On January 7, 2000, David Ray Duren, age 37, was executed in Alabama’s electric chair. On October 20, 1983, Duren, with a friend, approached a car to use in a robbery. They overpowered a young couple and put them into the trunk. After the robbery attempt, for fear they would be identified, they killed the young girl and left the young man for dead. You may be asking yourself, “What does this have to do with our lesson from God’s word?” As a young man, David Ray Duren attended a congregation of the Lord’s church in Huffman, AL.
On September 14, 1984, David Duren was convicted and sentenced to death. During this time, there were those who studied with him and he was baptized into Christ. As a Christian, Duren focused his attention on trying to help others to avoid the same tragic mistakes that he made, and wrote a letter entitled, “An Attitude Adjustment” to help others, in his words “avoid making the same poor choices…” Our lesson is not to focus on David Duren. It is to look at an example of how God’s word warns us about the snares of the devil; and how one young man’s refusal to listen put him on death row.
LESSONS FROM DEATH ROW! MAKING DECISIONS
“I have spent the last sixteen years waiting for the sentence to be carried out. So, as you can imagine. I’ve had a lot of time to look back at my life and see where I went wrong. I can honestly say, that it all began at the age of thirteen, when I stopped attending church. I know that’s what you would expect me to say but it is absolutely true. It was about this time, that I started smoking. This marked a change in my life – not so much the cigarettes themselves, but the attitude which led to the decision to smoke knowing it was wrong.“
Proverbs 1:7-9 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; 9 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck.
Proverbs 1:7-9 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; 9 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck.
Proverbs 1:7-9 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; 9 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck.
Proverbs 1:7-9 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; 9 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck.
LOOKING FOR ACCEPTANCE LESSONS FROM DEATH ROW! MAKING DECISIONS LOOKING FOR ACCEPTANCE
“..I was looking for a place to fit in – a group or someone who would accept me as I was. But it occurred to me that if I wanted to “fit in” I would have to act like the group I wanted to fit into… Strangely enough, I chose the group that picked on and made fun of me. Whatever they did, I did, being too afraid to say “no” for fear of what they would think of me. So, by age fourteen, I had drank my first drink, smoked my first joint, and popped my first pill. I was ignoring God’s warning… This was the kind of people I surrounded myself with, and the kind of person I became. By age seventeen I was deep into drugs and alcohol, and though still living with my parents, I made my own rules; staying out all hours of the night, sometimes not coming home at all, failing in school – I just didn’t care.”
Proverbs 1:10-19 - My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent Proverbs 1:10-19 - My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. 11 If they say, "Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; 12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, And whole, like those who go down to the Pit; 13 We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our houses with spoil; 14 Cast in your lot among us, Let us all have one purse" - 15 My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path; 16 For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood. 17 Surely, in vain the net is spread In the sight of any bird; 18 But they lie in wait for their own blood, They lurk secretly for their own lives. 19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners.
Proverbs 1:10-19 - My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent Proverbs 1:10-19 - My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. 11 If they say, "Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; 12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, And whole, like those who go down to the Pit; 13 We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our houses with spoil; 14 Cast in your lot among us, Let us all have one purse" - 15 My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path; 16 For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood. 17 Surely, in vain the net is spread In the sight of any bird; 18 But they lie in wait for their own blood, They lurk secretly for their own lives. 19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners.
Proverbs 1:10-19 - My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent Proverbs 1:10-19 - My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. 11 If they say, "Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; 12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, And whole, like those who go down to the Pit; 13 We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our houses with spoil; 14 Cast in your lot among us, Let us all have one purse" - 15 My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path; 16 For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood. 17 Surely, in vain the net is spread In the sight of any bird; 18 But they lie in wait for their own blood, They lurk secretly for their own lives. 19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners.
Proverbs 1:10-19 - My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent Proverbs 1:10-19 - My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. 11 If they say, "Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; 12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, And whole, like those who go down to the Pit; 13 We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our houses with spoil; 14 Cast in your lot among us, Let us all have one purse" - 15 My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path; 16 For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood. 17 Surely, in vain the net is spread In the sight of any bird; 18 But they lie in wait for their own blood, They lurk secretly for their own lives. 19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners.
Proverbs 1:10-19 - My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent Proverbs 1:10-19 - My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. 11 If they say, "Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; 12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, And whole, like those who go down to the Pit; 13 We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our houses with spoil; 14 Cast in your lot among us, Let us all have one purse" - 15 My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path; 16 For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood. 17 Surely, in vain the net is spread In the sight of any bird; 18 But they lie in wait for their own blood, They lurk secretly for their own lives. 19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners.
LOOKING FOR ACCEPTANCE LESSONS FROM DEATH ROW! MAKING DECISIONS LOOKING FOR ACCEPTANCE PAYING THE PRICE
“I listened and watched as my family and friends were stripped of pride and dignity as they were forced by my actions to beg judge and jury to spare my life. At one point, as my dad testified, he made the statement, “We encouraged him to join the army, thinking it would make a man of him.” To which the prosecutor asked, “And did it?” And I watched my dad, with head already bowed in shame, bow even lower as he was forced to respond with the truth, “No.” I had never taken responsibility for myself and my actions. And because of it, my actions, my irresponsibility and the consequences thereof impacted and destroyed not just my life, but far more importantly, the lives of countless innocent people, many of whom I did not even know.”
Proverbs 1:20-32 - Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares. 21 She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words: 22 "How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge. 23 Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. 24 Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, 25 Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, 27 When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. 28 "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. 29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD,
Proverbs 1:20-32 - Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares. 21 She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words: 22 "How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge. 23 Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. 24 Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, 25 Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, 27 When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. 28 "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. 29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD,
30 They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke 30 They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke. 31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies. 32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
LOOKING FOR ACCEPTANCE LESSONS FROM DEATH ROW! MAKING DECISIONS LOOKING FOR ACCEPTANCE PAYING THE PRICE APPLICATION
“I'm not writing this just to have something to do “I'm not writing this just to have something to do! I could be doing something else more pleasant. Do you think it's "fun" for me to sit here and tell you that I murdered a 16-year-old girl because I was so strung out on drugs and booze that I didn't know how to act like a responsible citizen? Do you think that's fun for me? No, it's humiliating, embarrassing, and generally downright painful to have to relate to someone. Please, Learn from my Mistake! So, I'm not doing this for me -- I'm doing this for you because I care! I don't want to see others ruin their lives and the lives of innocent people as I have. I've traveled that road you or someone you know may be on right now. That road is dark. That road is a dead-end street. I have reached its end. Its end is ugly. Its end is pain. Its end is lonely. Its end is death.”
Proverbs 1:33 - But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.
LESSONS FROM DEATH ROW! CONCLUSION
“I am in the most awfully realistic, life-threatening situation, and my only hope is the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ. While on death row, I ask for your prayers. Praise God, I have since been baptized into Christ for the remission of my sins (Galatians 3:26-27), based on my faith in Him (Mark16:16), repentance of my past sins (Acts 2:38) and confession that He is the Son of God (Matthew 16:16-17; Romans 10:9- 10). May the love and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ keep you.” In Christian love, David Duren
What will it take for you? LESSONS FROM DEATH ROW! It took death row to open the eyes of David Duren. Proverbs 1:20-23 - Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares. 21 She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words: 22 "How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge. 23 Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. What will it take for you? OBEY THE GOSPEL!