May 11, 2025

                                                        “Three Decisions in Life”

May 11, 2025                                                                                           Dr. Don Bazal

  I.   DECISION ABOUT YOUR IDENTITY - Judges 11:1-8

           2 TRUTHS:

           1. Choose your friends carefully for they will choose your future

           2. Choose your purpose:  your way or God’s way

  II. DECISION ABOUT YOUR THEOLOGY - 2 Chronicles 34:1-2

       2 Chronicles 34:1-2– Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he 

      reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. ² He did right in the sight of the Lord, 

      and walked in the ways of his father David and did not turn aside to the right 

      or to the left.

     TRUTH:   Your authority will be your theology.

III. DECISION ABOUT YOUR CONFORMITY – Daniel 1:1-8

 Daniel 1:1-8 - In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. ² The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god. ³ Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles, ⁴ youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king’s court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. ⁵ The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service. ⁶ Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. ⁷ Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego. ⁸ But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.

      TRUTH:   When you are settled in your identity and theology, conformity is 

      not a possibility.  Note verse 9.

       TRUTH: Your choice is not ever your choice alone.  Your choice affects others. 

THREE PRINCIPLES TO REMEMBER:

  Culture doesn’t want to kill you, but to conform you.  

1.  The world wants your best.
2.  Decisions demand you stand alone.

The secret to being a disciple is to be a disciple in secret.