Daniel 1:3-21 - When In Babylon...

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Amen.

Last week we began a journey through the book of Daniel.

We began that journey by reading about the defeat of God's people.

His people suffering defeat against Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar.

So God's people are going to be taken into Babylon where the rest of the book occurs.

Today Daniel and his friends are taken into exile in Babylon.

They're moved there and we begin to deal then with the question of when in Babylon?

How should we live?

What does it look like for God's people living in Babylon?

Here's this pluralistic culture much like the one we live in and God's people called to a singular devotion to Him.

How?

How can that happen?

In some ways it's the age-old challenge of being in the world but not of the world.

And there are at least four ways that Christians have approached this idea through the years.

The first is to isolate, right?

You're faced with this dilemma living in Babylon and one option is to isolate, to avoid all possible interaction with this culture.

To avoid contact with the world whenever possible.

Create a separate culture of your own that protects from the ills of the world and is entirely Christian.

This approach values safety and assumes, incorrectly I would say, that all evil is out there.

And we can, with some degree of success, avoid being defiled by avoiding being near the world.

A second option is to fight.

Even in an angry or belligerent way.

Always being angry about everything and always seeking to push back.

At every turn, the way I'm engaging the culture is by defeating it to gain control or power.

This approach values control.

It would seek to see Christians in the majority and would fight politically or socially

to see Christian influence in the culture increase by being in charge.

It's the we're going to win approach.

We're going to be stronger than they are.

Now, if you're among the older generations in this room this morning and you've lived most of your life in America

and particularly in the southern Bible belt,

some version of this approach is pretty much the air you breathe, right?

That you may have grown up and not actually felt at all like you were living in Babylon.

You may have felt very much like Christian principles ruled the day in many areas of society

and in the way that you engaged.

Christians have even used terms like moral majority

to talk about the way we engage with the culture,

that that's what we're going to have and that's how we'll live.

But if you're among the younger generations in the room today,

you've never experienced a world quite like that,

even in Huntsville, Alabama.

Even growing up here, you're much more accustomed to a culture that disagrees with

or actively discourages your values and beliefs.

Younger Christians, you may have noticed, are in general not particularly interested

in striving to be in control of cultural institutions.

But rather, they're working to remain credible and relevant

as a minority in an increasingly dismissive and sometimes hostile culture

that they're growing up in.

And as they do that, the temptation for them is actually towards a third approach,

which is to assimilate.

To determine to be a part of the world in every way.

To take a passive, go-with-the-flow stance on most issues

and just hope to blend in and get along, right?

Not to attract too much negative attention or too much criticism.

This approach values acceptance.

In the end, perhaps, as other generations may notice,

may sometimes find themselves left with little distinctively Christian.

No distinctively Christian message at all, perhaps.

We all have personal tendencies as we think about how to engage, don't we?

Some of us to isolate, some of us to fight, some of us to assimilate.

But while there are moments where each of these approaches may be helpful,

in general, none of them is fully biblical.

Is there a fourth approach?

Is there another way to engage in a culture like Babylon?

Like ours?

Daniel will show us one as we read chapter 1.

And we will learn this,

that because God is supremely valuable,

we must maintain our distinctive identity in the world.

Because God is supremely valuable,

we must stay distinctive,

maintain that distinctive identity while engaging in the world.

Let's give attention to God's word

and see what this looks like for his people here in Babylon.

It's a lengthy section in Daniel 1,

but we'll start at verse 3,

after Nebuchadnezzar has conquered Israel.

This is God's word.

The wine that the king drank.

They were to be educated for three years,

and at the end of that time,

they were to stand before the king.

Among these were Daniel, Hananiah,

Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah.

And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names.

Daniel he called Belteshazzar.

Hananiah he called Shadrach.

Mishael he called Meshach.

And Azariah he called Abednego.

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.

And God gave Daniel favor and compassion

in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs.

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 of your own age?

So you would endanger my head with the king.

Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs

had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

Test your servants for ten 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's food be observed by you

and deal with your servants according to what you see.

So he listened to them in this matter

and tested them for ten days.

At the end of ten days it was seen

that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh

than all the youths who ate the king's food.

