We heard in the weekend sermon that one of the marks of spiritual maturity is the quiet confidence that God is in control without needing to understand and ask questions. Scripture is full of remarkable people who had faith in God without understanding His plan. One of these people was Joshua, who trusted God's plan when many would have doubted and relied on their own strength instead of His. Today, we will read Joshua's story and be inspired by His faith.
BREAK THE ICE
What is one of the strangest assignments or projects you were asked to do at work or school?
SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS
Bible Study
1. Why is faith important when it comes to the assignments that God gives us that we do not understand?
WATCH SERMON RECAP
2. Read Joshua 6:1-7. Describe the obstacle that the Israelites were up against versus God’s solution to this obstacle.
Joshua 6:1-7
"Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. 2 But the Lord said to Joshua, "I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. 3 You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. 4 Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram's horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. 5 When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams' horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town." 6 So Joshua called together the priests and said, "Take up the Ark of the Lord's Covenant, and assign seven priests to walk in front of it, each carrying a ram's horn." 7 Then he gave orders to the people: "March around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the Lord."
"Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. 2 But the Lord said to Joshua, "I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. 3 You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. 4 Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram's horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. 5 When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams' horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town."
6 So Joshua called together the priests and said, "Take up the Ark of the Lord's Covenant, and assign seven priests to walk in front of it, each carrying a ram's horn." 7 Then he gave orders to the people: "March around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the Lord."
3. What was at stake if Joshua and the Israelites refused to listen to and obey God’s instruction?
4. Read Joshua 6:8-16. What stands out about the Israelites’ response to God's instructions?
Joshua 6:8-16
"After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams' horns started marching in the presence of the Lord, blowing the horns as they marched. And the Ark of the Lord's Covenant followed behind them. 9 Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns. 10 "Do not shout; do not even talk," Joshua commanded. "Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!" 11 So the Ark of the Lord was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp. 12 Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the Lord. 13 The seven priests with the rams' horns marched in front of the Ark of the Lord, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the Lord. All this time the priests were blowing their horns. 14 On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days. 15 On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times. 16 The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, "Shout! For the Lord has given you the town!"
"After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams' horns started marching in the presence of the Lord, blowing the horns as they marched. And the Ark of the Lord's Covenant followed behind them. 9 Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns. 10 "Do not shout; do not even talk," Joshua commanded. "Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!" 11 So the Ark of the Lord was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp.
12 Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the Lord. 13 The seven priests with the rams' horns marched in front of the Ark of the Lord, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the Lord. All this time the priests were blowing their horns. 14 On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days.
15 On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times. 16 The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, "Shout! For the Lord has given you the town!"
Application
1. Do you find yourself relying on God’s power or your own?
2. How does your faith impact your obedience to God?
3. What is the next step God is calling you to take? What is at stake if you do not obey?
MOVING FORWARD
Now that you all have shared the step God has been calling you to take, spend a few moments praying together. Pray that God would give you the wisdom and the courage to take the step of obedience that God has called you to take. Then, as you go throughout your week, look for opportunities to take the step He is calling you to take.
GOING DEEPER
Joshua’s faith in God was incredible. He chose obedience in a situation that seemed impossible. The question is, what makes up the kind of faith that Joshua displayed, and how can we have that same faith? Let’s take a few moments to look at three essential components of faith if we are to have the same faith that Joshua showed when he led the Israelites to conquer a city simply by marching around it.
Faith requires unshakable trust in God’s power.
Scripture reveals God’s power. We have seen God’s power work and move in our lives. The question we have to ask ourselves is, do we trust His power in the difficult trials that life brings? The kind of faith Joshua exhibited requires us to say “yes” and trust God with any hardship that comes in our lives, knowing that He, the all-powerful God, is in control.
1. Read 1 Chronicles 29:10-11.
1 Chronicles 29:10-11
10 Then David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly: “O LORD, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever! 11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom.
2. In your own words, summarize what this passage of Scripture teaches about God’s power.
3. How does truly believing in God’s power impact one’s faith?
4. What is an area of your life where you need God’s power to work? How does this passage of Scripture increase your faith in that area?
Faith requires trust in God’s plan during uncertainty.
Life brings all kinds of uncertainties. Sometimes, God calls us to do something difficult, and the outcome is uncertain. During these uncertain moments, we are called to choose faith. Specifically, we are called to trust God’s plan. This is the kind of faith Joshua demonstrated. He trusted God’s plan when the task did not make sense and when some would have worried about the outcome of his situation. The kind of faith Joshua demonstrated is so rooted in a trust in God’s plan that he could have faith amidst the uncertainty he was facing.
1. Read Proverbs 3:5-6.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
2. In your own words, summarize what this passage of Scripture teaches about trusting God’s plan.
3. What is the result of trusting God rather than our own understanding?
4. What is an area of uncertainty in your life where you need to trust God? How does this passage of Scripture increase your faith in that area?
Faith requires obedience.
Joshua's obedience is one of the remarkable parts of the story where Joshua led the Israelites to conquer Jericho. He did not question God’s instruction or choose to try to take the city of Jericho a different way. Instead, he obeyed God. This kind of obedience is what faith requires.
1. Read James 1:22-25.
James 1:22-25
22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
2. In your own words, summarize what this passage of Scripture teaches about obeying God.
3. How do faith and obedience work together?
4. What is the result of faithfully obeying God?
5. What is an area of your life where you need to take a step of obedience and obey God? How does this passage of Scripture encourage you to take that step of obedience?
Reflect:
Take a few moments to reflect on what you learned about the essential elements of faith that you read about in Scripture.
1. Which of these areas that we talked about, trusting God’s power, trusting God’s plan, or choosing faithful obedience, would you like to grow in? Why?
2. What is one step you could take to grow in that area?
Over the next week, commit to memorizing one of the passages of Scripture that we read today about God’s power, God’s plan, and God’s call to obey. Choose the passage of Scripture related to the area you would like to grow in. Let this passage of Scripture encourage you as you take steps to grow in your faith.
MONTHLY MEMORY VERSE (Available for download on Sagebrush App)
He said, “Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power." Daniel 2:20
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