I Need My Fire Back

Summary

Podcast Summary: "I Need My Fire Back"

Change Church Podcast
Host: Pastor Darius McClure (Guest Speaker), with Pastor Dharius Daniels & Pastor Shamika Daniel
Date: October 13, 2025
Theme: Restoring Spiritual Passion in Seasons of Burnout

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Episode Overview

This dynamic episode presents a passionate sermon by guest speaker Pastor Darius McClure, exploring the topic, "I Need My Fire Back." Drawing from Daniel chapter 3 and the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the message focuses on overcoming spiritual burnout, finding renewed purpose, and guarding against the forces—internal and external—that threaten to extinguish our passion for God. The audience is urged to reclaim their spiritual "fire" through alignment, relationships, clarity, and unwavering worship.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Recognizing Spiritual Burnout

• Opening Questions: Pastor Darius probes the audience with soul-searching questions:
  • “What do you do when the fire you once had is gone? When you don’t shout, believe, or dream like you used to?” (07:19)
• Defining Burnout:
  • “Burnout occurs when the demands on you outweigh the devotion in you.”
    — Pastor Darius McClure [08:44]
  • Pastor Shamika echoes: “Be careful when you’re praying for more opportunity, but you don’t have enough obedience to trust the God who gave you the opportunity.” [09:14]
• Symptoms: Exhaustion, bitterness, broken focus, and faith.

2. The Power and Danger of Disconnection

• Phone Battery Analogy:
  • “The problem is not activity, it’s a loss of connectivity.” (10:22)
  • “You’ve lost intimacy with God.” (10:53)
• Solution:
  • Rediscover intimacy; praise not just for material blessings but for God Himself.
  • “Burnout doesn’t just empty your tank; it also erases your think.” (11:28)
  • A spontaneous "thank you party" breaks out, emphasizing gratitude. [11:27-12:13]

3. Mismanaged Burnout and Its Dangers

• Weightlifting Example: "When you’re burnt out, your spotter is supposed to lift the weight. The problem is, you’ve been a spotter for everyone else, but there’s nobody in your life to help handle the weight you’ve been carrying.” (13:23)
• Results:
  • Bitterness, blindness to opportunities, and praise turning to complaint:
    • "Complaining is when favor becomes familiar.” (14:01-14:36)
  • Broken focus leads to broken faith.

4. Compromise vs. Conviction

• Cultural Context: The Babylonians seek to erase Israel’s identity—physically (diet), spiritually (idols), and even through renaming:
  • “The enemy knows you can only use people who don’t know who they are.” (17:34)
  • “In 2025 and moving forward, I refuse to lose me. I know who I am, and because I know who I am, I know whose I am.” — Pastor Shamika Daniel (18:13)
• Warning Against Compromise:
  • “Compromise is a cancer. It starts small but spreads fast.” (27:04)
  • “You may end up lowering your standards in one area small, then before you know it, you have no standards.” (27:28)
  • Public personas can be hiding private pain: “Stop calling them couples goals. Them just good pictures.” (28:26)

5. Living Rare, Not Regular

• Identity:
  • “They are attempting to make you regular. But when God called you, you stepped out of regular and stepped into rare.” (20:26)
  • “Rare is an uncommon, unusual, unexplainable quality… I dare you to give God a real praise in the room.” — Pastor Shamika Daniel (21:00–21:08)
  • "You can't duplicate me. Slap your neighbor, say it's rare over here." (21:00–22:54)

6. Worship as Distinction and Deliverance

• Worship’s Significance:
  • What makes God’s people different? “You worship me.” (24:34)
  • “Whoever controls the language controls the culture. … They may not call it worship, but they may call it addiction." (24:44-25:08)
  • “Private addiction is an attempt for something to take the seat of God in your life.” (25:11)

7. Testing, Fire, and Faith

• Facing the Furnace:
  • King Nebuchadnezzar threatens the three Hebrews with the blazing furnace—demanding worship of idols, but they stand firm.
  • “Compromise eats at your integrity, your influence, and your intimacy with God. … You end up alive in public while dying in private.” (27:28-28:04)
• Faith’s Declaration:
  • The Hebrew boys' response: “The God whom we serve is able…” (29:26)
  • “He’s able to do what a doctor’s report says is impossible. He is Jehovah Rapha … He is Jehovah Jireh.” — Pastor Shamika Daniel (29:42)
• Even If He Doesn't:
  • “Even if He doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you… (our faith is not based on results but relationship).” (31:42-32:58)
  • “My praise is not predicated on results. My praise is based on my relationship. … If he don’t bless me, he’s still good.” — Pastor Shamika Daniel (31:42–32:58)

