Icebreaker 

1. What is one everyday thing you would hate to lose?
2. Do you have a team or an event where you’d consider yourself a fair-weather fan?

Observation:

1. Read Daniel 6:1–10. What stands out to you about Daniel’s reputation and the way he responds when the king’s decree is announced?
2. Daniel 6:10 says Daniel prayed “just as he had done before.” Why do you think those four words are significant? What do they tell us about Daniel’s response to the crisis?
3. Read Daniel 1:8 and Daniel 6:10 together. What connection do you see between “Daniel resolved…” and “just as he had done before”?

Application

1. Daniel’s faithfulness in chapter 6 wasn’t created in the lions’ den—it had been formed over decades. How can we cultivate a faith that can stand over the long run?
2. Why is it tempting for our faith to become “fair-weather faith”—strong when circumstances are favorable but shaken when things go badly? How do we avoid that?
3. In what area of your life are you least likely to want to “pay the cost” to remain faithful to God – comfort, reputation, relationships, money, control, security, etc.
4. What is one practice you could establish now that would help anchor your faith when the “weather” eventually changes?

Close in Prayer

Take a few moments of silence and ask:
“God, where am I trying to control an outcome that I need to entrust to you?”
Then pray together for the courage to be faithful regardless of the outcome.