Anchoring Faith in a Post-Truth Era

In a world where truth seems increasingly elusive, the challenge is not just to discern what is true, but to have the courage and resilience to live by it. The phrase “You can’t handle the truth,” made famous by a Hollywood film, resonates deeply with our current cultural moment—a time described as an era of “truth decay.” We are surrounded by a web of crises, not least of which is the breakdown of trust in facts, the blurring of opinion and reality, and a growing skepticism toward institutions that once defined our shared understanding of truth. This post-truth era leaves many feeling unmoored, searching for something solid to anchor their lives.

Turning to the story of Daniel in the Old Testament, we find a model for living faithfully in the midst of cultural confusion and pressure. Daniel, taken as a teenager into exile in Babylon, faced relentless challenges to his identity and convictions. Despite the destruction of his homeland and the pressure to assimilate, Daniel chose to remain faithful to God. He navigated the demands of a foreign culture with wisdom and humility, refusing to compromise his core beliefs even when it meant risking his life.

Daniel’s story is marked by strategic faithfulness. Whether it was negotiating dietary requirements, interpreting impossible dreams, or facing the threat of death for his prayer life, Daniel consistently anchored himself in the truth of God. His friends, too, demonstrated this same resolve, choosing the furnace over idolatry, confident that faithfulness mattered more than outcomes. Decades later, Daniel’s integrity was so unimpeachable that his enemies could find no fault in him, except his unwavering devotion to God.

This kind of resilience is not rooted in stubbornness, but in a deep understanding of identity—knowing who we are and whose we are. Daniel’s life echoes the wisdom of St. Augustine: “Where I found truth, there I found my God, who is the truth itself.” Ultimately, the story points forward to Jesus, who, when questioned by Pilate, affirmed that his kingdom is rooted in truth. In a world of shifting narratives, the call is to anchor ourselves in the unchanging truth of God, living with courage, wisdom, and grace.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The crisis of truth in our culture is not just about misinformation, but about a deeper erosion of trust in facts, institutions, and even our ability to discern reality. This “truth decay” leaves us vulnerable to confusion and manipulation, making it all the more vital to seek a foundation that is unshakeable. [03:23]
• 2. Daniel’s example teaches that faithfulness to God’s truth does not require loud protest or dramatic gestures, but often quiet, strategic wisdom. He navigated the pressures of Babylon with humility and intelligence, finding creative ways to honor God without unnecessary conflict. [07:47]
• 3. True resilience is forged in the daily, often unseen choices to remain anchored in God’s truth, even when it is costly. Daniel’s lifelong habit of prayer and integrity made him unassailable, not because he was perfect, but because his identity was rooted in something greater than the shifting powers around him. [12:51]
• 4. Faithfulness is not measured by outcomes, but by steadfastness. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s willingness to face the furnace, regardless of whether God would deliver them, reveals a faith that is anchored in God’s character, not in guarantees of safety or success. [10:23]
• 5. The pursuit of truth is ultimately a pursuit of God, who is truth itself. As Augustine observed, and as Daniel’s life demonstrates, our deepest identity and security are found not in the approval of empires or cultures, but in the God who remains constant through every age. [13:31]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:15] - “You Can’t Handle the Truth” and Cultural Context
• [01:42] - Truth Decay in Modern Society
• [03:23] - Four Causes of Truth Decay
• [04:25] - The Post-Truth Era
• [05:32] - Introducing Daniel: A Truth Warrior
• [06:14] - Daniel’s First Test: The King’s Food
• [07:47] - Strategic Faithfulness: The 10-Day Test
• [08:43] - Interpreting the King’s Dream
• [09:58] - The Fiery Furnace: Faithfulness Under Fire
• [11:24] - Daniel’s Integrity in Old Age
• [12:02] - The Plot Against Daniel
• [12:51] - Daniel’s Resilience and Identity
• [13:31] - Augustine and the Nature of Truth
• [14:15] - Jesus Before Pilate: Truth Incarnate

Bible Reading

Daniel 1:8-16 (ESV) — > 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.

Daniel 3:16-18 (ESV) — > Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

John 18:37 (ESV) — > Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

Observation Questions

1. What specific challenge did Daniel face regarding the king’s food, and how did he respond to it? ([07:04])
2. How did Daniel’s friends respond when threatened with the fiery furnace, and what was their reasoning? ([10:23])
3. According to the sermon, what habits did Daniel maintain throughout his life, even into old age? ([12:02])
4. In John 18:37, what does Jesus say is the reason he came into the world?

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Daniel chose a quiet, strategic approach rather than a loud protest when faced with the king’s food? What does this reveal about his character and faith? ([07:47])
2. What does the response of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to the king teach us about faithfulness, especially when the outcome is uncertain? ([10:23])
3. The sermon describes Daniel’s resilience as being rooted in his identity and in knowing “whose he was.” How does knowing our identity in God help us remain faithful in a culture of “truth decay”? ([13:31])
4. Jesus says he came to “bear witness to the truth.” In a world where truth is often questioned or ignored, what does it mean for followers of Jesus to listen to his voice? ([14:58])

Application Questions

1. The sermon described our culture as living in an era of “truth decay,” where facts are blurred with opinions and trust in institutions is low. Where do you personally feel this “truth decay” most in your daily life—at work, online, in relationships? How does it affect you? ([03:23])
2. Daniel’s faithfulness was often quiet and strategic, not loud or confrontational. Are there situations in your life right now where you feel pressured to compromise your beliefs? What would a “strategic faithfulness” look like for you in those situations? ([07:47])
3. Daniel and his friends were willing to be faithful to God even if it meant facing serious consequences. Is there an area in your life where you are tempted to measure faithfulness by outcomes or success, rather than by steadfastness? How can you shift your focus? ([10:23])
4. Daniel’s lifelong habit of prayer anchored him in God’s truth. What is one daily or weekly habit you could start (or restart) to help anchor yourself in God’s truth, especially when you feel unmoored? ([12:02])
5. The sermon quoted St. Augustine: “Where I found truth, there I found my God, who is the truth itself.” Where are you currently seeking truth in your life? Are there sources you rely on that might not be trustworthy? How can you pursue God as the source of truth more intentionally? ([13:31])
6. Jesus said, “Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” What are some practical ways you can tune out the noise of culture and listen more closely to Jesus this week? ([14:58])
7. Think about a time when you felt pressure to “fit in” or go along with the crowd, like Daniel in Babylon. How did you respond? Looking back, is there anything you would do differently now in light of Daniel’s example? ([06:14])