In this message we look at the tense first half of the story in which Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stare down the fiery furnace. You might have heard this story before. But have you really listened to the incredible words of confidence and faithfulness spoken by 3 men facing death? Rather than bow down to a false image, these 3 men take a stand in order to shine a light on the true God. Can we survive in the "real world" without going along with the "way of the world"? Will we trust God even if we don't get what we ask for (like, surviving the fire)? We explore these questions and be reminded that we don’t have to bow to the way of the world when God stands beside us.

SLIDES/RESOURCES:

-- 4 Big Questions:

1. Can God’s people survive in the “Real World” without going along with the “Way of the world”?

2. Where is your line and why draw it?

3. Will we trust God even if we don’t get what we ask for?

4. What are the idols that keep stubbornly tempting you to bow down?

-- You don’t have to bow to the way of the world when God stands beside you. // Focus Statement

-- Scripture Focus: Daniel 3.1-18

-- Deuteronomy 4.7-9 (NIV): What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the

way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? 9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

-- Deuteronomy 4.15-20 (NIV): You saw no form of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at

Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air, or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below. And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. But as for you, the Lord took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you now are.

-- Shadrach, Meshach, + Abednego took a stand to shine a light on the true God

-- We pray believing that God can, we ask that God will, + we trust knowing that God loves us no matter what.

-- Lord, I believe that you are able to protect me and my family from all danger, illness, accident, or death. And I pray that you will. But even if not, I will not bow down and serve the gods of bitterness and resentment. // Christopher J. H. Wright

-- Lord, I believe you are able to preserve my reputation and my job if I take a Stand for what I believe to be right and just, following my conscience not just orders. And I pray that you will. But even if not, even if I lose all of that, I will not bow down and serve the god of cowardice and go the way of the world. // Christopher J. H. Wright

-- Lord, I believe you are able to open the door into that job, that ministry, that country, that opportunity that seems so right to me. And I pray that you will But even if not, and if I seem to be walking in the dark, I will not bow down and serve the gods of despair and anxiety. // Christopher J. H. Wright

Dr. Kurtley Knight is the founding pastor of Epiphany Church in the lower Greenville area of Dallas (epiphanydallas.org). In this message, Kurtley reminds us that Jesus provides for us in our time of need and Jesus delivers us from our chaos. The question that remains for his disciples in the storm is, "Will we let Jesus into the boat with us?"

NOTES/RESOURCES:

-- Scripture Focus: John 6.1-21

-- "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him." // Deuteronomy 18.15 (NIV)

-- "You don't really know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have." // Tim Keller

-- He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger.

He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble.

He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars.

He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. // Job 9.5-8 (NIV)

-- Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the Lord swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. // Exodus 14.26-28 (NIV)

-- But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel:

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom..." // Isaiah 43.1-3 (NIV)

Geo-political threats come and go. Nations rise and fall. But God's kingdom is eternal. This is the message of a strange dream that troubled a powerful king of a super power centuries ago. Throughout history there has been no shortage of fear, violence, and division in our world. But the question for God's people has always been, "Will we live as citizens of the kingdom of God in order to make a difference in the kingdoms of the world?" Like Daniel did so many generations ago, we can live with confidence within the unshakable kingdom of God that is here now and is coming in fullness. This message wraps us the second half of Daniel Chapter 2.

SLIDES/RESOURCES:

-- Scripture Focus: Daniel 2.24-49

-- The kingdoms of the world come + go, but God’s kingdom is always active + eternal

-- Will we live as citizens of the kingdom of God in order to make a difference in the kingdom of the world?

-- Daniel gives us a counter-cultural example of...

Selflessness

Mission

Humility

...in a hostile situation.

-- For Daniel, everything circles back to the King about "The king of kings" (v. 37) and God's kingdom above all other kingdoms (v. 44). How might keeping a focus on God's kingdom change our perspective within the kingdoms of the world?

-- The Statue in the dream...

Head of Gold = Nebuchadnezzar/Babylon

Torso of Silver = Media?

