Making Good Choices God s Hero Daniel

Transcription

1 Making Good Choices God s Hero Daniel IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, AND HE SHALL DIRECT YOUR PATHS. (PROVERBS 3:6) 1. Monday - Overview of Daniel 1, 2 & 6 2. Tuesday - Making good choices with peer pressure 3. Wednesday - Making good choices with wisdom and prayer 4. Thursday - Making good choices with the courage of a lion 5. Friday - Learning to make good choices in my life Senior High & Junior High Class (Grades 7-12) North Florida Bible Camp 2013 High Springs, Florida Written by Kent Heaton 1 P a g e

2 MONDAY The greatest choice any man makes is to let God choose for him (Vance Havner) The story of Daniel and his three friends begins with tragedy. In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king's descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king's delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king (Daniel 1:1-5). Many young men were taken away from their homes and families to a foreign land to serve the king. In the number of these young nobles were four friends Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Their lives would never be the same but neither would the lives of all those who came to know Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. Our Bible study this week will center on the life of Daniel and three events that helped him become an example of acknowledging the work of God in his life and how he trusted in the Lord to guide the choices he would make. The wise man said, In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:6). Daniel learned early to feel the presence of the Lord in his life. This led him to seek the wisdom of God in making decisions that were important to his relationship with others and God. TUESDAY will be a class from Daniel 1 where Daniel and his friends are thrown into a new and strange world filled with pagan culture. To serve in the king s court they would have to learn a new language, learn the literature of a pagan society, eat different and exotic foods and go by different names. How could they make right choices when they were the ones who were captives? What difference would it make to anyone what they did? It was against the LAW OF MOSES to eat certain foods (Leviticus 11:47); did it matter since they were in Babylon? They were cruelly taken from Jerusalem and forced to serve a heathen king and they had plenty of blame to pass around including against God. But they did not. The choices they make in Daniel 1 will be the pivotal center of their heart later on when larger challenges face them; ones that would not have been able to be overcome if they failed in chapter one. WEDNESDAY will find the next test to the faith of these friends (Daniel 2). The king has had a dream and wants his wise men to tell him not only the meaning of the dream but the dream itself. When they are unable to tell the king the dream he begins killing the wise men. Daniel hears of the plight and begs the king to allow him time to discern the dream and its meaning. Returning home to his three friends Daniel shows the power of prayer in matters of choice. He gathers Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah ( his companions ) and they pray together seeking the counsel of God. The dream is revealed to Daniel and he then explains the dream to the king. The second part of this powerful story is the revealing of the dream and its meaning. You and I are part of the fulfillment of that dream even today. THURSDAY looks at the final story in the life of Daniel that is a favorite among young people. Daniel 6 is the powerful story of trust in God and allowing God to work in his life no matter the consequences. Because of the envy and jealousy of his fellow governors and satraps a law has been passed to establish a royal statute 2 P a g e

