You Have More Influence Than You Think | Moving Forward in Identity

Jun 07, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Waiting at the Tent After Moses Left

Joshua lingered at the tent of meeting long after others returned to their routines. His posture revealed a hunger to dwell where God’s presence lingered, even when the visible miracle faded. This daily choice to remain—not for spectacle, but for intimacy—shaped his capacity to lead a nation. Like Joshua, believers today cultivate legacy not in grand moments alone, but in the quiet persistence of seeking God after others have moved on. What we do when no one watches often determines what God entrusts to us when all eyes turn. [15:30]

So the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. (Exodus 33:11, NIV)

Reflection: Where in your routine could you linger a little longer with God this week? What practical step would help you prioritize stillness over productivity today?

Day 2: Hailstones from Heaven and Human Courage

The battle at Gibeon required both Joshua’s obedience and God’s supernatural intervention. Hailstones fell not as a replacement for Israel’s swords, but as a confirmation of their faithful steps. Legacy is built when human effort and divine partnership collide—when we march all night toward the battle, then watch heaven amplify our surrendered yes. God honors the grit of showing up, then does what only He can. [25:12]

As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horan, the Lord hurled large hailstones down on them, and more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites. (Joshua 10:11, NIV)

Reflection: What “hailstorm” do you need to trust God for in a situation where you’ve already taken faithful steps? Where are you tempted to rely solely on human effort instead of expecting divine partnership?

Day 3: The Map with a Cemetery and a Propeller

A decade-old dream about a cemetery beside an airport became a waymarker for obedience. Like Joshua needing Moses’ hands and God’s voice, legacy often forms through layered confirmations—scripture, community, and circumstantial signs. Pay attention to recurring images or unresolved promptings in your story. What seems random today may be God’s preparation for a calling you’ll step into years later. [10:58]

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. (Psalm 119:105, NIV)

Reflection: What unresolved promptings or recurring images from your past might God be using to direct your current steps? How could you test these against Scripture and wise counsel this week?

Day 4: When the Mentor Steps Back

Moses’ final act wasn’t performing miracles but transferring authority through laid hands. True legacy-makers empty their hands so others can lift theirs. This surrender requires trusting that what God began through us, He will finish through others. Like a pilot releasing the controls to a trainee, spiritual mentors find joy not in perpetual control, but in empowered release. [16:18]

Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses. (Deuteronomy 34:9, NIV)

Reflection: Who needs you to believe in their calling more than they need your direct involvement? What step of release—whether time, responsibility, or control—is God asking of you?

Day 5: Consecrate Yourselves for Tomorrow’s Wonders

Joshua’s command to “consecrate yourselves” before crossing the Jordan wasn’t about ritual purity alone. It was a call to focus collective anticipation on God’s next move. Legacy thrives when communities prepare inwardly for outward breakthroughs. Today’s small obediences—confessing sin, reconciling relationships, fasting distractions—clear space for tomorrow’s miracles. [23:52]

Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” (Joshua 3:5, NIV)

Reflection: What distraction, habit, or unresolved conflict might be clouding your readiness for God’s next move? What one act of “consecration” could you take today to sharpen your spiritual focus?

Sermon Summary

Legacy moves from Moses to Joshua as God’s way of forming leaders beside leaders. Exodus shows a mentor who doesn’t hoard the work but hands real responsibility to his disciple. When Amalek attacks, Joshua is told to “pick some men and go fight,” while Moses, Aaron, and Hur lift up faith on the hill. The battlefield and the hill become one classroom, and Joshua learns courage and competence shoulder to shoulder with a worshiper who lets others in. At the tent of meeting, the cloud descends, Moses speaks with God, and Joshua lingers after everyone else goes back to camp. Stillness becomes part of his training. Presence before power, abiding before advancing.

Deuteronomy says Moses lays hands on Joshua. Wisdom rests on him because God has already put in him what will be needed when it’s time. Joshua 1 confirms it. God says, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you… Be strong and courageous… Do not turn from the law to the right or to the left… meditate day and night.” The promise arrives with a path. God pledges presence and territory, and then calls Joshua to a Scripture-shaped imagination that refuses the pull of distraction. Strength is not noise. Courage is not bravado. Strength is trust, and courage is obedience that keeps stepping.