Midsection of Bronze = Persia?

Iron legs = Greece?

Rock/Mountain = God's Kingdom

-- Less important is the identity of the kingdoms, more important is the message of the vision. The message is this: no political leader or powerful empire -- past, present, or future -- will thwart God's plan or stop God's kingdom.

-- ISAIAH 11.9-12 (NIV)

9 They will neither harm nor destroy

on all my holy mountain,

for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea.

-- 10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. 11 In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean.

-- 12 He will raise a banner for the nations

and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah

from the four quarters of the earth.

-- We have little control over our work environments (who we work for or who we work with). What we do have control over are the choices we make.

-- Will we as citizens of God's kingdom choose to treat people with dignity, respect, + kindness? Will we choose to use our words to encourage, equip, + build up? Will we choose to love + serve God by loving + serving others?

-- "This job has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift. Therefore, it is a privilege. Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God's way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness." // ELISABETH ELLIOT

-- Will we live as citizens of the kingdom of God in order to make a difference in the kingdom of the world?

A crisis can really get our attention. You've heard of people who have "hit rock bottom" or who have lost everything. These kinds of moments remind us that we are not all-knowing and we are not all-powerful. Where do we turn? In this message we see a powerful King and his wise council reaching the end of their rope. That's when Daniel and his friends reach beyond themselves and beyond human power and wisdom. At the last moment, we see how God can make the impossible possible. It's our job to do what we can and let God do what we can't.

SLIDES/RESOURCES:

-- Daniel reminds us...

1. God and his kingdom are always active and eternal

2. No matter how dark it looks, the light is always winning

3. We live as a kingdom alternative in a hostile culture

// BIG IDEAS FOR OUR SERIES

-- Where are we in the story?

// King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took captives from Jerusalem

// Daniel and 3 friends were trained in his court for 3 years (ch. 1)

// Now they're serving alongside the Babylonian wise men

// Neb should be sitting pretty but he has a recurring nightmare...

-- Tonight's big idea: Do what you can and let God do what you can't.

-- Daniel 2.1-23: View from 10,000 feet...

// King Neb's problem (1)

// King Neb's threat (2-9)

// Wise men's despair (10-13)

// Daniel reacts to crisis (14-16)

// Daniel reaches out to God (17-18)

// Daniel receives from God (19a)

// Daniel responds to God (19b-23)

-- The Wise Men's Worldview:

// The gods gave us some knowledge

// The gods gave us some practices

// The gods are out to lunch and out of gifts

...How might someone respond out of this worldview?

-- Our Reality:

// God of heaven is the God of earth

// God is accessible and active

// God gives us his Spirit and gifts

...How might someone respond out of this worldview?

-- Daniel REACTS to the crisis, REACHES OUT to God, RECEIVES from God, then RESPONDS to God.

-- Daniel reaches out to God with his counter-cultural community.

3 Components of our Neighborhood Group Meetings:

1. Fellowship

2. Intentional Conversations

3. Prayer

Are we living together as a distinct community in our neighborhoods?

-- 5 But anyone who needs wisdom should ask God, whose very nature is to give to everyone without a second thought, without keeping score. Wisdom will certainly be given to those who ask. 6 Whoever asks shouldn’t hesitate. They should ask in faith, without doubting. Whoever doubts is like the surf of the sea, tossed and turned by the wind.7 People like that should never imagine that they will receive anything from the Lord.8 They are double-minded, unstable in all their ways.

// JAMES 1.5-8 (CEB)

-- Like Daniel, we've got to learn how to reach out and receive from God then respond to him.

Think back over this last year:

// What's he done by his power for you...in you...through you -- that you could not have done yourself?

// What's he given you...revealed to you...removed from you -- that you could not have done yourself?

