In our series finale, let’s turn up the heat and learn how 3 men who stood for God before an evil king found out they weren’t standing alone. // 1. Have you ever felt pressured to do something by friends before? Maybe it was something silly, like a dare, or serious, like breaking a rule. How did you feel in that moment? Was it easy or hard to resist peer-pressure? How did the situation end? // 2. Read Daniel 3:1-7. How big of a worship gathering is this for Nebuchadnezzar’s statue? Why was the punishment so serious for refusing to worship the statue? What was the easier choice: bow-down and worship, or be thrown into the fire? What does that say about the choice to follow God—is it usually easy or hard? // 3. Our world, especially America, demands that everyone “bow down” and “worship” certain things in our society. Can you think of anything in American culture that demands our support and submission? List them out. What happens to Christians who disagree with those things? // 4. Read 2 Timothy 2:8-13. Remember: Paul is currently in prison for his faith as he writes this letter. What are the encouragements and promises? What are the warnings? How does this and Daniel 3 help us endure in a hostile world today?
