Backbone Wk. 2 | Pray First, Never Panic

A king loses his mind. An empire starts executing its smartest people. And Daniel — who had nothing to do with any of it — has a death squad walking toward his door. This week in our series Backbone: A Study in Daniel, we watch the same quiet resolve that said no to a plate of royal food in chapter 1 get tested under something far heavier: a national panic with zero margin for error. Nebuchadnezzar demands his advisors tell him a dream he refuses to describe — and when they can't, he orders every wise man in Babylon put to death. Daniel included. But instead of panicking, Daniel does something nobody in his position would dare do. He asks for time. Then he goes home, gathers his friends, and prays. In this message, Pastor Cory unpacks: ✅ Why our culture treats calm like apathy and panic like proof you care ✅ Why "let me pray about it first" is one of the most backboned sentences available to you ✅ What it means that backbone is downstream of dependence, not self-confidence ✅ How to lead — as a parent, manager, or friend — without faking an answer you don't have yet Prayer isn't our last resort, it's our first response. 📖 Scripture: Daniel 2:1-28, Proverbs 15:24, 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. #PrayFirstNeverPanic #Backbone #StudyInDaniel #RedemptionChurch #RedemptionKirkwood #KirkwoodMO #StLouisChurch #DanielBibleStudy #SundaySermon #PrayerFirst #Conviction #ChristianContent #BibleTeaching #ExpositoryPreaching #ChurchOfStLouis Backbone sermon series, Study in Daniel, Pray First Never Panic, Daniel 2 sermon, Daniel and the dream sermon, Nebuchadnezzar dream 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 sermon series, prayer under pressure, staying calm in crisis, biblical response to anxiety, Christian response to panic, prayer as first response, wisdom and tact Daniel, faith over anxiety sermon, small group Bible study, Christian sermon 2026, expository preaching, prayer before decisions