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I want to invite you to join us in Daniel chapter 1.
We continue on week 2 in our study of this book.
If you do not have a Bible, we would like to give you one.
And so after the service is over with, you can come back to this table right back here
to my left.
We have some black Bibles that are back there.
We'd love to give you one of those.
As a gift, we want you to be in God's Word, studying God's Word, and engaging with God's
Word on Sunday morning as we gather here together.
And it's a wonderful opportunity to get you connected with a Bible.
No strings attached.
You can be a member.
You can be a first-time guest.
Anybody who is here is welcome to come back there and get one.
And then also for our first-time guest, my wife Erin and I will be in the very back as
well at the end of the service at that table.
Would love for you to stop by with just an opportunity for us to meet you and to thank
you and to welcome you today for worshiping with us.
I want to read this verse from Daniel chapter 1, verse 9 as we get into God's Word.
And it says,
God, I thank you for the beauty, for the wonder, for the truth of your Word.
God, as we dive into the study in Daniel today, Lord, may you teach us what you would have for
us.
God, may you convict our hearts, the sin that we have.
Lord, may you draw us closer to you.
And Lord, if there's anyone here who does not know you, Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior.
May today be the day of their salvation.
God, may I be faithful to your Word and may all that is said bring glory and honor to your name.
And it's in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
We started last week in our study in Daniel.
This will be our study that we go through this fall.
And Daniel's a very interesting book.
It's one of the major prophets that we find in the Old Testament is Daniel.
But it's written a little bit differently than when we see a lot of our prophetic books in the Bible.
Chapters 1 through 6, we're going to deal with the man and the story of Daniel.
It will be a narrative of Daniel's obedience to God.
And then what we'll see in chapters 7 through 12, we'll deal with the message of Daniel.
So Daniel is the prophet that God is using.
So in the first six chapters, we'll see Daniel's obedience to God.
And then the last half, we'll see this apocalyptic vision that God gives Daniel.
And Daniel shares, Daniel records, because Daniel is also the writer of Daniel.
And then for us to be able to see what God has for us.
Last week kind of helped us in the setting of what brings us into Daniel.
So if you weren't here last week and you haven't listened to it online, I would encourage you to do so.
It gives kind of an introduction into how do we find ourselves, how do we find Daniel,
where we find Daniel and God's people, where we find God's people being conquered by the Babylonians.
So here, a couple sentences, what happened?
The Babylonians conquered God's people.
And verse 2 tells us that this happened by the hand of God.
So it was not through military cunning.
It was not through the power of man.
But it happened by the very hand of God that God handed over his people to these pagan outsiders.
As God's people have ignored his calls to return to him, to be obedient to him.
And God says, this is what I'm going to do.
This is what I'm going to do.
And then God, because he is truth, God doesn't just speak truth.
God doesn't just operate in truth.
God is truth.
God fulfills what he says he is going to fulfill.
So we're looking at God's people who are largely marked by their disobedience to him.
But just as not always everyone is faithful, we find here that not everyone is unfaithful to God.
That there are those in this time who have been faithful to God, but they're not set free from this captivity that they have to walk through.
There's young and old that have been faithful, but large majority have not.
And we're introduced to four of these faithful teenage boys last week.
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, all from the tribe of Judah.
All part of God's people.
And as we begin in this part of Daniel, we see that these are some of those who have been faithful.
Now this is not the first nation that the Babylonians have overtaken.
This isn't the first group of people that they've taken captive.
And so what they seek to do, and this is very interesting, we think of domination.
We think of when one country takes over another country.
We think through, they then govern that country through military power, right?
That's largely what Rome would do when Rome came in and overtook Jerusalem, right?
There was a military presence that's there.
Or through governmental powers, they would do that as well.
But the Babylonians, their strategy would be, is that they would come in and try to convert people into their culture.
They would try to change people.
And so it would be like today if one country took over another country,
and everything about them being their religion to the way that they operate, to the language that they speak.
Instead of saying, we're going to plant military bases all over your country,
what they would do is they would begin to bring in people into their country and begin to influence them
so that maybe at the end of the day, they're like, well, yeah, this is, I'm now a Babylonian.
