The Worlds Okayest Pastor
Faith. Life. Real Talk.
I’m a pastor with a deep passion for teaching God’s Word and helping people discover a meaningful relationship with Christ. But I’m also human—living in the same world you do, facing the same ups and downs.
This space is where faith meets everyday life. I don’t want to ignore the struggles we all face—whether spiritual, emotional, or practical. My hope is to walk alongside you, offering truth, grace, and guidance for both this life and the one to come.
Let’s grow together.
The Worlds Okayest Pastor
Finding Your Identity When the World Wants Your Loyalty
What happens when your faith collides with a culture that wants your identity? Daniel's story reveals the power of staying true to God while navigating life in exile.
The roller coaster analogy sets the perfect tone—life's thrilling, sometimes terrifying, but ultimately safe when we trust the One in control. This message explores how Daniel maintained unwavering faith despite being forcibly relocated to Babylon, renamed, and pressured to assimilate into a pagan culture.
Looking through the lens of Israel's gradual spiritual decline over 800 years, we discover how small, seemingly insignificant choices—like being just one degree off course—can lead to disastrous destinations. Daniel's courageous decision to refuse the king's food wasn't just about dietary preferences; it was a profound statement about where his ultimate loyalty resided.
The aviation principle that one degree off course results in missing your destination by one mile for every sixty miles traveled perfectly illustrates how minor spiritual compromises compound over time. Daniel's example challenges us to examine the small decisions that reveal who we truly worship.
Particularly meaningful is the fresh perspective on Jeremiah 29:11—a promise spoken not to people living comfortable lives, but to those in exile. God calls us to thrive where He's planted us, making our communities better through our presence and faithfulness, even when surrounded by a culture increasingly hostile to faith.
Whether you're feeling displaced, pressured to compromise, or simply trying to navigate faithfulness in a complex world, Daniel's example offers timeless wisdom: God remains sovereign regardless of who occupies earthly thrones. Your legacy isn't about building temporary kingdoms but bringing others into the eternal one.
Okay. So, poll, participation, poll. Everyone, get your right hand ready to raise. How many of you like roller coasters? Okay, so all of us are going to Kennywood. How many of you don't like roller coasters? And all of you are going to hold our stuff? Okay, why, we're on the roller coaster.
Speaker 1:So there was a moment a couple years ago I think it was two years ago so we were at Kennywood and we took our kids to Kennywood for the first time. And so Griffin's five, Everett's seven, and we're in like the little kiddie side of you know Kennywood that I can't ride anything, obviously. And so off in the corner they have like this mini version of the Phantom, which I think is pretty cool. I like the Phantom, that was always one of my favorite roller coasters. And so we go over to this like little kiddie version of it. And so Everett Everett's pretty brave, he's starting to kind of like he's going to be my riding buddy, Like I know it. It's coming Because Danny won't do it, Whatever, but Everett's going to be my riding buddy.
Speaker 1:So Everett decides to go on this ride and Griffin decides he wants to go too, and we kind of stop and I'm like Griffin, are you sure that you want to get on the roller coaster. I'm like let's stand here and watch it a few times. So we get up to where they're going and Griffin's like yeah, yeah, yeah, I want to do it. And I'm like, all right, I said a little prayer in my head Because if you met Griffin, I love him. He doesn't exactly like thrilling things. So they get on this ride and they go on this roller coaster and it's really small, lasts less than a minute, and I'm watching them. And they get to the end and Everett has this big grin across his face and right next to him is Griffin, who's like looks absolutely terrified Not crying, but terrified. And so the lady on the ride says to them you guys want to go again? Griffin's like no, no, no, no, no, no, no. So he comes on the ride and never goes a couple more times and Griffin is so proud of himself and I'm proud of him too, because that's a big thing and we kind of talked it up and I was like you want to do it again. He said never in my life. I was like you're fine. He's like I hated it and I'm like, well, that's a reasonable response, right? But there's something about roller coasters that are fun, because in the back of your mind it's dangerous, but it's not really dangerous, Because we know that if everything works like it's supposed to, if everything falls in line like it's supposed to yes, it's thrilling, but it's safe You're going to come out on the other side of it unharmed. There's something about living a life that's focused and understands that God in his proper place and God is sovereign means that everything will work out in my life. Now, it doesn't mean it's going to be easy. It doesn't mean it's going to be easy. I can prove this, by the way.
Speaker 1:Isaiah, chapter 1. I know we're talking about Daniel, but we're going to get there. Isaiah, chapter 1, starting in verse 1. So this is about 100 to 200 years before the events of Daniel happen.