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

and all literature and wisdom.

And Daniel had understanding

and 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

and 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.

Pray with me.

Father, this is a familiar story

for some of us.

But it seems distant.

It happened a long time ago.

600 B.C.

Not a world we're familiar with.

Would you teach us about yourself

from your word this morning?

Would you show us what you would have for us?

This is your word

and so we ask your spirit

to teach us.

Would you make our hearts open

to what you would show us this morning?

We ask it in Jesus' name.

Amen.

As the story opens here,

what brings Daniel and his friends

to Babylon

is the king's plan

of complete assimilation.

It's in verses 3-7

that we just read.

The king has a plan

for complete assimilation.

Nebuchadnezzar wants to do what?

He wants to cement his power

over these newly conquered peoples,

doesn't he?

He wants to make sure

that he's in power

and that he stays in power

by taking the best

and the brightest of Israel

and making them Babylonian

in every way.

Daniel and his friends

are probably teenagers,

by the way,

when they are taken

from their homes

and dragged to Babylon.

enrolled in Babylon Prep.

The Babylonian public schools

are well known

for their excellence

in academics.

They're also well known

for their excellence

at inculcating

the Babylonian worldview

and way of life.

So classes on literature

and math

and medicine,

but also classes on omens,

astrology,

pagan religion,

and others most likely.

Don't miss that God,

who is at work here,

who we saw last week,

is in control,

has placed some of his beloved people

right there.

Right there

in the world.

The program of assimilation

that they're to undergo

includes new names,

a new diet,

new education,

the best of everything

that Babylon has to offer

with the intent

of communicating one message,

one thing that the king wants

these men

who would serve

before the king

to know,

the path

to the things

that are really valuable

is to be like one of us.

All those things

you heard growing up

in Israel,

they're inferior.

We've conquered them.

That's not worthy

of following.

The path

to the really valuable things

is to be like us.

You hear that message

all the time,

don't you?

The path

to what's really valuable

is to be like us.

Maybe you've been

a part of a

friend group,

a workplace clique,

a sorority

that you've been engaged with

and the reality

is that backbiting

and gossip

and demeaning criticism

of others

is really the language

of the land

in this group.

If you're going

to be a part of it,

if you're going

to be in there

getting or staying in

requires compromising

your commitment

to Christ

to get what's

really valuable,

to get in,

to be a part of that.

Caring for the marginalized

will just get you

marginalized.

You can tell that.

And then what good

will you be,

you ask yourself?

Young people,

some of you

are going off

to school

and you're hearing

a message there

that if you're going

to get what's

really valuable,

that if you're going

to find love

and what's really

important in life,

you will have to

have a sexual morality

like everyone else.

It's just normal

and expected

these days,

isn't it?

The commitments

that your parents

have taught you

as you've grown up

are mocked

as ridiculous.

Nobody really

lives that way

anymore.

That's silly,

that's old-fashioned,

that's out of date.

And the relationships,

the guy or the girl

that you really need,

this is the only way

you can get it

is to do

what everyone else

is doing.

We all know

how valuable it is

to provide

for our families,

don't we?

To have a good job

and to keep it

and to be able

to provide,

that's valuable,

isn't it?

It's very valuable.

And many of us

realize if we don't

fudge the numbers

like the rest

of the people

in the office,

we'll lose the promotion

or the bonus

or the job.

And then if we

don't make the money,

we won't be able

to live in the right place

or get the valuable things

to protect our kids

and that would be terrible

and after all,

it's just a very small

compromise

for such a big payoff

to be able to provide

for my family,

right?

We live in these places,

don't we?

Where does your heart

receive that clear message?

The path to the things

that are really valuable

is to be like everyone else.

You know,

there's a reason

my parents always

used to say to me,

if everybody else

jumps off a bridge,

are you gonna jump

off a bridge too?

Anybody else's parents

ever say that to them?

Why did we say that a lot?

I mean,

it sounds silly,

but honestly,

you know,

I was a smart

and sarcastic

little kid sometimes.

Sometimes I thought

to myself

but didn't have the guts

to say it,

yeah,

maybe I would.