And this is, this is who I am.
So it tells us at the beginning of chapter one that they brought the youngest, the best, the brightest of the people of Judah.
And they brought them in.
And those four, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, are four of those who get brought in.
Four of the faithful.
Babylon even realizes, Nebuchadnezzar realizes, that they're part of the best.
So they had a strategy of what they would do.
They would isolate them, all right?
So they would take them away, remove them from their people.
They would indoctrinate them.
They would teach them their language.
They would teach them their literature.
They would teach them their religion.
They would assimilate them.
They would eat of their food.
They would drink their wine.
They would literally change them from the inside out.
With a goal of converting them.
And very early on, when convert them, what I mean is that they want to change their identity.
And very early on, these four men, teenage boys, have their names changed and they're given Babylonian names.
And we saw last week that their names had meant, their previous names had been in their relationship with who God is in their life.
And now their Babylonian names would be names that honor different Babylonian gods.
I mean, it's wrong of what they do.
But it's, it works.
And you see this begin to happen.
But what we see and what we left off with Daniel in verse 8 is that there's a part of Daniel that says,
I'm not going to compromise.
I am who I am.
And I am who I am because of God.
So let's read back.
We're going to drop back one verse.
Let's read verses Daniel chapter 1, 8 through 13.
But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food or with the wine that he drank.
Therefore, he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.
Verse 9 that we've already read.
And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs.
Pause real quick.
The same hand of God who delivered him over was the same God who gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs.
Holding in God's hand.
Verse 10.
And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel,
I fear my lord the king who assigned your food and your drink for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are your own age?
So you would endanger my head with the king.
And then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
test your servants for 10 days.
Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king soon be observed by you and deal with your servants according to what you see.
So here's what's happening in here.
So Daniel makes an appeal.
God grants him favor in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs.
Daniel says, like, here, man, don't make us eat this.
And the chief of the eunuchs, like, he knows Nebuchadnezzar.
He's like, why should I risk my life so that you can be obedient to your God?
Like, I know what's going to happen to me if you're not well cared for because Nebuchadnezzar doesn't want death.
Nebuchadnezzar wants conversion.
And if I'm not obeying my king, why should you be able to obey your king?
And so Daniel says, give us 10 days, man.
Give us 10 days.
Let everyone else.
And I think it's important.
They're eating the food of the king.
I mean, like, if all of a sudden, like, a king invites you over for dinner, like, go.
Right?
Like, that's going to be good, you know?
And he says, just give us vegetables and water.
Now, let's challenge.
If someone wants to do nothing but vegetables and water for 10 days, and I'll stick to my diet, like, let's see what happens.
All right?
All right.
And Daniel's like, you won't.
And then compare us with everyone else.
Compare us with everyone else.
So let's see.
Basically, what Daniel says is, when we understand his heart, let's see what God's going to do, man.
Let's see what God's going to do.
So we see this willingness of this obedience of Daniel of being uncompromised.
And so, first of all, it's his uncompromised obedience.
Obedience requires, when it comes to you and I, being obedient before the Lord and what he's called us to do and who he's called us to be.
Obedience requires determination.
Daniel makes the decision of what he will do.
Why?
Why is this, of all of the things that are happening and taking place, why does Daniel drive his stake in the ground on the food that he will eat?
Well, God had given his people laws and dietary restrictions that they had to obey, that God had called them to in order to be faithful to him.
Now, we don't particularly know why the food that he was unclean, even though it was unclean, even though it was probably the best, but Daniel resolved, is what the Bible says, Daniel resolved that he would not eat the food.
It's interesting, it's interesting, it's interesting, it's a compound word in the original language.
And it means to determine in the heart.
It means to determine in the heart.
And your heart, biblically speaking, is your connected point of your will, your intellect, and your feelings.
And so Daniel determines in his mind, I will obey God.
In the intellect of who I am and what I know to be true, I resolve.
He determined in his will.
It doesn't matter what it smells like, it doesn't matter the temptation, it doesn't matter where I'll be pulled, I'm determined.
Determined in his heart.
Determined in his feelings.
Well, I'm here, obviously, believing the lie God's left me here.
