Strong and Courageous: Six is a Serious Number

Josh 5-6
"Be kind to everyone you meet, for everyone is fighting a great battle."
God often wants us to do other things before fighting the battle.
5:9 God says let's leave all the junk behind and start fresh.
5:10 The Israelites celebrated Passover to remember all that God had done for them.
5:12 God stopped the manna, he stopped spoon-feeding them, but gave them something much better. Jn 6:49-51
5:13-15 possibly the preincarnate Jesus. The first thing Joshua asked was "whose side are you on?" We spend a lot of time trying to get God on our side. What's most important is that Joshua quickly gets on Jesus' side (what message do you have for me?). Jesus says I'm not here to take sides, I'm here to take over. The most important thing is for us to follow Jesus every day. We are not using God to get our victory, God is using us to get His victory. We need to obey God, and realize that whenever we are with God, we are on Holy ground and worship God by having a vibrant, fresh, real encounter with the living God that will rattle or souls.
6:1-2 God spoke into the future, as if had already happened. Walk by faith, not by sight.
6:3:11 March around the city once a day for 6 days. Joshua told them not to talk. Do I spend most of my life at 6?? Not following God's instructions to do the 7th day. Am I giving up to early?? Don't lose faith at 6! Keep following God!
6:15-16 They shouted while the walls were still standing, such faith.. Have faith no matter what is happening, know that God has already won the battle.

Fearless Women: Nehamiah

Christy B.
Like Nehamiah:
1. We hear from the Lord. Neh 2:11-20.
2. What breaks his heart, breaks mine.
3. We pray. Neh 1:4
-Ask God for help.
-Confess.
-Remind God of what He had done before, His promises. 2 Tim 1:7
-Asked for specifics.
4. Dreams take time. Neh 2:1 He served while he waited. Get prepared, but don't stop serving.
5. We must be confident that the hand of God is on this ministry. No matter what attacks come our way, we need to look to God and be confident.
6. We will be attacked. Neh 2:10. You are going to displease people. Neh 4 enemies flew into a rage, mocked, made fun and threats. Neh 4:8 confusion. Tried to take them out. Enemies asked to meet with them - distractions. Public humiliation - rumors, lies. Do not engage in the attacks.
7. God's work is contagious! Communication is important. Neh 4:20.
8. God's work will get done!! Neh 6:15 The wall was rebuilt in 52 days.

Chez
Expect spiritual attacks, realize that they are affirmation and confirmation that we are on the right path. If we never experience opposition or attacks, we are not impacting eternity (the gospel).
1. Stand focused. Our fight is not with people, it's spiritual. Eph 6:10-20. Remain vertical - look up!
2. Stand faithful. Phil 4:23, Rom 8:28. Through God we are overcomers. He is bigger than our abilities or our weaknesses.
3. Stand firm. Attacks should strengthen us as we look up. 2 Cor 10:1-18
Attacks:
-Paul was addressing the rebellious minority.
-He had a humble approach.
-He focused on the spiritual battle.
-He redefined his role by the authority he was given by God.
-He boasted in Christ and not by comparing.
-There was no competition, wanted to extend the gospel further.
Criticism:
-understand the difference between constructive and destructive criticism.
-look beyond the criticism and see the critic.
-watch your own attitude toward the critic.
-stay in shape emotionally and spiritually.
-don't just see the critic, see the crowd.
-don't get defensive, try to learn from it.
-concentrate on your mission and change any mistakes.
Isa 14:12-15

Troy B.
Unity and teamwork
There can be a lot of impact from few members with unity and teamwork.
We are unified by the love of Jesus. Col 3:12-14, 1 Cor 1:10

Strong and Courageous: What Do These Stones Mean?

Josh 3-4
Josh 3:4 "Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before."
Don't keep walking in circles, with God's power we can take new ground spiritually. It's important to spend time with God every morning.
1. God is always in the lead. Josh 3:1-4. I need to always put God first, don't get out in front of God. Whatever God had planned is better than anything I could think of. The right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing.
2. Get ready for God to do something big. Josh 3:5, consecrate means to set apart. Be ready - quit messing around with all the sinful things in our lives. Be holy because I am holy. 1 Pet 1:16. Be serious about the sin in my own life. Be expectant that God will show up big.
3. Get your feet wet. Josh 3:9-17. The priests carrying the ark had to put their feet in the water before God stopped the water of the Jordan. We need to step forward in faith, put works to our faith.
4. Never forget what God has done. Josh 4:1-7, 19-5:1. What we do now can be a testament about God for those in the future. Ps 78. God is still a miracle working God. Never doubt in the dark what you've seen in the light.

Strong and Courageous: The Scarlet Cord

Joshua 2
1. The crowd is not always right. Josh 2:1 Joshua sent 2 spies, not 12 like Moses sent. Following 10 of the 12 spies Moses sent had cost Israel many years of trouble.
2. Grab on to the scarlet cord. Josh 2:8-11. Rahab made a great statement of faith by saying, "for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below."
3. When your world is shaking, hang on to God. Josh 6:17 When Israel came to take Jericho and the walls fell down, but Rahab's house in the wall must have survived because of their promise to her, but it would have been shaking.
4. My story is not over! Rahab was a prostitute, but her story did not end there. She became an example of true faith. Don't buy into the lies about myself, believe in God and follow Him! Jas 2:25; Heb 11:31; Mt 1:5-6. No one is beyond God's grace. I am who God says I am!!!!

United We Stand

Eph 4:1-16
Unity - the state of being united or joined as a whole.
1. Unity starts with a common calling - Jesus. v1
2. Unity is achieved through a common characteristic - humility. v2-6. Jas 4:1-3
3. Unity is held together through a common connection - the Holy Spirit. v7
4. Unity is sparked by exercising a common catalyst - our individual gifts. v7-13. 1 Pet 4:10-11
5. Unity ultimately produces a common consequence - maturity. v14-16. Mature believers can sift out the junk. Ps 133:1-2.
*Unity, centered on Jesus, creates space for the Holy Spirit to bring about maturity in the life of believers.

Fear is a Liar: Worship - Our Greatest Weapon

Phil 4:4-9
Worship is our greatest weapon in the battle against fear and anxiety.
We would all like to be in control, but we are not in control. Mt 6:27
God is in control. Sovereignty describes God's perfect control and management of the universe. He is all-powerful. Col 1:15-19; Ps 139:1-2, 4, 16... (the sovereign God in charge of everything also takes the time to know us intimately)
If this is true, we should worship and trust Him in every situation.
Worship, don't worry. "We see the problems of the world and we bend our knees." -Lucado. If I'm truly worshipping him, there is no room for fear or anxiety. "It is possible to talk your soul into a place of hope." -Matt Redman. Gen 22:1-4; 2 Chron 20:11-12, 15, 18; Acts 16:22-25.
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."Phil 4:4‭-‬9

Fear is a Liar: Surrender Sincerely

2 Cor 1:4
Surrender - true surrender yields to Christ
1. Surrender is not partial. Prov 16:4. It's not a tug of war with God over control. So back and let Him lead.
2. Surrender takes faith. Prov 3:5-6. We don't need faith if we don't surrender, but we worry a lot more. Lk 12:25 yield to His authority. Heb 11:1, He is who He says He is and He's going to do what He says He's going to do.
3. Surrender asks questions. Mt 7:7-11. Keep asking God.
4. Surrender takes discipline. Mt 16:22. Let go. Give it all to God.