Daniel 4 Telling the Truth Sun 1^st Nov

Theme verse:            v37 “and those who walk in pride he [God] is able to humble”

• Do you see pride as a good thing or a bad thing?
• Can you recall a time when you felt dramatically humbled (either publically or privately) in any way?
• Did anything good come from that humbling?

Give each person a piece of paper & pen, write the letters A > Z down one side, and ask people to think of different biblical names or descriptions of God that begin with each letter. E.g. A – Alpha, B- Beautiful, C-Creator ... You may have to be creative with one or two!

Alternatively you may prefer to do this altogether on one large sheet of paper.

• Read out the list and spend some time praising our amazing God.

• This chapter is unusual – see who wrote it, v1.
• How does Nebuchadnezzar‘s confession in v1-3 compare with those at the end of Ch 2 & 3.
• When things are going outwardly well in your life do you ever find yourself drifting away from God?
• Daniel was understandably very worried about interpreting the king’s dream. What things might have encouraged him to tell the truth?
• Nebuchadnezzar had truly repented of his sins as Daniel advised in v27, do you think God would have withheld his judgement or not?
• Why do you think God waits a whole year between the dream and its fulfilment?
• What specific things did God do to humble Nebuchadnezzar v33-34?
• What does Nebuchadnezzar have to do in order to be restored v25, 32, 34?
• What does this chapter teach us about how God works in people’s lives? (also check out Hebrews 12:4-13)

• Read Philippians 2:6-11. Jesus is the direct opposite of Nebuchadnezzar – he humbles himself and God exalts him. God calls us to share Christ’s character.
• Are there any areas of your life where you feel God is challenging your pride?
• Pray together
  • specifically about those areas you feel God is challenging you about
  • for one another that we might share Christ’s humility as we try to reach out to a broken world
  • for those parts of the world struggling under oppressive leaders – ask for God’s dramatic intervention