Delight in Grace

Chuck Swindoll said “we are all faced with innumerable opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” In Daniel 3:19-25, God shows His greatness and His faithfulness to His people, making Himself known to all who stood watching, including the king of Babylon! But what if Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had simply caved to the king’s demands? In this message, Pastor Rich reminds us to trust God with abandon. Let’s listen in!This message titled Walking in the Fire was first preached at Grace Bible Church in Winston Salem on February 15, 2015. To hear the next message in the Daniel Series, check in with us next Monday here at www.delightingrace.com. Follow us on Spotify! It really helps!

Who is the God who will Deliver You? Daniel 3:8-18The church- and the world- need to see the power of people with a settled faith- not reacting in fear, but living out unshakeable confidence in God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are an example of such unshakeable confidence. They believed God to be good, omnipotent, and sovereign and that knowledge guided their response to conflict and danger. In this message, Pastor Rich unpacks Daniel 3:8-18.

A massive golden idol. A king’s demand to bow down, or else. A life or death decision. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego find themselves in a dangerous situation, indeed. Most of us have not been commanded to bow before an idol, especially not on pain of death, but in this message from Daniel 3:1-7, Pastor Rich points out the intense societal pressure we face in the western world to bow to an ideology so far from the Word of our God. Let’s listen in.

In Daniel 2:46-49, we get to peek into a throneroom. We see a king on his face. A pagan king at that. King Nebechadnezzar confesses the greatness of Jehovah. He tells Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the King of kings.” And He is. The awesomeness of our great God is captivating. May His beauty captivate us today.

In Daniel 2:24-45, Daniel comes to the king who has demanded the impossible of his wisemen- to interpret his dream, but only after they tell him what the dream was in the first place! When Nebechadnezzar asks if Daniel can tell both the dream and its meaning, Daniel points out that no man could, but that there is a God in heaven who can. Nebechadnezzar sought his answers and his power in the strength of man, but God reveals to him, through Daniel’s interpretation of the dream, that man’s kingdoms are a vain struggle that eventually fall. Only God’s kingdom will stand. Let’s listen and remember that our God is the only one who can bring the peace, justice, and righteousness that our world so desperately longs for.

Oswald Chambers said the clearest evidence that God’s grace is at work in our hearts is when we do not get into panics. From a human perspective, Daniel and his friends had every right to get into a panic. A king demanded the impossible and put a death sentence on failure. Daniel’s response is a portrait of what it looks like to deeply trust in the Most High God. Listen to this message from Daniel 2:14-23.

In spite of their captivity in a distant land, Daniel and his friends embraced the role God had for them and were soon recognized for their commitment to excellence. But what would happen when the King demanded the impossible? A demand that, if not met, would mean death for Daniel and his friends? In today’s message from Daniel 2:1-13, Pastor Rich sets up the predicament for us, showing the continual thread woven into the text- that the Most High Rules in the Kingdom of Men. Let’s listen in.

Dropped into a situation that must've felt dark, Daniel and his friends shone brightly- an outstanding contrast. They didn’t do so by hiding or even protesting. Instead they applied themselves fully to the role God had entrusted to them. We can be better equipped to engage our own culture with truth by observing their faithfulness, that shone all the brighter in the context of captivity and paganism.Thanks for joining us for this msg titled shining lights from Daniel 1:17-21. It was first preached November 16, 2014 at Grace Bible Church in WInton Salem. Find the next message in the series next Monday here at www.delightingrace.com

As captives in Babylon, Daniel and his friends encounter a foreign worldview that clashes with their own. In the face of intense pressure to conform, Daniel purposes in his heart to stand firm in his convictions. Daniel chapter 1 shows us how to hold fast to God with truth and grace. A delight in God such as Daniel’s will stand in noticeable contrast to the world. Let’s listen to this message from Daniel 1:8-16.This message titled Stay Focused was first preached on Nov. 9, 2014 at GBC in Winston Salem. What a portrait of holding faithfully to truth winsomely. You can hear the next message in this series from Daniel here on Spotify every Monday.If you have Apple Play on your Alexa device, ask Alexa to play the Delight in Grace podcast.

Alexander Graham Bell said, “When one door closes, another opens, but we often look so long and regretfully at the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us.” How do you handle change? God cares how we respond when things don’t go the way we had planned. Daniel chapter 1 introduces us to four young men whose lives took a sudden, dark turn. What will they do, captive in a new land, with culture, laws, and gods that violate all they have ever known? Will they assimilate or maintain a clear contrast? Let’s listen to this message from Daniel 1:3-7.