a.

gulick

Daniel 1

Key s to Liv i ng a S uc c es s ful Chris ti a n Li fe i n a P a ga n Worl d 1. BE PURE

Bible Passage: Daniel 1:1-20, 6:4-5 Bible ruth: Daniel's life was pure and God blessed i!. Lesson !b"ective: " a# s#uden#s would desire and co!!i# #o puri#$ in # eir li%es. What you need: blank s ee#s of paper, #ape, pens or pencils, a !ug, cup, or bowl wi# lef#o%er food encrus#ed on # e sides, a clean dis #owel, a c alkboard or so!e# ing #o wri#e on !#ening: Gi%e eac s#uden# a pen and a piece of paper and ask # e! #o wri#e on i# # e na!e of so!eone # e$ respec#. "ell # e! # e$ canno# wri#e down ei# er &esus or # eir paren#s and # e person s ould be so!eone w ose na!e # e res# of # e class !e!bers will recogni'e. ( en # e$ a%e finis ed collec# and s uffle # e papers, # en #ape one on # e back of eac s#uden#. )*plain # a# # e$ !us# now #r$ #o figure ou# w ose na!e is on # eir back b$ walking around and asking +ues#ions of # e o# er s#uden#s. " e answer #o # eir +ues#ions can onl$ be ,$es, or ,no., -or e*a!ple, # e$ s ould ask # e +ues#ion ,.s # is person a !ale/, ,0es, ins#ead of ,.s # is person a !ale or a fe!ale/, ( en # e$ a%e guessed # e na!e on # eir back, # e$ !a$ re!o%e # e s ee# bu# s ould con#inue elping o# ers. Gi%e # e s#uden#s a few !inu#es #o co!ple#e # is ac#i%i#$ # en ask # e! #o re#urn #o # eir sea#s. 1a%e eac person #ell # e group w ose na!e was on # eir back and w $ so!eone !ig # respec# # a# person. " en ask,

Which of these people do you think could be a good role model for young people's lives and why? Do you think it is important to have a role model? Why or why not?

In his wisdom God has given us lots of role models to learn from, sometimes showing us what to do and sometimes showing us what not to do. ne of the few people in the !ible about whom nothing negative is said, besides "esus of course, is Daniel. #e lived in a world a lot like the one we live in. It was a pagan world full of false gods where people filled their lives with power, money, corruption and se$. In fact the city where he lived, !abylon, is used throughout the !ible to represent the world and it's immorality. If Daniel could live for God in !abylon, you and I can do it in our world. %s we study his life we find several keys to his success, principles we can put into practice in our own lives to help us live a more successful &hristian life in our world. 'he first of these principles is (be pure.(

$nteractive Learning: Di%ide # e s#uden#s in#o groups of four and gi%e eac group a piece of paper and a pen. "ell # e! # e$ a%e a !inu#e #o co!e up wi# # e longes# lis# of # ings # a# are i!pure or con#a!ina#ed. 2f#er a !inu#e co!pare # e lis#s and a%e # e winning #ea! read # eirs #o # e group. What makes something impure? 3w en i# is con#ains con#a!ina#es, is no# clean4

)ook at your lists, how would these things be better or function more effectively if they were pure?

5ased on # eir responses, rei#era#e ow puri#$ !akes # ings perfor! be##er, or be !ore effec#i%e, or pleasan#. )*plain # a# #oge# er $ou will now look a# so!e specific wa$s in w ic Daniel kep# is life pure. Bible %##lication: Di%ide # e s#uden#s in#o four groups. )*plain # a# eac group will be ac#ing ou# an episode in # e life of Daniel, according #o # e following ins#ruc#ions: Group 1--Daniel 1:6-167 Group 2--Daniel 1:6-16 bu# se# in !odern #i!es wi# con#e!porar$ issues7 Group 6--Daniel 6: 1-57 Group 4--Daniel 6: 1-5 se# in !odern #i!es. 3.f $ou a%e less # an 12 s#uden#s onl$ di%ide # e! in#o #wo groups and a%e # e! do # e ,presen# da$, dra!a#i'a#ions.4 Gi%e # e s#uden#s a few !inu#es #o prepare # eir ski#s and # en a%e # e! presen# # e! before # e res# of # e class. 2f#erwards # ank # e! for # eir par#icipa#ion and ask: What commitment did Daniel make as a young man? 31:8 no# #o defile i!self wi# # e kings' food4 What did God do for Daniel and his friends? 31:15, 19 1e ga%e # e! eal# and ou#s#anding in#ellec#ual de%elop!en#4 What did all of Daniel's coworkers know about the way he lived and worked? 36:4 is life and work were
abo%e reproac . 1e was fai# ful and ones#, wi# ou# an$ error or faul#4

a. gulick

Daniel 1

We see throughout the story of Daniel that he is in very important positions in the government. What, if any, do you think is the relationship between the way Daniel lived and the responsibility and wisdom that God gave him? If Daniel had lived in an impure or corrupt way, how do you think these stories would be different?

