Crazy Enough to Believe It (Part 3): But If Not . . .

What does courage look like when the stakes are life and death—and there’s no promise of a happy ending? We walk through Daniel 3 and the story of three exiles who refused to bow, even with a furnace roaring in front of them. Their reply to the king—“Our God is able to deliver us… but if not”—becomes a blueprint for a resilient faith that doesn’t rise and fall with outcomes.

We start with identity. Babylon tried to rename Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, not just to assimilate them but to detach them from the God their Hebrew names proclaimed. That same pressure hums through modern life, coaxing us to trade the name Christian for labels that feel safer. From there, we trace the real battle line Jesus drew for Peter: the enemy’s aim is to fracture faith. Trials are not just bad breaks; they are battlegrounds where trust is tested, refined, and, by grace, strengthened.

Then we face the hinge of the whole narrative: belief in God’s power paired with surrender to God’s will. We talk about praying boldly for rescue while preparing the heart to endure, about the freedom that comes when obedience—not a specific outcome—becomes the win. When the three are thrown into the furnace bound, we watch them walk out free without even the smell of smoke, and we reflect on what that means for our own fires: God often meets us in the heat, and His presence brings a peace that confounds those watching.

You’ll hear practical prompts to examine where compromise creeps in, how to hold convictions with humility, and how to cultivate a daily prayer—“Lord, increase my faith”—that builds steady courage over time. If you’re standing at a door you want God to open, or staring down a path you never asked for, this conversation will help you hold fast to who God is, release what you can’t control, and keep walking with hope.

If this resonates, subscribe, share with a friend who needs courage today, and leave a review to help others find the show. What’s your “but if not” moment right now?