What inspires our best human achievements? Many have seen potential where others see only obstacles. If we are looking for this sort of inspiration, God remains ready to breath it. In this series we see His work powerfully revealed in the life of Daniel. Even while enemies and obstacles engulfed him, God gives this young man visions that still inspire us today.
Week 1: Inspired by God’s Ways (Daniel 1:8-16)
Sometimes God’s ways do not make sense to us. The world around us lives by their own rules, and we may envy them. God’s ways sometimes require us to do what we do not want to do, and prohibits us from doing things we may want to do. In a time of intense pressure, Daniel demonstrates the wisdom of following God’s ways, even when they seem out of step with the world.
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Week 2: Inspired by God’s Plan (Daniel 2:19-23)
The world’s struggles for power and wealth are endless. Whoever stands at the top must beware of those who seek to take their place. To His servant Daniel, God reveals timeless wisdom, inspiring us to live informed and productive lives beyond the reach of this vicious cycle.
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Week 3: Inspired by God’s Salvation (Daniel 6:16-23)
Injustice will not go away, good people made to suffer for the wrong reasons. As a victim of injustice, Daniel learns to depend upon a just God who saves the righteous. His trust in the one who sees and saves inspires us to remain vigilant in our own pursuit of justice.
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Week 4: Inspired by God’s Savior (Daniel 7:9-14)
Formidable powers follow one upon the other in their rise to own the world. Their plans, plots, and wars seem to shape the history of humankind. Yet, God has not abandoned the fight. The world remains His kingdom, and, in due time, He reveals the one who will win it all back to Himself.
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Week 5: Inspired by God’s Sovereignty (Daniel 9:17-24)
When we find ourselves caught up in power struggles beyond our control, we may cry out to God for His salvation. Is He listening? When Daniel prays, God reveals His plans to work through the chaos and bring this world back into order. Appearances must not keep us from seeing the sovereign hand of God working toward His ordained outcomes.
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