What I've done wrong, all I've been is faithful.
And I can't believe that I would feel this way.
But what Daniel does is he resolves in his whole being, with all that he is, that he will obey God.
Church, when it comes to obedience, obedience isn't a move of the emotion.
Obedience isn't an agreeance with the mind.
Obedience is not a personal characteristic of faithfulness.
Obedience is a determination of the heart.
Of all that I am, God, I will obey you.
And that's what this 14-year-old boy does, even if it costs me my life.
The second thing, I think this is interesting.
We see from Daniel, uncompromised compassion.
Uncompromised compassion.
Now, think about this.
Daniel stood his ground, but he does so with grace and humility.
Daniel stands for what he believes in, but does so in a way that he knows that this is going to affect this pagan eunuch who is before him.
And so Daniel's got a situation where I can go on a hunger strike and make this worse for you, because who are you with your pagan god and your pagan land to tell me, Daniel, what I should do?
I'm going to say, I'm going to say, I'm going to say, I'm going to say, I'm going to say, I'm going to follow God.
Who are you to stand in my way?
But that's not what he does.
This decision carries great implications, not only for himself, but for the chief of the eunuch.
The chief of the eunuch is like, listen, this could cost me my life.
Daniel doesn't say, I don't care.
Daniel doesn't say, not my problem.
Daniel doesn't say, your pagan convictions are not going to influence who I am as an obedient follower of God.
Instead, what he does, that church, I think we can miss so much in this, is Daniel stands in his convictions, uncompromised obedience, but he shows compassion.
For the man who just doesn't get it.
Lost people should not understand yours and my depth of love for the Lord.
It should be foreign to them.
It should be difficult for them to wrap their minds around.
And our response to them shouldn't be, you fool, you idiot.
Compassion.
Daniel could have fought him.
But instead, he loves him.
I think sometimes our, I'm going to say our, but also my, I'm in this.
I think sometimes as we stand in our convictions,
we begin to look at those who are outside of our convictions
as the enemy
instead of the object
of who we're seeking to share the gospel and the love of God with.
And the beauty of this
is that what we see
is that the people of God
can stand
both
in obedience
to God
and in compassion
for those who don't know him.
And that's exactly what Daniel does.
The next that we see
is uncompromised faith.
Uncompromised faith.
Here's what Daniel shows.
Daniel shows in this faith in God.
Daniel knows in this situation
logic doesn't work.
He's got to know
that committing to vegetables and water
while everyone else eats meats, cakes, and drinks the finest wine
is going to put him at a disadvantage
physically speaking
but in his 14 years
he's learned
in all situations
in great and in loss
to trust God.
To trust God
and to simply
be obedient.
To take step of faith
after step of faith
after step of faith.
and what comes next
he doesn't know
but he knows
that God does.
The God who put
his people
into the hand
of Nebuchadnezzar
is the same God
that holds Daniel
in the palm of his hand
and he knows
he knows
that he can trust him.
So let's see what happens.
Cake and ice cream
vegetables and water.
Let's see.
Verse 14.
So he listened to him
in this manner
and tested them
for 10 days
and at the end
of 10 days
it was seen
that they were
better in appearance
and fatter
in the flesh
than all
the youths
who ate
the king's food.
That's got to be God.
Little Debbies
or baby carrots, right?
Who wins?
So the steward
took away
their food
and the wine
they were to drink
and gave them vegetables.
As for these four youths
God gave them
learning
and skill
in all literature
and wisdom
and Daniel
had understanding
in all visions
and dreams.
At the end
of the time
when the king
had commanded
that they should be
brought in
the chief of the eunuchs
brought them in
before Nebuchadnezzar
and the king
spoke with them
among all of them
none was found
like Daniel
Hananiah
Mishael
and Azariah.
Therefore
they stood
before the king
and in every matter
of wisdom
and understanding
about which the king
inquired of them
he found them
ten times
better
than all the magicians
and enchanters
that were in
all his kingdom.
And Daniel
was there
until the first year
of King Cyrus.
So here's what we see.
We see Daniel
come forward
I'm not going to compromise.