8. The Purpose of the Fire

• Adversity as Refinement:
  • “Sometimes God has to put fire around you to reignite the fire within you.” (35:14)
  • Your miracle may help someone watching you: “You can’t give up. Somebody’s watching you.” (35:04–36:00)

9. Deliverance and Freedom in the Fire

• God’s Presence in the Furnace:
  • “We threw three in, but I see four, walking around … and the fourth looks like the Son of God.” (39:34–40:29)
  • “The reward of worship is not gifts, it’s God.” (40:29)
• Breaking Chains:
  • Fire breaks strongholds: “For some, a fire can free you from what you can’t free yourself out of.” (38:09)

10. The Problem of Mixture

• Spiritual Syncretism:
  • The Kiki Poo metaphor: “Some of us are spiritually diabetic because we keep trying to mix Jesus’ blood with everything else. … We’re settling for Kiki Poo Christianity.” (42:10)
  • Spiritual “mixture” turns our fire cold.

11. Restoring the Fire: How To Get It Back

• Three Keys:
  1. Restraint: Refuse to bow or conform when others do.
  2. Relationships: Find the right people who will stand and pray with you; know God, don’t just need Him.
  3. Resolve: Let conviction be greater than convenience. (43:15–end)
• Prayer for Renewal:
  • “Right now I pray that You restore and reignite fire in our hearts… We decrease so that you may increase.” (43:40–end)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Burnout occurs when the demands on you outweigh the devotion in you.” — Pastor Darius McClure [08:44]
• “Your purpose requires your passion—because we cannot fulfill a God-sized calling with half-hearted energy.” — Pastor Darius McClure [13:43]
• “Compromise is a cancer. It starts small but spreads fast.” — Pastor Darius McClure [27:04]
• “You can’t duplicate me… It’s rare over here. I’m uncommon, I’m unusual, and my anointing is unexplainable.” — Pastor Shamika Daniel [21:00–22:54]
• “They are attempting to make you regular… but when God called you, you stepped out of regular and stepped into rare.” — Pastor Darius McClure [20:26]
• “Even if He doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you…” — Pastor Darius McClure [31:42–32:58]
• “Sometimes God has to put fire around you to reignite the fire within you.” — Pastor Darius McClure [35:14]
• “The reward of worship is not gifts, it’s God.” — Pastor Darius McClure [40:29]
• “Some of us are spiritually diabetic because we keep trying to mix Jesus’ blood with everything else.” — Pastor Darius McClure [42:10]

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Segment Timestamps

• Burnout Defined / Personal Reflection — [07:19–09:08]
• Phone Battery Analogy & Solution — [09:33–11:01]
• Thanksgiving & Praise Break — [11:27–12:13]
• Burnout & Weightlifting Story — [12:13–13:43]
• Bitterness, Focus, & Praise Turns to Complaint — [14:01–16:13]
• Identity, Culture vs. Calling — [16:13–18:44]
• Rare vs Regular / Identity — [19:31–22:54]
• Worship & Addictions — [24:34–25:18]
• King’s Threat & Compromise — [25:58–28:39]
• Hebrew Boys’ Faith Response — [29:26–32:58]
• God’s Presence in the Fire — [39:34–40:29]
• Kiki Poo Christianity / Mixture — [42:10–43:15]
• Keys to Restoring Fire, Closing Prayer — [43:15–end]

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Conclusion

In "I Need My Fire Back," Pastor Darius McClure inspires listeners to renew their passion and spiritual energy in the face of burnout. The message, rooted in biblical narrative and brimming with humor, honesty, and authority, challenges believers to resist compromise, embrace their rare calling, and rekindle their devotion—reminding us all that the greatest reward is not what God gives, but God Himself.

“Sometimes God has to put fire around you to reignite the fire within you.” [35:14]

Transcript

[Worship Leader]

We shall never.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Come all over the room Right now. Come on. Can we release that all over the room? Because God, the devil is alive. God is exalted.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Sing it like you know the devil is a liar.

