Walk Into the Waters: Faith, Presence, and Legacy

Jan 18, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Stepping into God's Promises with Courageous Faith

This journey of faith often begins with a courageous step into the unknown. Just as the priests were commanded to walk into the raging Jordan River, we too are called to move forward even when conditions seem impossible. God does not always clear the path before us, but invites us to trust His presence as we step into the very challenges that seem to block our way. This act of faith transforms redeemed people into purposeful people, ready to embrace the life God calls them to live. It means following God, not waiting for miracles to appear first, but finding them as we walk in obedience. [09:21]

Joshua 3:15-17 ESV
and as soon as those who carried the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests carrying the ark were dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. Now the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.

Reflection: Considering a new opportunity or challenge God might be inviting you into, what is one practical step of faith you could take this week, even if the "waters" still seem high?

Day 2: Grace Transforms into Calling and Mission

God's work in our lives is not merely about what we are saved from, but profoundly about what we are saved for. While the Red Sea symbolized freedom from past bondage, the Jordan represents stepping into a future of inheritance, fruitfulness, and mission. This is the journey where grace, once received, turns into a compelling calling, and our newfound freedom becomes a mission for God's glory. Like the prodigal son, our gratitude for rescue deepens into a desire to love and serve the good Father with a restored purpose. [07:58]

Luke 15:20-24 ESV
And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt God's rescue. How has that experience of grace shaped your understanding of His calling for your life, and what specific mission might He be inviting you into now?

Day 3: Jesus: Our Dwelling and Mercy Seat

At the heart of God's presence among His people was the Ark of the Covenant, a sacred object symbolizing His dwelling, authority, and mercy. Its mercy seat, an empty throne, taught Israel about an invisible, holy, and incomprehensible God who reigns. Yet, this throne was also a place where sinful people could approach a holy King through grace. In Jesus Christ, this profound imagery finds its ultimate fulfillment. He is our true mercy seat, the one who stands between a holy God and sinful humanity, bearing judgment and becoming the place where mercy triumphs. [15:47]

Romans 3:23-26 ESV
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Reflection: How does understanding Jesus as your personal "mercy seat" deepen your confidence in approaching God with your struggles, sins, and deepest desires, knowing His grace triumphs?

Day 4: Calling: Struggle as Transformation

The promised land, contrary to popular belief, is not a paradise free from trouble, but a place of God's calling, full of challenges and opposition. It is precisely within these struggles that God calls us to Himself, transforming us into His people and allowing us to experience His faithfulness and power. When pursuing God's call, difficulties are to be expected, often far more than we can handle on our own. It is in these moments that we are invited to cling to Christ's holy presence, allowing our struggles to become God's struggles, and through them, truly know Him. [19:22]

Romans 5:3-5 ESV
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Reflection: Think of a current struggle or challenge you are facing in an area you believe God has called you. How might God be inviting you to cling more deeply to Christ's presence in this specific situation, trusting it as a path to transformation?

Day 5: Building a Legacy of God's Story

God commanded Israel to establish a memorial of twelve stones, not to celebrate their own courage, but to serve as a lasting testimony for future generations. These stones were meant to prompt children to ask, "What do these stones mean?" allowing parents to recount the powerful story of God's faithfulness—how He delivered them from slavery, carried them through the desert, and parted the waters. This act of remembering the past is not merely conservative; it is a progressive force, empowering us to move forward with courage and obedience, making a new story for the glory of Christ and for those who will come after us. [27:39]

Joshua 4:6-7 ESV
that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”

Reflection: What personal stories of God's faithfulness in your life or in the life of your community could you intentionally document or share this week to inspire faith in others, especially the next generation?

Sermon Summary

The presentation unfolds a clear, pastoral reading of Joshua 3–4 to shape a congregational vision for stepping into God's future. Framing the way to possess God's promises with the acronym WAY, it first calls believers to "walk into the waters"—to move forward into risky obedience rather than wait for ideal conditions—illustrating how Joshua was told to step into the flooded Jordan so God could make a way. Next it emphasizes abiding in God's presence: the ark of the covenant functions as both throne and mercy seat, pointing forward to Christ as the place where divine authority and mercy meet; remaining centered on that presence is what holds the way open. The talk reframes the promised land as a place of calling, not a paradise free from struggle, and insists that difficulty often accompanies faithful vocation. Practical discipleship is highlighted through a house-church story where small acts of service modeled how grace becomes mission and communal formation.

