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As believers, we want to walk to walk. Live for Christ. Pastor Gregg Laurie says we can also

overreact. I think sometimes we may think I need to get away from all non-believers.

I want to only hang out with Christians and then I'll go to church and be with more Christians.

But the reality is sometimes when we're out there in culture, we can make an impact.

And often the most unfavorable circumstances are the most favorable for spiritual growth

in becoming more like Jesus.

Remember the Sunday School song Dare to Be a Daniel? Daniel was a prophet of God and a man who lived a

godly life in the midst of an ungodly culture. Did he cloister himself away in monastic secrecy?

No, he lived boldly, even risking his very life to do so. Today on a new beginning,

Pastor Gregg Laurie says Dare to be a Daniel. Our culture doesn't reveal those who are committed

to their faith, but we're not living to please culture. We're living to serve our Savior.

Daniel was a man of prayer. He would open the windows of his house every day and get down in his

knees three times a day and pray to the Lord. And because of that, he was thrown into a den of

hungry lions. The story is so familiar. We can almost dismiss it as a fable of some kind,

but this is a real story that actually took place. So let's kind of get the historical backdrop.

A Babylon has fallen. The prophet has appeared before King Belchazar and told him his days are numbered

and they were right outside of the gates of the city where the Mito Persian forces led by Cyrus

and they came in conquered Babylon and Belchazar, the wicked disobedient king died that night.

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