Pushing Through Setbacks
Ben Johnson - January 25, 2026
Setbacks don’t stop PROGRESS. Lack of ACCOUNTABILITY does.
Accountability is taking RESPONSIBILITY for your convictions before temptation CONTROLS your choices.
1. Accountability is a PRE-DECIDED conviction.
Daniel 1:8 (NLT) – But Daniel was determined not to defile himself…
What you don’t DECIDE in advance, PRESSURE will decide for you.
2. Accountability sets PROTECTIVE boundaries.
Daniel 1:8 (NLT) – He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.
What is kept around is CONSUMED.
3. Accountability SUBMITS to testing and time.
Daniel 1:12 (NLT) – Please test us for ten days.
If your dream can’t survive TESTING, it probably can’t survive YOU.
4. Accountability THRIVES in the right COMMUNITY.
Daniel 1:15 (NLT) – Daniel and his three friends…
Accountability isn’t just PERSONAL, it’s RELATIONAL.
Daniel didn’t ask God to REMOVE the pressure, he chose accountability, and God CHANGED the result.
Life Group Discussion & Questions
BREAKING THE ICE:
When you hear the phrase “pushing through setbacks,” what kind of setback comes to mind first for you right now? Is it external pressure, internal temptation, or exhaustion from doing the right thing for too long?
DIGGING IN:
1. Daniel “was determined” before the temptation showed up. What are some decisions you tend to delay until you’re already under pressure—and how does that usually turn out? What would it look like to decide now instead of later?
2. Daniel didn’t just say no, he changed his environment. What boundaries have helped you stay faithful in the past, and which ones have you slowly loosened over time? Is there anything you’ve been “keeping around” that keeps consuming more of you than you intended?
3. Daniel was willing to let time prove his conviction. Where are you tempted to look for quick results instead of trusting God with a longer obedience? How does impatience make accountability harder?
4. Daniel didn’t stand alone; he stood with friends. Who in your life knows your convictions and has permission to challenge your choices? What keeps us from inviting people into that level of accountability?
5. Daniel didn’t ask God to remove Babylon, he changed his discipline. What pressure are you currently asking God to remove that He may be asking you to grow through instead? How might accountability change the outcome instead of the environment?
BRINGING IT HOME:
Dreaming big doesn’t mean avoiding setbacks, it means building convictions strong enough to outlast them. When accountability shapes our choices, pressure loses its power, setbacks don’t get the final word, and God is free to change the result.