How do we live as God's kingdom alternative in a hostile culture? This is the first message in our series exploring the 6 stories of Daniel called "Counter-Cultural Living". Each week we'll be reminded that God and his kingdom are always active and eternal -- even as the kingdoms of the world rise and threaten others. We're reminded that no matter how dark it looks, the light is always winning -- even as we see the horror of natural disasters and violence. We're encouraged to live as God's kingdom alternative within a hostile culture -- even as we follow Jesus in our divided nation. So rather than isolate and escape, will we be people who actually incarnate and engage our culture?

SLIDES/RESOURCES

-- Why did people find this important enough to write down?

The Bible is a written record of God revealing himself, renewing the world, + redeeming humanity

The stories circulated by word-of-mouth for years

-- So, why write down the Daniel stories and visions? Because Daniel reminds us...

God and his kingdom are always active and eternal

No matter how dark it looks, the light is always winning

We live as a kingdom alternative in a hostile culture

-- 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

// JESUS IN JOHN 17.15-18 (NIV)

-- Chapter 1 puts us at the beginning of Israel/Judah's darkest era...

National Crisis (v. 1) -- Are we history?

Religious Crisis (v. 2) -- Why, God?

Personal Crisis (vv. 8-20) -- How do I live?

Yet Chapter 1 ends with a subtle reminder that worldly kingdoms come and go but God's kingdom never ends (so there's always hope for God's people).

-- Some backstory...

605 B.C. -- first group deported (inc. Daniel + his buddies?)

597 B.C. -- Judah rebels + fails

587 B.C. -- Judah rebels + is wiped out, sending people into exile for 70 years

538/9 B.C. -- Persian King Cyrus says some Jews can go back home

-- How do we live when it looks like the darkness is winning?

Sometimes God does not remove us from dark, hard places because he wants us to live as a kingdom light. It's in those places we learn to trust God and see his light working in and through us the clearest.

-- Compromising choices?

"Yes" to pagan education + enculturation

"Yes" to pagan kingdom job

"Yes" to pagan name change

-- What are some of your "Yes's" as you live "in" but not quite "of" your culture?

-- Counter-cultural choice?

"No" to eating the king's buffet

-- What are some of your "No's" as you live out a kingdom alternative in front of your culture?

-- In deciding our "Yes's" and "No's" we need wisdom and discernment

Wisdom is deciding what's right based on the situation, experience, and good judgment

Discernment is deciding where God is leading based on Scripture, listening to the Spirit and others, and Jesus' example.

-- God's leading us not to isolation and escape but to incarnation and engagement

The truth is that most of us are working more and resting less. Our American pace -- in the workplace and in the home -- is just simply unsustainable. What if we made more time for resting so that we would be more fruitful in our working? What would it look like for you to live from a place of fullness rather than a place of emptiness, rushing from one thing to the next? The good news is that Jesus not only models a rhythm of work and rest, he gives us the permission, the invitation, and the expectation that we will live in his life-giving rhythm. As we'll see, this life is possible (and necessary) within our busy schedules.

NOTES/RESOURCES:

// AMERICANS AT WORK...

- According to a recent study, the average American works 34.4 hours a week (that's more than all 9 of our largest economic counterparts) [SOURCE: OEOD 2014 Factbook]

- Adults that work full-time report that they work 47 hours per week (that usually translates to 6 days a week).

- That's an hour an a half more than they reported over a decade ago!

- Nearly 4 out of 10 American full-time workers report that they work 50+ hours a week

[SOURCE: Gallup poll]

// AMERICANS AT PLAY?

- Americans receive fewer vacation days than our peers elsewhere (and studies reveal we don't take all the days we get!)

- In America we get an average of 15 days a year

- In Asia Pacific they get an average of 19 days a year

- In Europe they get an average of 28 (!) days a year

[SOURCE: 2014 Expedia.com survey]

// AMERICANS AT REST...

- Average American in 1850 slept 9.5 hours a night

- Average American in 1950 slept 8 hours a night

- Average American in 2000 slept less than 7 hours a night

[SOURCE: Siang-Tang Tan in Rest]

// SOME QUESTIONS FOR OUR CULTURE...

- Are we more productice?

- Are we less stressed?

- Are we healthier?