Consecration becomes the people’s part. “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” The leader who has been apprenticed in stillness now calls a nation to focus. God’s wonders are not for the unready heart; they land where space has been cleared. And when the campaign unfolds, Joshua prays audaciously, “Sun, stand still,” and the God who throws hailstones also lengthens a day. The text ties the miracle to intimacy: “Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel.”

Hebrews names this movement “a great cloud of witnesses.” Moses, Joshua, and above all Jesus, “the pioneer of faith,” show what legacy really is. Jesus endures the cross “for the joy set before him” and refuses to abandon those he purchased. That same pattern lands on the church now. Legacy is not slogans but proximity. Older saints invite the next generation close enough to see Scripture on the lips, consecration in the calendar, courage in the hard place, and prayer that asks for the impossible. As God works through that nearness, the next generation learns who they are and steps into what God already prepared.

Key Takeaways

1. Legacy gives real-time apprenticeships Real formation happens beside someone who trusts God and shares the work. Moses doesn’t warehouse leadership; he sends Joshua into real battles while modeling intercession and dependence. Proximity turns theory into muscle memory, and the shared load becomes a shared life with God. [13:27]
2. Courage rises from God's nearness Joshua’s charge is not hype; it is anchored in “I will be with you.” Courage grows where Scripture is chewed on, prayed through, and obeyed in small steps. Fear loses its script when presence writes the lines. [19:00]
3. Consecration makes space for wonders “Consecrate yourselves” is the quiet work before tomorrow’s breakthrough. Setting things aside sharpens attention, and a focused people can notice God’s hand and move with it. Wonders often meet those who have already made room. [23:30]
4. Pray big while you march forward Joshua prays for the sun to stand still while pursuing the enemy all night. Faith does not replace effort; it reorders it, asking God for what only he can do as obedience does what it must. Bold petitions fit best in faithful footsteps. [25:43]
5. Invite the next generation in close Legacy is built when the young can linger where God is and shoulder work that matters. Mentors open their lives, not just their mouths, so identity forms through shared rhythms and real responsibility. A church becomes a cloud of witnesses one invitation at a time. [28:58]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[07:32] - Meet Josh and Kari
[08:04] - Legacy and Moses’ finish
[08:52] - Pilot training and calling
[10:25] - A dream that opened doors
[12:00] - Joshua apprenticed by Moses
[13:27] - Battlefield trust in Exodus 17
[14:21] - Linger at the Tent of Meeting
[16:18] - Moses commissions Joshua
[18:23] - Be strong and courageous
[23:30] - Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow
[25:43] - Sun, stand still over Gibeon
[27:20] - Surrounded by a great cloud
[28:58] - Become the legacy for Gen One
[31:03] - Closing prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Joshua 1:1-9 (NIV)
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 10:12-14 (NIV)
On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!

Observation Questions

In Joshua 1:6-7, God repeats the command “be strong and courageous” three times. What specific actions does God link to this courage (see verses 7-8)?
How did Moses prepare Joshua for leadership before his death, according to the sermon’s examples from Exodus 17 and Exodus 33:11? [13:27]
What two miracles does Joshua 10:9-14 describe, and what do they reveal about God’s response to bold faith?

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think God emphasizes meditating on Scripture “day and night” (Joshua 1:8) as the foundation for courage and success? How does this connect to the idea of “presence before power” mentioned in the sermon? [19:00]
The sermon says, “Consecration makes space for wonders.” What might “consecration” look like practically for someone today, based on Joshua 3:5? [23:30]
Joshua prayed for the sun to stand still while actively pursuing the enemy (Joshua 10:12-14). How does this challenge the way we often separate “faith” and “effort” in our lives?

Application Questions

Who in your life could you intentionally invite into your daily rhythms (e.g., prayer, work, decisions) to mentor or disciple, as Moses did with Joshua? What’s one step you could take this week to start? [28:58]
The sermon highlights that “strength is trust, and courage is obedience that keeps stepping.” What’s a small, practical step of obedience God is asking you to take right now that feels intimidating? How can you lean into His presence instead of relying on your own confidence?
“Consecrate yourselves” (Joshua 3:5) involves clearing distractions to focus on God. What’s one habit, relationship, or commitment you need to set aside temporarily to create space for God’s work in your life?
When have you prayed a bold, “sun-stand-still” kind of prayer while still taking action (like Joshua)? If you haven’t, what’s holding you back from asking God for the impossible in a situation you’re facing? [25:43]
The sermon says, “Legacy is built when the young can linger where God is.” How can you create opportunities for younger believers or seekers in your life to “linger” near God through your example (e.g., sharing your prayer routine, serving together, discussing Scripture)?

