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Bible Study Jan. Week 1 (#51)

First Name

Last Name

Refuse To Conform

SCRIPTURE

DANIEL 1

BACKGROUND & CONTEXT

The prophet Jeremiah warned of great destruction that awaited God’s people if they didn’t repent from turning away from the Lord. Because they refused to listen, God turned them over to their wicked ways, and they were overtaken by King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army around 605 B.C.1 During this first raid, Nebuchadnezzar decided to take captive some of Jerusalem’s finest and teach them how to be Babylonians (Dan. 1:4). Daniel and his friends were among the captives.

Read Daniel 1:1 – 7 and discuss 1 – 2 of these questions:

• When have you been in a situation where you had to choose to take a stand because of your faith?

• What pressures did Daniel and his friends face?

• What modern-day pressures might tempt us to conform to the crowd rather than follow God's ways?

Read Daniel 1:8 – 16 and discuss 1 – 2 of these questions:

• How did Daniel propose an alternative to the king's food?

• What do we learn about Daniel from his approach to standing up for his beliefs?

• What can we learn from Daniel's wisdom in this situation? How can we apply this wisdom to our own lives?

Read Daniel 1:17 – 21 and discuss 1 – 2 of these questions:

• What were the results of Daniel and his friends' decision not to eat the king's food? How did God honor their faithfulness?

• When have you experienced God's blessings or guidance as a result of making a difficult choice to follow him rather than conform to something that goes against his Word?

CONNECTION

In what areas of your life do you find it challenging to resist conforming to societal expectations?

APPLY IT

Consider one area of your life where you feel pressured to conform to the world's standards.

How can you intentionally choose to follow God's ways in this area?

Be Specific:

What are you going to do?

When are you going to do it?

Is there someone who can keep you accountable?

PRAYER:

Take time to pray for each other’s applications in the upcoming weeks.

MEMORY VERSE:

Parent Disscussion Questions.:

*What modern-day pressures might tempt us to conform to the crowd rather than follow God's ways?

*When have you experienced God's blessings or guidance as a result of making a difficult choice to follow him rather than conform to something that goes against his Word?

*In what areas of your life do you find it challenging to resist conforming to societal expectations?