3 and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions (Daniel 6:7). They did this because they knew that Daniel prayed three times a day and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days (Daniel 6:10). The men found Daniel praying to God and because a decree of the king cannot be altered Daniel was thrown into a den of lions. The Lord delivered Daniel from death as an angel of God shut the lion s mouths and Daniel was delivered. It is hard to make those tough choices when peril may await our choices but we must make the RIGHT choice at the RIGHT time for the RIGHT reason. QUICK NOTES Which one of these decisions had more consequences than the other? LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE LEARN A NEW LITERATURE EAT THE KING S DELICACIES HAVE MY NAME CHANGED - Would it matter to God? - Would it matter to God? - Would it matter to God? - Would it matter to God? Why Daniel 1 is so important to the rest of Daniel: if they did not stand up for what they believed in (eating or not eating the king s delicacies) how would they be able to stand before a fiery furnace and deny the king (Daniel 3)? Or go home and pray even when it is against the law (Daniel 6)? THE CHOICES WE MAKE TODAY WILL HELP DECIDE THE CHOICES WE MAKE TOMORROW! HEY CAMPER DO YOU BELIEVE THAT WHAT YOU SEE ON TV OR MOVIES WILL HELP YOU MAKE GOOD CHOICES OR BAD CHOICES? Good choices [ ] Bad choices [ ] What is your favorite TV show:. Why? Does it help you serve Jesus Christ and fill your mind with right things? YEAH or NAY What kind of movies do you and your friends like to watch? Does it really make a difference if they use God s name in vain or have a little nudity or exalt homosexuality or dishonor parents or God? YES / NO INTERNET CHOICES: ~Do you look at things on your SMART phone like pornography? ~ Do you look at things on your COMPUTER that are bad choices? ~ Do you TEXT words that bully and gossip? Send pictures of bad choices? ~ What do you have on FACEBOOK that glorifies God? ~ Do you have pictures on FACEBOOK that do not glorify God? THOUGHT What example would Daniel and his friends give today if they had television, smart phones, computers with internet and Facebook? Do you want to be like Daniel and his friends? 1WHY SAY NO????? With so many young people saying YES to alcohol, why should you say NO? Rank the following reasons from best (1) to worst (6): To stay out of trouble Because my parents do not approve To avoid harming my body To be pleasing to God To set a good example before others To avoid becoming an alcoholic 1 David Banning, Choices 3 P a g e

4 2 WHERE DO YOU STAND? I think the dangers of drinking far outweigh any benefits from it [ ] THAT S ME [ ] THAT S NOT ME I think it s okay to drink a little, as long as you don t get drunk [ ] THAT S ME [ ] THAT S NOT ME I think drinking alcohol is not different than using drugs [ ] THAT S ME [ ] THAT S NOT ME I think my friends will look down on me if I don t drink [ ] THAT S ME [ ] THAT S NOT ME I think it s okay to try a little, just to see what it s like [ ] THAT S ME [ ] THAT S NOT ME WHAT DOES GOD THINK????? What do these passages tell you about drinking? Proverbs 20:1; 23:29-35; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Galatians 5:19-23; Ephesians 5:18 A P P L I C A T I O N Assignment for Friday: Make an acrostic with lessons you learn this week from DANIEL EXAMPLE: D for DARING TO STAND; A for D ACTING WITH COURAGE; N for NO COMPROMISE; I for INDIVIDUAL FAITH; E A for EXALTED BY GOD; L for LIONS HEART. N I E L Keep notes this week during camp where you can be like Daniel in: making better decisions praying with friends trusting in God to help you Share these thoughts in class FRIDAY H E R O T O D A Y Who is someone (man or woman) in your life that you would call a DANIEL? Share with the class today why this person reminds you of DANIEL. Three things define a HERO: - A willingness to take risks - A willingness to step out of my comfort zone - A willingness to make a difference in the world 2 Ibid In your own words describe how DANIEL is a HERO 4 P a g e

5 TUESDAY MAKING GOOD CHOICES WITH PEER PRESSURE REVIEW Let s look at some things we talked about YESTERDAY: 1. Daniel and his friends are heroes because they were willing to take a stand for their faith (Daniel 1). 2. Daniel and his friends learned the power of collective prayer when faced with death (Daniel 2). 3. Daniel shows his courage to trust in God when forbidden to pray (Daniel 6). Three things define a hero: what are they? Lesson Today Read Daniel 1 Matching: Nebuchadnezzar Azariah Jehoiakim Babylonian king Ashpenaz Belteshazzar Daniel Eunuch master Shadrach Hananiah Meshach Judean king Abed-Nego Mishael (Daniel 1:3-4) PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR SANDALS How would you feel if you were taken from home to a foreign land to serve the king? What do you say when your enemies force you to learn their language? What kind of student will you be learning their literature? What description do we have of Daniel and friends? Your name means something to God; now they want to call you by another name which means something about Babylonian gods what do you do? (see more information below) You are told you have to eat the food the king eats but it is food you should not eat as a Jew. How do you react? MORE INFORMATION: Jewish Meaning Babylonian Meaning Daniel My judge is God Belteshazzar Protect his life Hananiah Gracious is Jehovah Shadrach Command of Aku 3 Mishael Who is He that is God Meshach Who is what Aku is Azariah Jehovah hath helped Abed-Nego Servant of Nebo 4 What makes DANIEL and his FRIENDS heroes to you? 3 Babylonian Moon God 4 Babylonian God of Wisdom 5 P a g e

