Day 1 - Lord's Day | Sunday | The Church, Personal, and Office |

 March 8

Lesson 1 (KJV)

Watching Our Consumption

Devotional Reading: Titus 1:5–9

Background Scripture: Daniel 1:8–20; 1 Corinthians 9:19–27; 1 Timothy 4:7–12

Daniel 1:8–17

8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? Then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.

11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.

13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.

15 And at the end of ten days, their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children who did eat the portion of the king’s meat.

16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.

17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

1 Timothy 4:7–8

7 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

Key Text

Exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.—1 Timothy 4:7b–8

Social Teachings of the Church

Unit 1: Fulfilling Our Obligations to Neighbors

Lessons 1–4

Lesson Aims

After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:

1. List the components of Daniel’s proposal and its results.

2. Outline ways to cultivate mental, physical, and spiritual health by seeking true and wholesome things.

3. Make an inventory of daily habits and plan adjustments to honor God with time, diet, and attention.

Lesson Outline

Introduction

A. Consequences of Neglect

B. Lesson Context

I. Firm Resolve (Daniel 1:8–10)

A. Daniel’s Favor (vv. 8–9)

Wearing White

B. Official’s Concern (v. 10)

II. Agreeable Arrangement (Daniel 1:11–14)

A. Trial Proposed (vv. 11–12)

B. Comparison Accepted (vv. 13–14)

III. Clear Results (Daniel 1:15–17)

A. Contrast in Appearance (v. 15)

B. Change in Provisions (v. 16)

C. Blessings from God (v. 17)

IV. Preferred Path (1 Timothy 4:7–8)

A. Avoid Foolishness (v. 7a)

B. Pursue Godliness (v. 7b)

C. Reap Benefits (v. 8)

Physical and Spiritual Nourishment

Conclusion

A. The Ultimate Goal

B. Prayer

C. Thought to Remember

How to Say It

Azariah	Az-uh-rye-uh.
Babylon	Bab-uh-lun.
Babylonian	Bab-ih-low-nee-un.
Ephesus	Ef-uh-sus.
eunuchs	you-nicks.
Hananiah	Han-uh-nye-uh.
Melzar	Mel-zar.
Mishael	Mish-a-el.
Nebuchadnezzar	Neb-yuh-kud-nez-er.

Introduction

A. Consequences of Neglect

B. Lesson Context

The book of Daniel is divided into two parts: chapters 1–6 contain narratives about Daniel and his companions in service to various kings, while chapters 7–12 present Daniel’s visions. Because of these visions, the book is found in the “prophecy” section of the Bible. Today’s lesson comes from the first half of the book.

The epistle of 1 Timothy was written more than 500 years after Daniel’s time. Timothy was a traveling companion and coworker of Paul’s. In this letter, Paul gives Timothy instructions about the situation in the church at Ephesus, particularly to counter false teachings that threaten to muddy the good news of the gospel and cause distress within the church.

I. Firm Resolve

(Daniel 1:8–10)

A. Daniel’s Favor (vv. 8–9)

What Do You Think? How do we decide which issues and situations call for setting a boundary in service to God and which do not? Digging Deeper Describe a time that you honored a boundary to stay faithful to God’s will. What did you learn from the experience that could help others?

                                                                                 B. Official’s Concern (v. 10)                 

II. Agreeable Arrangement

(Daniel 1:11–14)

A. Trial Proposed (vv. 11–12)

What Do You Think? How should Christians respond to a policy that goes against their convictions? Digging Deeper How do you square the example of Daniel with Acts 5:27–29, Romans 13:1–7, Titus 3:1–2, and 1 Peter 2:13–17?

B. Comparison Accepted (vv. 13–14)

III. Clear Results

(Daniel 1:15–17)

A. Contrast in Appearance (v. 15)

                                                                           B. Change in Provisions (v. 16)

                                                                           C. Blessings from God (v. 17)

What Do You Think? In what ways has God blessed you beyond what you have asked or imagined? (Ephesians 3:20–21) Digging Deeper How do you use these blessings to serve God and others?

IV. Preferred Path

(1 Timothy 4:7–8)

A. Avoid Foolishness (v. 7a)

                                                                               B. Pursue Godliness (v. 7b)

What Do You Think? What are some ways a Christian can train for godliness? Digging Deeper How do these ways compare with the training we do for our physical bodies?

C. Reap Benefits (v. 8)

Conclusion

A. The Ultimate Goal

Both texts for this lesson address the connection between the body and honoring God. In Daniel 1:8–17, Daniel and his companions resisted total assimilation into Babylonian culture and religion. This resistance took the form of tactfully refusing to eat the food and drink the wine given to them. Instead, Daniel requested water and food that was more in line with God’s desires. Through God’s intervention, his request was granted, and the resulting trial period was successful. Daniel and his companions resisted full assimilation, maintaining their connection to their people and to God.

Strong connections can be formed through food and other kinds of consumption. These connections may be relational. They may be philosophical or societal. Being mindful of what you consume and its effects on both your body and soul will be noticed by others. Daniel and his friends used their bodies to honor God. For us, this can take the form of eating healthy foods, exercising, getting enough rest, and being proactive about preventive care.

The text of 1 Timothy 4:7–8 offers a spiritual perspective. While celebrating the goodness of God’s creation, Paul instructed Timothy to make the pursuit of godliness his highest priority. The language he used alluded to athletes’ training (compare 1 Corinthians 9:24–27). This reminded Timothy that pursuing God gains a believer far more than focusing primarily on the body ever could. Living within misaligned cultures, it can be easy to allow the pursuit of bodily health to rise above its proper place in our priorities. Paul’s words remind believers that faithfulness to God matters more. Read together, Daniel 1 and 1 Timothy 4 encourage us to honor our bodies so that we might honor God.

What Do You Think? What questions will you ask to evaluate whether your consumption honors God? Digging Deeper How do these questions differ regarding dietary consumption? media consumption? material consumption?

B. Prayer

Heavenly Father, You created all things and pronounced them good. Thank You for making us in Your image. Help us honor that image so that we may bring glory to You in all that we are and in all that we do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

C. Thought to Remember

Honor God by honoring your body.

Involvement Learning

Enhance your lesson with KJV Bible Student (from your curriculum supplier) and the reproducible activity page (at www.standardlesson.com or in the back of the KJV Standard Lesson Commentary Deluxe Edition).

 Adrien Keables Hayward, Nadia Vermaak, and Angela E. Reed, “Watching Our Consumption,” in The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2025–2026, ed. Taylor Z. Stamps et al., vol. 73, The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary (Colorado Springs, CO: Standard Publishing, 2026), 239–240.