Joshua-Taking Ground Feb 15

Devotional

Day 1: God is at work, even in our deepest pain.

The story of Job reminds us that God's presence and purposes are not absent in our suffering. He is actively at work, even when circumstances suggest otherwise. In the midst of loss and heartache, we can choose to bless the name of the Lord. This is not a denial of pain, but a declaration of trust in His sovereign goodness. Our hope is anchored in His character, not our comfort. [25:36]

And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Job 1:21 (ESV)

Reflection: When you consider a current or past season of difficulty, what might it look like to bless the name of the Lord from the middle of that pain, rather than waiting for the situation to resolve?

Day 2: Our hope is found in Jesus’s finished work.

Our salvation, healing, and eternal rest are not accomplishments of our own striving. They are complete in the work of Christ on the cross. Through His wounds, we are offered forgiveness and wholeness. He alone holds the keys to life, and He is our ultimate hiding place and Sabbath rest. Our role is to look to Him and receive what He has already provided. [26:59]

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)

Reflection: In what area of your life are you most tempted to strive for your own healing or peace, rather than resting in and receiving what Christ has already accomplished for you?

Day 3: God initiates; we participate in His work.

The advancement of God's kingdom is His work from start to finish. He is the one who brings growth, transformation, and direction. Our calling is not to create the vision but to discern where He is already moving and follow. We are invited to participate with what He is doing, picking up the tools He provides and stepping out in faith alongside Him. [46:15]

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
1 Corinthians 3:6-7 (ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been trying to manufacture spiritual growth or ministry outcomes in your own strength, instead of asking God where He is already at work and joining Him there?

Day 4: God calls us to new territory in His kingdom.

The Lord has promised land for His people, which in our context is not a physical location but new areas of spiritual, relational, and personal growth. He desires to lead us into deeper places of trust and greater expanses of His kingdom influence. This requires a mindset that expects more from God and rejects complacency, while still relying wholly on His power to get us there. [50:48]

“And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.”
Joshua 23:14 (ESV)

Reflection: What is one specific area of your life—emotional, relational, or spiritual—that feels like uncharted territory, and what would it look like to ask God what He wants to do there?

Day 5: Faith is made visible through obedient action.

Genuine belief is always coupled with movement. We are called to be faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us, leveraging our gifts, resources, and placement for His kingdom. This means putting others first and allowing our lives to be used for God’s glory. It is in this active partnership that we experience the joy of being coworkers with God. [01:29:34]

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
James 1:22 (ESV)

Reflection: What is one tangible step of obedience, however small, that you feel God is inviting you to take this week with the resources or relationships He has given you?

Sermon Summary

Heaven brings Job’s cry and praise into the room, declaring that God gives and takes away yet remains worthy of blessing. Jesus’ finished work on the cross stands as the decisive victory over death, hell, and the grave; healing, forgiveness, and Sabbath rest flow from that completed work and become the sure foundation for trusting God in suffering. A season of preparation introduces the book of Joshua as a call to take new ground while recognizing that God goes first; followers must ask where God is moving, listen, and then participate in obedience rather than inventing the path. The Sabbath theme functions as a reminder that kingdom advance depends on God’s leading and provision, even as people are invited to pick up tools and act.

Joshua will be approached as a survey to draw out major patterns for present-day life: God brings the advance and believers partner with him. Four categories of promised land emerge for the New Testament believer: spiritual territory (Luke 10’s delegation of authority, confronting spiritual forces while preaching the kingdom), relational territory (reconciliation as entrusted ministry that costs ease and sometimes relationships), tangible territory (material provision given to be stewarded for others, not hoarded for self), and ministry territory (devoted, costly service modeled in 1 Timothy that saves both minister and hearer). The parable of the talents parallels Joshua and Caleb: faith that acts produces expansion and commendation; fear that buries gifts loses what was entrusted. Scripture insists that spiritual and physical reality interlock—taking ground in one sphere affects the other—and that true faith always shows itself in action. The summons closes with practical questions: where has God placed each person, why now, and what step of faith will follow? God promises to go first, to provide, and to invite participation that yields growth for his glory.