6 HELPING TO LEARN THE LESSON Lesson 1 Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank (Daniel 1:8) Where did courage begin with Daniel? What does it mean he purposed in his heart? Did Daniel show in the purpose of his heart that he had CONVICTION? Why? When have you had to take a stand with conviction and say, NO? APPLICATION: 1. Someone offers you a drink and says be a man or don t be miss goody-goody what do you do? 2. You are at a party and a friend tells you they have some drugs that are fun what do you do? 3. During a date, your boyfriend or girlfriend want to have a sexual encounter what do you do? 4. The gang is going to a movie that you know has bad language and sexuality what do you do? 5. At a friend s house they want to show you some pornography on the internet what do you do? 1. Do you like to be made fun of? 2. Do you want everyone to like you? 3. Is it hard to say no to your friends? 4. Is it easy to be a follower of Christ? Lesson 2 Please test your servants for ten days then let our countenances be examined before you (Daniel 1:12-13) TRUST IN GOD TO WORK HIS WORK IN YOUR LIFE! Did you see how much FAITH Daniel put in God to WORK in his own life? Wow. That took a lot of courage! Can you have the courage to NOT drink and let God WORK in your life? Can you have the courage to NOT engage in drugs and let God WORK in your life? Can you have the courage to NOT participate in sexual sin and let God WORK in your life? Can you have the courage to NOT allow your friends to influence you with pornography and let God WORK in your life? WILL YOU BE A HERO FOR GOD LIKE DANIEL, HANANIAH, MISHAEL AND AZARIAH? - A willingness to take risks - A willingness to step out of your comfort zone - A willingness to make a difference in the world In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:6) LESSON FOR TOMORROW: On Wednesday we will study Daniel 2 where the king has had a dream and demands his wise men to interpret the dream. The twist in the story is that first the wise men must tell the king what his dream was about. The king begins to kill them because they cannot tell the dream. Daniel in steps in and asks for time to ask God for help. He returns to his three friends and after spending time together in prayer, God reveals the dream and its meaning. Another story of faith, courage, prayer and a marvelous image that is being lived out even today! Now THAT IS exciting!!! 6 P a g e

7 WEDNESDAY MAKING GOOD CHOICES WITH WISDOM AND PRAYER REVIEW Let s look at some things we talked about YESTERDAY 1. Daniel and his friends had some tough choices to make in a foreign land. 2. Daniel purposed in his heart (conviction) to please God in everything. 3. Daniel and his friends allowed God to WORK in their lives to His GLORY! THE KING S DREAM Read Daniel 2:1-13 A Fun Exercise: Have a camper in class tell a dream he/she had then ask the other campers to interpret the dream. Can you do it? Is dream telling more just a great imagination story? NOW TRY THIS tell the dream the person sitting next to you had last night can you do it? NO. Why not? What did Nebuchadnezzar start doing to all his wise men? (Do you think that all along the king knew these men really did not know the meaning of his dream or any dream he would tell them?) Read Daniel 2:14-23 FAITH FACT What made Daniel THINK he could tell the dream of the king? FAITH FACT Who did David ask to HELP him petition God for an answer? FAITH FACT What is the POWER of prayer in this story? Read Daniel 2:24-30 WOW WHAT A MOMENT: Who did Daniel give CREDIT to for telling him the dream? WOW WHAT A MOMENT: It would have been easy for Daniel to let the king THINK he had the power. Why did Daniel not do that? Read Daniel 2:32-45 HEAD = Babylon BREAST & ARMS = Medo-Persia BELLY & THIGHS = Greece LEGS & FEET = Rome THE KINGDOM OF MEN And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. (Daniel 2:44) THE KINGDOM OF GOD THE CHURCH OF CHRIST Two things to learn from this lesson: 1. Daniel knew that WISDOM comes from God and wisdom is given by God through prayer. 2. Daniel is part of the prophecy of what we have today: the body of Christ, the church! YOU!!!!! 7 P a g e