I mean,

because yeah,

if everybody else

is doing it,

maybe they've found

what's really valuable.

Maybe they're

in the right place

and they've figured

something out

and I wanna,

at least I'd be,

I won't be alone.

At least I'll be a part

of the group

even if they're wrong.

You've felt that way.

There's safety in numbers,

right?

Daniel determines

not necessarily.

Starting at verse eight,

we see Daniel's commitment

to his distinctive identity.

His commitment

to his distinctive identity.

Look at verse eight.

What does Daniel do?

But Daniel,

faced with this plan

of assimilation,

resolved that he would

not defile himself

with the king's food

or with the wine

that he drank.

Daniel makes a decision.

I'm not going to defile myself

in that way.

He doesn't isolate himself,

does he?

He doesn't try to just

avoid Babylon altogether

and to escape

from Babylonian education

or politics.

No, he spends

the rest of his life in it.

He doesn't fight.

He doesn't angrily attack

those in charge

of the program

and seek to take over

and be in charge.

But he doesn't assimilate either.

He doesn't just go along

with this complete indoctrination

into Babylonian culture,

full loyalty to the king

and forgetting his Jewish heritage.

He doesn't do that.

Instead, he resolves

not to defile himself.

He commits to maintaining

his distinctive identity

in some way

even in the midst of that.

And so it's a fair question

to say,

why here with the food and wine?

Why is it there

that Daniel draws the line?

You may think perhaps

that it's because

of Jewish dietary laws

that Daniel,

these things would be unclean

and so Daniel decides

he won't eat them.

That's actually not true

in this case.

It wouldn't make sense

of why the wine

would be included

as not part of that.

And later in Daniel,

we actually see him

probably eating

some of this very food.

So it seems like

it wasn't black and white

like that.

You may think very reasonably

that the food

was offered to idols.

And so it was important

for Daniel

not to partake of food

offered to idols.

Except that that really

is not the context

we're in here.

Plus, the veggies

probably would have been

the same.

And he's happy

to partake of those.

The Bible doesn't tell us

why specifically

Daniel drew the line here

except that he determined

not to defile himself

in this way.

So the particular reason

why must not be the issue

but rather that Daniel

determined to maintain

his identity

as a follower of Yahweh

in some way

and not give himself

wholly over

to dependence on

and commitment

to the king.

Just taking it all in

and just being loyal

to the king.

It's a foothold

in that sense

for Daniel

in the midst of the program

of complete assimilation.

A way not to forget

who he is.

Notice just a few things

about the way

that Daniel engages

the ungodly culture

at this point.

He's not fearful,

is he?

But he's bold.

Determining that he would

take a stand here

and going straight

to the chief of the eunuchs

with his request.

He's willing to risk,

isn't he?

It's risky.

Perhaps even risking

his life to suggest

this idea.

Verse 10 tells us

that it could cost

the chief of the eunuchs

his head.

So it certainly was

risky for Daniel.

In asking this though,

he's humble,

isn't he?

Not pridefully insisting

that he knows better

but asking permission.

And he's respectful.

Personally and patiently

engaging two different officials

to ask for their help

rather than taking to Facebook

as you would probably expect him

to have done

to rant about

the ridiculous new program

and the fools in charge of it.

But he doesn't do that.

Finally, he's dependent.

Verse 9 says,

and God gave.

You hear an echo

from verse 2 last week?

And God gave.

It actually happens again

in this chapter.

Three times in the first chapter.

It'll happen in verse 17.

We'll see in a minute.

And God gave.

Who's still in charge?

God is in charge.

God is the one

who gives Daniel favor

in the eyes of these foreign officials

who would really have had no reason

to listen to Daniel.

He's engaging in a foreign culture

in a distinctive way.

In a way that's consistent

with his identity

as a follower of Yahweh.

And in a way that is not forcing

his own agenda

to become reality

but is rather completely dependent

on God to grant him success.

It won't happen

if God doesn't give him favor.

And these may seem like

small things here

that we're talking about.

In a decision not to eat the food

and drink the wine.

But in the small things,

if you know the story

of the rest of Daniel,

you know God's offering here,

Daniel and his friends,

a training ground

for idols

and fiery furnaces

and lion's dens.