[Worship Leader]

My God is exalted. He shall never be defeated. Not in this life or the next. I'll never be defeated. Oh, the devil is alive. God is exalted above my problems and my issues. We shall never be defeated. Never be defeated.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

And so, God, we thank you.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

That we serve a undefeated God. Devil, you a liar and he's bitter because he's a defeated foe. No matter what we do, we win. So, God, because of what you did at the cross and how you conquered the grave, when you got up, we got up with you. So, God, right now, I say thank you that we don't pray for victory, but we pray from victory. We don't praise for victory, but we praise from victory. And it is in your name that we pray.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Somebody shout Amen. Now I dare you to give Jesus a shout of victory all over the room. No, I said give Jesus a shout.

[Worship Leader]

All over the room. If he makes your hands to warm.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

I dare you to start clapping. Forget about your neighbor to your left and to your right. And give God praise that he deserves. Know if he woke you up this.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Morning.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Who'S excited to be in the.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

House of the Lord this morning? Listen, I am so honored to be with you. I'm Darius McClure. I come from a great city called Birmingham, Alabama. I am so honored to be here. I've been mentored by our pastors, Dr. Darius and Pastor Shamika Daniel, for almost 20 years now. And I've been a part of this ministry. I. I wasn't gonna say it, but I'm gonna go ahead and say it. I need my made man pen. At some point, you'll have to have a special ceremony or something. I need my penny. But I'm so honored to be here. Can we celebrate and honor the greatest leaders on this side of heaven? Dr. Darius and Pastor Shamika?

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Come on, you can do better than that. Let's celebrate them in the room while you're standing. Can we celebrate and love on our New Jersey Change New Jersey family.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

We know our Change Jersey family is experiencing some inclement weather, so we're praying for you as you stream in from a safe place. We love you so much. Anybody ready for a word today? All right, go with me to Daniel, chapter three. Daniel, chapter three. And if you could stand to your feet, I'm. I'm from the south we stand when we read the Word. So go with me to Daniel, chapter three. Y' all pushing me already on this front. Y' all better stop. Daniel, chapter three, verse 25, going to be reading from the NLT, the New Living translation. When you got it, shout. I got it. If you don't, it's right there on the screen. Let's see what service. I mean, I hear this, the favorite service. Don't tell nobody, though. Here it is. Look. Nebuchadnezzar shouted, I see four men. I'm at the wrong church. I'm sorry, I'm gonna say that again. I see four men unbound, walking around in the fire, unharmed. I thought I was at change church. I see four men unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed. And the fourth one looks like I'm gonna go old school. King James, the son of God. If you don't mind, I want you to high five as many people as you can in your section. You're already high five and I ain't told you the topic yet. Slow down. Y' all just warm. That's your practice high five. Okay, I see. Before you sit down, I want you to high five as many people as you can in your section and tell them today's topic. You ready? Tell them I need my fire back. No, that's the wrong one. High five another one. That was jealous.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Tell them we getting our fire back today. If you lukewarm, you sitting on the wrong wall. This is the somebody shout. I need my fire.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

What do you do when the fire you once had is gone? What do you do when you don't shout like you used to? What do you do when you don't believe like you used to? What do you do when you don't dream like you to used used to what do you do when you've been good to people but people ain't been good to you so you don't trust like you used to? I'mma come to your section in one minute. What do you do when you don't pray like you used to? Oh, what do you do when they working you like the CEO but paying you like the janitor? What do you do when you don't work like you used to? See if you live long enough you'll realize that there are seasons when passion feels like it's on pause all the fight you have left is no longer there and some of us, if we're honest, we came to change church today. Not faithless, but fireless. And what I am trying to communicate to you in this intro in this message is what culture calls lean in right here. Burnout. Anybody ever felt burnt out? Anybody ever been exhausted? Anybody ever felt like I'm sick and tired of being sickened? See, here it is. Burnout occurs when the demands on you outweigh the devotion in you. I need to find my section real quick.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Burnout occurs when the demands on you.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Outweigh the devotion in you.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Be careful when you're praying for more.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Opportunity, but you don't have enough obedience.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

To trust the God who gave you the opportunity. But I wonder, do I have some people in the room today that said, the more the demand, the greater my devotion. God, you can trust me with more.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