Speaker 1:So Isaiah comes on the scene and he starts prophesying, says the vision of Isaiah, the son of Amos, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Isaiah says this hear O heavens and give O earth, for the Lord has spoken. Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its owner and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know. My people does not know. My people do not understand. Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, Offspring of evildoers, Children who deal corruptly. They have forsaken the Lord. They have despised the Holy One of Israel. They are utterly estranged. Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick and the whole heart faint, From the sole of the foot even to the head. There's no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds. They are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil. Your country lies desolate. Your cities are burned with fire In your very presence. Foreigners devour your land. It is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners, and the daughter of Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard, like a lodge in a cucumber field, like a besieged city. If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah. And so Isaiah is setting the tone at this point that Israel has failed to live up to its expectations.
Speaker 1:About 600 years prior to this, they were brought through the Exodus out of Egypt. They were brought out of oppression to serve God wholeheartedly. By this point, they failed to do so, Continuing in verse 10, it says Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom, Give ear to the teaching of our God. You, people of Gomorrah, what to me is the multitude of your sacrifice, says the Lord. I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and fat of well-fed beef. I do not delight in the blood of bulls or of lambs or of goats. When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? Bring no more vain offerings. Incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations. I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. And so we can see that Isaiah is saying very clearly to Judah and to Jerusalem you failed to live up to the God.
Speaker 1:You're following Isaiah 39,. If you jump ahead, there's a moment where Hezekiah's king and Babylon comes calling. The nation of Babylon sends some representatives into the city and Hezekiah welcomes them with open arms, showing them everything the temple, the courts, where all the goods are. And he does this in order to try to make peace. That was his intention. If you get to verse 9, he wants peace. But this happens. And when they leave, Isaiah comes in and says who was that? And Hezekiah says well, they're from Babylon. And Isaiah goes on in the rest of 39 to say yeah, I know, these are the people that are going to take everything you just showed them and they're going to take it in their courts and all of these things that are dedicated to your God are going to be in their God's temple because you have failed to live up to what I've called you to do 800 years, from Exodus to exile.
Speaker 1:It didn't happen overnight. They started off strong, but probably not, Because even when they got on the other side of the Red Sea, there was people complaining already. Imagine being set free from Egypt watching the Red Sea part. By the way, if I lived today, I'd be like having my phone out Like this is the weirdest, coolest thing I've ever seen. Imagine watching God do all of this just to get the other side of it Like, oh, we just want to go back. So their attitude was already wrong. But over the course of 800 years, God was patient with them. Of 800 years, God was patient with them. But decision after decision, day after day, it slowly wilted away. They lost their focus.
Speaker 1:If you guys know anything about aeronautics, if you're a pilot anyone a pilot in here. I am not. I am on PlayStation, but that's not irrelevant. I knew Greg would like that one. So if you're a pilot, there's this 60 to 1. It's not a theory, but when they talk about degrees of separation or degrees of errors, the ratio is 60 to 1. And so let me read this real quick. It said in air navigation the 1 in 60 rule is a rule of thumb which states that if a pilot has traveled 60 miles, then an error in track of 1 mile is approximately a 1 degree error in heading and proportionally more for larger errors. So essentially, what that means is for every 1 degree that the nose of the plane is off, every 60 miles they travel with the nose being off, they're one mile away from their destination. So that one degree, which is not very much, if not corrected, eventually becomes this insurmountable situation.
Speaker 1:There was a time March 28, 1979, a sightseeing flight crashed into a mountain in Antarctica, killing all of the 279 people on board. An investigation determined that the crew had not been informed of a two degree correction made to the plane's flight path the night before, Causing the plane's navigation system to route them toward Mount Erebus instead of through the court of sounds. So again, this small error led to the loss of a great deal of life. So we arrive at Daniel, Because over 800 years these little decisions led to exile. Can you imagine hearing the stories of the exodus, but being the generation that walks into exile? You see what God has done for you, for your people, and all of a sudden you find yourself being taken captive by the nation around you.
Speaker 1:Psalm 137, verses 1 through 9. I promise we are getting to the book of Daniel, Psalm 137, verses 1 through 9. And I want you to understand, as I read this, that this is written by people who are in exile. It says by the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion. On the willows, there we hung up our leaders, For there our captors required of us songs and our tormentors, mirth, saying Sing us one of the songs of Zion. So the captives of Zion are saying Sing one of your songs, Worship your God.
