After the speaker ordered coffee at McDonald’s, he got a long sentence in Polish that he did not understand, while three women behind the counter watched him anxiously. After a moment, all he heard was: have a nice day. This sermon from Piotrków Trybunalski, based on Daniel 3, begins with a question: what does God see in the culture we live in? He sees beauty, because people are made in His image, but also what does not honor Him. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stand before the golden statue and the fire of the furnace, knowing that God can rescue them, and still they choose to trust Him at every step. Listen if you want to see what your next step of faith is, right where God has placed you.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- What does Nebuchadnezzar do in Daniel 3, and why do Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to bow down to the statue?
- What do they answer the king in verses 16-17, and what does that answer say about their trust in God?
- The speaker points out that culture holds both beauty and things that do not honor God. What good and what not-so-good do you see in Polish culture?
- How do you understand the words that God can rescue us, but does not have to? How does this affect your trust in Him?
- The speaker says we live in the middle of the story, not at the end of Daniel 3. What situation are you in right now, and what does the next faithful step look like for you in it?
- Where this week, at work, at home, or among friends, can you take that step and trust that Jesus is in control of this matter?