It's burnout. When you have more pressure than you have heart posture, it's burnout. See, everybody in here in the room Today, you have one or two things. An iPhone or the other thing. I need to see what section I need. Oh, this the wrong section over here. They. They throwing up them Samsungs.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

See, I believe if you had a.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Samsung, you literally may wear black air forces every day. You got a knuck if you buck spirit on you. I know it. But here it is.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Whether you have an Apple or. Or an Android.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Here, I don't even remember the name. Whether you have an Apple or an Android, the more you use the phone, the more the battery drains and the problem. Watch this is not activity.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

It's a loss of connectivity. Because the only way to keep the phone fully charged is having the right connection. And for some of you, you've been burning out. Watch this. Not because of the more activity you have, but the more activity you have.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

You've lost intimacy with God.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

But God sent you here today.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

He's saying, come back to your first love.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

I wonder, do I have some people in the room today that you've got learned how to praise God for a promotion, a new house, a new car. When was the last time you praise God for him? You don't need a reason when you think, you think. Y' all don't know when to praise God. Because burnout does not just empty your tank. Burnout also erases your think.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

I'm going say that again.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

It doesn't just empty your tank. It also erases your think. But I wonder, do I have a section that can give God a 30 second thank you party. Thank you for waking me up this morning. Thank you for a roof over my head. I may not have the car I want, but it gets me from A to B. Somebody shout thank you, thank you. I may not have Everything I want, but I have everything I need. Somebody shall thank you. Well, I dare you to tear the roof off and give God a thank you that he deserves. Thank you for protecting me from danger seen tonight. Somebody shout thank you.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

But here's what I've learned. That burnout itself is not the problem, but mismanaged burnout is. Burnout itself is not the problem, but mismanaged burnout is. See, I'm a former athlete. Please pray for me because my school started good, but we're not doing good no more. I played football at Florida State University.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Oh, okay. We got some Seminoles in the building.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

We need a press service just for us. But here it is. When we would work out, we would do something called a burnout. That means you keep lifting until you have nothing left to lift up. But here it is. When you burnt out. Watch this. It was designed for your spotter to lift the weight when you couldn't lift it no more. And the problem with some of you is you've been a spotter for everybody else.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

But when you get burnt out, there's nobody in your life that has the capacity to help handle the weight you've been carrying. God, if you don't do nothing else in this season in my life, I send qualified spotters who can help carry the weight.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

And watch this. Your purpose requires your passion.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Because we cannot fulfill a God sized.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Calling with half hearted energy.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

You can't go to your favorite sports.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Team, your favorite concert and have more.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Energy for them than you do for him. How are we going crazy at a breezy bowl, but lukewarm in God's house? When he woke you up this morning.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

I don't know it. My daughter told me about it. But watch this. I want you to catch this. Watch this. I want you to catch this. This is what we see in our text today. We see how mis managed. Burnout breeds bitterness. Mismanaged burnout breeds. Watch this everybody. Blindness. It'll make you start seeing the right things the wrong way. That what was once an opportunity, you now see as an obligation. See, if you're not careful, burnout will then begin to infect your praise. And it'll turn your praise into complaining. Because what praise is to God, complaining is to the devil. And complaining. I feel like preaching right here. And complaining is when favor becomes familiar. And so here it is. Mismanaged burnout breeds broken focus. And broken focus will always lead to broken faith. And this is what we see in our text today. We see a nation of people who have broken faith to where they love God, but they're also worshiping idols at the same time. We see three types of people in the text. We see the Babylonians, we see the nation of Israel, and we see the three Hebrew boys. We see three ways you can live your what? Life.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Culture's way.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Church'S way, or the king's way.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

I know what you wanted to say.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are in the midst of fire because they chose third.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Way instead of bowing the second way.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Are y' all seeing what I'm saying here? And so here it is. You don't understand the.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

The totality of Daniel chapter three without unpacking the context of Daniel chapters one and chapters two. Because when Babylon would capture other countries, they would strip them of their culture.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

So in other words, they would make.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

You eat what they at. This is at the end of my message, but I feel it right here. Because your diet is tied to your destiny.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

They tried to make them eat what everyone else was eating, but they chose not to. This is what we call the Daniel Fast.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Watch this, everybody, because for some of.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

You, we're trying to pursue a God.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Sized destiny with a petty diet.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

