Über die Autorinnen und Autoren

John Ortberg is the senior pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church (MPPC) in the San Francisco Bay Area. His bestselling books include Soul Keeping, Who Is This Man?, and If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat. John teaches around the world at conferences and churches, writes articles for Christianity Today and Leadership Journal, and is on the board of the Dallas Willard Center and Fuller Seminary. He has preached sermons on Abraham Lincoln, The LEGO Movie, and The Gospel According to Les Miserables. John and his wife Nancy enjoy spending time with their three adult children, dog Baxter, and surfing the Pacific. You can follow John on twitter @johnortberg or check out the latest news/blogs on his website at www.johnortberg.com.

Kevin G. Harney?is lead pastor of Shoreline Church in Monterey, California. He is the author of many books, including?No Is a Beautiful Word,?Seismic Shifts, and the Organic Outreach?Trilogy, as well as more than a hundred small group guides, curriculum, and numerous articles written in partnership with Sherry. Kevin and his wife Sherry are co-founders of Organic Outreach International, a ministry that trains and resources global leaders to do evangelism in natural and effective ways. He also does extensive teaching and speaking both nationally and internationally.

Sherry Harney is an author and a speaker who serves as the Spiritual Formation and Discipleship Director at Shoreline Church in Monterey, California. She is also the cofounder of Organic Outreach International. For over three decades Sherry has spoken for local, national, and international groups and events. She focuses on prayer, spiritual formation, leadership, and organic outreach.

Over the past three decades Sherry and Kevin have coauthored and partnered with writers such as Ann Voskamp, Max Lucado, Nabeel Qureshi, Jim Cymbala, Miles McPherson, Mark Batterson, Chrystal Evans Hurst, Christine Caine, Gary Thomas, N.T. Wright, Laura Story, Craig Groeschel, Dallas Willard and many others. Kevin and Sherry have three married sons, and three grandchildren.

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Stand Strong in Life's Furnaces
How do you respond when the bottom drops out? What happens to your character quotient when things don't go the way you planned? How do you react when the temperature is rising, you are under attack, and God seems far away?
Daniel discovered that the furnace experiences of life refine and define us. Spiritual integrity rarely grows when everything goes our way. Instead, God uses things like a furnace, a lion's den, a mad king, and exile in a foreign country to forge character in a soul. If you long to meet God in the challenging times and come through the fire stronger and more faithful, Daniel is ready to show the way.

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Daniel

Zondervan

Contents

New Community Bible Study Series.....................................6Introduction.........................................................11Session 1 Spiritual Resiliency - Daniel 1...........................15Session 2 Let God Be God - Daniel 2.................................24Session 3 Meeting God in the Furnace - Daniel 3.....................33Session 4 It's Hard to Be Humble - Daniel 4.........................40Session 5 The Cost of Character - Daniel 6..........................51Session 6 Dreams and Visions - Daniel 7:1-14........................59Leader's Notes.......................................................68

Chapter One

DANIEL 1

There's a whole field in the social sciences that studies people who have experienced suffering or major crises, in an attempt to identify the consequences of such trauma on the human mind and spirit. Researchers have studied, among others, POWs from the Korean War and the Vietnam War as well as fifty-two hostages who were held fourteen months in Iran.

As you might expect, these studies showed that a lot of people became defeated by such difficult ordeals. Their spirit withered and they simply gave up. But the studies also made a surprising finding: many people don't just survive traumatic times; they actually seem to thrive and grow through them. For these people, trauma, loss, and pain actually enlarge their capacity to handle problems - they become stronger as a result. Researchers have come to call these folks "resilient" and the capacity to thrive in challenging and difficult situations "resiliency."

When we look at the life of Daniel, we see one of the most spiritually resilient persons in human history. Daniel lost virtually everything. But, through it all, he exuded a sense of strength, confidence, and hope in God. Such resiliency can be a model for each of us as we face the tough times of life.

Making the Connection

1. Tell about a person you know who has faced deep pain and loss in life but has displayed a resilient spirit.

Share a time you faced a difficult situation but felt the presence of God sustain you and grant resiliency as you walked through that season of your life.

Knowing and Being Known

Read Daniel 1:1-21

2. What were some of the losses, changes, and traumas that Daniel and his friends faced, and how could these experiences have deflated and discouraged them?

3. In the midst of this tragic time in Israel's history, how do you see God still present and at work among his people?

Read Daniel 1:1-10

4. Have you ever done something that was difficult, unpopular, or went against the grain of a cultural norm? Describe what happened.

How did your resolve impact you and the people around you?

5. Describe a situation in which you resolved to do something God-honoring, but discovered it was (or is) hard to live out the commitment.

How can your group members pray for you and encourage you to stand strong in this specific area of your life?

Read Daniel 1:11-17

6. Write down an area of your life in which you resolve to do something you truly believe will honor God:

Area of resolve: __________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

Next, write down two responses (actions) that will be required if you are going to live out this resolve:

Response: _________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

Response: _________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

7. Describe your area of resolve and your responses to others in the group.

What are some things that could get in the way of you living out this resolve, and how might you prepare for these roadblocks?

8. What is one relational network you have built and nurtured that helps you remain healthy and resilient in the journey of life?

9. How might group members offer a growing level of support to each other?

10. Tell about a time when God's grace and presence helped you though a difficult situation or life experience.

How does remembering God's help in the past strengthen you for the future?

11. The Bible consistently calls us to pass on stories of God's faithfulness to the next generations - our children and grandchildren. If you grew up with an older person in your life who told you stories of faith (from the Bible and their own life experiences), how did this person help shape your understanding of God's presence and power?

Name a younger person God has placed in your life and describe how you can be more intentional about sharing stories of faith with this person.

Celebrating and Being Celebrated

Read the following Bible passage and then lift up prayers of thanks and celebration for those who have passed on the faith to you: parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, pastors, Sunday school teachers, or anyone who shared stories of faith and inspired you to walk with Jesus.

What we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. (Psalm 78:3-7)

Loving and Being Loved

Your small group serves as a place where you can relate and connect with other followers of Jesus. By gathering together to study the Bible, pray, and learn we create space for friendship to be forged and love to grow. In addition to your formal group sessions, consider scheduling a time to go out to dinner, see a play, spend an afternoon at a park, or engage in some other group activity. Let this informal time become yet another opportunity to grow deeper friendships with other group members.

Serving and Being Served

The story of Vice Admiral James Stockdale is a vivid example of how community, even the encouragement of a message sent with snapping towels, can offer hope in a dark moment. As a group, identify a person in your church or community who is facing a time of ongoing struggle and pain. Then decide on a practical, tangible way your group can "snap out" a message of love and blessing to this person.

Spiritually Resilient People Resolve

Spiritually resilient people have a profound level of personal resolve to honor their deepest values. They refuse to...