LIFE GROUP OR PERSONAL STUDY | WEEK OF JULY 6
Sunday, July 06, 2025
Context:
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were faithful Jews living in exile in Babylon. They served the empire with distinction (Daniel 1–2), but their ultimate loyalty remained with the one true God. When King Nebuchadnezzar built a massive golden image and required everyone to bow down and worship it, they respectfully refused. This was no small act of civil disobedience—it was a death sentence. With the punishment of death, they remained courageous. Their willingness to give up their bodies (v. 28) points forward to the One who did give up His body—Jesus Christ. Unlike Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Jesus was not spared from death. He entered the ultimate fire—judgment and the cross—to rescue us eternally. We may not always be rescued from earthly trials, but we know we are never alone in them. And because Jesus was faithful even to death, we can trust Him in every fire we face.
Icebreaker:
What's a time in your life when you had to stand up for something, even though it made things uncomfortable? (School, work, family, etc.)
What stands out to you from Daniel 3? What stood out to you from this week’s homily? (Previous homilies can be watched at christlamesa.org/media.)
The command from Babylon is “You must fall down and worship... or be thrown into a blazing furnace” (v. 6). Where do Christians today experience pressure to conform in ways that conflict with faith? In your own life, are there places where it’s hard to live out your faith with integrity?
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego respectfully say “no.” When threatened with the fiery furnace, they tell Nebuchadnezzar: “Our God can save us... but even if he does not... we will not serve your gods” (v. 18). Where in your life do you struggle to say “even if he does not,” and trust God? What false expectations about God’s protection or blessing are hardest to let go of?
“I see four men walking in the fire... and the fourth looks like a son of the gods” (v. 25). What does it mean that God didn’t keep them out of the fire, but met them in it? How might you recognize God’s presence in your own fiery trials or suffering? How could you be that fourth presence for someone else who feels alone in the fire?
Close with prayer… maybe some “even if” prayers. Pray to be able to recognize the fourth man in the fire.