// SOME QUESTIONS FOR FOLLOWERS OF JESUS...

- What prevents us from really resting (in a healthy way)?

- Why don't we give ourselves permission to rest?

// This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. [ISAIAH 30.15 (NIV)]

// QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION...

- What if we made more time for resting so that we would be more fruitful in or working? (Look at John 15.5)

- What would it look like for you to live from a place of fullness rather than a place of emptiness?

- We've got to look at Jesus' life and we've got to hear his call...

// TONIGHT'S BIG IDEA

Jesus not only models a rhythm of work and rest -- he gives us permission, an invitation, and the expectation that we will live in this life-giving rhythm.

// TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE: MARK 6.7-12; 30-34 (NIV)

// Jesus sends the disciples in his authority + in his way (the "how" is always important)

// A follower of Jesus (disciple) is someone who is with Jesus to learn from Jesus how to be like Jesus. [Paraphrase of Dallas Willard's definition of discipleship]

// Here's what Jesus told his followers after their kingdom work: “Come with me...by yourselves...to a quiet place...and get some rest.”

// JESUS KNOWS WHAT THEY (AND WE) NEED...

Here's why rest is so vital -- not just physically, not just emotionally, not just relationally -- rest is vital for your spiritual formation that leads to your life transformation.

// He says, “Be still [literally, cease striving], and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. [PSALM 46.10 (NIV)]

// But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. [2 CORINTHIANS 3.16-18 (NIV)]

// SPOILER: THE DISCIPLES ONLY GOT A BOAT RIDE THAT DAY

- Don't waste the short boat rides in your week -- milk the quiet moments for all they're worth

- Be resolute in your resting -- make some time each day/week and plan your next lingering visit to "a quiet place" (literally and/or figuratively) and then actually keep the appointment (you'll be glad you did)!

- Help determine healthy vs. unhealthy disengagement by asking,

...Do I actually feel refreshed or depleted after ___ ?

...Does this bring more clarity to my thinking or feeling?

...Do I feel less stressed, more stressed, or the same immediately after ___ ?

// ASK YOURSELF:

- What permission is Jesus giving you even within the demands of others?

- What invitation is Jesus extending to you even within the demands of your schedule?

- What expectation is Jesus calling you to even within the demands you place on yourself?

// BONUS: A FEW "BREATH PRAYERS" AS YOU SIT AND REST

- "Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me"

- "Lord Jesus Christ, abide in me as I abide in you"

- "Loving Father, set up your kingdom in our midst"

- "Holy Spirit, renew me and all the world"

- "Lord, let your faithful love surround me"

- "God, you are my rock and my refuge"

- "Holy Spirit, fill me with your peace and power"

- "Jesus, quiet my heart so I can hear from you"

The Psalms remind us that you are not alone and God is not done. As we draw this series to a close, we explore a season in which these two key reminders are both the most necessary as well as the most seemingly out of reach. What do we do when our circumstances and our inner voices tell us "You ARE alone" and "God has abandoned you"? Seasons of isolation, depression, and fear can creep up and cloud our vision. In those times, God's presence, promises, and people all the more crucial when we feel stuck. Psalm 142 gives us permission to cry out, ask God for help, and find hope even in the darkest places.

NOTES/RESOURCES:

// REMINDER ABOUT THE PSALMS

- The Psalms are a book of ancient songs that have been a prayer book for God’s people (individually + corporately) for centuries

- The Psalms cover the scope of human emotion + experience

- The Psalms are timeless + universal

- The Psalms give us permission to be real before God + others

// REMINDER ABOUT THIS SERIES

- You might not feel this way now but I bet you have + you will

- You might notice we’re not addressing “positive” seasons. But the truth is that beneath every Psalm is an undercurrent of hope that things will look up + that God is always at work

// Every week every Psalm will remind us of at least 2 things: 1. You are not alone + 2. God is not done

// QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

- What led you to seasons of feeling deserted + afraid?

- What are the things that helped you out of those hard times?

