We have a special treat for you today. You won’t have to hear me preach—congratulations! Instead, we have a guest speaker, Jen Krauss, from Buffalo, who will share her powerful testimony with us. Jen has written a book called Proof God Hears Your Prayers, available on Amazon, and she also hosts a podcast called Godspeed Wyoming. I believe you will be blessed by her testimony today. Please welcome Jen Krauss!

Introduction

Thank you all for allowing me to be here today. I’m from Buffalo, where I attend Summit Wesleyan Church. Our pastor, Pastor William Dunlap, started his faith journey here and had such wonderful things to say about you all. I’m thrilled to be here to talk about two of my favorite things: God and leadership. Today, I want to share my testimony and my journey through leadership—something I never imagined for myself.

Early Beginnings

My leadership journey started when I was five years old, on my first day of kindergarten. I was always a social butterfly, eager to meet new kids. As I got off the bus, I smelled something amazing—blueberry muffins. I had never had one before, so I followed the scent to the cafeteria, only to be told I didn’t qualify for breakfast because I had a pink ticket. Two boys mocked me, calling me the “poor girl.” I was devastated and went behind the school to cry and pray, asking God why this was happening to me. Despite the hurt, I prayed that one day I would have as many blueberry muffins as I wanted. This early experience shaped my resilience and determination.

A Life-Altering Accident

At 16, my life changed forever due to a severe car accident. I lost control of my car, wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, and was ejected during the crash. I was found in a field and flown to a trauma hospital where I fought for my life. I had broken my back, neck, and ribs, puncturing my lungs. Doctors told my parents to stop life support, but I was conscious and prayed desperately for God to save my life. Miraculously, my lungs healed, and I began to breathe on my own. The doctors were amazed, calling it a miracle.

However, I soon learned I was paralyzed from the chest down. The news was devastating. I couldn’t imagine life in a wheelchair and fell into a deep depression. I questioned why God saved my life but didn’t heal all of me. A compassionate nurse named Jennifer helped me see hope and encouraged me to pursue college, despite my circumstances.

Education and Early Career

With Jennifer’s encouragement, I graduated high school and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in social work. I became a medical social worker at St. Mary Corwin Hospital, helping others with disabilities. On my first day of work, I smelled blueberry muffins again, bringing back memories and reinforcing my faith in God’s plan. It was a sign that God had heard my prayers from childhood and had a purpose for me.

Leadership Roles and Personal Growth

God began opening leadership doors for me. By 27, I was a director at St. Mary Corwin, and by 30, I became a CEO of a rehabilitation company. Despite my initial doubts, I embraced these roles, trusting in God’s guidance. I met my husband, Dustin, and we had a son, Waylon, despite the high risks associated with my spinal cord injury. Waylon is a testament to God’s blessings in our lives.

After Waylon’s birth, I transitioned to a new role at Sheridan College, eventually becoming the executive director of the Sheridan College Foundation and vice president of students. Throughout my career, I relied on Christlike leadership principles—grace, respect, love, and engaged listening. These principles have been crucial in my success.

Navigating Challenges and Burnout

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many challenges, including burnout. I was overwhelmed, juggling multiple roles and responsibilities. Pastor William introduced me to the concept of eliminating hurry through the book The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer. This book resonated deeply with me, emphasizing simplicity and solitude.

I implemented a daily practice of silence and solitude, spending ten minutes each morning in prayer, reflection, and journaling. This practice has been transformative, helping me maintain balance and focus in my leadership roles.

Conclusion

As I wrap up, I want to share my declaration, which I recite during my morning pregame:

“I will walk slowly enough to experience God’s goodness fully, and I will love people deeply. Help me, God, to be present.”

This declaration sets the tone for my day, reminding me to prioritize God’s presence and love in all my interactions. I encourage you all to find your own moments of silence and solitude, allowing God to guide and refresh you.

Thank you for allowing me to share my journey with you today. May God bless you all abundantly.

Scripture References:

1. Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
2. Jeremiah 29:11 – “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'”
3. Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
4. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 – “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
5. Romans 8:28 – “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

These scriptures reflect the themes of resilience, God’s plans, strength in adversity, and finding purpose in challenging circumstances.

Did you like Lead Like Christ – Week 1 – The Light of the Leader? If so, check out more of our Sunday teachings here.

Generous IRL – Week 3

Leadership will change you.