I'm going to be obedient.
I'm going to love.
And I'm going to claim faith.
It's pretty simple right?
That's my plan.
Obedient
love
faith.
He can't control
his situation.
He can't maneuver.
He can't manipulate.
He can't set himself
free.
Obedient
love
faith.
Look what God does.
What we see
is
uncompromised
blessing.
Uncompromised
blessing.
Physically
physically
they got bigger.
They got bigger.
In a day
where fatter
is celebrated
this is what they get.
Right?
They get bigger.
They should not be
but they are.
Mentally
they get smarter.
God
this blows my mind.
God
grew
their minds
even
in the way
of the Babylonians.
Oh
this could be
a whole other message.
God's building
some missionaries
to understand
a pagan culture
in a pagan land
to be wise
in their ways
while they're wise
in the ways
of God.
God
grew them
mentally.
God
grew them
spiritually.
It says
specifically here
about Daniel
that Daniel
received the gift
of interpreting
dreams
and visions.
God
grew
Daniel's
giftedness
in this.
So what we see
physically
they're being
blessed.
Mentally
they're being
blessed.
Spiritually
they're being
blessed.
And then
socially
these were
boys chosen
out of
influential
families
and nobilities
from Judah
who were brought
in and now
captives
and when Daniel
stands before
Nebuchadnezzar
and Daniel's
wisdom and
understanding
he brings in
all of his
spiritual leaders
that he has
and Daniel
beats them all
in Babylonian
jeopardy.
This is what
we've got.
The wisest
the best
the smartest
and it says
socially
no one
was
their
equal.
What does
that mean?
God's
growing
their
influence.
God's
growing
their
influence
in a
foreign
pagan
land
as their
hearts
are centered
and focused
on him.
We live
in a
day.
We live
in a
time
where
everyone
around us
Christians
and
non-Christians
desperately
seek
the
blessing
of
God
whether
they
know
it's
the
blessing
of
God
or
not.
We live
in a
time
and a
culture
in our
modern
day
Babylon
and that
is not
like a
prophecy
or a
political
statement
alright
but we
live
in a
time
and a
period
marked
by the
pagan
practices
of this
world
and you
can't
convince
me
that we
don't.
We live
in a
time
and a
period
and we're
going to
look at
some
things
later
on
where
a
third
of
the
people
of
the
United
States
33%
say that
they are
a
Christian
whether
they're
a
Christian
or
not.
So
we're
not
even
close
to
the
majority.
But
what we
deeply
what everyone
wants
what everyone
wants
at their
core
listen to
the
news
talk to
your
friends
think about
this
yourself
we want
satisfaction
we want
to be
satisfied
we want
peace
we want
joy
we want
hope
we want
worth
we want
purpose
the difference
is
the world
can never
fulfill
these blessings
they can only
come
from God
satisfaction
peace
joy
hope
worth
purpose
are not
defined
by the
ways
and means
of this
world
but they're
defined
by the
God
who
gives
them
and who
gives
them
freely
the question
is
as we
stand
in this
day
as we
stand
in this
pagan
culture
that we
live in
heaven
that God
has called
us to
you could
have been
born at
any time
and at
any place
in the
history
of the
world
and God
chose you
for here
and God
chose you
for now
do we
live in a
manner
worthy
and ready
to receive
the blessing
of God
we live
in a
compromised
culture
but we're
called
to be
an
uncompromised
people
Jesus
in his
high
priestly
prayer
prays to
God
prays to
the
Father
and says
that I'm
sending
them
and they
are going
and they
are going
to be
in the
world
just like
we are
in it
but not
of it
what does
that mean
that they
would be
wise
that they
would be
passionate
that they
would be
purposeful
but that
what would
mark them
is the
blessing
and obedience
to God
and not
the
foolishness
of the
world
the question
I have
for you
is we
live
in a
compromised
culture
but are
we a
compromised
people
are we
a
compromised
people
we
in
American
Christianity
and I'm
talking about
all of us
as a whole
all of us
as a whole
not just me
not just you
the churches
down the road
when we look
at our
culture
is
has
American
Christianity
at its
core
become
compromised
now before
we talk about
you and me
this is the
snapshot
I would say
yes
I would
say yes
that as a
whole
American
Christians
that we
are among
a compromised
people
but Daniel
decided
I came
from a