Speaker 1:It says how shall we sing the Lord's song on a foreign land If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill, Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, If I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy. Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites, the day of Jerusalem, how they said lay it bare. Lay it bare down to its foundations, O daughter of Babylon, keep in mind I'm about to read. These are people who are in grief. It says O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed. Blessed shall he who be who repays you with what you have done to us. Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rocks Again. I understand that's one of those passages that people read. It's hard, but these are people who are in exile by a nation that is evil and corrupt and has done this to them. So they're crying out in anguish because they've lost everything.
Speaker 1:Daniel 1. It said In the third year of the reign of Jehokim, king of Judah. It said house of God, and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his God, and he placed the vessels in the treasury of his God. So what Hezekiah had been warned of happened under Jehoiakim. Babylon showed up, Nebuchadnezzar came in and took them into exile. And took them into exile. Exile is hard. They lost everything. They're now in a nation that really could care less about their God.
Speaker 1:Part of, when you look at even war today, but especially back then, the whole concept of war was to dominate. So you would go into entire cities and you would overthrow it, you would besiege it, you would kill off anyone who wasn't of value to you. Your goal was to try to erase them from the map. Rome did that very well. By the way, I know we're not there, it's a little farther down the road, but Rome did that very well. Babylon the same thing. They wanted to make sure that Babylon would reign supreme. So they go in, they overfill the nation. By the way, Jerusalem knew this was coming. Isaiah warned them. He said if you don't stop the way you're headed, it will not end well for you. And here we now find the people of God living in exile.
Speaker 1:I wonder how Daniel felt. When you look at the text and as you read through Daniel, you kind of get this idea of this really faithful young man who's dedicated to God. I wonder how he felt. He probably didn't feel like he deserved exile. No, he was trying to do his best, but something about the crowd, something about the nation had failed. And all of a sudden they find themselves sitting on a shore that's not their own.
Speaker 1:And in this moment, Daniel has a choice, and this is where identity matters. Because Daniel has a choice, I think he has two options. He can either be mad at God because God didn't give him what he wanted, God didn't spare him, God didn't take care of him, God didn't protect him. He can either be mad at God and reject him and accept Babylonian rule by the way. That's the easy road. Or he can choose to remain faithful to God and accept Babylonian rule by the way. That's the easy road. Or he can choose to remain faithful to God even though he doesn't quite understand what's happening yet. This is where God being sovereign matters. Like a roller coaster. When you understand that God is in charge, a lot of times you and I are just long for the ride. But we know the destination, we know the end.
Speaker 1:Daniel knew that, even though this wasn't ideal, that God was still in charge. So Daniel 1, verses 3 through 15, said Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, used without blemish of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding, learning and competent, to stand on the king's palace and to teach them the literature and the language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate and of the wine that he 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 Belshazzar, Hananiah, he called Shadrach, Mishael, he called Meshach, and Azariah, he called Abednego. By the way, that song we played at the beginning is probably one of my current favorite worship songs, mainly because they sing about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in a song. I didn't think it was possible to sing that collectively. Well, but if you pay attention, the whole song is actually talking about the faith of Daniel, the faith of these three men, and we're going to unpack this later, but for now you need to understand. They've been taken to Babylon, their names have been changed, they're being taught and raised to understand the language of where they were living, so their entire identity, the culture of Babylon. Their goal was to make them like you Verse 8.
Speaker 1:But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food or with the wine that he drank. By the way, there's a good chance that the wine especially culturally, the wine and the food that they were given would have been sacrificed to other gods. So Daniel decided that he would not defile himself with this sacrificed meat, nor the wine. 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. Again, God is sovereign. God gives Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs.
Speaker 1: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 are 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. So this is a big deal. The chief of the eunuchs could lose his life for going against the king's orders. But Daniel says listen, I understand, Give us 10 days. Verse 14,. So he listened to them and in this manner, he tested them for 10 days and at the end of the 10 days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king's food. Again, God is sovereign.
Speaker 1:Daniel has an important decision to make in this time. Am I going to continue to serve my God, the true God, or am I going to give in to the culture around me? Am I going to give in to the culture around me? Am I going to sacrifice my faithfulness by eating meat, sacrifice to wrong gods, false gods? Again, one degree, one decision makes a difference. Degree, one decision makes a difference. Daniel makes a decision to follow and be faithful to God.
