Thrive Harbor

As God reveals to Daniel what will happen to his people in the future, he teaches him the “ABCs” of how to interpret Bible prophecy—especially the role of typology. A type is a historical thing or person that foreshadows a future thing or person. And so, in Daniel 8, we’re introduced to a figure known to history as Antiochus Epiphanes. A cruel pagan king who reigned between 175-164 BC and remembered today in connection with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, Antiochus Epiphanes is a type of the Antichrist. Like the Antichrist, Antiochus was an arrogant blasphemer who desecrated the temple, oppressed the people of God—and eventually was defeated.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Matthew 24:21, 29; Daniel 7:25, 28; 8; 12:1; Revelation 7:14; and Jeremiah 30:7.

From the seventh chapter of Daniel onward, we’re given a progressively zoomed-in view of the future—and in particular, an end-times ruler the Bible calls “the Antichrist.” Who is this figure, where is he spoken of in Scripture, what will he do, and how will he be defeated? As chapter seven speaks into these questions, it also points us to how the prophecies of Daniel point us to the hope of Jesus.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include John 10:10; Mark 14:62; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8; 1 John 2:18; 4:3; Daniel 7; 9; 11; Revelation 13; John 16:21; and Matthew 24:8.

In Daniel 7, Daniel sees a vision of four world empires, represented as terrible beasts. But in Daniel 6, Daniel learns that God can deliver from beasts after spending the night in the lions’ den. How did Daniel survive the lions’ den, and what does his story have to teach us?

This message was given by David Shohradov, a member of Thrive Harbor. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include 2 Timothy 4:17.

In Daniel's youth, Babylon was the world's greatest empire. Yet by the time he was an old man, the Babylonian empire had fallen. What caused such a mighty kingdom to crumble? One answer according to Daniel 5 is pride. Pride is one of the most insidious and sneakiest forms of sin, whose radical grip can only be cured by an equally radical cure.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Daniel 4:17; Jeremiah 27:5-7; 51:36-37, 39; Romans 2:1; and Philippians 2:6-8.

4. The King’s Tale (Daniel 4)

"Pride," writes pastor Tim Keller, "is the carbon monoxide of sin”—it's so subtle sometimes you don't notice it's killing you. In Daniel 4, Nebuchadnezzar, the most powerful man on the face of the earth, has a deeply humbling encounter with God. What leads Nebuchadnezzar to become proud? And how can God cure him—and us—of this deadly disease?

This message was given by Conner Dill, a member of Thrive Harbor. Scripture passages cited in this message include Psalm 145:8-13; Jeremiah 27:5-6; 29:7; Proverbs 21:1; and 1 Timothy 2:1-4.

Like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are examples of resilient faith: when asked to bow down to a pagan idol, they refused on pain of death. Thousands of years later, we still live in a culture that asks followers of Jesus to honor beliefs and ideologies that are opposed to God. What does it look like to confidently, courteously resist the spirit of the age and remain faithful to Jesus?

This message was given by Mike Parejo, Pierce County Community Development Officer at The Coffee Oasis.

We live in a world that is deeply broken. But for followers of Jesus the future is full of hope, because one day God will set up a kingdom in which everything broken will be made whole. In chapter two of Daniel, God reveals key information about what that kingdom will be like, to be developed over the rest of the book.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Deuteronomy 28:13, 15, 20-21, 43; Jeremiah 22:30; Leviticus 25:2-5; 26:14-16, 33-35, 43; 2 Chronicles 36:20-21; Matthew 18:22; Daniel 2; 5:30-31; 8:20-21; Luke 21:24; Revelation 11:15; and 2 Peter 1:19.

How can God's people thrive in a hostile culture? Instead of hiding from the world or blending with the world, the example of Daniel offers another way. Carried into exile in his youth, Daniel demonstrates what is required to cultivate a resilient faith that flourishes in the face of opposition.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Daniel 1; Leviticus 26:33; Genesis 11:1-4; and 1 Peter 3:15.

In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul writes that we are Christ's ambassadors. An ambassador represents someone in a foreign country. That means Christians have the incredible privilege of representing Christ to all the nations of the world. Sharing out of his long career blessing the nations for Christ, Jeff — (surname withheld for security reasons) unpacks what this calling to be Christ's ambassadors means for us today.

"What is God's plan for my life?" It may be the most common question young adults ask! But rarely do we step back and ask, "What is God's plan—in general?" God has a plan, and as we see throughout Scripture, it's a plan for all nations to see His glory. And the exciting part about that plan is: we're called to be a part of it!

Scripture passages cited in this message include Ephesians 1:9-10; Revelation 4:8; 5:9-10; John 17:24; Genesis 12:3; 18:18-19; Exodus 14:4; 18:11; 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 4:6; Joshua 4:24; 1 Kings 10:6-7, 9; Psalm 67; Isaiah 2:2; 49:6; Ezekiel 36:22-23; Hebrews 1:3; 1 John 2:2; Acts 8; 10; 15; Matthew 28:18-20; Colossians 1:24; and Philippians 2:25-30