The Ancient of Days and the Son of Man (Daniel 7)
READ: Daniel 7 The title Son of Man appears in the New Testament four times outside of the Gospels. It is used for our Savior unambiguously in three places (Acts 7:56; Rev. 1:13; 14:14), but whether Hebrews 2:6 intends it as a title for Jesus is debatable. Since it is Jesus’ favorite title for Himself, it seems strange that it is not found more often in the apostolic writings. Maybe the original audiences of the epistles did not know the title’s meaning as well as the Gospels’ first readers. As we continue to study the meaning of this title, we must first consider what it does
WELCOME TO EXILE: IT’S GOING TO BE OK.
READ: Daniel 6 When I was a child, I was taught this chorus: This world is not my home,I’m just a-passing through.My treasures are laid upSomewhere beyond the blue. Honestly, until recently I had no idea what I was singing. For us in the English-speaking West, this world has tended to feel very much like home, and our treasures have been right before our eyes. Perhaps it is only in the last few years in the United States that we have finally faced that what the Bible says is true: in this world we really are sojourners and exiles (1 Pet.
Humbled By the Hand of God
Read: Daniel 5 Humility is not self-taught. Try as we might, we don't just up and humble ourselves by our own bootstraps. Within measure, we can take certain kinds of initiatives to cultivate a posture of humility in ourselves, but the main test (and opportunity) comes when we are confronted, unsettled, and accosted, in the moments when our semblances of control vanish and we’re taken off guard by life in a fallen world — and the question comes to us: How will you respond to these humbling circumstances? Will you humble yourself? Humility Received, Not Achieved God takes the initiative
Thirty Manifestations of Pride and Humility
Last week Larry mentioned that there was a "Craig's List," where I had developed a list of ways Pride could be displayed in a person's life. It is true that I provided Larry a list, but this is not a list that I created. It is a list developed by Stuart Scott, in his book, The Exemplary Husband. Scott calls this list, Thirty Manifestations of Pride. He also provides Thirty Manifestations of Humility. Each of these lists have been useful to me, but particularly the Manifestations of Pride. Scott is surgical in his ability to cut directly to the heart with each example on the list.
CS Lewis’ Masterpiece on Pride
I referred to this terribly insightful chapter on pride (he calls it “the Great Sin”) from his book, Mere Christianity.  Enjoy! the-great-sinDownload
How to Weaken Pride and Cultivate Humility
Read Daniel 4 As you enter my office there are two things that are likely to grab your attention. First is the collection of instruments from all over the world hanging on my walls and on top of my bookshelves. They remind me of the people groups and missionaries who are seeking to raise up worshippers who will sing to Christ their king using the instruments of their culture.The second thing you'll notice is the library of books on the shelves under those instruments. I confess I'm not an avid reader, but over time, it's pretty remarkable the number of pages a person can consume. Most of
God and Our Dreams
READ: Daniel 2 Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates, located between Saudi Arabia and Oman. The government graciously allows Christians from other countries to establish churches there, and to worship freely. And God has led us to plant an English-speaking international church in this strategic city. This started with a dream — literally, while I was sleeping. I saw myself being sent out from our existing church to some other undisclosed ministry. The idea of being led by a dream might sound strange in the West today, but in Scripture we often see God speaking through
Daniel Resources
As we begin our study of the book of Daniel, here are some resources I have found helpful that I wanted to pass along for your use. The resources marked with an asterisk are the go-to’s for small group leaders and good places to look first!  Bible Listening: The Dwell App!  It’s amazing!  Wear it out! NW has it available here: Dwell App Background to the Book: **The Gospel Project folks are the best at presenting background and outlines to books of the Bible in engaging ways.  Here’s their Daniel material. The Bible Project - Daniel Study/Reading Guides: **This resource by Tremper Longman
The Book of Daniel
READ/Watch: Daniel 1 This Sunday we begin a 14-week study of the book of Daniel. This Old Testament book has some of the most familiar and famous stories from the Bible. Daniel's perilous situation in the den of lions is known in and outside church circles, as well as the original three amigos: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But there is a good portion of this book that is shrouded in mystery and prophecy. As you prepare to study Daniel with us, we want to invite you to watch this 8 minute long overview of the book. It will. give you a better understanding of what we will be reading over the next
Prayers for Ramadan
The Muslim holy season of Ramadan is upon us!  I am using this wonderful video guide to pray for Muslims around the world during this time when they are seeking God through their traditions.  Care to join me? https://prayercast.com
