Arise & Go Pt. 2 - Pastor Jono Zantingh

Oct 04, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Toes Wet Before Waters Part

The Jordan River didn’t stop flowing until the priests stepped into its current. Faith isn’t passive waiting but active obedience even when outcomes remain unseen. Like packing for a journey without knowing the weather, trusting God means moving forward while holding His promises. What looks like risk becomes worship when we choose surrender over safety. The miracle begins when our feet touch the water. [01:10:11]

“As soon as their feet were wet, the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho.”
(Joshua 3:15-16, NLT)

Reflection: Where have you been waiting for God to act first before obeying? What “toe-dipping” step is He asking you to take this week despite uncertainty?

Day 2: Murmuring’s Cost in the Wilderness

Complaining isn’t neutral—it erodes faith like floodwaters eating riverbanks. Israel’s grumbling delayed their promise; our words today either poison or prepare the soil for miracles. Processing with critics breeds cynicism, but lamenting before God invites renewal. Consecration starts by silencing the inner fault-finder. [57:13]

“Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.”
(Philippians 2:14-15, NLT)

Reflection: What recurring complaint or criticism have you normalized? How might repurposing that energy into prayer realign your heart with God’s purposes?

Day 3: Ark Eyes in Flood Stage Moments

The priests carried God’s presence straight toward raging waters. Fixating on problems dims our vision of the One who holds solutions. Like hikers tracking a guide through rough terrain, our survival depends on what we stare at. The ark didn’t avoid the Jordan—it redefined it. [01:04:56]

“When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them. Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you.”
(Joshua 3:3-4, NLT)

Reflection: What overwhelming situation have you been analyzing more than entrusting? How would focusing on Christ’s nearness shift your posture today?

Day 4: Packing Bags for Uncharted Roads

Travelers prepare intentionally, knowing the journey shapes them. Consecration isn’t punishment but packing light—releasing sin’s weight to walk freely with God. Like Israel purging Egyptian trinkets before crossing Jordan, we shed old mindsets to embrace new territory. Holiness is luggage for miracles. [52:22]

“Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you.”
(Joshua 3:5, NLT)

Reflection: What “Egyptian trinket”—habit, attitude, or compromise—still clutters your heart? What would packing it away look like practically today?

Day 5: Living Arks Carrying Covenant

Believers now embody the ark—mobile vessels of God’s presence. Every conversation, decision, and crisis becomes a carrier of divine possibility. The Jordan didn’t part for spectators but for those bearing holy weight. Our ordinary steps sanctify ground when we remember Whose we are. [01:08:40]

“Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?”
(1 Corinthians 3:16, NLT)

Reflection: Where have you underestimated the power of Christ in you? How might carrying His presence intentionally today alter your interactions or burdens?

Sermon Summary

Joshua 3 meets God’s people on the edge of something new, something bigger than their current capacity. The Jordan is at flood stage, the promise is on the other side, and God gives them three clear postures for the journey ahead: consecrate before crossing, keep their eyes on His presence, and step before seeing.

Joshua first tells Israel, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” Consecration comes before the miracle. God calls His people to get clean, set themselves apart, and deal with the clutter that has crowded out intimacy with Jesus. Breakthrough cannot be separated from surrender. Jesus has made the ultimate sacrifice, and Romans 12 calls believers to offer their whole lives back to Him as living sacrifices.

Israel’s history also exposes the danger of murmuring, complaining, and fault finding. Ten unbelieving voices once turned a generation away from God’s promise, even after they had seen His power. Complaining can wear the respectable clothing of “processing,” but God calls His people to bring honest lament to Him, to wise counsel, and to the cross, rather than building an army around bitterness. Consecration is not perfection. Consecration is a posture that says, “Jesus, I’m Yours today. Clean house.”

Joshua then directs Israel to follow the ark of the covenant. The ark carries God’s presence, power, and commands ahead of them into unknown territory. The rushing river is real, but the river is not the ultimate issue. Problems are not the problem. Perspective is. God calls His people to stop staring at the flood stage, the diagnosis, the empty account, the broken relationship, or the impossible goal, and to fix their eyes on His presence.

