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Integrity Part IILast week we looked at Daniel’s example of integrity,at how he stood up for what God commanded, evenwhen there was no one around to see what he wasdoing. Today, we’re going to see another example of integrity – how Daniel’s friends publicly stood up forwhat they believed.Read Daniel 3:10-15Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, andAbednego go against the king’s direct orders to bowdown and worship the idol. This isn’t an easy orderto disobey – EVERYONE has to bow down when thesignal goes out. Imagine you’re mingling witheveryone at school in the auditorium, and all of asudden an alarm sounds, and everyone drops to theground – except you. You’d stick out like a sorethumb, wouldn’t you? Last week’s challenge tointegrity was what you would do when no one iswatching – this week, the challenge is what youwould do when EVERYONE is watching.Imagine this – you’re with a group of your friends,and they’re making fun of someone who’s not there.Perhaps the poking fun is accurate – the person ismaybe socially awkward, or maybe doesn’t like to dothe things you guys like to do. Maybe he or shedresses funny. Or talks funny. Or even smells funny.Anyhow, your friends are having a blast making funof this person. And hopefully deep down in your gut,you know this isn’t right. But what do you do?
 
Everyone’s bowed down – do you stand up, andstand out? Or do you “bow down” and follow along?Or here’s another example – maybe not relevant toyou guys yet, but a handful of you will be going tocollege next year, and you might face this dilemmasooner than you think. It’s the second week of school, and you’ve met some cool friends, and theywant to check out some parties at the frats. And justso you don’t use the excuse that you didn’t knowwhat goes on at these parties – there will be drinking. There might even be drugs. There will probably bequite a bit of public displays of affection – and maybeeven public displays of procreation.Unfortunately for you, your newfound friends are allvery comfortable with underage drinking, and they’reurging you to drink with them. It’s a lot of pressure,right? You’ve just made these friends, and theyseem pretty cool, and you don’t want to be Mr. PartyPooper, and you don’t want to be cast out from theirmidst, into a fiery social furnace. Do you bow down?Let’s see what Daniel’s friends did. Read Daniel3:16-18 They stood up. They not only stood up, they stoodup with conviction. Their reply to the king – “wehave no need to answer you in this matter.” Theybelieved, to the point of death, that God will deliverthem from whatever the king will throw at them. Think about it for a minute – these men faced certaindeath, yet they were not afraid. They knew Godwould deliver them. What about the situations you
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