Sermon
Daniel • Week 2
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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Welcome to the Willow Ridge Sermons Podcast, where you can listen to audio from our most
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recent sermons and more.
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Thanks for listening, and be sure to add this show to your library if you'd like to automatically
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receive new episodes each week.
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I want to invite you to join us in Daniel chapter 1.
Daniel 1 chapter mention
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We continue on week 2 in our study of this book.
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If you do not have a Bible, we would like to give you one.
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And so after the service is over with, you can come back to this table right back here
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to my left.
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We have some black Bibles that are back there.
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We'd love to give you one of those.
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As a gift, we want you to be in God's Word, studying God's Word, and engaging with God's
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Word on Sunday morning as we gather here together.
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And it's a wonderful opportunity to get you connected with a Bible.
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No strings attached.
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You can be a member.
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You can be a first-time guest.
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Anybody who is here is welcome to come back there and get one.
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And then also for our first-time guest, my wife Erin and I will be in the very back as
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well at the end of the service at that table.
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Would love for you to stop by with just an opportunity for us to meet you and to thank
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you and to welcome you today for worshiping with us.
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I want to read this verse from Daniel chapter 1, verse 9 as we get into God's Word.
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And it says,
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God, I thank you for the beauty, for the wonder, for the truth of your Word.
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God, as we dive into the study in Daniel today, Lord, may you teach us what you would have for
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us.
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God, may you convict our hearts, the sin that we have.
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Lord, may you draw us closer to you.
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And Lord, if there's anyone here who does not know you, Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior.
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May today be the day of their salvation.
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God, may I be faithful to your Word and may all that is said bring glory and honor to your name.
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And it's in Jesus' name we pray.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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We started last week in our study in Daniel.
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This will be our study that we go through this fall.
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And Daniel's a very interesting book.
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It's one of the major prophets that we find in the Old Testament is Daniel.
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But it's written a little bit differently than when we see a lot of our prophetic books in the Bible.
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Chapters 1 through 6, we're going to deal with the man and the story of Daniel.
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It will be a narrative of Daniel's obedience to God.
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And then what we'll see in chapters 7 through 12, we'll deal with the message of Daniel.
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So Daniel is the prophet that God is using.
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So in the first six chapters, we'll see Daniel's obedience to God.
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And then the last half, we'll see this apocalyptic vision that God gives Daniel.
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And Daniel shares, Daniel records, because Daniel is also the writer of Daniel.
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And then for us to be able to see what God has for us.
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Last week kind of helped us in the setting of what brings us into Daniel.
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So if you weren't here last week and you haven't listened to it online, I would encourage you to do so.
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It gives kind of an introduction into how do we find ourselves, how do we find Daniel,
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where we find Daniel and God's people, where we find God's people being conquered by the Babylonians.
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So here, a couple sentences, what happened?
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The Babylonians conquered God's people.
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And verse 2 tells us that this happened by the hand of God.
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So it was not through military cunning.
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It was not through the power of man.
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But it happened by the very hand of God that God handed over his people to these pagan outsiders.
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As God's people have ignored his calls to return to him, to be obedient to him.
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And God says, this is what I'm going to do.
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This is what I'm going to do.
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This is what I'm going to do.
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And then God, because he is truth, God doesn't just speak truth.
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God doesn't just operate in truth.
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God is truth.
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God fulfills what he says he is going to fulfill.
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So we're looking at God's people who are largely marked by their disobedience to him.
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But just as not always everyone is faithful, we find here that not everyone is unfaithful to God.
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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.
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There's young and old that have been faithful, but large majority have not.
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And we're introduced to four of these faithful teenage boys last week.
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Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, all from the tribe of Judah.
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All part of God's people.
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And as we begin in this part of Daniel, we see that these are some of those who have been faithful.
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Now this is not the first nation that the Babylonians have overtaken.
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This isn't the first group of people that they've taken captive.
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And so what they seek to do, and this is very interesting, we think of domination.
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We think of when one country takes over another country.
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We think through, they then govern that country through military power, right?
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That's largely what Rome would do when Rome came in and overtook Jerusalem, right?
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There was a military presence that's there.
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Or through governmental powers, they would do that as well.
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But the Babylonians, their strategy would be, is that they would come in and try to convert people into their culture.
