Grow Group Questions • Citizen Exile • Daniel 2

Download PDFDownload Word Document Leaders, make sure you read the email from Pastor David this week to help guide your discussion time! Conversation Starter/Questions (10-15 minutes)
As we are nearing the end of the year (and some groups may be pausing soon) use this time for people to consider and share at least one of their potential new year’s resolutions. Also, ask them if you want the group to keep them accountable (this answer does not need to be spiritual). As we are nearing the end of the year (and some groups may be pausing soon) ask your group to share some of their worst new year’s resolution failures (just have fun with it).
Series Review (15-20 minutes)
In relation to the first question and moments of impact during this series, Pastor Thad reviewed many of the key concepts covered in this series of messages (bullet-pointed below). Daniel was a man of:Character (Daniel’s private life matched and fed his public life. A key point is that our private life impacts our public life and public effectiveness for God. cf. Daniel 1)Dependability Daniel was a man people could count on (cf. Daniel 5 and the queen telling King Belshazzar to call on him)Prayer (cf. Daniel 6 and 2)Strong Faith (cf. Daniel 6; Lion’s den)Man who revealed God to his community
What in this series created a “ah ha” moment for you or created a unique challenge or pushed your forward in your Christian walk?   Are you developing any new practices or habits that you can share?
Parker Rabe “kicked off” the Citizen Exile series or “set the stage” for the series from the book of Jeremiah. Read Jeremiah 29:4-7: How does this passage surprise us in what Jeremiah is in essence calls us all to do for our community and country? 
Read Mark 12:31; Luke 10:25-37; 1 Timothy 2:2. How does Jeremiah 29:11 resonate with how Jesus calls us to live now?  Have you had to reconsider how you think about your relationship with the world? Share if you have and what life changes you are making to live as a citizen exile, positively impacting the world.
In our “Citizen Exile” series taking us through the story of Daniel, there were so many moments of potential impact on our lives. One of these moments, from the feedback that we have heard, centered around prayer and fasting. For those of you that took part in Bethany’s prayer and fasting week, can you share with the group your experience? 
What was challenging, what was wonderful, what would you do differently next time, what will you do the same, what might you like to try in regards to prayer and fasting?
Sermon Review & Digging Deeper (15-20 minutes)
Read Daniel Chapter 2 to review the main story from this week’s message.Read Matthew 22: 15-22. In this passage, Jesus tells the people to give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to give to God the things that are God’s (in an answer about taxation). How does this relate to or is instructive towards being a Citizen Exile? What is Jesus really trying to communicate here? Pastor Thad, in his message, spoke about the prophecies of Daniel and where he felt like we as a community of faith were within them. He also communicated that just as those prophecies were fulfilled in the past, we can be sure that all of Daniel’s prophecies will be fulfilled in the future. How does that impact your expectations of the future and how does this impact your role as a Citizen Exile or even your view of the Bible? (It should be noted, however, that when Daniel gave the prophecies, he knew what was going to happen (as predicted in Daniel 2 and 7), but did not know all the details regarding the who or even the exact when with the details.)  Of course, we know in hindsight now who almost all of those kingdoms referred to were up to the present time. With this understanding and looking towards the future fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecies, what caution should we take in assigning potential Scriptural fulfillments of those prophecies with absolute certainty?  (Optional) Do you like prophecy conferences or teachings? What value do they have or what is their greatest value, in your opinion?
Challenge and Prayer (15-20 minutes)
The pastoral staff is thinking of challenging themselves and perhaps recommending that the entire church commits to fasting and praying the first Monday of every month as they are reasonably able. Is that something you might consider adding as a part of your spiritual disciplines? If so, please pray about this. Pastor Thad said in the podcast that he feels that this series is a “marker” for our church in his short time of being here. In what way do you think this series might have set a tone for where God is taking us as a church as we enter the new year?
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