Co&&it&ent: "ell # e s#uden#s # a# $ou wan# #o #ell # e! a s#or$ abou# a !ug 3cup or bowl.4 "r$ #o !ake # e s#or$ as personal as $ou can 3Do no# read direc#l$ off # is s ee#:4, al# oug of course # e s#uden#s will sooner or la#er reali'e i# is ;us# a s#or$. I really love this mug. Isn't it great* 3s owing # e! # e ou#side of i#.4 I +ust got it a few months ago when I
saw it on the shelf in the store and thought it was +ust perfect. It is perfect for my coffee in the morning, at lunch it keeps my soup really hot, and at night I often use it for my milk or hot chocolate. I want everyone to appreciate +ust how attractive and wonderful my mug is so I keep it in really good shape . 3 old # e !ug up

proudl$, bu# onl$ s owing # e ou#side.4

If any food ever spills on the outside I ,uickly wipe it off before it gets dry and crusty. I never worry about cleaning the inside, because of course no one ever sees that. -ometimes my hot chocolate at night tastes like tomato soup from lunch, but hey, it's my mug and I can do whatever I want with it, right? -ee, here is the special towel I use to polish the outside 3s ow # e #owel and s#ar# rubbing %igorousl$ # e ou#side of # e

!ug.4
I need to get it all polished up because today my <c oose girlfriend.boyfriend.mother.father= is coming over and I want to serve them in my favorite mug. Don/t you think he'll . she'll like that? 3gi%e # e s#uden#s a c ance #o respond, opefull$ nega#i%el$4 Why not? 3# e$ s ould sa$ so!e# ing like, ,because i# is dir#$., # en respond, offended and polis ing # e ou#side wi# $our clo# 4 Dirty? It/s not dirty, it is very clean. 32nd

# e$ s ould repl$ # a# i# is dir#$ on # e inside, w ere i# coun#s4

0ou know I'm not the first one to tell this story, would someone please read for me 1atthew 234 25627. -o as we begin to try to figure out how to follow Daniel's e$ample of purity in our lives, "esus warns us not to concentrate primarily on the outside, on what other people see but to first clean up the inside.

2sk so!eone #o read >#. 15: 16-1?.

What is the first thing that has to be pure in us? 3our ear#s4 <on # e c alkboard wri#e, ,pure ear#s,= #ow do our hearts become pure, 8salm 594:69;? 3God cleanses sin fro! our ear#s w en we repen# of our sin4

<wri#e # e answer3s4 on # e board=

If we do not go before God humbly confessing our sin and asking him to forgive us and purify our hearts, any (cleaning up( we do on the outside is like wiping the outside of the cup. %nd once we focus on cleaning up our hearts, that purity will naturally flow into the other areas of our lives4 our thoughts, our words, and our deeds <wri#e on # e board ,pure # oug #s,, pure words,, and, pure deeds,= . "esus said in "ohn 9<423 that he would come and make his home in anyone who loves him and keeps his words. <if $ou a%e #i!e con#inue wi# # e following:= )et's take a minute and see e$actly how God says we should be pure in these areas. What are our thoughts to be like based on 8hil. < 7? <wri#e answers on # e board= What about our words, =ph. 54 < and &ol. 34 769;? <wri#e answers= In Galatians > 8aul tells us ? (fruits of the spirit( and 9: (works of the flesh.( Without looking them up can anybody remember or guess any of them? <wri#e # eir answers on # e board, # en a%e so!eone

read # e passage and fill in # e !issing ones=

Do you see how these flow from the inside out? #ow if your mind has been focusing on things that are praiseworthy, and your mouth follows by giving thanks for good things in people, you will not be a source of +ealousy or dissention in the church, but will create peace.

Closing: .n closing, rei#era#e # a# # e goal of # ese s#udies is #o elp us know ow #o li%e a successful @ ris#ian life, a life # a# pleases God in our world. Ao ask # e! ow # e$ # ink li%ing a pure life, fro! # e ear# ou#, will be elpful as # e$ s#ri%e #owards # a# goal. Ge# se%eral responses fro! %arious s#uden#s. " en close in pra$er asking God #o elp # e s#uden#s seek pure ear#s before 1i!.