And so here it is.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

They would strip them of their culture so much, they would also strip them of their name to where we call them Shatrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But most people don't even realize that was their slave name. That was not even their real name. Why would they change their name? Because the enemy knows you can only use people who don't know who they are. And I wonder, do I have some people at Change Church that said I can lose stuff.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

I may lose opportunities, I may even lose people. But in 2025 and moving forward, I refuse to lose me. I know who I am. And because I know who I am, I know whose I am. I dare you to praise God that you didn't lose yourself in spite of everything else you lost. Why is this important? Because the enemy wants to manipulate us.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Into allowing losses to create labels.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

He wants us to think when we lose, we should start embracing labels that God never desired for us to embrace. So he'll have you allowing Sallie Mae.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

To call you the Borrower when he's.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Looking like, I never called you that. I call you the lender. I called you the head. I called you above. I called you healed. And for some of us, we're gonna have to stop embracing labels that God never gave us.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Watch this. What are they attempting to do. They are attempting to do something that culture is attempting to do in your life, and you don't even know it. Y' all ready for this? They ain't ready for this. Y' all ready for this? They ain't ready for this. Y' all ready for this? They are attempting to make you regular. They didn't like me. I thought they was gonna run around the church. I'm gonna say it again. To this side. They are attempting to make you regular. It's the front row for me. But everybody else left them hanging this side.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Y' all ready?

[Pastor Darius McClure]

They're attempting to make you regular. I know what it is. You don't realize what I'm calling you because I'm just telling you what you're not. You don't realize the moment God called you, you stepped out of regular and stepped into rare.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

You not regular. You're rare. See, you're not shouting because you don't.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Know what rare means.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Please throw it up on the screen.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Rare is an uncommon, unusual, unexplainable.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

I'm in the wrong church. Rare is an uncommon, unusual, unexplainable or occurrence or quality that is not often. Look at your neighbor and say, you didn't know you were sitting on the railroad. And some of you are frustrated right now because you're rare, surrounded by regular people. It's nothing regular about me. I don't even pray regular prayers. It's rare over here. I'm uncommon. I'm unusual, and my anointing is unexplainable. I dare you to give God a real praise in the room. No, not that praise. Give them the one like you believe. It's already done. Praise them like somebody shout, I'm rare. Somebody shout, I'm rare. And people would treat you better if they realize if they left you, they could not wake up and walk around the corner and find another you. I'm one of one. You can't duplicate me. Slap your neighbor, say it's rare over here. I speak rare. Anointing over your life. I speak rare. Favor over your life. I speak rare. Breakthrough over your life. Somebody shout, I receive all of that.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

It's rare. I'm not like them. I'm rare. I'm rare. King Nebuchadnezzar is trying to make them be regular. And so he gets big mad once he notices that they refuse to fit in because you can never lead where you fit. I just got some of y' all free who've been dealing with rejection.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

They couldn't accept you Because God called.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

You to deliver them.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

So you trying to force yourself into a circle, not realizing it's not a circle, it's a cage.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

And so for some of you, you've.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Been wrestling with God.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Why does it feel like life has always been so difficult? Why does it feel like. It always feels like I'm forcing myself.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Into circles and around people, and God.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Is like, no, I can never call you to lead where you fit. You're rare. There's something different about you. And watch this. The Bible says, what makes my people different. God may say at this in Exodus, he says, what makes you different is you worship me. Y' all miss what I just said.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Out of everything that can make you.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Different compared to everybody else in the earth, what makes you different, what makes you rare is who you worship.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Because as human beings, we were created to worship. So even if we don't worship God, we will worship something. But whoever controls the language, controls the culture. So in 2025, they may not call it worship, but they may call it addiction.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Which is why we can't play with private addiction.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Because private addiction is an attempt for something, somewhere or someone to take the seat of God in your life.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

But the devil is a liar.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

I wonder, do I have anybody in the room that don't just praise God, but you worship God? That you can pour out your praise in this moment and say, God, take your seat in your rightful place. Watch this. So he gets mad.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

I got eight minutes. And he says, somebody say, you got 10. Let's unpack this exegesis. I was taught. Well, I'm not preaching my opinion or motivational speaking. I'm in the book.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Verse 15.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Look at it. He's big, mad. King Nebuchadnezzar says, I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made. When you hear the sound of the musical instruments, watch this. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what, God? I'm sorry. I can't. I can't take this. And then what, God? See, it was enough when you was talking crazy to me.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

