Sunday School Lesson September 3, 2023
Subject: Develop Strong Convictions
The Point: Our convictions, not our circumstance, define who we are.
Scriptures: Daniel 1:3-13, 17-19
Study The Bible: Daniel 1:3-7
1). Culture expects conformity.
- The king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the Israelites from the royal family and from the nobility—
- young men without any physical defect, good-looking, suitable for instruction in all wisdom, knowledgeable, perceptive, and capable of serving in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the Chaldean language and literature.
- The king assigned them daily provisions from the royal food and from the wine that he drank. They were to be trained for three years, and at the end of that time they were to attend the king.
- Among them, from the judahites, were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
- The chief eunuch gave them names; he gave the name Belteshazzar to Daniel, Shadrach to Hananiah, Meshach to Mishael, and Abednego to Azariah.
Lasting truths from: Daniel 1:3-7
* An unbelieving world has a design and plan for shaping others into what it thinks successful people ought to be.
* Unbelievers should be able to find favorable and attractive qualities in the lives of the faithful.
* The world culture will make efforts to influence believers and strive to assimilate them into its way of life.
2). Draw the line.
Daniel 1:8-13
- Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief eunuch not to defile himself.
- God had granted Daniel kindness and compassion from the chief eunuch,
- yet he said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and drink. What if he sees your faces looking thinner than the other young men your age? You would endanger my life with the king.”
- So Daniel said to the guard whom the chief eunuch had assigned to Daniel, Hannaniah, Mishael, and Azariah,
- “Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink.
- Then examine our appearance and the appearance of the young men who are eating the king’s food, and deal with your servants based on what you see.”
Lasting truths from: Daniel 1:8-13
* Each person determines where he or she must draw the line on compromise or being assimilated into the culture.
* God is at work in our lives to prepare and enable us to face the decisions that come with culture’s attempt to make us conform to its image.
* Faith actions are based on what is true and right not what turns out to be easy of safe.
3). Trust the Lord.
Daniel 1:17-19
- God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding in every king of literature and wisdom. Daniel also understood visions and dreams of every kind.
- At the end of the time that the king had said to present them, the chief eunuch presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.
- The king interviewed them, and among all of them, no one was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they began to attend the king.
Lasting truths from: Daniel 1:17-19
* God equips those who are faithful to Him with what they need to serve Him.
* God will honor those who choose to live with uncompromising convictions of faith in Him.
* We can be involved in the culture around us in a godly way without out being absorbed by it.
Live It Out
As you reflect on this session, respond to the following questions:
- What is a life issue where you are being confronted to sacrifice your convictions and conform to your cultural circumstances?
- How do you decide where to draw the line?
- What blessing from the Lord did you realize by being faithful to your convictions in Him?
- How has your decision helped you to grow in godliness and heightened your influence before others?
Closing Prayer:
“Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died on the cross to forgive me of my sins and rose from the dead to give me new life. I’m sorry for all the wrong I’ve done and ask You to forgive me. I now accept Your gift of eternal life. Thank You for Your love, forgiveness, and a new life in Jesus Christ. From this day forward, I choose to follow You. In Jesus’ name Amen.”