Christ changes the distance between God and His people. Israel had to remain far behind the ark, but the Spirit now dwells in believers. God’s people carry His presence into hard places with holy awe, obedient trust, and confidence that He never leaves or forsakes them.

Joshua finally shows that the water did not stop while the priests stood safely on dry ground. The waters rose up only when their feet touched the flood. Faith has mud on it. God calls His people to obey the last thing He said, even while the water is rushing. Safety cannot become more precious than surrender. The next step may be repentance, forgiveness, generosity, prayer, a hard conversation, or a long-delayed yes. God handles what only God can do, but faith gets its feet wet.

Key Takeaways

1. Consecrate before expecting God’s breakthrough Joshua’s command places holiness before the miracle. God does not call people to earn His power through perfection, but He does call them to surrender the compromises, resentments, and distractions that dull spiritual vision. A clean heart becomes available for the work God wants to do. [52:22]
2. Bring complaints to God, not crowds Israel’s grumbling turned real hardship into entrenched unbelief. Honest lament belongs before the Father, who can hold pain without allowing it to poison the heart. “Processing” becomes destructive when it recruits others into bitterness instead of leading the wounded soul toward wholeness. [60:33]
3. Keep eyes on God’s presence The flood-stage Jordan was dangerous, but God told Israel to watch the ark. Fear grows when the imagination remains fixed on what is broken, scarce, or uncertain. The presence, power, and commands of God give clarity for roads never traveled before. [64:41]
4. Faith gets its feet wet The Jordan did not part before the priests moved. God often gives enough light for the next obedient step rather than a full explanation of the road ahead. Surrender chooses obedience over safety and trusts God with the outcome.

## [70:37]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[47:30] - Arise and Go: Preparing for the Journey
[48:30] - Travel Requires Intentional Preparation
[49:23] - The Great Commission Is Active
[50:50] - Standing on the Edge of Something New
[51:20] - Consecrate Before You Cross
[53:29] - Breakthrough Begins With Surrender
[56:26] - The Danger of Grumbling and Complaining
[61:28] - Consecration Is a Posture
[63:02] - Eyes on the Presence, Not the Problem
[64:41] - Don’t Stare at the River
[68:16] - Believers Carry God’s Presence
[69:09] - Step Before You See
[70:37] - Faith With Mud on It
[74:51] - A Call to Consecration and Obedience
[77:49] - Invitation to Surrender to Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Joshua 3:5
“Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” [51:56]

Romans 12:1
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” [55:29]

Hebrews 11:1
“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” [01:12:33]

Observation questions

In Joshua 3:5, what does Joshua ask the people to do before the Lord does amazing things among them? [52:22]
What kinds of heart “clutter” were identified as things that can crowd out intimacy with Jesus and hinder a posture of consecration? [53:36]
What did the ark represent for Israel as they faced the flood-stage Jordan, and why were the people told to follow it? [01:05:10]
According to Joshua 3 and Hebrews 11:1, what happened before the waters stopped, and how does that picture faith? [01:10:11]

Interpretation questions

Joshua’s call to consecrate came before Israel saw the miracle. How does this show that surrender is not a way to earn God’s help, but a way of becoming available to obey Him? [55:18]
Why can complaining become more than simply expressing pain? What is the difference between honest lament brought to God and conversations that recruit others into bitterness? [01:00:03]
Israel was told to watch the ark rather than fixate on the flood-stage river. What does this reveal about how God’s presence, power, and commands shape a believer’s perspective in an overwhelming situation? [01:05:40]
The priests stepped into the water before they saw the river stop. How does this help explain faith as trust that leads to obedient action, rather than waiting until every outcome feels safe or clear? [01:12:33]