But when you start talking crazy about my daddy, you creating problems that you don't want to have in your life. He says, and then what, God? Watch this. Will be able to rescue you from my power. He must not know who my daddy is.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

So watch this, everybody. I want you to catch this. He's trying to get them. Watch this. To compromise. Write this down. Compromise is a cancer. It starts small but spreads fast to.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Where you May end up lowering your.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Standards in one area small. Then before you know it, you have no standards, because compromise is a cancer. Everybody needs somebody in your life that checks you when you start settling. Are y' all hearing this? Because watch this, everybody. Compromise eats at your integrity, your influence.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

And your intimacy with God. And you'll end up alive in public.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

While dying in private. Some people who we say winning in public, dying in private, stop being impressed with Instagram Reels and TikTok posts.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Stop calling them couples goals. Them just good pictures.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

What I'm trying to get you to see and what the Hebrew boys are showing us, watch this, everybody. Is that what everyone accepts does not have to be what we adopt. Just because everyone is bowing down does not mean we have to bow. Are y' all catching this? And watch this. Now that he's done talking, the Hebrew boys start talking back. It's like, all right, you can't. You done, sir? Okay. All right, here it is, verse 17. Here it is. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God who we serve. Now, I'm going to stop and pause for a minute because the next two words may cause a riot in your section.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

So I'm going to give you a.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Warning before I read it. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God who we serve is.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Able to do exceedingly, abundantly abundant. Above all you can ever ask a thing. I said, I feel all right. He's able to do what a doctor's report says, impossible. He is Jehovah Rafa, with no money in your account. He is Jehovah Jireh. Somebody shout, he is able. Somebody shout, he's able.

[Worship Leader]

To.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

He's able.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

He's able.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

They're saying, watch this, everybody.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

This is not blind faith.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

They're saying, we're not blind to our reality. We just trust in our God's ability. And the last time I check, he's able to do.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Just what he said, what he'll do. But then they keep talking because we get to verse 18. Because you ever start talking faith, and the more you talk, the bigger your faith get.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

I'm talking about.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

You ever been in a situation or a season to where it was no way you were going to get out of this, but God, they looked at him and says, all right, since you said, who going to be able to get us out? The God we serve is able to rescue us out of anything. Then their faith start growing, and we get to verse 18. In verse 18, watch this, everybody. They say, but even if he don't.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

I'M in the wrong church. Even if he don't, I wonder, do I have somebody in the room that's matured in the faith that can praise God if He do it, or even if he don't do it? I dare you to give God. Even if he don't praise, if he don't always open the door, I'm praising him. If he don't heal my body, I'll still praise Him. Even if he don't, even if he don't. Because my praise is not predicated to results. My praise is based on, on my relationship. So if he blessed me, he's still good. If he don't bless me, he's I dare you to praise God for the next 60 seconds even if he don't do it.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Throw that text back up. They said even if he don't, comma, we want to make it clear to you.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Can I make it 20, 25?

[Pastor Darius McClure]

They had to be from the west side. Even if he don't, per my last email. Even if he don't, we want to make it clear to you. Somebody shout clear. See, everybody has vision, but everyone don't have clarity. Because clarity is a weapon only for conquerors. They would not have survived the intimidation and threats of the enemy if they only had vision with no clarity. Because when it got hot and life got thick, they would have folded and bowed. But because they were clear. Even if he don't we want to make it clear to you. Please throw it back up on the screen. We want to make it clear to you, your majesty, they being nice, nasty, nasty.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

You ever been nice nasty to somebody?

[Pastor Darius McClure]

You said something disrespectful, then put sir or ma' am on the box. Watch this. Even if we don't, we want to make it clear to you, your majesty.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

We will never.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

See.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

I just come to put a ribbon on the alteration series.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

We will never, we will never serve your golden statue. Y' all miss this. What do you do when your faith gets you in trouble? Because of their faith, King Nebuchadnezzar now throws them into the fire.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

What do you do when it feels like living right?