8 HELPING TO LEARN THE LESSON Lesson 1 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions (Daniel 2:17). Faced with death, Daniel TRUSTED in God to answer his prayer. Did you notice how Daniel asked his FRIENDS to pray with him? The wise man said, Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). Write down the names of three friends that you could go to and ask to pray with: ARE YOU LIVING IN SUCH A WAY THAT SOMEONE IS WRITING DOWN YOUR NAME? 1. How often do you pray each week (besides thanking God for food)? 2. Do you pray with your friends about life choices and decisions? 3. Do you have a relationship with your boyfriend/girlfriend based on prayer? 4. Is prayer going to help you in your life? Lesson 2 - "You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome (Daniel 2:31). a) Who is the head of gold? (2:38) b) Who conquered the Babylonian empire? (2:39; 8:20) c) Who conquered the Medo-Persian empire? (2:39; 8:21) d) Who conquered the Greeks? (2:40-43) e) When was the CHURCH established under what empire? (John 11:48) WHERE ARE THE FOLLOWING EMPIRES TODAY? WHICH KINGDOM STILL REMAINS? Babylonian MedoPersian Greek Roman Hebrews 12:28 Who is in CHARGE of nations? Psalm 22:28 Psalm 86:9 Jeremiah 10:10 Psalm 33:10 Isaiah 34:2 Revelation 15:4 What does this tell you about the United States of America? LESSON FOR TOMORROW: On Thursday the faith of Daniel is challenged when his enemies make it ILLEGAL to pray imagine that. They were jealous of Daniel and wanted to have him killed. Through deceit they convinced the king to pass a law that could not be retracted. As he had done since a little boy, Daniel went to his room and prayed. They brought him before the king and with no choice the king had Daniel thrown into a den of lions. God s grace delivered Daniel from certain death. This final lesson in our study will again show how important prayer is to our lives, how important it is to DARE to be a DANIEL and how God takes care of His people who TRUST in Him. MAKING GOOD CHOICES WITH THE COURAGE OF A LION. 8 P a g e

9 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:6) THURSDAY MAKING GOOD CHOICES WITH THE COURAGE OF A LION REVIEW Let s look at some things we talked about YESTERDAY 1. Daniel believed in the POWER of God through PRAYER to deliver him and his friends. 2. Daniel showed the POWER of prayer with OTHERS his companions. 3. Daniel revealed a prophetic dream describing the coming of the kingdom of God the church. Arthur Koestler said, Courage is never to let your actions be influenced by your fears. Daniel will be faced with a great challenge in our story today. Because of jealousy and envy he is being persecuted as a devout man. His enemies cannot find anything to bring charge against his character so they attack his faith. Through deceit they have the king pass a law forbidding anyone from praying to any god or man except the king. It was now AGAINST the LAW to pray to GOD! But Daniel did what he had done since an early age he prayed. Read Daniel 6:1-9 THE PLOT a) What kind of politician was Daniel? (vv1-3) b) What charges could they bring against Daniel? (v4) c) What law did they use against Daniel? (v5) d) How did they THINK they trapped Daniel (vv6-9) Read Daniel 6:10-17 THE PLAN a) Did Daniel KNOW it was against the law to pray to God? (v10) b) Why did Daniel not shut his windows? c) What did king Darius tell Daniel in verse 16? Read Daniel 6:18-28 THE PRAYER a) Who could not sleep all night? (v18) b) How did God deliver Daniel? (vv19-22) c) Who came out of the den and who went in? (vv23-24) Three things to look at today: ONE Daniel lived such a life his enemies could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful (v4) TWO Daniel had the courage to go against the law of the land to serve God (v10) THREE Daniel (like his friends in Daniel 3) believed God would deliver him (v16) SHOULD CHRISTIANS LIVE IN SUCH A WAY THAT NO CHARGE CAN BE BROUGHT AGAINST THEM? What about road rage? What about egging the next door neighbor s house? What about speeding tickets? What about stealing some watermelons? What about cheating on tests? What about breaking the rules? What did people say about Timothy? He was of by the (Acts 16:2) Paul told Timothy to be an example how? Let no one your, but be an to the in, in, in, in, in, in (1 Timothy 4:12) DARE TO BE A DANIEL STAND UP FOR JESUS CHRIST 9 P a g e

