More Than Bread

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The last part of Daniel 1 is all about God's favor. When we see God's hand in hard times and we seek God's favor above all things, our capacity to trust grows. The favor of God flows and we thrive. Where are you seeking your own power and place over God's favor? Where am I resolving to trust? Daniel isn't the hero of this story. This story has less to do with Daniel's courage & convictions and more to do with God's favor. 

So what I'm praying, is that we would drink so deeply from the favor of God that we find that He is worthy of our trust. 

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I used to say that the greatest opportunities that we have for spiritual growth are to either go on a short-term mission trip, or go through times of suffering; which is a great advertisment for mission trips. Who wants to enroll in the school of  suffering? But in the last run of years, I've added to those two opportunities a third opportunity for catalytic spiritual growth; times of transition. I've found over and over, that times of transition are times when our faith can enter new seasons of growth. Don't be so quick to leave times of transition. Gain all you can before you step out of them.

So what is it about mission trips, suffering  and transitions that bring us to new seasons of faith? I think it's the uncertainty. It's the reminder that our sense of control is a facade and we turn our eyes to God. When our certainty is gone, we are left with a decision; "Will I resolve to trust God when lions roar?"

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In the last episode, I told you the story of Carl McCumb. He died in the Alaskan wilderness because he didn't know the universal sign for "I need help." Do you know what the universal sign for "I need help" is? You raise both hands with palms to heavens. That's the universal signal for I need help. It’s not a bad thing to come to God's Word with a posture of helplessness, rather than independence. 

In fact, before this episode is done, I'll encourage you to do that. Stand and raise your hands with your palms to the heavens and say, "God I need help.” Maybe you are thinking, what will people think. It doesn't matter. If you are in the wilderness in need of help, it doesn't matter what the caribou think...if you are desperate for help and help is in sight, raise your hands and ask for help! 

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We prepare for things that matter to us. So let me ask you what are you doing to prepare to thrive? Well I guess it depends on what we think will help us thrive, right? For those of us who are Christ-followers, preparation probably involves scripture. There's more to it than just scripture, but if you came to me and asked me how to thrive as a Christian, sooner or later I would point you to the Bible. Hard to thrive without the Bible. It has value for us in so many different ways. But for a few moments, in this episode, I just remind us about what I think is the glorious goal of scripture. 

It's Jesus. Even the book of Daniel is a witness to Jesus.

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One of the principles fueling Daniel's thriving in the midst of hard times, is his deep conviction that God is in control of whoever's in control. This doesn't mean that we are just puppets in God's theatre of life. When we say that God is in control, we mean that nothing is beyond him. Nothing catches him unaware. What He purposes to do he will do. No power in the world is greater than his power, no wisdom in the world is deeper than his wisdom. No hate in the world is greater than his love. No evil in the world is more real than his goodness. And this is the truth that empowered Daniel to thrive when lions roared. 

But if we don't give Him our ears, if we don't listen to His Words, we don't really believe that God is in control. Who's got your ears?

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Let me start this series on the book of Daniel by stating an obvious truth. We live in turbulent times. From the life of an individual to the culture of our own community to the headlines of our nation to the suffering experienced across our globe. We live in turbulent times. And yet in the midst of life-draining seasons, let me suggest that deep within every heart is a desire to thrive. Deep within every orphaned and refugee heart, every depressed and party-hard heart, every next-gen and retired heart, every fatherless and every family-healthy heart, there's a deep desire to thrive. We long for a life that goes beyond mere survival!

So this podcast series, on Daniel, is all about "Daring to Thrive.” Dare to thrive when lions roar and the flames threaten to consume you, and you're living in Babylon. Dare to thrive, because God is with you, even when the lions roar! 

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"If you remain in me, your life will be filled with fruit!" Jesus is saying that if we  connect with him and his words go deep into us and stick, our lives will be fruitful. You will make a difference in people's lives. You will have an impact. There will be fruit.  Some of that fruit will be the changing of our lives and some of that fruit will be seen in the lives we have touched. In fact the Bibles says that there will come a day when you stand together with those whom lives you have touched, and  standing there with them will bring you great joy.  

In this episode, we are going to take a few moments to imagine that!

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Everytime we open the Bible, it can be like sitting down with Jesus. I really believe that, no matter what page we are on. So here's what I want you to do for just a few moments; picture yourself with Jesus, walking by a stream, catching up over a grande coffee. You're sitting by a fire in a little cabin, or talking a walk in the afternoon with the snow gently falling, or like the disciples one Thursday night over 2000 years ago, you are walking through a vineyard. It's evening. You don't know it but Jesus is sharing his last thoughts before he dies on a cross.

 And  in the space of about 10 minutes he will use the word "remain" at least 8 times.  It's a word that he wanted to leave with them...and speak to us. "Remain in me. Let my words remain in you...if you do, your life will be fruitful. In this episode we start to unpack what it means to remain.

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On this podcast, I often talk about the three L's; if we want to thrive on every word that comes from the mouth of God; we need to listen, we need to learn, and we need to lean in. Listening and learning, I find those two L's to be a bit easier than the last L. Leaning in, doing it, that's the hard part, isn't it?  Studying it is one thing. Trying to have an encounter with God that's kind of exciting. I'd like to be able to say, "I've heard the voice of God, the whisper of the Spirit." 

But doing what He says, leaning in, relentlessly responding, that's a little different. Responding requires trust. How I respond to God's word gives my answer to the question, "Can God be trusted?"

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This episode is about two different character qualities... trust and meekness. Do you trust God and do you receive His Word with meekness. Some of us think the reason we can't believe is because of our minds... when really the problem is our hearts... our hearts have become so broken, so fragmented...that we're afraid to trust God. That's why this journey, this call to hear God is interwoven with the call to trust God. And if we trust God, we will receive His Words with a meekness of heart. I'll have to describe that one a bit, because not many of us think meek is a good thing to seek!

 I so deeply want us to get into this Book, and hear God's Words, but ultimately it is not abt chckng off boxes in a journal.  It's about hearing the whisper of the Spirit.  It's about developing a life-giving relationship with God, that is characterized by trust and meekness.