January 18, 2026

Being Resilient – Daniel 1:8-16

Ice Breaker

1. Read Daniel 1:8-16 as a group.
2. If you were hosting your dream dinner party, what food would you serve?

Loving God Unreservedly

3. Pay attention to what God does in verse 9. How does this, in context, speak to His grace and sovereign plan?
4. What step can you take this week to develop a God-given talent or strength for the good of God’s kingdom?

Loving People Sacrificially

5. What was Daniel’s resolve? (1:8)
6. What was the result of the test? (1:15–16)
7. Are there any earthly authorities you find difficult to submit to? What makes this challenging for you? How do you usually react, and how might Daniel’s example shape a different response?
8. In Daniel 1, what would you select as a key verse that best captures or reflects what this chapter is all about?
9. Living in a God-honoring way is not necessarily opposed to being useful in the world. Does this encourage or challenge you? How?
10. What does Daniel's resolve teach us about the importance of setting boundaries in our lives?

Making Disciples Purposefully

11. If a non-Christian were asked about you, how would they describe you? Who is God placing on your heart to share the gospel with this week?

Dig Deeper (optional/personal study)

12. The central theme of Daniel 1:1-16 is that God honors and sustains those who trust him through faithful obedience, even when God’s work remains unseen. Read and reflect on others who were in similar situations to Daniel’s.

• Joseph: sold as a slave and rose to prominence in Egypt (Genesis 39).
• Hebrew midwives: Shiphrah and Puah, refused the Pharaoh’s edict to kill Hebrew children (Exodus 1:15-21).
• Mordecai and Esther: they risked their lives to save the Jews from genocidal threat in Persia (Esther 4:13-16).
• Nehemiah: although not exiled, served as a cupbearer of the king of Persia, and went back to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls of the city (Nehemiah 1-2).