How to Stop Making Excuses A Study of Daniel

Temptation to Indulge in Sin  Daniel 1:1-16  Huge changes for these young men  Many potential excuses  New place and new king  God has abandoned us in this foreign land  Need to avoid death or disgrace so we can have an impact

Temptation to Become Arrogant With Success  Daniel 2:24-30  A time of great crisis that some wanted to take advantage of for personal gain  Possible excuses  God has revealed this to me for a reason  Take any opportunity for advancement  Need to come up with something to save my life

Temptation to Give in to Persecution  Daniel 3:9-18  Nebuchadnezzar had built a golden statue for the people to worship  Some excuses  All we have to do is bow (it’s not real)  Must preserve our lives because of our positions  Temporary situation, so God will understand

Temptation to Hide His Faith  Daniel 6:1-28  A devious plot forces Daniel to choose between serving God and obeying the king  Excuses to try to make both work  Shut the windows  Wait 30 days  Leave town for a month

How Do We Stop Making Excuses?  “Purposed in their hearts”  Make our decisions ahead of time  Growth requires a single focus  When we are ruled by God and His word, we won’t make excuses