Living in the Lion's Den: Part 6 - Roars Silenced
MICRO CHURCH GUIDE
October 22, 2023
Sermon Page
YouVersion
_____________________
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Halloween On Mission - October 21-31
Halloween is right around the corner, and it’s an incredible time for you to live on mission in your neighborhood. From neighborhood pumpkin carvings, to reverse trick-or-treating, to making your house the best stop in the neighborhood on Halloween night, and more - there are tons of ways for you to engage your neighborhoods this Halloween. Use the card in your chair for some ideas to get started, and then let us know how you’re going to live on mission this Halloween! CLICK HERE
Kid City Halloween Dress Up Sunday - October 29
Kid City is having a dress-up Sunday for Halloween next week on October 29th! Be sure to wear your favorite costume and get ready for a great day of dressed-up fun. Plus, we’re having a costume contest during both services. We can’t wait to see you there!
OneLife Students, United Night - November 1
Wednesday night, November 1, our middle & high school students from both campuses will be coming together for a United Night. This will be a night of student led worship, a great message from our Student Director Matt, and a lot of fun for all our middle and high schoolers at both campuses! It will take place at the North Campus at 7pm and we will wrap up at 8:15pm. For more information mark the OneLife Students box on the Connection Card. We can’t wait to see you there!
OneLife’s Angel Trees - Beginning November 5
This year OneLife is continuing our partnership with the McNabb Center’s Dear Santa program as well as providing angel tree gifts for children on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana. The Angel Trees will be up in the lobby starting November 5, so check them out! Gifts can be returned to your campus November 19-26.
Join a Volunteer Team
There’s never been a better time to join a OneLife volunteer team than right now. From our Kid City team, to First Impressions & Security, to Production & Worship, OneLife Students on Wednesdays, and our Connections Team during the week - there are tons of opportunities for you to get involved. Mark the Volunteering box on your Connection Card to get started!
___________________
GIVE BACK
Give Jesus your best! Make a one-time tithe or offering or to set up a recurring tithe or offering: Click Here To Give Online.
_____________________
BOTTOM LINE: You and I have been given influence to lead and we are accountable.
Daniel 6:3-5 NLT
3 Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire. 4 Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. 5 So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.”
10 But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.
16 So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.”
Daniel 6:19-22 NLT
19 Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. 20 When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?” 21 Daniel answered, “Long live the king! 22 My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.”
Daniel 6:26 NLT
26 “I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel.For he is the living God,and he will endure forever.His kingdom will never be destroyed,and his rule will never end.
_____________________
START TALKING
When have you experienced something where it was in your greatest need that the help you needed came the closest to you? Maybe it was something like some type of emergency response that you normally don't notice or think about, but when you needed it to be there it was closer than ever.
START THINKING
Read Daniel 6:3-5. What do you think is the connection between Daniel's "success" and his faithfulness and obedience to follow God?
When his opposers called his faith "rules of religion" what were they not fully understanding about Daniel's faith? How do you think this is similar to those people in our lives who see us living for Jesus? What might they assume and what might they not fully understand?
How does that influence the way we can talk about our faith and put our faith on display to be different?
START SHARING
Read Daniel 6:10. What sticks out to you about Daniel's response to this attack that has come his way? What does it inspire you to do?
When you began to follow Jesus, or throughout your time as a Christ follower, when have you felt under attack? Did you respond like Daniel? Why or why not?
What would it look like for us to respond like Daniel?
Read Daniel 6:19-26. Daniel's victory put God on display and gave Him glory. When have you experienced or seen something like this? Why was it obvious that God deserved the credit for the victory?
START DOING
What do you sense that the Holy Spirit is leading you to do or teaching you through this? What are you going to do about it?
Who are the people in your life that may see your faith as the "rules of religion"? How can you live and respond like Daniel so that they, too, might surrender to following Jesus?
START PRAYING
Pray for what each of you shared above. Pray that each of us would persevere and trust God to come closer and stronger than any attack that comes our way! Pray that the other people in our lives would see God's glory in those victories that come and that they would follow Jesus, too.
____________________
CONNECTION CARDS
Be sure to fill out the online Connection Card to let us know next steps, prayer requests, or other information you'd like to share, click here.
_____________________
MULTIPLICATION
Share spiritual/missional conversations you've had where you live, work, and play:
- Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
- What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
- How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
- How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
- Who in your life do you think could be disciple-able or open to spiritual/missional conversations?
_____________________
WHAT'S NEXT?
- Discuss the next step for your micro church. When will we gather again, and which purpose will it fulfill (missions, fellowship/care, growth, worship, multiplication)?/giveback/giveback
- Discuss the next step for your micro church. When will we gather again, and which purpose will it fulfill (missions, fellowship/care, growth, worship, multiplication)?