disobedient
people
I'm in
a disobedient
land with
a new
disobedient
people
that I'm
going to
be a
man of
God
who's
going to
be
uncompromised
in who
I am
and are
you and I
willing to
make that
same
stand
I'm going
to share
some
statistics
with you
this morning
there are
some glaring
issues that
are probably
more hot
topics than
the statistics
and the
issues that
I'm going to
look at
this morning
some of
those would
be divorce
sexuality
pornography
chemical
dependence
issues
the list
goes on
and on
which by
the way
in those
just quickly
again
divorce
sexuality
pornography
chemical
dependence
issues
that are
rampant
in our
culture
today
the
percentage
of those
outside of
the church
who engage
in these
activities
and many
of them
those statistics
are the
same
and if
they're not
the same
the number
of Christians
engaging in
those is
growing at
the same
rate and
at the same
percentage that
the world is
growing
so even in
those big
hot topic
ones that
we all want
to look at
and we all
want to talk
about
we're there
we're
compromised
but Daniel
his
the opportunity
for him to
give in
was on
a more
everyday
subtle
stand
it was
food
it was
on food
it wasn't
attendance in
the temple
it wasn't
on sacrifices
to idols
it was
on food
and here's
what I think
is crazy
and very
interesting
about this
when it
comes to
the issue
with food
is that
no one
blames
a hungry
person
no one
blames
someone
who can
find
great
justification
in their
mind
that they
will partake
in this
act
even though
they're not
supposed to
no one
would blame
them
how do I
know that
because if I
asked in here
how many of
you have
ever been
on a diet
I would
be willing
to bet
if you're
over the
age of
30
you'd
raise
your hand
if I
then asked
you
how many
of you
have ever
cheated
on that
diet
the same
number
of hands
would go
up
right
we're
people
who
compromise
even
in the
everyday
but Daniel
stood with
the resolve
so I'm
going to talk
about three
areas this
morning
share some
statistics
and hopefully
see that you'll
begin to
understand that
more at the
core not
even just in
the big
topics
but in
the everyday
that we're
we're part
of a
compromise
people
and are
you
compromised
first one
is money
money
we live
in a
time
where great
level
of importance
just as it
always been
has been
placed with
money
how much
money can
you get
how much
money can
you obtain
what can
you do
with your
money
what would
you do
to get
more
money
and as
Christians
speaking as
a whole
right for
these
we've
become
compromised
read this
statistic
this week
baffled
my mind
the statistics
came from
2024
so it's
relevant in
today's time
the average
American
family
I'm
sorry
the average
Christian
American
family
their
average
weekly
offering
is
seventeen
dollars
seventeen
dollars
which
means
that over
the course
of the
year
the average
American
Christian
family
gives
eight
hundred
and eighty
four
dollars
to
gospel
work
the
average
American
family
spends
one
thousand
five hundred
and sixty
five dollars
per year
on streaming
and internet
the
average
American
family
spends
one
thousand
five hundred
dollars
per
child
to
participate
in
sports
the
average
American
family
spends
one
thousand
three
hundred
and sixty
five
dollars
on their
family
cell phone
plan
I would
like to
switch to
that
provider
the
average
American
family
spends
two
thousand
eight
hundred
and forty
three
dollars
on their
summer
vacation
here's
what that
means
if we
and we
are a
part of
the culture
as a
whole
which we
are
these numbers
apply to
us
which means
this
the average
American
Christian
family
spends
eight
times
the amount
of money
on
entertainment
than they do
the gospel
we might
not
say it
but we
care more
about Netflix
than the
gospel
we might
not say
it
but we
care more
about sports
than the
gospel
we might
not say
it
but we
care more
about
dipping
our toes
in the
sand
than we
do
about
eternity
as a
culture
we become
compromised
are you
I don't
know
I've not
seen anyone's
bank account
I don't
know what
you do
give and
what you
don't
give
I don't
know what
you do
pay
and what
you don't
pay
but I
know what
these numbers
tell me
is that
we live
in a
compromised
culture
are you
part of
the
compromise
the second
area
is time
time
again
one third
of the
U.S.
