Key Points The camp at Gilgal is a significant location for Israel in the Promised Land. Gilgal is a shadow of Calvary. Gilgal is where the 12-stone monument was set up as a reminder of God’s faithfulness when he brought Israels across the Jordan River and Red Sea on dry land. The cross is a reminder of God’s faithfulness to forgive our sin. Gilgal is where the men of Israel were circumcised and God “rolled away” the shame they carried from Egypt. The cross is where our old self is put to...

Key Points The king/queen of unforgiveness is the only unwanted ruler that can cause hatred in your heart.  The Greek word, aphesis (ἄφεσις), is used when referring to forgiveness more than 40 times in the New Testament. It means to send the obligation of debt away. To not work towards forgiveness is a sin. The first step to forgive someone is to count the cost: acknowledge the hurt, the injustice, and the loss. Do not try to forget it. The second step is to identify the wrongdoing as the...

Key Points The need to control is always rooted in fear. The thing you fear the most is often what you try to control the most. The thing you try to control the most will reveal where you trust God the least. The need to control can be connected to past trauma, an event where you felt out of control.  Lack of trust can stem from someone breaking trust when you should have been able to trust them. This leads to future fears which leads to control. Control places unnecessary burdens on those...

Key Points Busyness can be a sign of brokenness.  Martha was troubled and distracted. Busyness can sometimes be rooted in pride. The remedy for busyness is resting at the feet of Jesus and His teaching. (Word) It is good to be hospitable and serve but not in an excessive way. Flee from sexual immorality. God calls us to make our bodies surrender to His holiness through sanctification. Sexual sin can lead to a terrible stronghold of addiction. The battle is only won through the Sprit and help...

Key Points This week, we are taking another unwanted king/queen out from the cave. Simply put, man-pleasing is desiring to please man more than God. Man-pleasing can be rooted in rejection, father wounds, competition, or a chronic need to be affirmed. A gift of mercy or helps can sometimes be overextended leading to a desire to be needed by others. This can cause relational problems at home as well as your own physical and mental health. You cannot serve two masters, otherwise you will be...

Key Points An alliance was formed to attack Gibeon; Joshua was summoned, and Israel came to their defense. God stopped the sun and dropped hailstones on the alliance. The five kings abandoned their people and hid in a cave. Joshua, with all his men in sight, removed the kings from the cave and executed them. God will go to great lengths without cooperation to slay false kings that try to rule our hearts. There are five kings and five queens that try to rule our hearts: Five Kings Sexual...

Key Points An alliance is formed with five kings to come against Israel, but the people of Gibeon decide to use some trickery to save themselves. The Gibeonites deceived Joshua into thinking they were from a foreign land and Joshua, unaware, made peace with his enemy. One small verse in the middle of this chapter made a big difference: they failed to ask counsel from the Lord. Our adversary, the devil, is very crafty and deceives us into believing his lies. The devil’s deception can lead us...

Key Points God’s grace is apparent in His response to Israel’s defeat at Ai. God instructs Joshua with a precise strategy for their victory at Ai; Joshua obeys. The King is captured alive and brought to Joshua to be hung on a tree. After the success at Ai, Joshua remembers what Moses had instructed regarding the reading of the blessings and curses between the two mountains, Gerizim and Ebal. He calls all the people to head to this area and places the Arc of the Covenant between the two...

Key Points Humankind needs hope. The world is lost and have fallen into deep despair.  Eternal hope is found in Jesus. The Church is God’s method of proclaiming hope to the world. Prayer is stronger than any weapon. Never underestimate your prayers. Jesus sent the disciples into the storm and met them in the storm. God didn’t keep Daniel from the lion den. He saved him in the lion den. The three men were not saved from the furnace. God saved them through the furnace. Keeping our eyes focused...

Key Points The Battle at Ai was lost because of hidden sin. Hidden sin and its consequences hurt everyone in the community. Joshua could’ve taken all 40,000 men and still lost the battle at Ai because God’s protection was removed. Hidden secrets, much like hidden sin, keep us in fear, shame, isolation, and insecurity. Reasons for hiding the truth include fear, loss of reputation, consequences, and rejection. All sin is forgiven when confessed to God, but another measure of healing is...

Key Points Sin has marred the image of God we were made in.  Praise God for the perfect image-bearer, Jesus. Songs were sung 3,000 years before Jesus was crucified with lyrics that were lived out through His death, burial, and resurrection. The early church begged to hear the Good News repeated. The Good News isn’t really good until you apply it. Discussion How do you remember Easter as a child? How has Easter changed over the years in your family? What does the unrecognizable state of...

Key Points Good Friday is the best example of suffering and death yielding good results. Hope is the positive expectation of good things to come, namely God’s promises. Materialism has caused us to be too beaten, blinded, and busied to embrace eternity. Taking up your cross daily prepares you to meet your end with dignity and hope. Object permanence… passing away does not equal ceasing to exist. - In the mind of God (unconscious eternity) Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:16 - At conception in the...