Memory and intergenerational testimony receive special attention: the twelve stones taken from the riverbed become a visible tradition designed to teach children the story of God's faithfulness. Rather than commemorating human heroics, the memorials celebrate God's persistent mercy that carries an unfaithful people into a hopeful future. The overarching invitation is to move with God—flexible, obedient, and rooted in presence—so that grace turns into calling and freedom becomes mission. Finally, the local vision is tied to stewardship and communal practices for the coming year: financial commitments, ministry priorities, and a plan for courageous, generous faith that will create a distinctive spiritual tradition for the next generation.

Key Takeaways

1. Walk into the waters of promise Stepping forward before visible rescue reframes faith as following God, not chasing signs. This posture trusts God's leading amid danger and uncertainty, making obedience the proving ground where God's presence becomes demonstrably real. Such faith refuses passive nostalgia and treats promise as a summons to action and transformation. [02:28]
2. Abide in God's presence always The ark functioned as both throne and mercy seat to show that God's authority and mercy coexist where people gather. Abiding in that presence means the journey is shaped by communion with a God who reigns and welcomes, not by human courage alone. The abiding life keeps the community centered so God's power can do what human effort cannot. [12:15]
3. The promise demands calling, not comfort Canaan is described not as paradise but as the place of vocation—full of giants, conflicts, and hard work. Trials in the promised land are not signs of exile but evidence of being called into God's mission where character and dependence on God are forged. Expect hardship as part of faithful stewardship of God's gifts. [17:58]
4. Make memorials; tell the next generation Ritual markers—like the twelve stones—turn memory into pedagogy, enabling children to inherit a story of God’s faithfulness rather than mere moral instruction. Building traditions of testimony prepares successors to face future struggles with identity and hope rooted in God's past deeds. Story, not just instruction, becomes the family's spiritual capital. [22:47]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:00] - Annual vision and fast overview
[01:54] - Entering the promised land (Joshua 3–4)
[02:28] - Walk into the waters of promise
[03:25] - Jordan at flood stage: context
[04:44] - Command to step into the river
[06:00] - Red Sea vs. Jordan: different freedoms
[09:43] - Abide in God's presence explained
[12:15] - The ark: throne and mercy seat
[15:11] - Christ as the fulfillment of the ark
[17:41] - Promised land: calling not paradise
[22:47] - Stones as memorials and storytelling
[27:55] - Transition to FAST presentation

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading

Joshua 3:15–17 (ESV)
"and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan."

Joshua 4:6–7 (ESV)
"that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever."

Romans 3:25 (ESV)
"whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins."

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Observation questions

According to Joshua 3:15, what was the specific condition of the Jordan River when the Israelites arrived to cross it? [03:25]
At what exact moment did the waters of the Jordan stop flowing and pile up in a heap? [02:28]
The Ark of the Covenant contained the tablets of the law, a jar of manna, and Aaron’s staff. What did these three items testify to regarding God’s relationship with His people? [12:15]
In Joshua 4, what did the twelve men take from the middle of the river, and where were they instructed to place them? [09:43]

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Interpretation questions

The Red Sea crossing was about escaping the power of the past, but the Jordan crossing is about stepping into the inheritance of the future. [06:00] Why does "Jordan faith" require a deeper level of trust than "Red Sea faith"? [06:48]
The Ark of the Covenant was designed as a "mercy seat" that functioned like a throne. [13:39] How does the combination of God’s absolute authority (the throne) and His welcoming grace (the mercy seat) shape the way a community gathers in His presence? [14:59]
The Promised Land is often misunderstood as a paradise free from trouble, but it was actually a place of giants and conflict. [17:58] If the Promised Land is a place of "calling" rather than "comfort," what does that tell us about the purpose of the struggles we face when following God? [18:22]
Joshua 4:7 describes the twelve stones as a "memorial forever." Why is it important for a family or a church to have physical "signs" and stories to share with the next generation rather than just giving them rules to follow? [22:47]

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Application questions*

Faith means moving forward with God even when there is no visible miracle yet. [09:21] Is there a "flooded river" in your life right now where you are waiting for the water to part before you take a step? What would it look like to "get your feet wet" in obedience this week?