It’s kinda like how you learn more by teaching. Why? Because leadership changes you. Leaders have to go out on a limb. They take risks, and those risks either have good or bad consequences.

Leadership requires sacrifice.

Over the years we’ve developed a distinct culture at New Life and we sat down to identify the things that make us distinct. We came up with an acronym:

We are the B.R.I.D.E.

The acronym is fitting because the Church is the bride of Christ. There are a lot of passages that call the church the bride of Christ, but one of them is

Ephesians 5:22-26

²² For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. ²³ For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. ²⁴ As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.

²⁵ For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her ²⁶ to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.

We are:

• Becomers: We take responsibility for our individual progress toward becoming the people God created us to be.
  • We don’t just come; we become. We come as we are, SO THAT we can become someone we’re not. The great news of our faith is that we’re not stuck the way we are. God changes us.
• Real: We practice authentic relationships with authenticity and joy.
  • We don’t wait until our life is perfect before we start leading. God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. So when we’re tempted to hide our past & hide our pain, we let God use them to heal other people.
• Intentionally Sacrificial: The generosity of our time, talents, and treasure reveals the maturity of our faith.
  • We say intentionally because we think effective generosity requires a plan. We have a plan to live generously. Generosity is the evidence that proves our love. If our primary commandment is to love, then that requires us to live sacrificially.
• Demonstrating Grace: Because we have received grace, we give grace and invite people to come as they are.
  • Jesus surrounded Himself with people who knew that were sinners because He wanted His followers to be people of grace. If we are His bride, then we are gracious because He is gracious.
• Engaging the Next Generation: Because God’s Kingdom will continue to reach the next generations, our style is intentionally current, and we focus on discipling young people.
  • We love our kids, & we are not ok with the idea of them turning their backs on God. We will do everything we can to lead them to a lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ.

How Do we develop our Culture:

1. Define it.
2. Embody it.
3. Defend it.

Did you like this message, Generous IRL – Week 3? Check out more of our Sunday teachings here.

In this teaching, we hear from Pastor Mike as he talks about growth in desserts. Growth is possible in the desert because before the rain comes seeds were already planted. What’s the desert in your life right now? Maybe you’re in debt, your marriage is falling apart, you’re addicted to porn, you hate your job, you feel lonely, and you’re overwhelmed. There are good seeds in there so water them.

We can sit around and complain that we are not getting enough rain to grow the seeds, OR we can water the ground.

Acts Week 8 Teaching Text

Acts 20:22-28

²² “And now I am bound by the Spirit^[a] to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, ²³ except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. ²⁴ But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

²⁵ “And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again. ²⁶ I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not my fault,^[b] 27 for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know.

²⁸ “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood^[c]—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders.^[d]

Did you like this message, Acts Week 8? Check out more of our Sunday teachings here.

In this teaching, we hear from Pastor Mike as he talks about resolving conflict. The ability to resolve conflicts is evidence that someone is a child of God and the good news is, we actually have an incredibly helpful outline in Scripture about how to handle conflict. Watch or listen and learn how Jesus teaches us to resolve conflict.

Acts Week 7 Teaching Text

Acts 15:4-10 and 19

⁴ When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.

⁵ Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”

⁶ The apostles and elders met to consider this question. ⁷ After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. ⁸ God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. ⁹ He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?

¹⁹ “…It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.

Did you like this message, Acts Week 7? Check out more of our Sunday teachings here.

In this teaching, we hear from Pastor Mike as he talks about getting guidance from the Holy Spirit. Christians, let’s get really serious real fast. How much confidence does being filled with the Holy Spirit give you?

Acts Week 6 Teaching Text

Acts 13:4-12

Paul’s First Missionary Journey

⁴ So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus. ⁵ There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. John Mark went with them as their assistant.

⁶ Afterward they traveled from town to town across the entire island until finally they reached Paphos, where they met a Jewish sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar-Jesus. ⁷ He had attached himself to the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor invited Barnabas and Saul to visit him, for he wanted to hear the word of God. ⁸ But Elymas, the sorcerer (as his name means in Greek), interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Barnabas and Saul said. He was trying to keep the governor from believing.

⁹ Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye. ¹⁰ Then he said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord? ¹¹ Watch now, for the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind. You will not see the sunlight for some time.” Instantly mist and darkness came over the man’s eyes, and he began groping around begging for someone to take his hand and lead him.

¹² When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.