population
says they're
Christians
a poll
was done
and if
you in
that poll
identified
yourself
as a
Christian
specifically
an
evangelical
Christian
follower
of Jesus
Christ
and the
question was
about church
attendance
30%
say that
I attend
church
almost
every week
almost
every week
so
they're
there
14%
twice
a month
these are
people who
are curious
these people
I'm a
follower of
Jesus
13%
once a
month
27%
seldom
16%
blows my
mind
never
so here's
what that
means
56%
of
American
Christians
will
56%
will
spend
one
hour
a month
or less
in worship
56%
of
people
who say
Jesus
died on
the cross
and rose
from the
grave
and created
the church
and
call us
to be
a part
of it
56%
spend
one
hour
a month
or less
worshiping
him
with their
brothers
and sisters
in Christ
back to
our
American
culture
but yet
the average
American
spends
72
hours
a month
on social
media
the average
American
will spend
105 hours
a month
on a
streaming
service
so Lord
we're going
to give
you an
hour
but we're
going to
give
Instagram
72
Lord
we're going
to give
you an
hour
but we're
going to
give
Apple
TV
105
our
culture
is
compromised
are you
lastly
vulnerability
here's
what I mean
by vulnerability
making
transparent
who you
actually
are
I believe
that
as God
saves us
and we see
this especially
in our
New Testament
writings
we see it
in David
in the
Psalms
we see it
throughout
the scripture
that men
and women
of faith
are very
vulnerable
open
and honest
about who
they are
and their
shortcomings
and their
failures
and their
sins
and God's
glorious
plan in
their life
they're
vulnerable
and the
reason why
I include
vulnerability
is
I believe
in order
for discipleship
and evangelism
to happen
not just
check boxes
not just
attend something
because it's
there
that for
discipleship
and evangelism
to happen
that you've
got to
open up
yourself
of who
you are
not just
in leading
but in
being a
part of
the process
in discipleship
meaning you
have to be
willing to
say I'm
busted
and I'm
not okay
and I need
you to
pour into
me
so that the
Holy Spirit
can do
work in my
life
because I'm
not okay
and I need
to be
more like
Christ
in evangelism
you and I
have to
acknowledge
that we
were not
okay
we're still
not okay
but the
beauty of
that is
God doesn't
say to me
come to me
when you're
okay
but God
says come
to me
with all
your filth
all your
nasty
all your
whatever
and I'm
not just
going to
make you
okay
I'm
going to
make you
righteous
before me
vulnerability
discipleship
in evangelism
of the
third of
americans
that
attend
protestant
evangelical
church
28%
higher than
I thought
it would
be
28%
are engaged
in
discipleship
28%
however
50%
of
american
culture
is a
part of
some
social
club
means
that
as we've
assimilated
into
culture
22%
more
are engaged
in a
social
club
on
average
than
they
are
in
growing
in
their
walk
with
other
believers
and I
get
you can
say
but you
don't
know
what
people
do
when
they're
alone
I
agree
I
agree
and if
I felt
like
they'd
be
honest
about
their
quiet
times
we'd
share
those
statistics
too
but what
I
believe
is that
God
has
called
us
to
not
forsake
the
gathering
that
God
has
created
the
church
and
called
us
to
be
together
that
God
has
taught
us
to
bear
with
bear
up
work
through
one
another
to teach
to challenge
and that
I need
you and
that you
need me
and that
we need
each
other
28%
50%
last
statistic
of the
morning
evangelism
90%
of
Christians
American
Christians
polled
90%
believe
that
sharing
your
faith
is an
important
thing
now
I'm
going to
seek
to be
the
optimist
on
that
and
not
question
what
the
other
10%
think
but
say
that's
great
90%
of
American
Christians
believe
that it
is
important
to
share
your
faith
however
5%
of
American
Christians
1
2
3
4
5
5%
say
that
they've
actually
ever
talked
to
someone
about
Jesus
5%
5
5%
of
a
sit
down
over
a
cup
of
coffee
a
conversation
at
the
dinner
table
a
point
of
brokenness
where
someone's
at the
bottom
and
they need
to know
which way's
up
and
5%
of
American