[Pastor Darius McClure]

It's making your life worse. But here's what I'm trying to unpack. Sometimes God has to put fire around you to reignite the fire within you. Because for some of you, you've been watch this. Coming to church with no fire, married with no fire, working with no fire, dreaming with no fire, and you feel like giving up. Or maybe you're going the wrong way. When God is Saying sometimes the fire is out because you don't have the adversity. You need to reignite it. And watch this. The adversity is not just about you. Sometimes he has to do a miracle in front of your enemies. And watch this in front of the people who you're surrounded by that are not as strong as you. That did bow, that did fold. And they need to watch you win because you winning is going to give them the strength to win again. Thank you, Jesus. We overcome by the blood of the lamb. Look at me. You can't give up. Somebody's watching you. I didn't gave up on church so many times. I don't know how I'm standing on this platform. Preacher, I done said every time I'm done with this, I can't do this. But then, like Jeremiah, it's like fire. The text says, he turned the furnace up seven times hotter. Verse 19. He turned the furnace up seven times hotter. Throw verse 20 up. Because we often hear people preach how the furnace heat was turned up. But the Holy Spirit revealed this to me in my devotional time. Verse 20 says, Then he ordered the.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Strongest men.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

To bind them up. That's for some of you that you've had a private struggle for a long time and you've been trying to do everything you can to get free from it. But it seems as if it has a stronghold on you. God sometimes has to put you in fire to burn away the strong man and the shackles that was placed on you. Because there's only a fire that can free you from what you can't free yourself out of. So they throw them in the fire. And these are the strongest men in Babylon. And watch this. They don't even get in the furnace and they die from the heat. Ain't it a trip when people want your breakthrough but don't want your been through?

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

They see you standing in the fire, but can't even handle the heat from it.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

And then Nebuchadnezzar looks back, he says, hey, wait a minute. Am I tripping? How many people we threw in there? We threw. We threw three. Did we bind them up?

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Why they walking around?

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Y' all don't know when to have church.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

See the enemy mad, but see, because he tried to restrain you in the furnace, but God gave you a supernatural level of freedom to whatever everybody else gets stuck in. He helps you to walk in. I dare you to start walking in your section right now. That the chains are falling off, the emotional chains are falling off, the spiritual chains are falling off. Somebody shout, walk it out. Walk it out, walk it out. But you're not walking by yourself. Because, you see, I said we threw three in there, but I see four walking around. And the fourth one looks like.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

The fourth one looks like the Son of God. Because the reward of worship is not gifts, it's God. See, you don't know what I just said. In your presence, there's fullness of joy. At your right hand, there's treasure forevermore. And if we're not careful, we're living in a culture that's prioritizing the gift over God. If I had time, I would tell you how we had the best wings in Birmingham. Come on now, let's not play with it. I would tell you, I would go get 10 piece lemon pepper, fried hard, all flats, Cajun ranch fries. But in Birmingham, there's a specific drink we get. It's called Kiki Poo. What you know about Kiki Poo? It was my favorite drink in the world. It tastes like it was fresh from heaven until I went on TikTok University and saw what they put in Kikipoo. Pineapple juice mixed with sugar, red Kool Aid, not strawberry red mixed with sugar, grape Kool Aid mixed with sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar. And I realized, even though Kiki Poo was good to me.

[Pastor Shamika Daniel]

Kik Poo was.

[Pastor Darius McClure]

Not good for me. Watch this. Some of us are spiritually diabetic because we keep trying to mix Jesus blood with other things of everything else. And we're settling for Kikipu Christianity. It's what theologians call syncretism. To what? The problem is not the enemy. The problem is mixture. Because if you're going to get your fire back, you're going to have to restrain yourself from whatever dims it. And here's what. What I see in the text. I'm out of time. Let me hurry up. The Hebrew boys show us that fire does not come back by accident and comes back by alignment. You can stand to your feet. I'm closing. I promise you. I'm done. Number one, they show us if we want our fire back, we need restraint. They refused to bow when everyone else did. They refused to adopt what everyone else accepted. Number two, we need the right relationships. Because they said, even if we don't, we know we can. Their loyalty to God was rooted in relationship, not results. Fire comes from. Watch this. Knowing God, not just needing him. I don't just want to need them, I want to know them. And number three, you need resolve. Fire returns when conviction is greater than your convenience. Father. Right now I pray that you restore and reignite fire in our hearts, in our mind. For some of us who feel called but now, who are called but feel crushed, I ask God that you burn away everything that's not like you and give us a holy hunger for more of you we decrease so that you may increase. May souls be saved from this word that we're not just hearers, but we're also doers. We give you all the honor, glory and praise. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.