Give Your Family Jesus: Worship, Humility, and Mercy

Children spot what really lives in a parent’s heart, so Jesus names the true gift: “where your treasure is, there will your heart also be.” The call to fatherhood and to every household begins there. A dad or mom who shows Christ as precious by the way they live gives the family the best thing they can give, which is Jesus himself. Not trophies or bigger houses, but a life that says Christ is the treasure and love is the work.

Joshua meets “a man with a drawn sword” who names himself the commander of the army of the Lord. Joshua asks the classic either or. For us or for our adversaries. The commander does not play that game. He says, in effect, No. I have come as commander of the Lord’s armies. God refuses to be conscripted into sides. God resets the terms. God’s purposes are bigger than stadium chants and sideline loyalties. The right first move is not to shout louder, but to get quiet, fall down, and worship.

Jericho shows what that looks like. The plan is God’s way, not human common sense. Walk the circle, carry what is holy, blow the trumpets, and trust a word. Yet the story does not stay neat. The herem is terrible to hear, and the song “and the walls came tumbling down” is not the end. Rahab the outsider is spared by faith, then Israel falls hard at Ai because Achan hides devoted things under his floor. Scripture will not let anyone claim clean hands. Mercy and judgment both stand, and neither can be watered down.

Jesus takes that mess into his own body. Before him stand Rome and the leaders of Israel and a handful of fearful disciples. He does not pick a side. He carries the wrath belonging to both and prays, Father, forgive them. The cross becomes the only safe place to stand when every argument is sure God must be on my side. The way forward looks like humility, worship, and a listening ear. It looks like taking up the cross and, when caught fanning a fight instead of healing, confessing, receiving mercy, and becoming a channel of that mercy. Fall down. Listen. Follow. Choose the cross and the empty tomb over vengeance.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Christ as treasure, not accessory [29:31] A home is shaped by what the heart loves most. When Christ is only a belief, children learn to treat faith like a hobby. When Christ is a treasure, they learn worship by watching love. The daily gift is not more stuff but a life that points to Jesus as the best thing. [29:31]
• 2. God refuses partisan sides [36:57] Joshua asks for us or for them, and heaven answers No. God will not be drafted into human camps or echo chambers. The commander reframes the field and calls people to kneel, not to cheer louder. Holiness resets the conversation before strategy ever begins. [36:57]
• 3. Fight battles in God’s way [38:14] Jericho falls by worship, procession, and trust, not by savvy tactics. God’s plans often look foolish before they look faithful. Obedience makes room for power human strength cannot supply. Victory on God’s terms protects hearts from the pride that ruins the next fight. [38:14]
• 4. Do not shrink wrath or mercy [40:26] Rahab’s rescue and Achan’s stoning sit side by side, refusing a tidy narrative. Scripture will not let anyone pretend judgment is only for others or mercy only for self. At the cross Jesus bears both, disarming the cycle of payback. That is where true justice and true pardon meet. [40:26]
• 5. Kneel, listen, carry the cross [48:28] When conflicts demand sides, worship demands silence and surrender. Listening for the Father’s lead keeps vengeance on a leash and opens a road toward resurrection life. If a tongue has made things worse, repentance is not the end but the door to usefulness. The cross makes people into conduits of the forgiveness they receive. [48:28]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [25:26] - Kids time begins
• [27:24] - Christ as precious, not just belief
• [28:57] - The best gift is Jesus
• [30:46] - Prayer and Father’s Day blessing
• [32:41] - The big game setup
• [34:05] - Commander with drawn sword
• [36:01] - Not neither but No
• [37:56] - God’s unusual battle plan
• [39:06] - The hard parts at Jericho
• [40:26] - Achan exposed and judgment faced
• [41:49] - Do what Jesus does
• [44:12] - No sides at the cross
• [47:34] - Fall down and listen
• [48:28] - Cross and empty tomb over vengeance

1. In Joshua 5:13-15, how does the commander of the Lord’s army respond when Joshua asks, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?” What does this reveal about God’s stance in human conflicts?
2. According to the sermon, how does treating Christ as a “treasure” rather than a “belief” shape a parent’s influence on their children? [27:24]
3. What two contrasting outcomes occur in Joshua 6-7 (Rahab’s rescue and Achan’s judgment), and how do they reflect God’s character?

1. Why might God refuse to align with human “sides” or agendas, as seen in Joshua 5:13-15? How does this challenge modern assumptions about God endorsing cultural or political loyalties?
2. The sermon states, “Victory on God’s terms protects hearts from the pride that ruins the next fight” [38:14]. How does the story of Jericho’s fall (and Israel’s later failure at Ai) illustrate this principle?
3. How does Jesus’ response to conflict at the cross—bearing wrath for both sides—redefine justice and mercy compared to Old Testament examples like Rahab and Achan?

1. What practical habits could help you prioritize Christ as a “treasure” (Matthew 6:21) in your daily life, so others—especially those closest to you—see Him as your ultimate joy?
2. When have you been tempted to assume God “must be on your side” in a disagreement or cultural issue? What would it look like to “fall down, listen, and worship” instead of seeking validation? [35:14]
3. The sermon warns against “watering down” either God’s mercy or judgment [40:26]. How can you hold both truths in tension when addressing personal failure or others’ wrongdoing?
4. In conflicts where you feel pressured to “take a side,” how might you model Jesus’ cross-shaped response of humility and intercession (“Father, forgive them”)?
5. What is one area of life (e.g., parenting, work, relationships) where you’ve relied on “human common sense” instead of seeking God’s counterintuitive wisdom? What step could you take to obey His direction this week?