Gently Bold
Daniel 3:13-18 - New International Version (NIV)
13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and
Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that
you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set
up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute,
zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down
and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will
be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able
to rescue you from my hand?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King
Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this
matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the
God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will
deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even
if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your
gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
What was Nebuchadnezzar’s emotional status (verse 13)?
Where were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
summoned to (verse 13)?
What did Nebuchadnezzar ask Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego (verse 14)?
When will it be “very good” (verse 15)?
What will cause Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
to be “thrown immediately into a blazing furnace” (verse 15)?
In your opinion, how would Nebuchadnezzar have
answered the question “what god will be able to rescue you from my hand”
(verse 15)?
What didn’t Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego feel
they needed to do (verse 16)?
What did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego believe
that the God they served was able to do (verse 17)?
What did they believe that God would do (verse 17)?
In your opinion, why would Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego tell Nebuchadnezzar that they would not serve his gods or worship
the image of gold even if God does not deliver them (verse 18)?
In
your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
Mark 14:66-72 - New
International Version (NIV)
66 While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant
girls of the high priest came by. 67 When she saw Peter
warming himself, she looked closely at him.
“You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said.
68 But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking
about,” he said, and went out into the entryway.
69 When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those
standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” 70 Again he
denied it.
After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely
you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”
71 He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know
this man you’re talking about.”
72 Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter
remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows
twice you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
Where was Peter when the servant girl of
the high priest came by (verse 66)?
What did she say after looking at him
closely (verse 67)?
How did Peter respond (verse 68)?
Where did Peter go (verse 68)?
Who did the servant girl tell “This
fellow is one of them’” (verse 69)?
How did Peter respond (verse 70)?
Why did those standing near think that
Peter was “one of them” (verse 70)?
In your opinion, why would Peter have “began
to call down curses” while he was telling them he did not know Jesus (verse
71)?
What did the rooster do (verse 72)?
What did Peter remember (verse 72)?
How did Peter react (verse 72)?
In your opinion, what is the basic
message of this passage?
In your opinion, how were Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego able to stand before the mighty king Nebuchadnezzar and tell him that
they would not worship his gods or the image of gold in Daniel 3:13-18 but
Peter is unable to tell a servant girl that he knows Jesus in Mark 14:66-72?
Acts
5:12-16 –
New International Version (NIV)
12 The apostles performed many
signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet
together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one
else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women
believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the
streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might
fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds
gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those
tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.
What did the apostles perform “among the people” (verse
12)?
Where did the believers “used to meet together”
(verse 12)?
Who “dared join them” (verse 13)?
How were they regarded by the people (verse 13)?
How
were people “added to their number” (verse 14)?
Why
did people bring their sick and lay “them or beds and mats” (verse 15)?
Where
did the crowds come from (verse 16)?
What
happened to the “sick and those tormented by impure spirits” (verse 16)?
In
your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In
your opinion, what has transformed Peter from the person who would not admit to
a servant girl that he knew Jesus in Mark 14:66-72 to meeting with other
believers in Solomon’s Colonnade with such boldness that people were
intimidated and would not join them in Acts 5:12-16?
1 John
2:20-25 – New International Version (NIV)
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of
you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you
do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes
from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies
that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father
and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father;
whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the
beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and
in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal
life.
What do the people that John is writing to have (verse
20)?
What do these people know (verse 20)?
Why is John writing these people (verse 21)?
“Who is the liar” (verse
22)?
What is the person who denies Jesus (verse 22)?
Who has the Father (verse 23)?
How will the recipients of the letter “remain in
the Son and in the Father” (verse 24)?
In your opinion, why would John end his discussion
with the mention of the promise of eternal life (verse 25)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this
passage?
In your opinion, how are
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego choosing the God who could save them, even if He
didn’t, over worshipping the golden statue in Daniel 3:13-18 a solid example of
the somewhat abstract discussion of denying Jesus Christ or acknowledging the
Son in 1 John 2:20-25?
In your opinion, how is
the denial of Peter in Mark 14:66-72 different from the denial that makes an
antichrist in 1 John 2:20-25?
In your opinion, what do these passages from Daniel, Mark,
Acts and 1 John reveal to us about the difference between Peter, when he denied
knowing Jesus, and the gentle and firm boldness of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego
along with the early believers?
In your
opinion, how can believers in the world today acknowledge the Son gently,
firmly and with boldness?
(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)
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