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They would try to change people.
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And so it would be like today if one country took over another country,
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and everything about them being their religion to the way that they operate, to the language that they speak.
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Instead of saying, we're going to plant military bases all over your country,
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what they would do is they would begin to bring in people into their country and begin to influence them
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so that maybe at the end of the day, they're like, well, yeah, this is, I'm now a Babylonian.
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And this is, this is who I am.
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So it tells us at the beginning of chapter one that they brought the youngest, the best, the brightest of the people of Judah.
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And they brought them in.
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And those four, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, are four of those who get brought in.
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Four of the faithful.
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Four of the faithful.
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Babylon even realizes, Nebuchadnezzar realizes, that they're part of the best.
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So they had a strategy of what they would do.
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They would isolate them, all right?
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So they would take them away, remove them from their people.
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They would indoctrinate them.
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They would teach them their language.
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They would teach them their literature.
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They would teach them their religion.
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They would assimilate them.
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They would eat of their food.
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They would drink their wine.
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They would literally change them from the inside out.
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With a goal of converting them.
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And very early on, when convert them, what I mean is that they want to change their identity.
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And very early on, these four men, teenage boys, have their names changed and they're given Babylonian names.
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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.
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And now their Babylonian names would be names that honor different Babylonian gods.
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I mean, it's wrong of what they do.
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But it's, it works.
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And you see this begin to happen.
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But what we see and what we left off with Daniel in verse 8 is that there's a part of Daniel that says,
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I'm not going to compromise.
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I am who I am.
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And I am who I am because of God.
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So let's read back.
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We're going to drop back one verse.
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Let's read verses Daniel chapter 1, 8 through 13.
Daniel 1 chapter mention
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But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food or with the wine that he drank.
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Therefore, he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.
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Verse 9 that we've already read.
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And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs.
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Pause real quick.
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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.
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Holding in God's hand.
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Verse 10.
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And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel,
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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?
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So you would endanger my head with the king.
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And then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
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test your servants for 10 days.
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Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink.
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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.
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So here's what's happening in here.
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So Daniel makes an appeal.
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God grants him favor in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs.
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Daniel says, like, here, man, don't make us eat this.
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And the chief of the eunuchs, like, he knows Nebuchadnezzar.
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He's like, why should I risk my life so that you can be obedient to your God?
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Like, I know what's going to happen to me if you're not well cared for because Nebuchadnezzar doesn't want death.
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Nebuchadnezzar wants conversion.
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And if I'm not obeying my king, why should you be able to obey your king?
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And so Daniel says, give us 10 days, man.
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Give us 10 days.
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Let everyone else.
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And I think it's important.
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They're eating the food of the king.
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I mean, like, if all of a sudden, like, a king invites you over for dinner, like, go.
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Right?
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Like, that's going to be good, you know?
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And he says, just give us vegetables and water.
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Now, let's challenge.
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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.
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All right?
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All right.
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And Daniel's like, you won't.
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And then compare us with everyone else.
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Compare us with everyone else.
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So let's see.
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Basically, what Daniel says is, when we understand his heart, let's see what God's going to do, man.
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Let's see what God's going to do.
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So we see this willingness of this obedience of Daniel of being uncompromised.
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And so, first of all, it's his uncompromised obedience.
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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.
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Obedience requires determination.
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Daniel makes the decision of what he will do.
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Why?
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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?
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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.
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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.
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It's interesting, it's interesting, it's interesting, it's a compound word in the original language.
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And it means to determine in the heart.
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It means to determine in the heart.
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And your heart, biblically speaking, is your connected point of your will, your intellect, and your feelings.
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And so Daniel determines in his mind, I will obey God.
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In the intellect of who I am and what I know to be true, I resolve.
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He determined in his will.
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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.
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Determined in his heart.
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Determined in his feelings.
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Well, I'm here, obviously, believing the lie God's left me here.
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What I've done wrong, all I've been is faithful.
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And I can't believe that I would feel this way.
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But what Daniel does is he resolves in his whole being, with all that he is, that he will obey God.
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Church, when it comes to obedience, obedience isn't a move of the emotion.
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Obedience isn't an agreeance with the mind.
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Obedience is not a personal characteristic of faithfulness.
