The Book of Daniel: Daniel 1: 1-21

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god. Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles, youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king's court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king's choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king's personal service. Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego. But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials, and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king." But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, "Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king's choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see." So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king's choice food. So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables. As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams. Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's personal service. As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm. And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king. (Daniel 1:1-21, NASB)

Sermon Summary
On Sunday, Pastor Russell Johnson continued our Daniel series by exploring Daniel 1 through the powerful imagery of drawing "a line in the sand," comparing Daniel's resolve to the legendary courage at the Alamo. Pastor Russell emphasized that Daniel, as a teenage boy "ripped from family, ripped from home, ripped from all they have ever known," showed remarkable resilience by making a stand not on "house rules" but on "God's rules" when it came to defiling himself with the king's food. The sermon highlighted Daniel's masterful approach—he "asked, did not demand," "gave God an opportunity to work," and demonstrated that "God's faithfulness is not always about the outcome; it is about His presence." Pastor Russell concluded by reminding us that as believers living "far from home" in this world, we must follow Daniel's model of drawing lines based on biblical convictions while trusting God with the results.

1. What's a "house rule" from your childhood that seemed incredibly important at the time but now makes you smile when you think about it?
2. Pastor Russell used the Alamo story of Colonel Travis drawing "a line in the sand" to illustrate Daniel's resolve. When have you faced a moment where you had to decide what you would and would not do, no matter what it cost you?
3. How does our understanding of the difference between "God's rules" and "house rules" affect the way we engage with people who have different lifestyle choices or family standards than we do?
4. Pastor Russell emphasized that Daniel "asked, did not demand" and showed no "aggressive confrontation" or "condescending attitude." What situation in your life right now needs that same approach of respectful resolve?
5. The sermon explained that God's mercy showed up in Daniel's favor, but "God's faithfulness is not always about the outcome; it is about His presence." How do we hold onto that truth when we don't get the outcome we hoped for after taking a biblical stand?
6. Pastor Russell noted how Daniel's individual decision became a group commitment when "it went from me to us." Share about a time when someone else's conviction helped you see a line you needed to draw as well.
7. Pastor Russell concluded that we're all "far from home" in this world. What's one specific area where you need to follow Daniel's model this week—drawing a line based on God's rules while "giving God an opportunity to work"?
   
   

Extra Credit
Look up and read these passages about faithfulness in difficult circumstances:
Hebrews 13:14 - For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.
1 Peter 2:11-12 - Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Acts 15:28-29 - For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.
Daniel 3:17-18 - If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.

How do these passages expand our understanding of living as "aliens and strangers" while maintaining biblical convictions? What common thread runs through all of them about God's faithfulness regardless of outcomes?