Key Takeaways

1. God goes first; believers follow God initiates kingdom advance and bears the power for breakthrough, so followers must prioritize listening and alignment over creative self-reliance. Obedience becomes the way to enter what God already promises; action without divine direction produces limited fruit, while faithfulness to his lead opens room for his provision and transformation. This posture relieves the burden of inventing outcomes and centers hope on God’s movement rather than human schemes. [51:46]
2. Spiritual and physical are linked Spiritual authority and physical outcomes belong together: confronting evil, preaching the kingdom, and occupying ground in the world clash and combine in biblical ways. Treating the sacred and secular as separate fractures the gospel; kingdom advance requires attention to both prayerful spiritual engagement and tangible, contextual work. This integration forbids superficial “name it” declarations while affirming confident action rooted in God’s word and presence. [61:06]
3. Relational advance costs comfort Taking ground among people demands persuasion, risk, and loss of ease; reconciliation is a ministry that may cost friendships and social standing. Faithful witness flows from a life reoriented to Christ so that others can be reconciled, even when rejection follows. Holding to this calling requires courage to prioritize God’s appeal over human approval and a readiness to be misunderstood for the sake of others’ souls. [71:24]
4. Tangible resources demand stewardship Material provision becomes kingdom territory only when surrendered from personal ownership into generous use for others. Accumulation without this reordering reveals misplaced motives; God entrusts resources to those who invest them into people and mission. True increase calls for losing an inward kingdom so that God’s outward kingdom may expand through sacrificial sharing. [76:59]
5. Ministry calls for self-giving Effective ministry requires devotion, training, public ministry of Scripture, and putting others’ growth ahead of personal comfort. Investing time and discipline into teaching, exhortation, and holy living advances the body and preserves faithfulness. Such costly service both refines the server and brings salvation to hearers when rooted in God’s word and dependence. [81:32]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[25:36] - Opening prayer and Job’s example
[26:59] - Cross, healing, and finished work
[27:48] - Intercession for the Pacheco family
[42:37] - Transition into the Joshua series
[44:03] - Following God’s lead, not inventing vision
[45:41] - Sabbath as preparation for new ground
[51:46] - God goes first; believers participate
[54:27] - Four types of promised land introduced
[56:25] - Spiritual territory and Luke 10 authority
[66:22] - Relational territory and reconciliation
[75:36] - Tangible territory and the talents parable
[81:32] - Ministry territory; 1 Timothy charge
[87:59] - Call to action and closing prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Joshua 1:1–9 (ESV)
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Observation questions

What specific promises did God make to Joshua in this passage, and what did He command him to do?
According to the sermon, what is the role of believers in God’s work of advancing His kingdom? [51:46]
What are the four types of “promised land” or territory mentioned that God wants believers to take ground in today? [54:27]
How does the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14–30) parallel the story of Joshua and Caleb? [01:15:36]

Interpretation questions

Why is it significant that God tells Joshua, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise,” instead of letting Joshua come up with his own plan?
How does the idea that “God goes first; believers follow” change the way we understand our responsibility in spiritual growth and ministry? [51:46]
In what ways do spiritual authority and physical outcomes intersect, according to the biblical worldview presented? [01:01:06]
Why might taking relational territory for the kingdom cost us ease and comfort, and possibly even relationships? [01:11:24]

Application questions

Where has God placed you right now—in your neighborhood, workplace, or family—and what might it look like to actively listen for His direction rather than invent your own plan? [44:03]
What is one area of your life (spiritual, relational, tangible, or ministerial) where you’ve been hesitant to trust God to lead, and what would it look like to take a step of obedience this week?
How can you better integrate prayer and practical action in a area where you’re trying to see God’s kingdom advance? [01:01:06]
Is there a relationship where God is calling you to pursue reconciliation, even if it risks rejection or discomfort? What would it look like to take a faithful step in that direction? [01:11:24]
In what ways have you been entrusted with tangible resources—time, money, skills—that you could steward more generously for God’s purposes rather than your own comfort? [01:16:59]
What would it look like to “devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” in your current sphere of influence, even if it feels costly or uncomfortable? [01:23:56]
What step of faith is God inviting you to take this week as you reflect on His promise, “I will not leave you or forsake you”?

Sermon Clips

21s

#ListenAndFollowGod

“So God is doing new things, but they don't depend on us. I hope that's a relief to you. God wants to take you to new places, but it's him who's doing it. You don't have to come up with the idea. He's got it. He knows. Your job is to listen and to pay attention and to follow.”

37s

#PartnerWithGodByFaith

“Because God's not sitting idly doing nothing. Alright. We're all done here sort of attitude. Even though his work is finished, the taking of the land is not finished. And there's more. So we're gonna look at this as a major theme. God's doing the work and going first. He's the good shepherd, bringing his power and provision with him. Our job is to show up and partner with him by faith. That's the major theme of Joshua as it applies to us.”

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Joshua-Taking Ground Feb 15

Devotional

Day 1: God is at work, even in our deepest pain.

Day 2: Our hope is found in Jesus’s finished work.

Day 3: God initiates; we participate in His work.

Day 4: God calls us to new territory in His kingdom.

Day 5: Faith is made visible through obedient action.

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Joshua-Taking Ground Feb 15

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