Our culture repeats and reinforces the message that we are the sovereign and supreme being in our lives. Everything becomes about our "kingdom"--our happiness, our fulfillment, and our desires. That perspective cuts God out and puts us at the center. Life will never work like that. Like Nebuchadnezzar, we have the decision to repent of our pride and recognize God's greatness or suffer the undoing of the life we've built apart from God.

There is a stark contrast between the ways of God and the ways of the world. The greater the divergence, the more difficult it is for people to live faithfully for God. The book of Daniel provides a story of a young man who remained faithful to God in the midst of a godless culture. The story of Daniel shows us how to be an influence for God rather than being influenced away from God.

Resource: The book Jared mentions at the top of the message is "The Secular Creed" by Rebecca Mclaughlin