Thriving in Babylon - Who You Are and Where You're From
- What’s one idea from the message that stood out to you? Why do you think it grabbed you?
- Describe yourself. Who are you?
- Where are you from? What do you know of your heritage?
- Have you ever allowed yourself (hobbies, attitudes, clothes, etc.) to be defined by someone or something else?
Read: Daniel 1.
- What allowed Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to remain true to their identity?
- How did God respond to their faith?
- All the other Israelites that were taken to Babylon are nameless in this book. Why?
- All the others chose to sacrifice their identity in order to belong in their new circumstances. What have you changed about yourself, or given up, in order to belong?
- Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are given new names. If you have changed your name, whether a last name due to marriage, choosing a nickname, or some other circumstance, what was that like to have a different name? Did it change who you are?
- What circumstances have changed in your life that have made you re-evaluate your identity?
- When or how have you found peace in your identity?
- What is the perceived identity of the Church and of Christians?
- How can we show the world our true identity?
- What would change if Christians lived as Christians first, before any other identifier?
Prayer: Pray for courage to hold to our identity as Christian before anything else.