Backbone Wk. 3 | Bow or Burn

A 90-foot gold statue. A command to bow. And three men who won't. Weeks one and two of Backbone: A Study in Daniel both ended well — nobody lost their life, everybody went home safe. This week, that pattern breaks. King Nebuchadnezzar orders his entire empire to bow to a golden statue of himself or be thrown into a blazing furnace. And this time, there's no guarantee it ends okay. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse — not because they know how it'll end, but because they've decided who they answer to. Their answer to the king contains five words that may be the theological center of the whole book of Daniel: "but even if He doesn't." In this message, Pastor Cory unpacks: ✅ Why real backbone is tested by uncertainty, not by guaranteed outcomes ✅ How to hold conviction without losing Christlikeness ✅ Why the miracle in the furnace isn't rescue — it's presence ✅ What your kids actually inherit from you (hint: it's not your convictions) Backbone doesn't need a guaranteed rescue. 📖 Scripture: Daniel 3:1-25, 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. #BowOrBurn #Backbone #StudyInDaniel #RedemptionChurch #RedemptionKirkwood #KirkwoodMO #StLouisChurch #DanielBibleStudy #SundaySermon #EvenIfHeDoesnt #Faith #ChristianContent #BibleTeaching #ExpositoryPreaching #ChurchOfStLouis Backbone sermon series, Study in Daniel, Bow or Burn, Daniel 3 sermon, fiery furnace sermon, Shadrach Meshach and Abednego, even if he doesn't sermon, Nebuchadnezzar gold statue, 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, faith under pressure, covenantal faith vs transactional faith, standing firm in faith, fiery furnace Bible study, faith without guarantees, biblical courage sermon, small group Bible study, Christian sermon 2026, expository preaching, backbone not wishbone