A training ground

that allows them

to be distinctive now

in preparation

for even more difficult days

that lie ahead.

Friends, as followers

of Jesus Christ,

we have a distinctive identity.

We are in Christ.

And that is to be

what primarily defines us

in every facet of life.

That means, for example,

that we find value

in that we are loved by God

and adopted into His family.

So we are distinctively

not looking for our value

in the approval of others.

In worldly success

and accumulating the things

of the world.

In the comfort

and the fame

that we might otherwise

chase after.

We rest in the grace of God

for ourselves

and extend that grace

to others

even at great cost

to ourselves.

And that is to be distinctive.

In fact, it is distinctive

if you live and love

others like that.

The point of Daniel 1

is not to tell you

that it's okay

to change your name

but it's not okay

to change what you eat.

That's not the point

of this chapter.

It's not a detailed list

of do's and don'ts

for living in Babylon.

Do these particular things

but make sure

you avoid the others.

It's a reminder here

of the primacy

of our identity

in Christ.

That we sacrifice

that distinctive identity

and blend in

with our loyalties

and priorities

looking just like

the world's

at our own peril.

We really can't go

any further

without stopping

to admit

how easy that is.

Right?

How easy would it have been

for Daniel

just to go along

with one more thing.

Right?

Everybody else

is a part of the program.

It would have been

very easy.

It wasn't even

best we can tell

individually more evil

than any other part

of the program.

It didn't stick out

as the one thing

to avoid.

How easy is it

just to give in

in one more area?

Just to say

I'll buy what you buy

and pursue what you pursue

and I'll watch

what you watch

and I'll say

what you say

and eventually

over time

just forget

that my life

is to be shaped

distinctively

by who I am

in Christ

not by just

receiving the air

that I breathe

around me

every day.

It's so easy

isn't it

just to go

with the flow.

Some days

I feel like

that's all

I've got the energy

for.

Not to determine

to do anything

at all

just kind of

whatever the culture

seems to do.

It's like going

through Atlanta

at the flow

of traffic

and you can look

up and not even

realize you were

going 80

in a 55

right?

It's natural

it's easy

it feels right.

It's so hard

to resolve

not to defile

yourself

to be committed

to your

distinctive identity

to be driven

in everything you do

by who you are

in Christ.

That's hard.

You can't do it

without trusting

God's provision

of lasting

blessing.

That's what

we see here

at the end

of the chapter.

We see again

in verse 17

that God

gave

this time

blessing them

with learning

and skill

and their

training

and Daniel

particularly

with expertise

and vision

and dreams

so they far

surpass all

the other youths

in the king's

training right?

Now that seems

like a triumph

doesn't it?

There it is

they've conquered

they've won

everything's good

stories over

and there is

blessing

there is a

temporal blessing

from God

God's people

are honored

but things are

not all good

for Daniel

and his friends

are they?

And they experience

some of that

temporal protection

blessing from God

yes they do

but also

quite a bit

of suffering

they spend

the rest

of their lives

in exile

away from

the promised land

facing persecution

at the hands

of jealous

colleagues

and ungodly

kings

listen the

lasting blessing

is not a few

good days

in Nebuchadnezzar's

court

it can't be

can it?

But the thing

that's really

worth it for

Daniel enough

to risk his

life in this

case can't

just be a few

good days of

being smarter

than the guys

around him

the lasting

blessing is

God

himself

we see

that relationship

they have

with God

is highlighted

there in

verse 17

as God

gives them

learning

and understanding

particularly

Daniel

with the

dreams

and visions

where does

that come

from?

Whenever it

comes up

the interpretation

of the dream

comes from

God

doesn't it?

It shows

that Daniel

understands

God's heart

that he's

a man

of God

that he's

in relationship

with God

you see

the gift

with lasting

value

is knowing

God

a relationship

with God

is lasting

and is

strengthened

by the

commitment

to that

primary

and distinctive

identity

as his

child

in the midst

of temptation

to compromise

or assimilate

it strengthens

the relationship

and the truly

valuable thing

is being his

and eternally

being his

look at verse 21

again

didn't probably

catch your

attention

Daniel was there

until the first

year of

King Cyrus

until the first

year of King Cyrus

we know at that

point in time

Daniel would have

to be in his

80s

or older

that's his

entire life

right?