Application questions

What is one specific area of clutter, compromise, resentment, distraction, or hidden sin that may be dulling your closeness with Jesus? What could surrender and repentance look like in that area this week? [01:02:03]
When you are hurt, disappointed, or frustrated, where do you usually take those feelings first? How can you bring honest lament to God or wise, godly counsel without building agreement around bitterness? [01:00:33]
What “rushing river” has been taking up most of your attention lately—anxiety, finances, health, a relationship, loneliness, or something else? What would it look like to intentionally fix your eyes on God’s presence and His promises in that situation? [01:06:02]
Believers carry God’s presence through the Holy Spirit. How might remembering that God is with you change the way you enter a difficult conversation, workplace, family situation, or decision this week? [01:08:16]
Is there a next step of obedience you have been delaying until you feel safer, more prepared, or more certain? It may involve forgiveness, generosity, repentance, prayer, or a needed conversation. What would “getting your feet wet” look like? [01:13:08]
Romans 12:1 describes offering everyday life to God as living worship. What part of your ordinary routine—time, words, money, work, relationships, or choices—could be freshly offered to Jesus this week? [55:34]

Sermon Clips

35s

#SurrenderOverSafety

“And some of us are still waiting for the the river to stop before we move. We're waiting for the clarity. We're waiting for the funding. We're waiting for that person to ask us out on the date. We're waiting for the affirmation. We're waiting for the open door that feels safe. And God's like, I didn't promise you a life of safety. Stop choosing safety over surrender. It's messing up your heart. Dip your feet in, the Lord says. Trust me. I'll handle the rest, but you have to trust me.”

31s

#KeepYourEyesOnJesus

“And God says, don't stare at the river, stare at the ark. Stare at my presence. Problems aren't the problem. Perspective is. We rush and scurry and stress in this frenetic pace of life, and we forget to keep the presence and the power and the commandments of God out in front of us. And that's our invitation. Don't stare at the problem. Keep your eyes on the presence.”

42s

#ConsecratedLife

“See, consecration isn't about perfection. It's not about getting it right all the time. It's about posture. It's about preparing in faith for how God is leading us. It's saying, Jesus, I'm yours today. Clean house. Jesus be the name above every other name. Realign my priorities. I'm available. Come Holy Spirit. Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me again and again and again. This is our cost of surrender. This is our consecration and our purification as followers of Jesus.”

28s

#ObedientFaith

“What will it cost you this week to intentionally lift your eyes and follow his presence more closely than your own fear or worry or doubt? What would it look like this week to take a simple step of obedience towards what looks impossible and just trust God? Believe him. Take him at his word. He is God. We are not. Keep your eyes on the presence.”

36s

#RepentanceToday

“Maybe you, like the Israelites, have been guilty of constantly complaining and murmuring and fault finding, building allies to strengthen your position of sin, but not actually surrendering it to the Lord to make you whole. Maybe some confession and some repentance is needed. Not next year, not tomorrow, not one day, today. What needs to be consecrated today so that you're ready to cross over into what's next? This is our first preparation.”

48s

#HolySpiritLed

“Now I've studied this text so many times, and it just, like, doesn't even make sense in the English line. How can I have conviction about something I can't see Because the Holy Spirit lives in you? That's how. Because the Holy Spirit can see it. Because God's already there. And if you trust him, then you allow that conviction to help you take that step of getting your feet wet. What's the obedient next step that still feels risky? The conversation, the asking for forgiveness, the financial generosity, the delay of something so that you can prioritize kingdom work, the repentance, the yes that you've been holding back.”

42s

#GodIsWithYou

“Some of us are so fixated on problems that we've lost sight of his presence. We've lost sight of his power, and we've forgotten to walk in obedient response to the commandments of the father. We're staring at the tattered relationship. We're staring at the addiction to pornography. We're staring at our empty bank account or that big financial goal or a recent diagnosis or our lack or our loneliness or a gap in leadership or a cultural pressure, and we've forgotten that the living god is out in front. We've forgotten he's still the one who never leaves us. He's still the one who never forsakes us. That's who he is.”

37s

#NewSeason

“God's leading us into something we can't see. God's leading us into taking territory we've never taken before as a church. God's leading you and your family into a new season of renewal and consecration and living set apart for his name's sake, for his kingdom come, for his will to be done. Will there be problems? You better believe it. Will there be hardship? Absolutely. Will there be suffering? Count on it. But don't stare at those things. Don't keep your eyes on the problems. Keep your eyes on his presence.”

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