Daniel: Unshakable Trust in Uncertain Times — Daniel  3:1-33

So September 11th, 2001.

Stanley Plymouth was sitting at his desk on the 81st floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

He saw United Airlines Flight 175 cut a diagonal gash into the building just below where he was sitting.

In fact, the ceiling above him collapsed and part of a fireball enveloped his office.

And involuntarily, he screamed out, Jesus, I can't do this.

You take control.

Three floors up on the 84th floor was Brian Clark.

When the plane hit, he and some co-workers began to make their way down.

They got to the 81st floor when Brian Clark heard Stanley Planmouth's voice, "'Help me, I don't know where I am.'" And so Brian Clark cleared away some of the debris, grabbed Stanley's hand, pulled him through the hole, and the two of them looked at one another and said, "'From this day forward, we are brothers.'" Stanley Planmouth looked at him.

Notice the blood on both of their hands said, no, we're not just blood brothers.

We are blood brothers.

Let's go home.

So they walked down 1620 steps and exited the South Tower of the World Trade Center just moments before it collapsed and true to their vow to one another.

They have been, their lives have been connected ever since.

So much so that when Stanley's daughter got married, Brian Clark was sitting right there at the head table with him.

This is friendship that is literally forged by fire.

As we look at Daniel chapter 3 this morning, these are not children's stories.

These are stories about power.

These are stories about politics.

These are stories about power politics.

These are stories about conviction and character and companionship.

The book of Daniel is a survival guide on how we remain faithful to God, how we remain true to our convictions and following Christ in a world that wants to discourage or destroy our faith.

So this is Daniel chapter 3, verse 1.