September 21, 2019
1. Have you ever thought that someone is in the “too hard basket”? That there is just no way that they would ever place their trust in Jesus for eternal life?
2. Who are the people who helped you trust in Jesus (or since then, helped you grow in Jesus)? How have they made an eternal difference in your life?
Even after Daniel saved their lives from King Nebuchadnezzar’s brazen death sentence (Daniel 2), the magicians of Babylon still resented Daniel and his Jewish friends. So too Nebuchadnezzar—impressed as he was with Daniel’s supernatural ability—still did not serve Israel’s God.
Read Daniel 3. (Note: some translations will have the word “Chaldeans” in Daniel 3:8, while others will translate this word as “astrologers”. Either way, we are talking about magicians/spirit mediums here.)
3. Perhaps it was this occasion that finally convinced the astrologers/magicians that they should switch sides to Israel’s God. Perhaps it was something that happened later on.
Either way, what kind of commitment did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego need to have in very difficult circumstances?
How might their commitment have made an eternal difference in their lives of these magicians?
4. It’s been estimated by some that for every prophecy/prediction of Jesus’ life, suffering, death and resurrection, there’s eight prophecies/predictions about his coming glorious rule and reign. What might be some reasons why there are so many more prophecies about Jesus’ rule/reign in the Bible?
5. Have there be any times where you were tempted to give up a life of discipleship to Jesus, thinking that it wasn’t worth it? Or thinking that you needed to compromise your faith, or some other similar challenge?
How might we encourage ourselves to remain completely devoted to Jesus, no matter what, and never give up?
6. Who are the people in your life that you might be able to make an eternal difference in?
How might you go about making this difference?