Sermon Clips

48s

#MentorshipMatters

“``what Moses did for Joshua at that time was that he laid hands on Joshua. It says that in Deuteronomy thirty four nine, he Joshua was commissioned rested on Joshua so that he could lead after Moses was gone. So what a mentor and a leader, what a discipler does is, as you can see by Moses' example, is that he gives people opportunities. He or she gives people opportunities. He gives them a chance to learn alongside them. He also then believes in them so much so that he'll push them out to their own calling.”

42s

#FaithInTeamwork

“Joshua is learning one step, one step, one step as he's walking with Moses. K? So I wanna read some a few and quote a few scriptures here. Here, last week, pastor Jonathan introduced the story of the Amalekites, right, in Exodus 17. he introduced that Moses was a leader, but he allowed people to come and help him. Aaron on one side, Hur on the other side, and he had the staff up here. And because he had faith in God and he invited people into his life to help him, the children of Israel won.”

48s

#CloudOfWitnesses

“who for the joy that was set before him, the joy that was set before him was you all. Everyone who believes in him, that is the joy that was set before him. He endured the shame of the cross. He scorned it. He hated the shame of the cross and he endured the suffering that he he experienced for you. He took your sin on him And as a result, you can be with him. He will never leave you or forsake you just like with Moses and Joshua. So that being said, we have these great crowd cloud of witnesses here in Hebrews. We can learn from Moses and Joshua, and most of all, we can learn from Jesus, his example.”

40s

#ConsecrateAndLead

“Now Joshua is talking to the people. Consecrate or set aside set aside, set apart yourselves. Focus yourselves almost. Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, the Lord will do amazing things among you. So what we see in the in the movement of Moses and Joshua, Moses left a legacy to Joshua. Right? Moses allowed Joshua to build his skill, have opportunities to grow. Then he laid hands on him. He believed in him. The Lord came. The Lord encouraged Joshua, commanded him, and now it's Joshua's job to bring the people with him as they move forward.”

40s

#BoldFaithToday

“Perhaps you're unsure about your job. Maybe you're unsure about the state of the world right now. Many people are. We just watch the news, and we see many unsure things happening every night. But the Lord's word to us today is to be strong and courageous, to do what he asks us to do, namely to share the word of Jesus with people. That's what we're called to do as Christians today. that being say said, take heart, take comfort in this in knowing this. The Lord has prepared his the way before you even though you can't see all the resources that you need.”

38s

#KeepYourFocusOnGod

“you know, pastor John was preaching when we first began the series. Sometimes we look at other things, and we chase after other things, we lose our identity in those things. And the Lord is telling Joshua right here, don't look to the left or to the right. Keep your law in my heart. Keep your keep my law in your heart. And also, don't don't look at the distractions around you. K? I have prepared you to be a leader. So I believe in you. Move forward. That's what the Lord is telling Joshua. K?”

61s

#FaithfulStillness

“Surely, the Lord was fighting for Israel. as we can see, if you allow the Lord into your life, and if you are still, if you're active in your stillness, if you let him come and help you, if you bring others alongside and if you're looking out for those who can learn from your example, the next generation who can see your faith in your life, the Lord will be with you. And there's nothing there's nothing that he doesn't call you to in your life that he won't be there with you. K? So relating it to us today, we have these great examples in front of us. We've been tracking through these past few months about Joseph, about Moses, about Joshua, about all these heroes of our faith.”

39s

#ListenConfirmAct

“If he asks you to go into a certain direction, take counsel, listen to people, godly people in your life, read the scripture, spend time with him in prayer, Confirm that he wants you to go forward and then go after it because he believes in you. He wouldn't give you those things to do in your life if he didn't believe in you. So that's my encouragement to you today. K? So moving forward, you know, just to reiterate, God has already provided everything that you need in faith. Our role is to stick to God's word so that we can act on who we are.”

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