
Dring to Hope
April 21-May 13, 2018
What does it mean to live and practice our faith in a time when the culture does not support it? To be Christian today is to be counter-cultural. The world’s attitude towards those who want to devote themselves to following God is indifference. The encouragement is to follow God as long as it does not interfere or inconvenience one’s lifestyle or challenge popular cultural norms. Our current culture often directly and indirectly dares us to give up on our faithfulness to God.
This is the setting for the Book of Daniel. The well-known stories of Daniel and his friends tell an insightful tale of how to live in exile and remain faithful to God. Such living is unpredictable, dangerous and full of surprises. God’s power can and will show up in a mighty way if, like Daniel, we are instead daring to hope.
Scripture Readings
April 21/22 | Daniel 1: 8-21
Daring to Hope: A Steady Diet
April 28/29 | Daniel 3: 8-30
Daring to Hope: Trial By Fire
May 5/6 | Daniel 5: 1-9, 13-31
Daring to Hope: The Writing on the Wall
May 12/13 | Daniel 6: 6-23
Daring to Hope: Thrown to the Lions
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
by Brene Brown
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a
Changing World
by Dalai Lama & Desmond TuTu
Divergent Churches: The Bright Promise of Alternative Faith Communities
by Tim Shapiro & Kara Faris