • Sean Gasperetti • Daniel 10—12
This week, we concluded our series on the Book of Daniel. The first half of the book documents a man named Daniel and his friends - stories of faithfulness to God in the midst of a culture that stands in direct opposition to him. The second half of the book is filled with visions and prophecies about the future - both things coming during and just after Daniel’s lifetime, as well as prophecies that are yet to come to pass in our lifetimes.
God Will Have The Final Say
November 6, 2022 • Sean Gasperetti • 1 Corinthians 15:55–57, Daniel 8, Revelation 21:3–4
Your current circumstances don't have the final say. Society's current voices don't have the final say. God has the final say. Learn how Daniel was reminded of this lesson through another wild and crazy vision!
A Powerful God and His Beastly Enemies
October 30, 2022 • Sean Gasperetti • Daniel 7
You may not hold the future in your own hands, but God does. The future according to Daniel's vision in Daniel 7 tells us that all the oppression, sin, and temptation to abandon ship on your faith will one day come to an end when Jesus returns to make all things new. His judgement will be swift and complete for those who have stood in opposition to God, but his mercy will be experienced richly by those who have trusted him over every other alternative.
Daniel in the Lion's Den
October 23, 2022 • Sean Gasperetti • Daniel 6
There is a real and present temptation in the church at this moment in history to live for ourselves and disregard the things God says are true and valuable. Will you stay faithful even when you're tempted not to? Do you believe God can deliver you from the evils of this fallen world?
Lessons Learned From A Fallen Leader
October 16, 2022 • Sean Gasperetti • Daniel 5
In a godless society, our call as Christians is not to waver in what we believe, but to stay true to our convictions and to stay faithful to God. Unfortunately, not everyone has done this successfully. Not only have we seen people we have been in community with walk away from the church or even their faith, we’ve sadly also seen an uptick in the stories of pastors and ministry leaders who have fallen from their positions of leadership, for various reasons. Rather than getting bitter, how can we learn to do it better?
Resolute Faith
October 2, 2022 • Robert Montgomery • Daniel 3
When we go through trials (external circumstances that come against us) we are being given opportunities to let our faith be strengthened into something more resolute. Oswald Chambers said, “Faith by its very nature must be tested and tried. And the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God’s character must be proven as trustworthy in our own minds.” If we don’t get this down, then trials will consistently feel like times where God is abandoning us rather than walking with us in the fire.
Future Kingdom, Forever Hope
September 25, 2022 • Sean Gasperetti • Daniel 2
We exist in a world that is run by corrupt human leaders. For millennia, we have seen the rise and fall of great kingdoms and national superpowers. Yet, this is our hope that we find in Daniel 2: the true God of heaven, the one who establishes and removes earthly kingdoms, wants his people to know that all human kingdoms will ultimately be replaced with his everlasting Kingdom!
Summary of Daniel
September 18, 2022 • Daniel
Daniel’s prophetic visions offer hope that God will bring all nations under his rule. Daniel’s visions are packed with apocalyptic imagery, offering hope to Israelites living in exile under Babylonian rule. Daniel remains faithful to the God of Israel, while maintaining influence in the surrounding culture of Babylon. His visions offer guidance for faithfulness and hope of a future where evil hearts and rulers will one day come under the authority of the one true God. Daniel’s visions also introduce us to the "Son of Man," a Messiah figure who will come to restore Israel to their God and bring about a new Jerusalem. Throughout the Gospel accounts, Jesus uses this title to refer to himself, activating the prophetic hyperlinks of the Hebrew Scriptures and pointing to his identity as the long awaited Jewish Messiah. What does it look like to be faithful in the midst of exile? The book of Daniel offers a surprising and relevant answer. This incredible work of apocalyptic literature offers a glimpse of God’s plan to restore his people and remain faithful to them no matter the circumstances.