Did you like this message, Acts Week 6? Check out more of our Sunday teachings here.

In this teaching, we hear from Pastor Mike as he talks about having crucial conversations and how to give grace and speak truth.

We can’t just know the truth. We have to take action, to share the truth. So many of us are tempted to run to our comfort zones, away from important conversations. We get scared, and avoid the conversation. Patterson says in the book Crucial Conversations:

“The mistake most of us make in our crucial conversations is we believe that we have to choose between telling the truth and keeping a friend.”

Kerry Patterson, Crucial Conversations

That’s why many of us don’t share our faith. We don’t want to lose a friend. But shouldn’t we be more worried about their eternity? This is good news! You don’t have to have all the answers you just need to have grace and speak truth.

Acts Week 5 Teaching Text

Acts 8:29-35

²⁹ The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”

³⁰ Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

³¹ The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.

³² The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter.
    And as a lamb is silent before the shearers,
    he did not open his mouth.
³³ He was humiliated and received no justice.
    Who can speak of his descendants?
    For his life was taken from the earth.”^[a]

³⁴ The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” ³⁵ So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.

Did you like this message, Acts Week 5? Check out more of our Sunday teachings here.

In this teaching, we hear from Pastor Mike as he talks about Stephen who became the first Christian martyr and how when you are under attack how can you remain faithful to God. How do we make it through leadership storms? When you choose the be a leader you’re signing up for trouble. Why? Because there are people in this world who love to punch up. No expert is smart enough. No boss or pastor can be good enough. That’s why good followers make good leaders.

Jesus tells us to submit to our leaders, even bad leaders. We choose grace over fairness. We choose to give respect even when it’s not earned. That may sound like we’re weaker, but it makes us stronger.

Acts Week 4 Teaching Text

Acts 7:54-60

⁵⁴ The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage.^[a] 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. ⁵⁶ And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”

⁵⁷ Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him ⁵⁸ and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.^[b]

⁵⁹ As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰ He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

Did you like this message, Acts Week 4? Check out more of our Sunday teachings here.

In this teaching, we hear from Pastor Mike as he talks about entrepreneurship.

Acts Week 3 Teaching Text

Acts 6:1-7

Seven Men Chosen to Serve

6 But as the believers^[a] rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.

² So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. ³ And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. ⁴ Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.”

⁵ Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith). ⁶ These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.

⁷ So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.

Did you like this message, Acts Week 3? Check out more of our Sunday teachings here.

In this teaching, we hear from Pastor Mike as he kicks off our new teaching series called Acts.

Acts Week 1 Teaching Text

Acts 1:6-11

The Ascension of Jesus

⁶ So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”

⁷ He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

⁹ After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. ¹⁰ As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. ¹¹ “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”

Did you like this message, Acts Week 1? Check out more of our Sunday teachings here.

In this teaching, Pastor Mike talks about Daniel Chapter 2 and how we can and should reach the next generation.

Teaching Text

Daniel 2:1-48

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

2 One night during the second year of his reign,^[a] Nebuchadnezzar had such disturbing dreams that he couldn’t sleep. ² He called in his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers,^[b] and he demanded that they tell him what he had dreamed. As they stood before the king, ³ he said, “I have had a dream that deeply troubles me, and I must know what it means.”

⁴ Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic,^[c] “Long live the king! Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means.”

⁵ But the king said to the astrologers, “I am serious about this. If you don’t tell me what my dream was and what it means, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be turned into heaps of rubble! ⁶ But if you tell me what I dreamed and what the dream means, I will give you many wonderful gifts and honors. Just tell me the dream and what it means!”

⁷ They said again, “Please, Your Majesty. Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means.”

⁸ The king replied, “I know what you are doing! You’re stalling for time because you know I am serious when I say, ⁹ ‘If you don’t tell me the dream, you are doomed.’ So you have conspired to tell me lies, hoping I will change my mind. But tell me the dream, and then I’ll know that you can tell me what it means.”

¹⁰ The astrologers replied to the king, “No one on earth can tell the king his dream! And no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer! ¹¹ The king’s demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people.”

¹² The king was furious when he heard this, and he ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be executed. ¹³ And because of the king’s decree, men were sent to find and kill Daniel and his friends.

¹⁴ When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, came to kill them, Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion. ¹⁵ He asked Arioch, “Why has the king issued such a harsh decree?” So Arioch told him all that had happened. ¹⁶ Daniel went at once to see the king and requested more time to tell the king what the dream meant.