A note here

about King Cyrus

to wrap up

the first chapter

that we said

is about two

kingdoms in

conflict

the kingdom

of Israel

and the kingdom

of Babylon

Yahweh

and Nebuchadnezzar

they're in

conflict

who's greater

it appears

at the beginning

that Babylon

is greater

and that Yahweh

is defeated

right?

That's what we

saw last week

but Cyrus

is not just

another king

who steps in

after Nebuchadnezzar

is gone

Cyrus is a

Persian

king

his nation

has conquered

Babylon

even in

Daniel's

lifetime

Daniel

is still

there

still standing

still

serving

the king

kings pass

kingdoms

pass

but God

remains

in control

knowing him

therefore

is of

much

greater value

than getting

in with

Nebuchadnezzar

do you see that?

if you just

got in with

Nebuchadnezzar

he's gonna be

gone

it's gonna

pass

but knowing

God

is much

greater

value

being connected

to his son

is of much

greater value

than being

connected

to the power

players of

society

that's the

eternal

perspective

that God

truly

lasts

even kings

pass

people

people who

seem to be

powerful

and valuable

and will really

get us

somewhere

and they're

gone

but

God

remains

kids

that's something

that's hard

to wrap your

minds around

God being

eternal

God lasting

forever

that's

that's hard

to picture

sometimes

isn't it?

