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In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim\\xa0king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar\\xa0king of Babylon\\xa0came to Jerusalem and besieged it.\\xa0And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried\\xa0off to the temple of his god in Babylonia\\xa0and put in the treasure house of his god. Daniel 1:1-5 (NIV)

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king\\u2019s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility\\u2014young men without any physical defect, handsome,\\xa0showing aptitude for every kind of learning,\\xa0well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king\\u2019s palace. Daniel 1:1-5 (NIV)

He was to teach them the language\\xa0and literature of the Babylonians.\\xa0The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine\\xa0from the king\\u2019s table.\\xa0They were to be trained for three years,\\xa0and after that they were to enter the king\\u2019s service. Daniel 1:1-5 (NIV)

1. He will try to change our identity

Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel,\\xa0Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.\\xa0Daniel 1:6-7 (NIV)

The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar;\\xa0to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. Daniel 1:6-7 (NIV)

Daniel: \\u201cGod is my Judge\\u201d

Belteshazzar: \\u201cLady protect the King\\u201d

Hananiah: \\u201cYahweh is my protector\\u201d

Shadrach: \\u201cI am fearful of God\\u201d

Mishael: \\u201cWho can compare to my God? No one!\\u201d

Meshach: \\u201cI am despised, contemptible, and humiliated\\u201d

Azariah: \\u201cYahweh has helped\\u201d

Abednego: \\u201cServant of Nebo\\u201d

When culture shifts, you have to know who you are.

2. He will challenge our convictions

But Daniel resolved not to defile\\xa0himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.\\xa0 Daniel 1:8 (NIV)

When culture shifts, we must reaffirm our convictions.

Now God had caused the official to show favor\\xa0and compassion\\xa0to Daniel,\\xa0but the official told Daniel, \\u201cI am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your\\xa0food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.\\u201d Daniel 1:9-10 (NIV)

3. He will create a confrontation

Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,\\xa0\\u201cPlease test\\xa0your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.\\xa0Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.\\u201d\\xa0So he agreed to this and tested\\xa0them for ten days\\u2026 Daniel 1:11-14 (NIV)

When culture shifts, we have to respond the right way.

At the end of the time\\xa0set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.\\xa0The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king\\u2019s service.\\xa0Daniel 1:18-20 (NIV)

In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians\\xa0and enchanters in his whole kingdom. Daniel 1:18-20 (NIV)

The Word became flesh\\xa0and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory,\\xa0the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14\\xa0 (NIV)

For it is by grace\\xa0you have been saved,\\xa0through faith\\u2014and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God\\u2014\\xa0not by works,\\xa0so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9\\xa0 (NIV)

Without truth, we are CORRUPT.

Without grace, we are CONDEMNED.

Without truth, we become WORLDLY.

Without grace we become JUDGMENTAL.

Truth without grace is MEAN.

Grace without truth is MEANINGLESS.

Grace INVITES us to be FREE.

Truth SETS us FREE.

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group\\xa0and said to Jesus, \\u201cTeacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.\\xa0John 8:3-11 (NIV)

In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.\\xa0Now what do you say?\\u201d\\xa0They were using this question as a trap,\\xa0in order to have a basis for accusing him. John 8:3-11 (NIV)

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.\\xa0When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, \\u201cLet any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone\\xa0at her.\\u201d\\xa0Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. John 8:3-11 (NIV)

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.\\xa0Jesus straightened up and asked her, \\u201cWoman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?\\u201d \\u201cNo one, sir,\\u201d she said. John 8:3-11 (NIV)

\\u201cThen neither do I condemn you,\\u201d\\xa0Jesus declared. \\u201cGo now and leave your life of sin.\\u201d John 8:3-11 (NIV)