A Place of Surrender
- You can have and yet lack .
- will keep you from the Lord.
- You cannot expect God to wear a if you are wearing one .
- There is no – with God.
- God have His way.
C.S. Lewis
“The first demand any work of art makes upon us is to surrender. Look. Listen. Receive. Get yourself out of the way.”
Sermon Talks
- Read Daniel 4 as you prepare to work through the sermon talks.
- In what ways is King Nebuchadnezzar’s story a lot like our story?
- How is it possible to have it all yet lack everything? Other than King Nebuchadnezzar’s story, can you think of another example of this?
- What specific sins does Daniel advise the king to repent of in verse 27? How does that compare to what you struggle with?
- In verse 29, we see that God allowed a year to pass before the interpretation of the dream became reality. What does this show us about God’s timing and His desire to show mercy?
- Read 1 John 2:16 and notice the three ways the character of the world expresses itself. Do you struggle in any of these areas? What does Daniel 4 teach us about “the pride of life,” particularly when we are successful or feel we have built our own “Babylon” (v. 30)?
- Read and discuss Proverbs 11:2, Proverbs 16:18, Matthew 23:12, and James 4:6.
- Read Romans 2:23, Romans 6:23, and 1 John 1:9. What do these verses say about our nature and sin? What does God desire of us regarding our sin and how will He respond (1 John 1:9)?
- Have you come to a place of complete surrender? If not, what must you do to get there?
- Take some time to think about your journey to Jesus. How did the Lord pursue you? If you are in a group, have people share their stories of coming to Jesus.
- Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in a time of prayer. Begin by praising God for who He is and what He has done in your life.
- As you pray, focus on pride. Ask the Lord to reveal to areas of your life where pride is evident. Confess them to Him and receive His forgiveness.