- In what ways have you “cried out” + vented to God + others?

- Do you think trust in God + uncertainty of the future can co-exist?

// TONIGHT’S BIG IDEA

God’s with us when we’re alone. God’s our hope when we’re afraid. But you won’t really know this until you experience him.

// TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE: PSALM 142

// WHAT DOES DAVID DO?

- He pours it all out before God + He gives us permission to do it, too

- We vent to our friends (that’s OK), but do we vent to God?

- When we vent to others: look to people who listen first, who empathize without simplifying, + who help get you unstuck

- When we vent to God: leave enough silence to hear his truth, let him reframe your situation in his light, look for a next step

// GETTING REAL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS

- Relationships can sometimes be the source of our fear but Spirit-saturated relationships are always the source of our strength.

- Richard Rohr in The Divine Dance: “God is absolute relatedness. I would name salvation as simply the readiness, the capacity, + the willingness to stay in relationship.”

[Think about this for a second…or a week! Staying in a committed-through-thick-and-thin-no-matter-what covenant relationship with God = salvation from sin, death, + all the things that cut us off from life with God + life with others]

// A move toward God always leads to a move toward others

// WHAT CHANGED? HINT: NOT MUCH IN HIS CIRCUMSTANCE

- What changed was David’s perspective when we settled in + experienced God’s presence [God’s not afraid of the dark]

- Do you see the movement from isolation to community?

- Do you see the movement from plea to praise?

- Do you see the movement from despair to hope?

The Psalms remind us that you are not alone and God is not done -- with you or your situation. Sometimes we can lose focus on God and our life with him because we've taken our eyes off of his path and we focus on others and their way. There are no shortage of distractions in our lives. But the truth is, God is always near to us, will we pay attention and stay near to him? Psalm 73 is a raw and powerful journey of doubt, distraction, and deeper awareness of life with God.

NOTES + RESOURCES:

// REMINDER ABOUT THE PSALMS

- The Psalms are a book of ancient songs that have been a prayer book for God’s people (individually + corporately) for centuries

- The Psalms cover the scope of human emotion + experience

- The Psalms are timeless + universal

- The Psalms give us permission to be real before God + others

// REMINDER ABOUT THIS SERIES

- You might not feel this way now but I bet you have + you will

- You might notice we’re not addressing “positive” seasons. But the truth is that beneath every Psalm is an undercurrent of hope that things will look up + that God is always at work

- So, every week every Psalm will remind us of at least 2 things: 1. You are not alone + 2. God is not done

// QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

- What causes you to lose focus on God + his way?

- What is life like when you stray from his path for a season?

// TONIGHT’S BIG IDEA

- God’s always near to us, will we pay attention + stay near to him?

// TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE: PSALM 73 (NIV)

(v. 1) Surely God is good (…right?)

(vv. 2-3) But I lost focus!

(vv. 4-5) Look how good they’ve got it!

(vv. 6-12) Look how bad they are!

(vv. 13-14) Surely I’ve wasted my time

(vv. 15-16) I’m struggling with doubt within

(vv. 17) Until I got my focus back

(vv. 18-20) Surely the wicked won’t last

(vv. 21-22) I was ignorant…

(vv. 23-24) But I wasn’t alone

(vv. 25-26) You are all I need

(v. 27) Those who are far find death

(v. 28) For me, nearness to God is life

// PSALM 73.5-10 IN THE MESSAGE TRANSLATION

“I was looking the other way,

looking up to the people at the top,

envying the wicked who have it made,

Who have nothing to worry about,

not a care in the whole wide world.

Pretentious with arrogance,

they wear the latest fashions in violence,

Pampered and overfed, decked out in silk bows of silliness.

They jeer, using words to kill; they bully their way with words.

They’re full of hot air, loudmouths disturbing the peace.

People actually listen to them—can you believe it?

Like thirsty puppies, they lap up their words.”

// WHAT CAUSES US TO TAKE OUR FOCUS OFF OF GOD?