but that's

what's so

important

in this

passage

to

remember

God

is

so valuable

that knowing

him

is a

greater

treasure

than having

all the

treasures

of the

world

kids

that's

our

thing

to

write

down

about

God

this

morning

it's

it's

what

Daniel

learns

about

God

and what

enables

Daniel

to take

the stand

that he

does here

in chapter

one

God is

so valuable

that knowing

him is a

greater

treasure

than having

all the

treasures

of the

world

the most

valuable

thing

is being

his

eternally

remember

y'all

in Christ

in that

distinctive

identity

what do we

have

we

forgotten

we have

every

spiritual

blessing

the ones

that

really

last

we're

children

of the

king

the

everlasting

king

we have

an

eternal

inheritance

that can

never

fade

away

listen

I know

all the

things

that we

long

for

seem

so

valuable

and the

way to

get them

seems

so

simple

just

blend

in

and get

ahead

just

blend

in

and get

love

just

blend

in

and get

what you

really

want

and need

but when

you weigh

things in

eternal

scales

there's no

comparison

with the

relationship

you have

with God

and the

distinctive

identity

that you

have

in Christ

it's

that

grace

that

gift

that

he

gives

us

that

enables

us

to

remain

committed

to the

one

who

has

committed

himself

to

us

I want

to close

by talking

from my

heart

to the

younger

generation

in the

room

this

morning

that's

those

of us

I don't

know

maybe

south

of our

40s

something

like that

you can

be a part

of the

group

if you

want

if you

know

you're

not

you can

listen

in

anyway

all of

us

who

Lord

willing

are

going

to be

around

when

a few

kings

pass

you know

I wasn't

a teenager

too long

ago

sometimes I

think it

was just

yesterday

but even

now in

my 30s

I remember

and still

say to

myself

some of

the same

things I

used to

say as

a teenager

one of

those that

I find

saying to

myself

is you

know what

I'll

follow

Christ

later

in that

area of

my life

I'll be

committed

to Christ

later

because to

be quite

honest with

you there's

so much

going on

there are

so many

areas of

life and

I am so

busy just

one thing

at a time

you know

what I'll

deal with

that another

time

I'll

follow

Christ

later

you know

what I've

realized after

telling myself

that for

a lot

of

years

it only

costs

more

later

to have

that

distinctive

identity

the cost

keeps going

up

not

down

the cost

of following

Christ

isn't going

down

in our

culture

if you

won't pay

it now

you won't

pay it

later

if you

won't

sacrifice

for Christ

now

you won't

sacrifice

later

that's

what God

has taught

me

don't say

to yourself

after college

after I get

to go

really enjoy

my life

then I'll

follow God's

model for

morality

after I

get to have

my fun

don't say

to yourself

you know

after I get

the job

that I

really need

once I've

got that

job

then I'll

start

working

honestly

and treating

others

respectfully

that's when

I'll do

it

don't say

to yourself

you know

what

after

after we

finally get

through this

season

and really

get settled

then I'll

start making

my family

the priority

that they

should be

and loving

them the way

that God

tells me

to love

them

don't say

to yourself

after I

get my

kids out

of the

house

take good

care of

them

protect

them

and get

them out

of the

house

then I'll

have a

zeal for

the lost

like you've

never seen

then I'm

really going

to care

about that

y'all I want

to stop

saying those

things

I need you

to help

me stop

saying those

things to

myself

it's not

going to

cost

less

and in

these early

small

decisions

we begin

to set the

pattern for

our lives

for future

decisions

here's how

it works

if getting

what's really

valuable

in life

requires

setting God

aside now

why in the

world would

that change

later

if getting

what's really

valuable

requires setting

God aside

I'm not going

to change

that later

and bring

him back

in

in other

words if

God's not

worth it

now he

won't be

then either

but if you

decide to be

distinctive

now if you

find following

Jesus to be

worth it

now even

at great

cost he

will be

worth it

it will be

worth it

again

later

because when

we say the

cost of

following Jesus

of being

distinctive in

that identity

is not going

down that

means something

else has to

change doesn't

it if that's

true you know

what has to

happen God

has to become

more valuable

to us doesn't

he if that

cost is going

to go up he's

got to become

more valuable

faster and

more consistently

remember what

said of Moses

in Hebrews 11

by faith Moses

when he was

grown up

refused to be

called the son

of Pharaoh's

daughter choosing

rather to

be mistreated

with the people

of God than

to enjoy the

fleeting pleasures

of sin

he considered

the reproach of

Christ greater

wealth than the

treasures of

Egypt for he was

looking to the

reward because he

had an eternal

perspective he

considered the

reproach of

Christ greater

wealth than the

treasures of

Egypt y'all

that's the choice

we're going to be

making next

generation the

choice will be

the reproach of

Christ

over the

treasures of

Egypt it

will cost and

Moses said even

reproach with

Christ is greater

value than the

treasures of

Egypt it reminds

me of Jesus when

he's tempted by

Satan what's he

tempted to do to

find control to

find comfort Satan's

way rather than God's

way and Jesus says

God is so valuable

he is so worth it

that I'll choose the

path that I know at

the end of it is what

waiting for me a

cross torment and

pain and rejection by

my father is worth

it Jesus says it's

going to cost

something and it's

worth it to choose

that path he says

God is the treasure he

is the one of

lasting value

knowing God himself

is the treasure that

is most precious

solid joys and

lasting treasure

none but Zion's

children know

so that's in front of

us if we're going to

be anything like what

God intends for us as

his church here at

Southwood in the years

to come if we're

going to be God's

agent of changing the

world don't you want

to be a part of that

don't you want to be a

part of God's agency to

change the world to

fill every person in

every corner of

creation with his

glory that's what he's

doing and he wants us

to be a part of it if

we're going to get to

do that we will have to

learn together and we

will have to help each

other remember in the

hard times that God is

supremely and eternally

valuable pray with me

God we need your help

for that there's so

many other things in

our hearts that seem

more valuable and that

we want we want to be a

community of people we

want to be your body that

truly believes that you're

worth whatever cost you

might ask us to pay that

truly believes that the

people who have yet to

meet you are worth

whatever cost we would

pay to show your love to

them we just confess that

many days it's not true

many days our choices are

for ourselves and our own

comfort and father I pray

that you would by your

grace make yourself so

precious in our hearts so

valuable in our eyes that

everything else would pale in

comparison I pray that you

would make the song we're

about to sing increasingly

true of us would you make

Jesus more valuable to us than

anything else that we would be

forever different that the

world would be changed because

Jesus was indeed the pearl of

great price and we did

anything to have him and to

share him with others do that

work we ask in his name amen

for more information visit us

online at southwood.org

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you

you

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you