DIGGING DEEPER

WEEKEND OF JANUARY 3 & 4, 2026

SERMON NOTES

Thriving in Babylon

Living Faithfully in a Foreign Land


Daniel 1:1-21


Types of Christian Engagement with Culture:

  1. Absorb & Accommodate
  2. Confront & Condemn
  3. Withdraw & Isolate
  4. Serve & Shape


1. God is sovereign over human leaders and kingdoms.


2. Like Daniel, we are exiles in Babylon (or at least we’re supposed to live like that).


3. We are called to stand up – but for the right things…and how we do it really matters.


Big idea: You may not choose the world you live in, but you can choose the way you live in it.


Challenges: 

  1. Self-assess whether you’re escaping, conforming to, condemning, or constructively shaping an ungodly culture.
  2. Identify one area where you can quietly, graciously stand apart in obedience this week.
  3. Increase your trust in God’s sovereignty, then relax and smile more, reshaping what you say and how you say it.


Following Jesus in a Politically Divided World 21 Days of Fasting (How to do a Daniel Fast)

DIGGING DEEPER

Read Daniel 1:1-21. Which parts of Babylon’s assimilation process do you think would have been hardest for Daniel and his friends—and why?


Why do you think Daniel was willing to adapt in some areas (names, education, jobs) but not others (food)?


What manner and means did Daniel use to reach a solution? What was the result?


How can followers of Christ work within ungodly systems without betraying the principles of their faith or falling into sin? Try to come up with specific examples.


Which of these approaches are you more tempted to fall into: 

  1. Absorb & Accommodate: Uncritically take on cultural values—like Daniel’s peers who might have conformed to Babylonian norms without discernment.
  2. Confront & Condemn: React with judgment, outrage, or harsh criticism—common, but often unproductive and relationally damaging.
  3. Withdraw & Isolate: Step away from culture to protect purity or comfort—safe, but a missional failure.


What would it look like for you to more creatively engage culture to bless and influence it without sacrificing faithfulness to God?


What’s one area where you can quietly, graciously stand apart in obedience this week?



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