Key Points 500 years before the battle of Jericho, the Lord spoke to Abraham about the judgment coming to the land of the Amorites. The Lord’s character includes both justice and mercy. There was justice for the city and salvation for Rehab and her family. Faith and obedience are followed by victory. God’s direction also includes warnings. Discussion God could have destroyed Jericho without the marching, trumpets, and shouts; why do you think He asked Joshua to do this?  How are faith and...

Key Points Circumcised men heal on the banks of the Jordan prior to Passover. Only one Passover is recorded after the exodus until they get to the other side of the Jordan, then Passover continued all the way to the Last Supper with Jesus. Circumcision was a covenant given by God to remember Him and He to remember us. On this side of the resurrection, circumcision occurs in our heart. God poured out His blood for us on the cross. This circumcision is made in our spirit through...

Key Points God’s presence, power, and promise held back the Jordon River.  The people had to camp next to the flooded Jordon for three days to take in the magnitude of the obstacle. Passing over the Jordan required more faith than the Israelites needed 40 years prior when they walked across the Red Sea. This time they weren’t running from trouble; they were walking into trouble. This required Faith!  Passing by the priests and the Ark in the dry riverbank made a lasting impression on those...

Key Points Joshua sent two spies to Jericho. What was a military mission turned into a missionary journey. Rahab was justified by her faith, and her works proved her faith. Faith produces works. God’s grace moved into the heart of Rahab and redefined her destiny. We have faith in Christ that saves, and we can exercise that faith for exploits in His Kingdom. Discussion How does Rehab’s salvation inspire you? We have opportunities to have faith for God to work in our lives. Have you been...

Key Points After 40 years of murmuring and wandering, it was time to move forward into the promises of God. Wandering in self-pity, the past, bitterness, self, or grief can be traced to unbelief. A generation was lost in the wilderness due to unbelief. Joshua was affirmed with the God’s mission and provision to arise after the death of Moses. Moses’s death before entering the promise land is a type and shadow of the law bringing forth death.  We must always believe that God is with us, and...

Key Points Elohim might refer to false gods or the one true God. Yahweh is the name of the one true God. Side note: the Jewish people would not say “Yahweh” out of reverence for Him. Special markings in the text guided them to say Elohim or Adonai when reading. Many modern translations of the Bible render Yahweh as Lord, with small cap letters to signify that it is the name of God. Idolatry is a major sin that Yahweh was very clear about. Idols take many forms and often hide in our lives...

Key Points God’s grace in Greek simply means a gift.  Grace isn’t fully realized without considering the cost of His gift. We deserve death but instead, He gives us the gift of life.  Grace empowers us as well as trains us to renounce ungodliness. Grace enables us to give. Grace can never be earned or deserved. Discussion How have you experienced God’s grace? Has God’s grace propelled you into transformation? How can you manifest grace? How would you describe grace upon grace? Who in your...

Key Points The indwelling Holy Spirit was promised by Old Testament prophets. God graced us with His indwelling Spirit to help us walk according to His will and to vindicate His Holy Name. The Holy Spirit brings us life and living water. The Holy Spirit reveals to us the truth about Jesus & His Word and is named The Spirit of Truth. Jesus promised to send us the Holy Spirit after His resurrection. Jesus said that He (Holy Spirit) would be our helper. The Holy Spirit is a person. The...

Key Points Fasting for ourselves defeats the purpose of fasting. In Isaiah 58 we find God’s chosen fast. To repent and give. We are oftentimes yoked or strapped to self-desires. Giving to those in need helps free us from self.  We are saved not by works but those who are saved do good works. Discussion Pastor Bob listed some unhealthy yokes that we are at times strapped to: covetousness, complacency, compromise, isolation, unforgiveness, pride and various addictions. How can you...

Key Points Prayer awakens us to the presence of God. Jesus instructs us to pray to the Father in secret. The prayer positions us under His hallowed Name. The prayer is relational both vertically and horizontally.   Daily bread, daily forgiveness, and daily protection. There is beauty and majesty embedded into The Disciples’ Prayer.  This prayer is to be lived. Discussion What part of this prayer speaks to you and why? Discuss your prayer life. Is it easy or hard for you to address God as...

Key Points We are promised a blessing when we hunger & thirst for God. We need to be awakened to our daily need to crave Jesus. Trials, suffering, and lack can awaken us to hunger and thirst for God.  We often settle for a substitute to meet our needs. These will never satisfy.  David describes this relationship as our souls clinging to God.  The practice of fasting from food can help awaken our hunger for God. Discussion Can you describe the difference between needing Jesus verses...

Key Points “The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year, but rather we should have a new soul." - GK Chesterton For us to be transformed, we must look upon the One who changes us, Jesus Christ, Himself. You will never be satisfied with the praise of man. Jesus was not looking for the praise of man but only to glorify the Father in His timing, not His own.  There is a better reward from our Father who sees in secret. Discussion What is our reward from the Father in...

Christmas Eve 2023