Crossing the Jordan is the moment when grace turns into calling and freedom becomes a mission. [07:58] We are all saved *from something, but what do you feel God has saved you for in this season of your life?
Discipleship is not just about learning the Bible; it is practicing what we learn through simple acts of service. [22:18] Think about the story of the house church leader who spent his day cooking a special meal for a member’s birthday. [21:23] How can you turn a normal task this week into a "holy, delicious communion" for someone else?
Difficulty in life does not necessarily mean you are outside of God's will; the Promised Land is the right place to be because it is where we are called to struggle. [18:33] How does reframing your current challenges as a "calling" change the way you pray about them? [18:47]
We are called to build a unique spiritual tradition for the next generation. [27:11] If a child or a new believer asked you, "What do these stones mean?"—referring to your own life—what specific story of God’s faithfulness would you tell them? [23:31]
Tradition is like a swing: we lean back into the past so we can kick forward into the future. [27:39] What is one "stone" or memory of God's past mercy that gives you the most courage to move forward into this coming year?

Sermon Clips

32s

#KingOnTheCross

“``The true king does not merely sit on a throne, he hangs on a cross. His throne becomes an altar, and his crown is made of thorns. So Ark proclaimed that God is with us, and Mercy Seat declared God is for you. And Jesus embodied both. Hallelujah. He is our Emmanuel God with us, and he is our atonement. What was once shadowy now became a substance.”

32s

#MercySeatInChrist

“So apostle Paul is saying Jesus himself is now the mercy seat for us. Amen? Where Israel once approached God through the golden leaf sprinkled with animal blood, we now come through the cross where Jesus shed his blood. On the cross, Jesus stands between a holy god and sinful humanity. He bears a judgment the law demands and becomes a place where mercy triumphs.”

40s

#GraceIntoCalling

“As we learn in the Luke chapter 15, forgiven prodigal son was not just grateful for being rescued from pig's farm, but he was much more grateful for the restored sonship and second chance to finally love and serve the good father. The crossing Jordan is a moment when grace turns into calling and then freedom becomes a mission. I like this statement. Let me repeat that. Crossing Jordan is a moment when grace become turns into calling and freedom becomes a mission.”

29s

#StepForwardInFaith

“Bible tells us that we don't follow God by sight but by faith. We walk by faith, not by sight. This year, this means we will not wait for the perfect condition to walk. There's no such thing as a perfect condition. We will walk forward in faith into discipleship that will cost our time, into the mission that will stretch our budget, into obedience that sounds very risky.”

26s

#SavedForPurpose

“Salvation is not only about what we are saved from, it is about what we are saved for. As we learn in the Luke chapter 15, forgiven prodigal son was not just grateful for being rescued from pig's farm, but he was much more grateful for the restored sonship and second chance to finally love and serve the good father.”

30s

#LegacyThroughStory

“Giving our children a story may be the most important inheritance we can offer to them. Amen? Because there are so many struggles waiting up ahead of whatever promise land that our children try to find in their life. And they are not going to make it unless they know who they are and the god who is with them through the waters.”

35s

#StonesOfRemembrance

“God commanded Israel to mark the moment. The stones become a testimony for the next generation. 12 men carried the stones they collected from the riverbed on their shoulders to other side of Jordan. Then Joshua built a memorial out of those stones and said to Hebrews, let this be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come. What do these stones mean? Then you shall tell them when the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of covenant of Lord. So these stones shall be to Israelite a memorial forever.”

43s

#RememberGodsFaithfulness

“Now notice here, god has instructed Joshua to build their memorial before any battle had been fought or before anything heroic or sacrifice has occurred. So why build a memorial when they just entered the promised land? It is because they are memory remembering their own faithfulness or courage. They are remembering faithfulness of God who delivered them from the slavery, carried them through the desert, parted the Red Sea, now Jordan River, and who took the people with no future and gave them one filled with hope.”

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