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Obedience is a determination of the heart.
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Of all that I am, God, I will obey you.
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And that's what this 14-year-old boy does, even if it costs me my life.
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The second thing, I think this is interesting.
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We see from Daniel, uncompromised compassion.
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Uncompromised compassion.
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Now, think about this.
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Daniel stood his ground, but he does so with grace and humility.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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Who are you to stand in my way?
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But that's not what he does.
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This decision carries great implications, not only for himself, but for the chief of the eunuch.
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The chief of the eunuch is like, listen, this could cost me my life.
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Daniel doesn't say, I don't care.
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Daniel doesn't say, not my problem.
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Daniel doesn't say, your pagan convictions are not going to influence who I am as an obedient follower of God.
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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.
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For the man who just doesn't get it.
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Lost people should not understand yours and my depth of love for the Lord.
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It should be foreign to them.
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It should be difficult for them to wrap their minds around.
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And our response to them shouldn't be, you fool, you idiot.
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Compassion.
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Daniel could have fought him.
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But instead, he loves him.
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I think sometimes our, I'm going to say our, but also my, I'm in this.
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I think sometimes as we stand in our convictions,
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we begin to look at those who are outside of our convictions
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as the enemy
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instead of the object
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of who we're seeking to share the gospel and the love of God with.
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And the beauty of this
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is that what we see
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is that the people of God
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can stand
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both
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in obedience
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to God
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and in compassion
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for those who don't know him.
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And that's exactly what Daniel does.
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The next that we see
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is uncompromised faith.
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Uncompromised faith.
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Here's what Daniel shows.
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Daniel shows in this faith in God.
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Daniel knows in this situation
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logic doesn't work.
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He's got to know
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that committing to vegetables and water
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while everyone else eats meats, cakes, and drinks the finest wine
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is going to put him at a disadvantage
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physically speaking
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but in his 14 years
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he's learned
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in all situations
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in great and in loss
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to trust God.
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To trust God
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and to simply
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be obedient.
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To take step of faith
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after step of faith
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after step of faith.
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and what comes next
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he doesn't know
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but he knows
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that God does.
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The God who put
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his people
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into the hand
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of Nebuchadnezzar
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is the same God
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that holds Daniel
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in the palm of his hand
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and he knows
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he knows
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that he can trust him.
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So let's see what happens.
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Cake and ice cream
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vegetables and water.
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Let's see.
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Verse 14.
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So he listened to him
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in this manner
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and tested them
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for 10 days
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and at the end
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of 10 days
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it was seen
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that they were
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better in appearance
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and fatter
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in the flesh
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than all
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the youths
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who ate
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the king's food.
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That's got to be God.
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Little Debbies
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or baby carrots, right?
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Who wins?
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So the steward
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took away
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their food
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and the wine
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they were to drink
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and gave them vegetables.
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As for these four youths
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God gave them
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learning
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and skill
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in all literature
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and wisdom
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and Daniel
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had understanding
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in all visions
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and dreams.
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At the end
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of the time
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when the king
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had commanded
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that they should be
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brought in
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the chief of the eunuchs
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brought them in
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before Nebuchadnezzar
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and the king
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spoke with them
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among all of them
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none was found
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like Daniel
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Hananiah
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Mishael
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and Azariah.
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Therefore
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they stood
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before the king
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and in every matter
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of wisdom
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and understanding
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about which the king
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inquired of them
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he found them
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ten times
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better
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than all the magicians
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and enchanters
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that were in
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all his kingdom.
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And Daniel
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was there
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until the first year
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of King Cyrus.
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So here's what we see.
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We see Daniel
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come forward
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I'm not going to compromise.
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I'm going to be obedient.
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I'm going to love.
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And I'm going to claim faith.
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It's pretty simple right?
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That's my plan.
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That's my plan.
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Obedient
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love
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faith.
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He can't control
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his situation.
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He can't maneuver.
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He can't manipulate.
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He can't set himself
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free.
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Obedient
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love
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faith.
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Look what God does.
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Look what God does.
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What we see
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is
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uncompromised
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blessing.
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Uncompromised
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blessing.
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Physically
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physically
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they got bigger.
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They got bigger.
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In a day
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where fatter
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is celebrated
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this is what they get.