10 GO AGAINST THE LAW OF THE LAND???? Wow that took a lot of COURAGE!!!! How many laws of the land are we supposed to obey? When do we have a right to disobey a law of the land? (See Acts 5:27-29) Does that mean we can disobey a law only because we do not like it? Do you pray in school? Do you pray in public? If it is against the law to oppose homosexuality, what would you do? If it is against the law to gather for worship, what would you do? If it is against the law to mention God in speech, what would you do? If it is against the law to have a Bible, what would you do? IF YOU WERE ARRESTED FOR BEING A CHRISTIAN WOULD THERE BE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO CONVICT YOU? BEING EATEN BY A LION IS A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE NOT FUN! Describe what happened to the men who accused Daniel (notice their children and wives were included) Daniel 6:24. This is what would have happened to Daniel. Knowing that if you prayed you would be thrown to the lions, why would you PRAY? Are you scared to let people know that you are a Christian some times? (It is okay to say yes because a lot of times it is scary)!!!!! WHAT IF: Your boyfriend/girlfriend will leave you if you don t have sex with them? WHAT DO YOU DO????? Your friends will laugh at you if you don t go see a certain movie? WHAT DO YOU DO????? People at school laugh at you because you wear modest clothes? WHAT DO YOU DO????? The school says that prayer is not allowed? WHAT DO YOU DO????? HELPING TO LEARN THE LESSON Dare to be a BLAMELESS Daniel Lesson 1 Learn to live in such a way that people will not be able to find anything to blame you for. Daniel told the king later, I was found innocent before Him, and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you (Daniel 6:22). There will be times that you will be blamed for serving Jesus but let it be for the cause of Christ (1 Peter 4:16)! Dare to be a TRUSTING Daniel Lesson 2 Daniel knew his duty to God was more important than the laws of men. His prayer life did not change because the law of man changed. If he was to suffer for praying then he was willing to suffer. Stand up for Jesus in your life at school, with your friends and in your home. Honor God by honoring your parents, those in authority and the church of our Lord. God s way works trust in Him for your life! Dare to have a HEART like Daniel Lesson 3 Daniel had a heart like a lion; one of Courage. Build your heart up with faith and prayer and be courageous to enter the den of lions with a heart of lion. God will deliver you! Stand up, stand up for Jesus! Ye soldiers of the cross; Lift high His royal banner, It must not suffer loss. From victory unto victory His army shall He lead Till every foe is vanquished And Christ is Lord indeed. Stand up, stand up for Jesus! Stand in His strength alone; The arm of flesh will fail you; Ye dare not trust your own; Put on the gospel armor, Each piece put on with prayer; Where duty calls, or danger, Be never wanting there. 10 P a g e

