Good morning, friends. My name is Brian Asker, and I’m one of the pastors here at Community Covenant Church.

Today is Confirmation Sunday. We have a practice at Community Covenant Church of inviting a young adult to come alongside us and preach. We’ve had confirmation students do that, and we’ve had college students do that. My son did it a couple of years ago, and when he heard me inviting a college student who said, “I think I have a little too much homework,” he said, “Can I do it?” So here’s my son today, Elam, and he’s going to help me preach. Welcome him.

Elam, you have a story you wanted to share to help us get our minds around what we’re talking about today, and you selected this text to go along with it.

When we moved to Mankato, I was mad. I wasn’t thinking about how it could be a faith-building experience. I was just mad about leaving my friends back in Duluth. I was mad at my parents, and I was mad at God, not putting my faith in Him, even though He knows what He’s doing.

I was also thinking about a story from this past week. I spent three days with colleagues in Willmar. When you spend time with colleagues, it’s a lot of fun and you get to share life together. But something happens—they ask, “How’s it going? How’s your church ministry going?” And I have to be honest, it’s really tempting to tell grand stories about how things are going. I have to hold back and say, “No, I need to tell the truth. I think I did okay this time.” That’s a real temptation we face.

Have you ever experienced pressure to disobey God instead of following the faith principles you’ve learned?

In today’s story, there are three men who find themselves in a difficult situation. The question is: will they obey God or human authorities?

We’re in Daniel chapter 3, and we’re going to read through segments of the text. In verse one, King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold sixty cubits high and six cubits wide and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.

To give some background, the book of Daniel is written during the exile. Israel had been taken from their home in Jerusalem. The temple was destroyed, and the Babylonians were not kind. They ripped people away from their homes and made them live in a foreign land. While they were living there, Nebuchadnezzar built this image.

Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do. As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold. Whoever does not will be immediately thrown into a blazing furnace.”

This part of Daniel is written in Aramaic, a language related to Hebrew. The word for image is tselum, which translates to image or idol. So Nebuchadnezzar made an idol of himself. Kings would do this to show their authority. They were essentially saying, “I’m in charge. I decide what’s right and wrong, and you need to obey me.” They would build these statues and temples, and in doing so, they were functioning like gods, telling people to worship them.

But there’s a problem. The Israelites were not supposed to create images and worship them. They were only supposed to worship God. Why? Because God had already created an image of Himself—us. In the creation story, God creates everything and calls it good. Then He creates humans and calls it very good because we are made in His image. We can love, care for others, and create. We’ve been given authority, but we can also misuse that authority. Nebuchadnezzar is asking them to compromise their faith and worship an idol.

So in verses 8 through 12, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego say, “No, we’re not going to bow down.”

Nebuchadnezzar becomes furious and summons them. He says, “Is it true that you do not serve my gods or worship the image I’ve set up? When you hear the music, if you bow down, that’s great. But if you don’t, you’ll be thrown into the furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

It sounds like he’s giving them a second chance, but he’s really challenging them and their God. His “hand” represents his power—his authority and even his military force.

In verse 16, they reply, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves. If we are thrown into the furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us, and He will deliver us from your hand. But even if He does not, we want you to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the image.”

They acknowledge him as king, but not as God. That phrase “your majesty’s hand” is repeated, emphasizing that distinction. This sets up a conflict between their God and Nebuchadnezzar.

The question is: how did they develop that kind of faith? How could they say, “God will deliver us—but even if He doesn’t, we still trust Him”?

We see the answer back in Daniel 1. Nebuchadnezzar brought these Israelite men into Babylon and gave them the best food. But it didn’t follow their laws, so they chose differently. They asked to eat vegetables and put it to the test. After a period of time, they were healthier than those eating the king’s food. That was a small act of faith that prepared them for a much bigger test.

Smaller faith tests prepare us for bigger ones. If we trust God in small things, we can trust Him in big things. But it’s hard. We value comfort over sacrifice and take the easy path instead of doing what’s right.

I think about my own life. When I was younger, I focused on sports and academics. If I had homework or practice, I would skip church. Then I sensed God calling me to prioritize Him. I tried it, and I still did well in school and sports. That small step helped build my faith so that when God later called me into ministry, I could trust Him.

Back in the story, Nebuchadnezzar orders the furnace to be heated seven times hotter. The soldiers tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them in. The fire is so hot that the soldiers die. The text emphasizes that they are bound tightly, showing how serious the situation is.

Then in verse 24, Nebuchadnezzar jumps to his feet in amazement and asks, “Weren’t there three men we threw into the fire?” They reply, “Certainly.” He says, “Look, I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

He calls them out, and they come out unharmed—no burns, no smell of smoke. Nebuchadnezzar praises the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, saying He sent an angel to rescue them. They trusted Him and were willing to give up their lives rather than worship any other god.

One thing we notice is that he calls Him “their God.” He recognizes God’s power but doesn’t claim Him as his own. That still happens today. People may see God at work and say, “Your God is powerful,” but they’re not ready to follow Him.

For the readers of Daniel, this story reminds them that the world will challenge their faith, but God is greater. If you trust Him, you will overcome.

So how do we develop that kind of faith? We start with small steps. Maybe it’s simply telling someone, “I go to church,” or inviting them. Those small steps matter.

We talk about this as a discipleship cycle. We hear from God—through Scripture, prayer, or others. Then we respond—we act on what He’s prompting us to do. Then we debrief—we talk with a trusted person about the experience. That helps us interpret what happened and discern the next step. Then the cycle continues.

I’ve seen this with students sharing their faith. Sometimes the other person doesn’t respond, and they feel like they failed. But we remind them they’re not responsible for the response—only for being faithful. Those debrief conversations help us remember the truth and take the next step.

Elam shared that moving to Mankato was hard at first, but now he sees it differently. He wouldn’t be swimming, going to Lake Beauty Bible Camp, getting baptized, or preaching today if they hadn’t moved.

Even when something is hard, God can use it to grow our faith. Here at Community Covenant Church, we want to help you live this way—hearing from God, responding, and growing. As we do that over and over, our faith grows, and we learn to trust God in bigger things.

Let’s pray. God, thank you for today. Thank you for Elam and for the ways you’ve taught him. Thank you for how you are speaking to each of us. Help us to trust you and take the small steps you’re inviting us into so that our faith grows and we are ready to follow you. Amen.