1. When we’re convinced the grass is greener on their side

This can lead to the Facebook Effect + leave you…

Envying others + Distorting your image of self

Comparison kills your self-worth

2. When things are OK and we think we don’t need God

This can lead to the Older Brother Effect + leads to…

Bitterness + Temptation to run away from the Father

Bitterness makes us ungrateful for what we have

3. When things are hard

This can lead to the Thunder Storm Effect + leads to…

Doubting God + Losing hope the storm will pass

Pain narrows our focus

// HOW CAN WE KEEP OUR FOCUS ON GOD?

- We’ve got to practice being present to God’s presence

- How might you be present to God’s presence this week? At home? At work? In the car? With your family? In your neighborhood?

// THE PSALMIST LEARNED THAT LIFE IS FOR GOD + OTHERS

- A self-serving + self-focused life = Certain Death (v. 27)

- A God-focused + God-serving life = True Life (vv. 1, 28)

The truth is that we've all made mistakes, we've hurt others, and we've let those who are closest to us down. The more important thing, however, is not that we've blown it but what we will do next. Will we run from our mistakes? Will we run from others? Will we run from God? The answer to the last question really depends on who you believe God to be. David's story and Psalm 51 give us permission to run to God because who he is can overcome what we've done.

NOTES/RESOURCES:

// REMINDER ABOUT THE PSALMS

- The Psalms are a book of ancient songs that have been a prayer book for God’s people (individually + corporately) for centuries

- The Psalms cover the scope of human emotion + experience

- The Psalms are timeless + universal

- The Psalms give us permission to be real before God + others

// REMINDER ABOUT THIS SERIES

- You might not feel this way now but I bet you have + you will

- You might notice we’re not addressing “positive” seasons. But the truth is that beneath every Psalm is an undercurrent of hope that things will look up + that God is always at work

- So, every week every Psalm will remind us of at least 2 things: 1. You are not alone + 2. God is not done

// QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

- How do you feel when you’ve made mistakes?

- How do you respond to God?

- How do you respond to those you’ve wronged?

- How do you respond to those who’ve wronged you?

// We’ve all blown it…what matters most is what you do next.

// TONIGHT’S BIG IDEA

-You don’t have to run from God, you can always run to God – because who he is can overcome what you’ve done.

// TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE: PSALM 51 (NIV)

- This is an example of a Psalm genre called “Individual Lament”

- It’s also part of a sub-group of 7 “Penitential Psalms” (Along with Psalms 6, 25, 32, 38, 130 [One of my favorites], 143)

- Can you relate to this Psalm?

- How does the Psalmist feel?

- The Superscription helps us imagine a context inspired by the events recorded in 2 Samuel 11–12

// DAVID’S “MAJORLY BLOWING IT” GREATEST HITS

- Committing adultery (Look at Leviticus 20.10)

- Committing murder (Look at Leviticus 24.17)

// WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IS CRUCIAL…

- Dr. Brené Brown said,“If you put shame in a petri dish, it needs 3 things to grow exponentially: Secrecy, Silence, and Judgment”

- The Enemy wants to keep you in the dark, where shame grows

- The Holy Spirit convicts us so that we can walk in love + light ]

// 1 JOHN 1.5-9 (NIV)

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

// DR. BRENÉ BROWN ON SHAME VS. GUILT:

- Shame is a focus on self: “I am bad”

- Guilt is a focus on behavior: “I did something bad”

- Shame says “I am a mistake” (David in Ps. 51.5?)

- Guilt says “I made a mistake” (David in Ps. 51.3 + 14?)

// KEY PASSAGES: EPH. 1.13-14; ROM. 6.1-11; GAL. 5.16-26

// REMEMBER COLOSSIANS 2.13-14 (NIV)

13When you were dead in your sins & the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.

Take a listen to our Summer Book Club Wrap-up from Pastor Kathy Keasler. She shares a powerful story, an encouraging reminder, and a challenge to carry on the insights from our reading and discussion of Leroy Barber's book Embrace: God's Radical Shalom for a Divided World.