October 22, 2023
Sermon Page
YouVersion
_____________________
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Halloween On Mission - October 21-31
Halloween is right around the corner, and it’s an incredible time for you to live on mission in your neighborhood. From neighborhood pumpkin carvings, to reverse trick-or-treating, to making your house the best stop in the neighborhood on Halloween night, and more - there are tons of ways for you to engage your neighborhoods this Halloween. Use the card in your chair for some ideas to get started, and then let us know how you’re going to live on mission this Halloween! CLICK HERE
Kid City Halloween Dress Up Sunday - October 29
Kid City is having a dress-up Sunday for Halloween next week on October 29th! Be sure to wear your favorite costume and get ready for a great day of dressed-up fun. Plus, we’re having a costume contest during both services. We can’t wait to see you there!
OneLife Students, United Night - November 1
Wednesday night, November 1, our middle & high school students from both campuses will be coming together for a United Night. This will be a night of student led worship, a great message from our Student Director Matt, and a lot of fun for all our middle and high schoolers at both campuses! It will take place at the North Campus at 7pm and we will wrap up at 8:15pm. For more information mark the OneLife Students box on the Connection Card. We can’t wait to see you there!
OneLife’s Angel Trees - Beginning November 5
This year OneLife is continuing our partnership with the McNabb Center’s Dear Santa program as well as providing angel tree gifts for children on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana. The Angel Trees will be up in the lobby starting November 5, so check them out! Gifts can be returned to your campus November 19-26.
Join a Volunteer Team
There’s never been a better time to join a OneLife volunteer team than right now. From our Kid City team, to First Impressions & Security, to Production & Worship, OneLife Students on Wednesdays, and our Connections Team during the week - there are tons of opportunities for you to get involved. Mark the Volunteering box on your Connection Card to get started!
___________________
GIVE BACK
Give Jesus your best! Make a one-time tithe or offering or to set up a recurring tithe or offering: Click Here To Give Online.
_____________________
BOTTOM LINE: You and I have been given influence to lead and we are accountable.
Daniel 6:3-5 NLT
3 Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire. 4 Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. 5 So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.”
The enemy attacks when I become a threat.
Daniel 6:7 NLT
7 We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions.
Daniel 6:10 NLT7 We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions.
10 But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.
My best response to attack is to continue doing what made me a threat.
Daniel 6:14 NLT
14 Hearing this, the king was deeply troubled, and he tried to think of a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament.
Daniel 6:16 NLT14 Hearing this, the king was deeply troubled, and he tried to think of a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament.
16 So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.”
Daniel 6:19-22 NLT
19 Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. 20 When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?” 21 Daniel answered, “Long live the king! 22 My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.”
If I'm not dead, God's not done.
Daniel 6:23 NLT
23 The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.
23 The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.
Daniel 6:26 NLT
26 “I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel.For he is the living God,and he will endure forever.His kingdom will never be destroyed,and his rule will never end.
The greatest victories make it obvious how great is our God.
_____________________
START TALKING
When have you experienced something where it was in your greatest need that the help you needed came the closest to you? Maybe it was something like some type of emergency response that you normally don't notice or think about, but when you needed it to be there it was closer than ever.
START THINKING
Read Daniel 6:3-5. What do you think is the connection between Daniel's "success" and his faithfulness and obedience to follow God?
When his opposers called his faith "rules of religion" what were they not fully understanding about Daniel's faith? How do you think this is similar to those people in our lives who see us living for Jesus? What might they assume and what might they not fully understand?
How does that influence the way we can talk about our faith and put our faith on display to be different?
START SHARING
Read Daniel 6:10. What sticks out to you about Daniel's response to this attack that has come his way? What does it inspire you to do?
When you began to follow Jesus, or throughout your time as a Christ follower, when have you felt under attack? Did you respond like Daniel? Why or why not?
What would it look like for us to respond like Daniel?
Read Daniel 6:19-26. Daniel's victory put God on display and gave Him glory. When have you experienced or seen something like this? Why was it obvious that God deserved the credit for the victory?
START DOING
What do you sense that the Holy Spirit is leading you to do or teaching you through this? What are you going to do about it?
Who are the people in your life that may see your faith as the "rules of religion"? How can you live and respond like Daniel so that they, too, might surrender to following Jesus?
START PRAYING
Pray for what each of you shared above. Pray that each of us would persevere and trust God to come closer and stronger than any attack that comes our way! Pray that the other people in our lives would see God's glory in those victories that come and that they would follow Jesus, too.
____________________
CONNECTION CARDS
Be sure to fill out the online Connection Card to let us know next steps, prayer requests, or other information you'd like to share, click here.
_____________________
MULTIPLICATION
Share spiritual/missional conversations you've had where you live, work, and play:
- Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
- What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
- How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
- How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
- Who in your life do you think could be disciple-able or open to spiritual/missional conversations?
_____________________
WHAT'S NEXT?
- Discuss the next step for your micro church. When will we gather again, and which purpose will it fulfill (missions, fellowship/care, growth, worship, multiplication)?/giveback/giveback
- Discuss the next step for your micro church. When will we gather again, and which purpose will it fulfill (missions, fellowship/care, growth, worship, multiplication)?
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