Speaker 1:What's interesting to me is Daniel doesn't know what's coming yet. He doesn't know about the lions, then, yet he doesn't know about the fiery furnace for his friends. He doesn't know that he's going to become an interpreter of dreams Not yet. He doesn't know that he's going to become an interpreter of dreams, Not yet he hasn't quite figured out exactly what God's going to do over the next seven years of exile. But Daniel resolved that it doesn't matter what's about to happen. He is going to stay who he is. He is going to hold on to the identity that's been grounded in him, that he is going to serve his God, even if, you know, the world that you and I live in is full of things that want our loyalty. I mean, just pay attention to Facebook. Watch the news Every four years when we vote in this country. I'm not trying to knock them. I'm just saying this world constantly wants our allegiance.
Speaker 1:Who do you follow? Who do you serve? Who'd you pick? We talk about football teams. I dropped in the the draft and I'm an Ohio State fan. I love the Buckeyes. I'm upset that a couple of them went to the Steelers because I don't like the Steelers. You know how much of a struggle that is for me, Because I want to support them, but I don't now, Right, Because the world is constantly calling us. Who do you follow? Who do you live for? What do you want to do? Who do you serve? We chase after jobs. We chase after monies. We chase after careers. We chase after musicians. We chase after politicians. We have all of these things that are constantly pulling us away from God. And in this moment, Daniel is surrounded by some of the greatest temptations and he says and he stands firmly in who he is and he says I will follow God no matter what.
Speaker 1:I came across this quote. There wasn't an author for it, but I loved it. It's really simple. It says your actions reveal who you are and who you belong to. The decisions you make show who you worship.
Speaker 1:Daniel had made it very clear that he was going to follow God because God is sovereign. Daniel knew that Nebuchadnezzar was just another king in a long line of kings. Daniel knew that the God who saved him from the Exodus is the same God who can save him from the exile. He knew who he was because he knew who God was, and he chose to live for God, even if Even if it all didn't work out the way he hoped that it did, it wasn't ingrained in him. He was taught what to do. Daniel didn't just wake up one day and say, oh, today I'm going to follow God. Since he was young, the culture he lived in they talked about God and the faithfulness. He heard the stories countless times. He had made a decision at a very young age that he was going to follow God and when he stepped into Babylon, he took God with him. He refused to let the world change him because he knew God was bigger.
Speaker 1:I was thinking about this this week and talking about what it is that we're teaching my kids. Right? What do we teach the next generation? You know why I love Sunday mornings? Because I love when all the kids go downstairs, because I know they're being taught by God Sorry, about God, not by God. No one down there is God, Don't take that out of context. But they're being taught about God, and Jesse is doing an incredible job of building this ministry and everyone who's volunteering and teaching. We're helping the next generation understand the importance of knowing who they are. Because they know who God is. Their identity is grounded in the one who created them and that's significant Because the things that you do, the decisions that you make, every choice is either pushing you closer to God or farther away. But they're grounded and we're trying to teach them even my own kids trying to teach them the importance of knowing who God is.
Speaker 1:There's something about that repetitiveness. There's something about not only going to kids' church. There's something about being in the Word of God. There's something about assembling together and worshiping. There's something about reminding ourselves weekly of who we are and of the God we serve. It should be ingrained in us that when we walk into the world, the world doesn't derail us.
Speaker 1:So I was thinking about this, and I was thinking about this in light of EMS and, if you have any, if you've ever been part of anything. When I was going through class, one of the things that they talked a lot about and it actually drove me nuts, but I'm glad that they did it but one of the things that was kind of like beat into us was a simple statement. You would say BSI, and is my scene safe? And I know sounds weird, out of context. So BSI means body substance isolation, and so there's this idea that, as a first responder, that you have to protect yourself before you protect anyone else. You can't walk into a house where people are shooting guns and save anyone. If you get shot, or when you're dealing with people, it's important to wear gloves and make sure you protect yourself. So this is like ingrained into who we are, so much so that when we were doing our practicals, if you failed to say that, they could fail you Because every scene you walk into, it's instilled in you that you have to protect you, Because you're no good to anybody if you get hurt.
Speaker 1:And so, when you look at Daniel, it was ingrained into Daniel that God was in charge. It was instilled in him, it was built into him, that he was going to live for God, no matter what. Daniel 1, verses 17 through 21. It says 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 the enchanters that were in all his kingdom, ten times better than all the magicians and the enchanters that were in all this kingdom. And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus. Daniel, they were blessed, they honored God, they set the stage and listen. This is really going to become significant, even more so later on.
