“Even If” Faith: Standing Firm When Life Gets Hot

🔥 When the heat is on, will your faith hold?

In this powerful episode, Mike Stone unpacks the bold faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3 and applies it to the modern pressures we face. You’ll learn what it means to have “Even If” faith—trusting God regardless of the outcome—and discover how to stand firm when culture demands you bow.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- The parallels between ancient Babylon’s idols and today’s cultural idols.
- How faith is tested when culture collides with conviction.
- Why courage isn’t the absence of fear, but trust in God in the face of it.
- How your faith in the fire can spark faith in others.

Resources & Scriptures Mentioned:
👉 Daniel 3:16–18 – “Even if” faith in the fiery furnace
👉 Isaiah 43:2 – God’s promise in the fire

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CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction: Facing the Fires of Life  
00:32 Modern-Day Fires We Face  
01:00 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s Story  
02:28 Today’s Idols and Pressures to Bow  
03:32 “Even If” Faith  
04:35 When Following God Costs Something  
04:57 Jesus in the Fire  
06:10 A Personal Story from Mike  
07:25 Coming Out Without the Smell of Smoke  
08:00 Four Key Lessons from the Fiery Furnace  
08:34 Encouragement for Your Fire  
09:09 Closing Prayer & Call to Action

Transcript

0:00

Hello my friends, and welcome to Behind the Mike Podcast. I'm Mike Stone, and today I want to talk about something that we all face, even if it looks different for each of us. I'm talking about the fires of life now. I'm not talking about literal flames, of course, but the fire of pressure, the fire of temptation, the fire of hardship, the fire of standing for what's right when it feels like everyone else around us is bowing down. Maybe for you it's the fire of a tough workplace. Maybe it's the fire of criticism for your faith or the fire of health struggles. There's even the fire of grief. The question is, when the heat is on, will your faith hold? It's a big question. And today we're going to look at one of the boldest stories of faith in the Bible, one of my personal favorites, the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. To see what their courage can teach us about walking with God when life gets hot. Well, I can't help but think about VeggieTales and the story of Rack, Shack and Benny, whenever there is a reference to the story of the fiery furnace. Like ‘em or not, VeggieTales left a memorable impression on a lot of people, even parents. Well, today, if you look in Daniel chapter three, it paints the scene which is King Nebuchadnezzar builds this massive golden statue 90ft tall, nine feet wide, and he commands everyone in Babylon when the music plays, bow down and worship the image I've made. Anyone who refuses will be thrown into a blazing furnace. That's pressure. Everyone else is bowing, everyone else is complying. And if you don't, you pay for it with your life. We've heard lots of stories about things like this in the past. Makes you think. And now we may not be asked to literally bow down to a golden statue, but the pressure today is still real. Bow down to the idol of success. Bow down to the idol of comfort. Bow down to the idol of approval, or bow down to the idol of politics, money or even social validation. Culture still says bow. Or else I think it's getting worse. But sometimes the fire looks like being left out, being criticized, being canceled, or even losing opportunities. But here's the truth faith is tested when culture collides with conviction. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had a decision to make, and so do we. When the music played, everyone bowed except for three men. And when the king demanded an explanation, they shared these incredible words.“Our God, whom we serve is able to deliver us from the fiery furnace. But even if he doesn't, we will not bow down to your gods.” That comes right out of Daniel chapter three, verses 16 through 18. I love that that right there is the heartbeat of unshakable faith. It's the even if faith, God can heal my sickness. But even if he doesn't, I will trust him. God can restore this relationship, but even if he doesn't, I will follow him. God can open this door, but even if he doesn't, I will not compromise. That kind of faith doesn't bargain with God. It simply trusts him. Period. And friends, that's rare today. We like to follow God as long as things are going well. But what about when it cost us something? All my life I've heard if God is real, then why fill in the blank? The world sees God as some kind of cosmic Santa Claus. I sometimes wonder if the church in the United States faced the same persecution that the church in China is facing, or the church in North Korea, or the Church in Nigeria. How many would simply bow down? Courage isn't the absence of fear, it's trust in God in the face of fear. So what happens? Well, if you grew up in Sunday school, you know they're thrown into the furnace. They're bound, helpless, hopeless. In human terms. But Nebuchadnezzar looks and sees something shocking. He says, hey, didn't we throw three men into the fire? But I see four, and the fourth looks like the Son of God. That's Jesus showing up in the fire. And here's what that means for us. God doesn't always prevent the fire, but he always, always promises to be with us.

Isaiah 43: 5:54

2 says,“When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. The flames will not set you ablaze.” Look, you may be going through fire, but you will not be going through it alone. Think about your own life. Can you recall a time when the heat was turned up, but you sensed God's presence more than ever before? For me, there was a time many years ago that I became aware of a faction in our church that was absolutely going to create division. And I began to wonder, do I say something and probably lose very close friends who had? Or do I just pretend that it's not happening? With lots of prayer and fasting and time, I chose to go to our church leadership and risk being wrong or looking foolish. It was one of the hardest choices that I've ever had to make, and I did lose some really great friends. But it was the right thing and God was with me through it all. Every step I took, I could sense his presence. The fire you fear may actually be the place where you see Jesus most clearly. So when they came out of the fire, the Bible says they weren't burned. Their clothes weren't even singed, and they didn't even smell like smoke. And Nebuchadnezzar, well, this pagan god ended up praising the God of Israel. Here's the point your faith in the fire can ignite faith in others. Sometimes people won't be convinced by your words, but they'll be changed by watching your faith under pressure. The fire that you go through could be the very thing that points somebody else to Jesus. So let's recap. The pressure to bow down is real. We all know that the courage to stand up may cost us something. Number three, the presence of God meets us in the fire. At number four, our witness can shine brightest after the fire. Friends, I don't know what fire you're walking through today, but I do know this. You are not alone in it. I mean that I'm not just saying it. You are not alone in it. The same God who stood with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stands with you. So hold fast. Don't bow. Don't give up. Let's pray together. Father, you know the fires that are in all of our lives. I pray that you would encourage us to stand firm. Give us the faith to trust, even if the outcome is not what we want. Give us the eyes to see your presence in the middle of it all. And may our lives point others to you. In Jesus name, Amen. Hey, thank you for joining me on Behind the Mike Podcast. If this encouraged you today, would you do me a favor and share it with a friend who might need the reminder that they're not alone in the fire? As always, keep seeking Jesus. He's worth it. See you next time on Behind the Mike Podcast.