Scriptures: Daniel 1:1-9, Acts 24:16, 1 Corinthians 4:4, 1 Thessalonians 5:21, Psalm 119:11, 1 Samuel 2:30

There are certain events that stand out in your mind, even after many years have past, that are so clear it is as if they just happened yesterday. Among those is probably your graduation from high school. From that point on, whether to college or into a career, you were on your own. Independence is a test which is, in some ways, harder than the taking the Bar to be an attorney, or the medical exam to be a doctor or a dissertation to be a PhD. Instead it is a character test. As a child you may have taken the character test many times, but you always had a cheat sheet. You always had somebody to help you—your parents were there, your church was there, your pastor was there, people who knew you were there, but now things are different.

In this message, Dr. Merritt examines biblical principles to help you stand the tests of character in your life. Learn how to say yes and no based on the example of a person named Daniel.

"When you are making a choice the first way that God will speak to you many times is just through your inner conscience—just that innate knowledge that He has given you that some things are right and some things are wrong. Let me tell you a good question to ask yourself whenever you are facing a decision as to whether or not you ought to go to a certain place or do a certain thing or get involved in a certain activity. Here is the question—'If I do this will I be able to sleep well tonight?'" --Dr. Merritt

Keywords: graduation, college, high school, decisions, character, conscience, choices, determination, Daniel, beliefs, convictions, conform, transform, pressure, principles, test