11 FRIDAY LEARNING TO MAKE GOOD CHOICES IN MY LIFE REVIEW Let s look at some things we talked about THIS WEEK 1. Monday we talked about making the right choices. 2. Tuesday we talked about the challenges Daniel and his friends faced in eating the king s food. 3. Wednesday we talked about the power of prayer with friends as Daniel sought the dream and its meaning; we also looked at the image God gave to Nebuchadnezzar and how it is fulfilled today. 4. Thursday we talked about the courage of Daniel to disobey the law of the land that forbade him from praying. How did you do on the ACROSTIC of DANIEL? D = A = N = I = E = L = NOW FOR SOME MORE FUN Make an acrostic of your NAME using lessons you have learned from Daniel Making good choices - Discuss in class the following stories making application to what we have learned about Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Tough Choices 5 1. Phil invited Steve and several other friends to come over to his house after school. His parents were not at home. Phil suggested they watch some movies. He said his dad had some great ones as he put in the dvd in the player. Right away Steve could tell the movie must be R rated. There were scenes of nudity right at the beginning and the language was terrible. The other guys thought it was great; they were laughing. Steve was not sure what to do. He knew he should not be watching this movie, but what could he do? 2. Kay was really excited about Jill s party. Jill was one of her best friends; and, she had invited all of their friends from school. They were having a great time. But, about an hour after the party started, some older guys arrived and brought some wine coolers. Jill was glad they came because she liked one of them. Since Jill s parents were not home, there was no one to stop them drinking, but several 5 Choices by David Banning 11 P a g e

12 of the other kids did join in, including Jill. Kay was not sure what to do. She knew her parents would never approve of her being at a party where people were drinking. 3. For Kelly s parents, it was the last straw. They d been having trouble with her ever since she started going out with Michael. She had been late for curfew three times in the last month. Once they caught both of them in a lie about where they had been. But, on this particular evening, they had come home early and found them making out on the couch (Kelly was not supposed to have guys over when her parents were gone). They d had enough. They told Kelly that she could not go out with Michael any more. Kelly was furious. She loved Michael and did not want to stop seeing him. But, what could she do? 4. Derrick knew he was in serious trouble this time. He and Chris had been caught cheating on a test and the principal was talking about suspending them. Derrick had found himself in a lot of trouble since he started hanging out with Chris. Chris was sort of a rebel and everyone at school liked that. Derrick had become more popular since they became friends. But, he was always getting in trouble, cutting up in class, flooding the toilet in the bathroom. Derrick liked being more popular, but it seemed like his friendship with Christ was buying him a lot of trouble too. What should he do? 5. Ann was a freshman at Lakeside High trying to adjust to life in high school. She wasn t very popular and had only a few friends. But, she had caught the attention of Jordan. Jordan was a junior, a standout on the football team, and one of the best looking guys in school. He had been hinting to Ann s friends that he was interested in her. Two weeks before Homecoming, Jordan called and invited Ann to the dance. Ann was thrilled that he was interested. The only problem was that Ann was a Christian and had never gone to dances before. She wasn t really sure it would be right to go with him. What should she do? 6. Evan was riding to school with a couple of his friends. They were listening to a new CD by their favorite group, the Rotting Potato Peels. Evan like the first couple of songs. But, after that the music started to get a bit raunchy. One of the songs was sexually graphic and crude. Then, the chorus of the next song was saying something about Jesus Christ the big lie. He could tell it was a song downing Christianity. Evan was a Christian and the song really bothered him. But, it wasn t his car or his CD. What could he do? 7. On Monday morning a couple of Ryan s friends told him about spray painting some of the walls of the school over the weekend. Someone overheard part of the conversation and told the principal that Ryan knew something about it. During his second period class, Ryan got a note to report to the principal s office. He wanted to know what Ryan knew about the vandalism that occurred over the weekend. Ryan was not sure what he should say. 8. Dan and Kay have been going out for six months. They are in love and think that one day they will get married. Recently their dates always seem to be ending with a lot of intense necking. Dan has been pressuring her to let him touch her in intimate places. Kay believes that is wrong and always says, No. But she s finding it harder to resist the temptation to do more. She s really worried that this is all leading to sex. But she loves Dan and does not want the relationship to end. What should she do? 9. Darryl is really wrestling with his decision to become a Christian. He s 15 years old; most of his friends have already become Christians, and people have been telling him it s time for him to take that step. The problem is, Darryl is not sure he s ready. He knows the facts; he s just not sure he s ready to make the commitment. He knows he will have to make some changes in his life, big changes. He will have to give up some things and start serving the Lord with his life. He s not sure he s ready to do that. But, he is also fearful of the consequences of not obeying the Lord. What should he do? 12 P a g e