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Right?
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They get bigger.
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They should not be
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but they are.
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Mentally
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they get smarter.
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God
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this blows my mind.
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God
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grew
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their minds
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even
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in the way
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of the Babylonians.
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Oh
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this could be
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a whole other message.
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God's building
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some missionaries
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to understand
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a pagan culture
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in a pagan land
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to be wise
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in their ways
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while they're wise
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in the ways
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of God.
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God
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grew them
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mentally.
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God
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grew them
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spiritually.
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It says
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specifically here
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about Daniel
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that Daniel
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received the gift
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of interpreting
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dreams
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and visions.
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God
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grew
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Daniel's
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giftedness
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in this.
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So what we see
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physically
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they're being
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blessed.
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Mentally
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they're being
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blessed.
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Spiritually
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they're being
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blessed.
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And then
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socially
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socially
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these were
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boys chosen
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out of
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influential
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families
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and nobilities
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from Judah
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who were brought
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in and now
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captives
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and when Daniel
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stands before
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Nebuchadnezzar
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and Daniel's
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wisdom and
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understanding
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he brings in
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all of his
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spiritual leaders
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that he has
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and Daniel
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beats them all
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in Babylonian
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jeopardy.
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This is what
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we've got.
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The wisest
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the best
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the smartest
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and it says
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socially
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no one
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was
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their
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equal.
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What does
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that mean?
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God's
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growing
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their
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influence.
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God's
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growing
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their
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influence
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in a
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foreign
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pagan
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land
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as their
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hearts
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are centered
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and focused
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on him.
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We live
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in a
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day.
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We live
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in a
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time
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where
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everyone
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around us
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Christians
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and
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non-Christians
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desperately
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seek
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the
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blessing
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of
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God
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whether
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they
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know
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it's
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the
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blessing
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of
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God
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or
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not.
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We live
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in a
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time
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and a
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culture
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in our
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modern
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day
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Babylon
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and that
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is not
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like a
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prophecy
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or a
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political
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statement
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alright
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but we
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live
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in a
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time
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and a
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period
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marked
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by the
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pagan
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practices
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of this
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world
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and you
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can't
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convince
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me
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that we
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don't.
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We live
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in a
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time
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and a
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period
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and we're
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going to
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look at
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some
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things
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later
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on
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where
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a
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third
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of
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the
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people
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of
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the
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United
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States
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33%
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say that
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they are
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a
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Christian
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whether
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they're
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a
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Christian
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or
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not.
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So
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we're
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not
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even
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close
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to
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the
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majority.
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But
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what we
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deeply
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what everyone
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wants
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what everyone
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wants
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at their
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core
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listen to
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the
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news
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talk to
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your
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friends
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think about
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this
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yourself
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we want
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satisfaction
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we want
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to be
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satisfied
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we want
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peace
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we want
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joy
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we want
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hope
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we want
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worth
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we want
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purpose
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the difference
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is
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the world
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can never
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fulfill
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these blessings
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they can only
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come
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from God
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satisfaction
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peace
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joy
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hope
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worth
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purpose
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are not
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defined
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by the
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ways
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and means
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of this
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world
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but they're
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defined
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by the
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God
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who
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gives
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them
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and who
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gives
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them
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freely
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the question
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is
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as we
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stand
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in this
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day
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as we
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stand
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in this
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pagan
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culture
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that we
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live in
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heaven
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that God
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has called
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us to
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you could
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have been
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born at
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any time
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and at
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any place
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in the
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history
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of the
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world
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and God
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chose you
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for here
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and God
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chose you
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for now
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do we
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live in a
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manner
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worthy
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and ready
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to receive
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the blessing
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of God
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we live
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in a
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compromised
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culture
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but we're
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called
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to be
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an
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uncompromised
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people
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Jesus
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in his
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high
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priestly
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prayer
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prays to
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God
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prays to
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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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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%
-
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
-
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%
-
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
-
and on
-
the
-
evidence
-
largely
-
speaking
-
that
-
people
-
who
-
call
-
themselves
-
Christians
-
have
-
also
-
compromised
-
could go
-
on
-
and 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
-
Facebook
-
Instagram
-
and YouTube
-
thanks again
-
for listening
-
and YouTube