Speaker 1:But Daniel understood that in this highly critical moment of his life he had a choice to make. If he strayed even a degree, the outcome could have been different. Imagine if he just decides to eat the food and wine sacrifice to other gods. Imagine if he doesn't honor God. Imagine if his prayer life becomes non-existent. Imagine if he just gives in to the world around him and he lives and acts like them. This story ends in Daniel, chapter 1. If that happens, there's no future. He blends into the background and becomes a nobody. But that's not what happens. Daniel goes on to do incredible things for the Lord 70 years. Daniel goes on to do incredible things for the Lord Seventy years in exile and captivity and he lives for God in abundance. By the way, I'm going to burst some bubbles here, so I hope you'll stay with me.
Speaker 1:Jeremiah 29.11 says what Anybody I know the plans I have for you to prosper you, not to harm you, right? So Jeremiah was a contemporary of Daniel. If you read prior to Jeremiah 29.11, Jeremiah is telling them about how they're going to spend time in exile and he says to them while you're in exile, live and prosper, marry, do business, serve the city you live in. Well, because I know the plans I have for you. When we see that up on someone's wall at grandma's house, grandpa's house, we post that verse online. We take it out of context a little bit and we assume that that just means that God's going to prosper us and protect us always.
Speaker 1:Except for the fact that that's being said, that people are in exile, I would say they don't feel very prosperous in exile. But God says Jeremiah says listen, go and live well, Do well, Live in the culture that you're in, Live where God has planted you, but do it in such a way that it's better for your existence, that the people around you, that the city, benefits from who you are, because I know the plans I have for you. Listen, that is the essence of the church. We live in exile, Maybe not like other cultures, but we live in a world that doesn't favor us anymore. They don't like us. So much has changed.
Speaker 1:But God says even in exile, stay true to me and watch what I do. Listen, this city, this area should be better because we exist. That's what the church is supposed to be. We should make the things around us better, not just numerically so we can grow in numbers, but so the people who live around here their life is better because we are Jesus for them. That's the entire point. We live in a place that's broken and we can either sit down and look like the world or we can choose to follow God and change everything.
Speaker 1:That's what living in exile is that, no matter what the world tells me, I will stay focused on my God, no matter what I do with my life. God is sovereign. No matter who sits in the White House. God is sovereign. No matter who sits in the White House, God is sovereign. No matter who rules the countries around us, God is sovereign. No matter if there's tariffs all over the place or not, God is sovereign. And no matter what happens in our life, God is sovereign. He is in all, knows all, sees all, changes all. And at the end of this world, every king will bow down to Him, I don't care who they are. I pray that someday I get to stand in front of a king and remind them that someday God's going to make them bow down too. I don't know if I ever have that opportunity. It'd be neat, but that's the mentality you and I have. No matter what, God is in charge Sovereign. My loyalty, my faithfulness is to him and him alone, Because you and I serve a king that will endure forever. You and I serve a king that sacrificed his son. You and I serve a king who looks at people like Nebuchadnezzar and laughs. And we're going to learn about Nebuchadnezzar.
Speaker 1:That dude was wicked, he was full of himself. He gets warned about a dream. There's a dream about a statue and the whole idea of it is just to let him know that his kingdom is not going to last forever. And and the whole idea is just to let him know that his kingdom is not going to last forever. And the dude goes and builds a giant gold statue of himself. Arrogant, he's foolish.
Speaker 1:Daniel knows who he is because he knows the God that he serves. Our identity is tied to the God we serve. I love you all, but I don't live for you, I live for Him. I love where we are. I know that we struggle culturally sometimes, but I still choose to serve God because, at the end of the day, he's the only one that's going to stand.
Speaker 1:Anyways, you and I get to be on this little fun roller coaster called life. It's terrible sometimes, but we knew the end. He lived his life helping people get to the end. It's powerful. He lived his life focused on the commission. The great commission will get to the end. It's powerful.
Speaker 1:He lived his life focused on the commission, the great commission of bringing people to Jesus, and there was a piece about him that only the first time I met him, he terrified me. Like he didn't talk to me, he just stared at me and I didn't know what, like I had done wrong. I thought I had sinned and he knew all of my sins, which doesn't make any sense. But he was able to live the life that he did because he understood the God that he served. Daniel lived the life that he lived because he understood the God that he served.
Speaker 1:He understood, as Bill did and as we do as a church, that God is ultimate. He's in charge over everything. Our legacy is not to build a church in Follandview, West Virginia I know how dare I. Our legacy is to build the kingdom. That's the goal To make sure that I take as many people with me to heaven when I die as I possibly can, because that's the only thing I can take with me. My family, your friends, your family, our neighbors are the only thing that can go with us and, in a world that is pulled in so many different directions, when it all comes down to it, living in exile, do you know who you are and do you know the God you live for? Let's pray.