Christians
in the
culture
we
live
in
have
ever
and are
looking to
talk to
someone
about
Jesus
but
42%
of
Americans
will get
on
Facebook
Twitter
X
whatever it's
called this
week
Instagram
Snapchat
and make
a post
42%
but
5%
are
willing to
talk to
someone
about
Jesus
we
live
in a
compromised
culture
are
you
willing
today
Daniel
1
8
but
today
Bo
and
today
Rick
and
today
Heather
and
today
Michelle
and
today
Joel
and
today
Emma
and
today
Chris
resolved
in
who
we
are
in
mind
in
will
and in
feeling
that
I
will
not
defile
myself
for
his
name
and
his
glory
would
you pray
with me
God I
thank you
for the
goodness
of your
word
God I
thank you
for the
conviction
of your
Holy
Spirit
God the
list of
proving
that we
live in a
compromised
American
culture
could go
on
and on
the
evidence
largely
speaking
that
people
who
call
themselves
Christians
have
also
compromised
could go
on
and on
God we
can leave
here this
morning
defeated
and
deflated
but the
good news
Lord
is that
in your
kindness
and in
your love
as you
called
your
people
as you
called
Judah
back to
you
God you
call us
to you
and Lord
right now
we are
found
in a
time
where as
you call
us
and we're
made aware
of our
sin in
our life
God what
you give
us what
you grant
us what
you overflow
to us
God is
not your
wrath is
not your
judgment but
God it is
your grace
it is your
kindness it is
your compassion
that God we
can go from
those who
have compromised
compromised
ourselves
to coming
to an
uncompromised
God
who offers
his love
to us
so God
as we read
through these
as we
as we think
through these
Lord as
your spirit
as your spirit
leads us
may it not
bring us
to
a defeat
of I'm not
good enough
but may it
bring us
to the
victory
that I'm
not good
enough
but Jesus
is
and so
God whether
it's money
whether it's
time
whether it's
discipleship
whether it's
evangelism
whether it's
the way that
we see
people
whether it's
the words
that we
say
whether it's
how we
treat one
another
whether it's
how we
think of
people
who are
different
than us
whether it's
what we
look at
on the
computer
God no
matter where
we've
compromised
ourselves
may we
understand
that your
grace is
enough
God in
that in
the power
of your
spirit
there is
victory
and it's
what you
call us
to
God if
there's
anyone here
today
they don't
know Jesus
Christ is
their Lord
and Savior
and they're
here this
morning
thinking
okay well
what do I
need to do
what are the
rules that I
need to follow
what's the
process that I
need to put
in place
God if they
could bring
these three
things to
you
it's not
about the
rules
God
because you
tell us
that we're
saved
by grace
through faith
so figuratively
Lord we
could lay
these three
things before
you
and coming
to Christ
we could
lay our
past
all that
we've
done
all that
we've
committed
every failure
every sin
every offense
lay the past
before you
God today
not only
to lay
our past
but to lay
our present
of who we
are
of how we
define
ourselves
with the
decisions
that we
make
that I'm
no longer
who I
was
but I
now
who I
am in
Christ
and that
we lay
our future
the next
step
that we
take
the next
breath
that we
take
the next
thought
that we
think
the next
action
that we
have
God
they're
in your
hand
have them
and do
with them
as you
please
and so
Lord you
have our
tomorrow
but Lord
you also
have our
eternity
God thank
you
thank you
Lord
that this
week
you continue
to do
so
you show
me in
your
kindness
and goodness
where I've
wandered
God today
through the
power of
your spirit
may I
resolve
may I
resolve
that I
will not
defile
myself
but that
in who
I am
and what
I do
I bring
glory
and honor
to your
name
let's
send
Jesus
let me
pray
that's
it for
this
week's
message
be sure
to check
back next
week for
a new
episode
and in
the meantime
you can
visit us
online at
willowridgechurch.org
or by searching
for Willow Ridge
Church on
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thanks again
for listening
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