Show Notes
Have you heard of the shortest play in world drama? Samuel Beckett was an Irish playwright, novelist, and poet. Guinness World Records acknowledges his play, entitled “Breath”, to be the shortest play in world drama. It lasts about 35 seconds.
As the curtain opens, you see a stage littered with rubbish. A single light illuminates it. There are no actors and no words. The first thing you hear is a faint cry of a baby being born, then the sound of someone inhaling, then someone exhaling. The light slowly dims. And then a final cry.
Is that it? “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity!” Ecclesiastes 12:8 Is this mist of a life pointless?
Praise God! “Vanity” does not have the last word. The final six verses of Ecclesiastes put the whole book into perspective. They do not contradict the Preacher but rather provide a compelling conclusion. They tell us how and why the book was written. The Words: How were the words written? (vs. 9-10) The Word: Who is the author of the words? What is their purpose? (vs. 11-12) The Way: What should be our focus? (vs. 13-14)
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Imagine you have the platform at the half-time of the World Cup Final (estimates run from 1.5 to 2.7 billion viewers). What would you say? Would you try to sell something? Would you sing? Would you share your personal story? Would you mention God? Nebuchadnezzar, the most powerful man on earth, had the platform to communicate with the whole Babylonian empire, that stretched from Elam (Iran) all the way to Egypt. What was his message?
Pastor Ray, Pastor Brett and Shylo dig into Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace! We did a switcharoo this week with Pastor Brett preaching on Daniel 3, and Pastor Ray on Chapter 4 and then switching again for next week. If you have any questions for Daniel 4, write in to [email protected], and we'll answer them on the pod in 7 days! 00:00 Intro 03:06 Engaging with culture vs compromising our faith 12:50 The Freedom of Faith 19:36 We have more Nebuchadnezzar in us than we think 26:09 Trying to control the future we want or compromising to secure it 32:51 A reminder about the character of God for those in the fire 40:30 Where was Daniel?
Daniel chapter 3 is one of those stories that you might think you already know, but I think the real questions here are much bigger than how three guys survive a fiery furnace. The Demand for Allegiance The Freedom of Faith Finding God in the Fire Reflection Questions: What are you afraid to lose? Why? Where are you feeling pressure to compromise? How does knowing Jesus is with you change that?
We're back, did you miss us? We're happy to announce that we're bringing back the Podcast, now with video! You can still find us on Spotify, Apple and other audio platforms, but if YouTube is your preferred option, we're on there too! Today, Pastor Brian, Pastor Ray and Pastor Brett walk through the end of Daniel 2, touching on the topics of sacrifice, trusting our leaders and what Daniel is saying about history. As always, you can write in your questions from the sermon to [email protected], and we'll try our best to feature them on the podcast! 00:00 - Intro 01:37 - Story from Unite 05:58 - Resources Used for this series 10:22 - Sermon Summary 15:21 Daniel is teaching us about history 23:11 Connecting the kingdom and stone in the dream to Jesus 28:45 Putting hope in things that may fall 3617 Staying engaged in a culture that doesn't share our beliefs 42:05 Admiring God is not enough 45:47 Outro
What keeps you awake at night? For me, it’s my children, grandchildren, finances, church family, ministries, elections, the rapid development of artificial intelligence, etc. Where is this world going? Can anyone foresee what will happen? Can anyone help? What keeps you awake at night? Through Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the God of heaven and earth speaks to at least three individuals or groups: (1) Nebuchadnezzar, so that he can understand his dream, but also so that he can know the great God who knows and guides the future; (2) Daniel and his friends, so that they can experience His mercy; and (3) the world, so it can know where history is going! God sets up and removes kings. God foresees what will unfold in history. God is actively establishing His kingdom in history. God invites our worshipful surrender.