Tough as Nails Part 3

This podcast was based on discussion questions from the Life Church Open Network series "Tough as Nails." Background music is titled "URL Melt" by the Unicorn Heads Tough as Nails Part 3 Icebreaker: Who is someone in your life that you would be most willing to listen to, if they were to confront you? Today’s narrative comes from Daniel 4. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream: A tall and great tree in the midst of the earth. It’s tops reached to heaven, and visible to everyone. It’s leaves were beautiful and it’s fruit was abundant, and was food for all. Animals used it for shade, birds lived in the branches, and flesh was fed from it. Then a holy one came down from heaven and said “Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Leave the stump, to have dew fall on it and its portion, to let his mind be that of a beast for seven periods of time, so that at the end the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men. Nebuchadnezzar had made a decree that all the wise men should come, then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers, but they couldn’t do it. He asked Daniel, and said “you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you” Daniel knew alright, and his face showed it. He was dismayed for a while because his thoughts alarmed him. The king said “let not the dream or interpretation alarm you” “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies! Gives the interpretation, then confronts the king  Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.” Daniel 4:27 Relationship needs to be the context of confrontation. Ever have a stranger walk up to you and disagree with you. Josh McDowell said “Rules without a relationship leads to rebellion. Truth without a relationship leads to rejection.” Relationships happen face-to-face, shoulder-to-shoulder. Daniel has invested 30 years of his life serving the king We should be asking ourselves how well established our relationship is when confronting others. Restoration should be the goal of confrontation. How many times have you confronted someone and the goal was to be right, instead Am I confronting to be right or for restoration? *Discussion* Humility is the posture of effective confrontation. When you are confronting someone, the root issue is pride. Galatians 6:1 Am I confronting with pride or humility? Hope has to be given for confrontation to sink in. Am I confronting to provide hope, or humiliation?