Backbone Wk. 1 | Wishbone or Backbone

A wishbone hopes something will change. A backbone decides something will not change you. We're kicking off a brand new 6-week series through the book of Daniel called Backbone. This week we meet a teenager dragged into exile with no power, no home, and no say in his future — and we watch him make one quiet decision that changes everything. Daniel 1 isn't a story about lions or fire. It's a story about royal food — a compromise so normal, so tasty, so socially acceptable that refusing it would've made Daniel "the difficult one." And that's exactly why it's dangerous. In this message, Pastor Cory unpacks: ✅ Why God handing Judah over to Babylon was discipline, not defeat ✅ What it means that even Nebuchadnezzar was called "my servant" of God ✅ Why Daniel and his friends were renamed — and why it mattered ✅ How backbone is built in a hundred small, unseen choices long before the "lions' den" ever shows up Never let a wishbone grow where a backbone should. 📖 Scripture: Daniel 1:1-17, Jeremiah 29:11, Revelation 2:17, Romans 8:38-39 🎬 A new movie on Daniel releases in theaters September 18th — more info on our group outing coming soon! Redemption Church is a community in Kirkwood, MO, helping people meet, know, and live for Jesus. We'd love to have you join us in person or online. 🌐 Website: redemptionstl.com 📍 820 Lockett Rd. Kirkwood, MO 63122 📱 Follow us: @redemptionstl 💛 Give: redemptionstl.com/give 💬 Questions about faith? Reply in the comments — we'd love to talk. 👉New here? We'd love to connect with you — visit redemptionstl.com to plan your visit or find a small group. #Backbone #StudyInDaniel #RedemptionKirkwood #WishboneOrBackbone #Backbone #StudyInDaniel #RedemptionChurch #RedemptionKirkwood #KirkwoodMO #StLouisChurch #DanielBibleStudy #SundaySermon #FaithOverFear #Conviction #ChristianContent #BibleTeaching #ExpositoryPreaching #ChurchOfStLouis Backbone sermon series, Study in Daniel, Wishbone or Backbone, Daniel 1 sermon, Redemption Church Kirkwood, Redemption Kirkwood, St Louis church, Kirkwood Missouri church, Daniel and the Fiery Furnace movie, Daniel Bible study, Pastor Cory sermon, backbone not bravado, biblical conviction, standing firm in faith, exile theology, sovereignty of God sermon, Jeremiah 29:11, Nebuchadnezzar sermon, royal food Daniel, Belteshazzar Shadrach Meshach Abednego, small group Bible study, Christian sermon 2026, expository preaching, faith under pressure, conviction over compromise