¹⁷ Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. ¹⁸ He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon. ¹⁹ That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. ²⁰ He said,

“Praise the name of God forever and ever,
    for he has all wisdom and power.
²¹ He controls the course of world events;
    he removes kings and sets up other kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise
    and knowledge to the scholars.
²² He reveals deep and mysterious things
    and knows what lies hidden in darkness,
    though he is surrounded by light.
²³ I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors,
    for you have given me wisdom and strength.
You have told me what we asked of you
    and revealed to us what the king demanded.”

Daniel Interprets the Dream

²⁴ Then Daniel went in to see Arioch, whom the king had ordered to execute the wise men of Babylon. Daniel said to him, “Don’t kill the wise men. Take me to the king, and I will tell him the meaning of his dream.”

²⁵ Arioch quickly took Daniel to the king and said, “I have found one of the captives from Judah who will tell the king the meaning of his dream!”

²⁶ The king said to Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar), “Is this true? Can you tell me what my dream was and what it means?”

²⁷ Daniel replied, “There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king’s secret. ²⁸ But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed.

²⁹ “While Your Majesty was sleeping, you dreamed about coming events. He who reveals secrets has shown you what is going to happen. ³⁰ And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret of your dream, but because God wants you to understand what was in your heart.

³¹ “In your vision, Your Majesty, you saw standing before you a huge, shining statue of a man. It was a frightening sight. ³² The head of the statue was made of fine gold. Its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, ³³ its legs were iron, and its feet were a combination of iron and baked clay. ³⁴ As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain,^[d] but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits. ³⁵ The whole statue was crushed into small pieces of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. Then the wind blew them away without a trace, like chaff on a threshing floor. But the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth.

³⁶ “That was the dream. Now we will tell the king what it means. ³⁷ Your Majesty, you are the greatest of kings. The God of heaven has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor. ³⁸ He has made you the ruler over all the inhabited world and has put even the wild animals and birds under your control. You are the head of gold.

³⁹ “But after your kingdom comes to an end, another kingdom, inferior to yours, will rise to take your place. After that kingdom has fallen, yet a third kingdom, represented by bronze, will rise to rule the world. ⁴⁰ Following that kingdom, there will be a fourth one, as strong as iron. That kingdom will smash and crush all previous empires, just as iron smashes and crushes everything it strikes. ⁴¹ The feet and toes you saw were a combination of iron and baked clay, showing that this kingdom will be divided. Like iron mixed with clay, it will have some of the strength of iron. ⁴² But while some parts of it will be as strong as iron, other parts will be as weak as clay. ⁴³ This mixture of iron and clay also shows that these kingdoms will try to strengthen themselves by forming alliances with each other through intermarriage. But they will not hold together, just as iron and clay do not mix.

⁴⁴ “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever. ⁴⁵ That is the meaning of the rock cut from the mountain, though not by human hands, that crushed to pieces the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God was showing the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its meaning is certain.”

Nebuchadnezzar Rewards Daniel

⁴⁶ Then King Nebuchadnezzar threw himself down before Daniel and worshiped him, and he commanded his people to offer sacrifices and burn sweet incense before him. ⁴⁷ The king said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is the greatest of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret.”

⁴⁸ Then the king appointed Daniel to a high position and gave him many valuable gifts. He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all his wise men.

Check out more of our Sunday teachings here.

In this teaching Pastor Paul talks about how we are similar to Daniel in living in a pagan land. As Peter says in 1 Peter 2:11

¹¹ Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.

We are temporary residents and foreigners. We are behind enemy lines. What does that look like and how do we live as Christians behind enemy lines?

Teaching Text

Daniel 1:1-20

1 During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah,^[a] King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. ² The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia^[b] and placed them in the treasure-house of his god.

³ Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives. ⁴ “Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.^[c]” ⁵ The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service.

⁶ Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. ⁷ The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names:

Daniel was called Belteshazzar.
Hananiah was called Shadrach.
Mishael was called Meshach.
Azariah was called Abednego.

⁸ But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. ⁹ Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel. ¹⁰ But he responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.”

¹¹ Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. ¹² “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. ¹³ “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” ¹⁴ The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.

¹⁵ At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. ¹⁶ So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.

¹⁷ God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.

¹⁸ When the training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief of staff brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹ The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the royal service. ²⁰ Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.

Check out more of our Sunday teachings here.