Owners of the Promise: New Ground - Jon Laurenzo

Jan 11, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Set Apart for Divine Wonders

This year, God desires to do wonders and miracles in your life, bringing to pass the dreams you've held in your heart and in your prayers. Just as Joshua called the Israelites to consecrate themselves before crossing into the Promised Land, there is a call for us to set ourselves apart. This means living differently, intentionally creating space for God's power to move. When we consecrate our lives, we position ourselves to witness the extraordinary work God longs to accomplish among us. [02:06]

Joshua 3:5 (ESV)
Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take this week to intentionally set yourself apart and create an environment where you are more open to God's miraculous work?

Day 2: Beyond Appearances: Aligning the Heart

It is often easier to address what is visible on the outside than to confront the deeper issues within. Just as a car can look fine after an accident but have a misaligned internal structure, our lives can appear put-together while internal damage goes unnoticed. The story of Achan reveals that hidden sin, even if seemingly small, can hinder an entire community's progress and God's work. True strength and stability come from an honest assessment and alignment of our inner lives with God's truth. [11:56]

Joshua 7:1 (ESV)
But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things, and the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.

Reflection: What internal "alignment issue" might be subtly hindering your spiritual progress, even if things look good on the surface?

Day 3: Sin's Deceptive Grip: Settling for Less

Sin has a profound and destructive impact, often leading us to settle for a life far less than what God intends. It saps our strength, causing us to question God's promises and even wish for the comfort of what is familiar, though unblessed. Like an untamed tiger, sin, when fully grown, inevitably brings destruction, not just to individuals but to families and communities. Recognizing sin's true nature is the first step toward embracing the abundant life Jesus offers, rather than the hell our sin creates. [19:43]

John 10:10 (ESV)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Reflection: When you consider the "life of joy" and "restored relationships" God desires for you, what specific area of compromise might be causing you to settle for less than His abundant promise?

Day 4: Fight for Freedom: Love the Promise

To truly live in God's power and promise, we must actively make war on sin in our lives. This battle requires an honest accounting of what is happening and what sin is truly costing us. The key to victory is not merely willpower or self-discipline, but a deeper love for God's promise than for the sin itself. When we cherish the joy, trust, and blessings of God's way more than the fleeting allure of sin, we find the strength to lay aside every weight and run the race set before us, looking to Jesus. [25:09]

Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Reflection: What specific promise of God's abundant life could you intentionally meditate on and pursue this week to strengthen your resolve against a persistent temptation, choosing to love His way more than the sin?

Day 5: Occupy God's Promise: Live Abundantly

God's desire is for us to not just visit or observe His promised land, but to fully occupy it—to be owners, not just renters. Moses, despite his closeness to God, only saw the promise from a distance due to unaddressed anger. This serves as a powerful reminder that while grace is sufficient for salvation, God offers us a life of joy, restored relationships, and honor here and now. We are invited to step into the fullness of His abundant life, actively shaping and living within the blessings He has prepared for us. [31:20]

Deuteronomy 34:1-4 (ESV)
Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, and the Plain—that is, the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Zoar. And the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.”

Reflection: In what specific area of your life are you currently acting like a "renter" of God's blessings, and what would it look like to step into ownership and fully occupy His abundant life, making it truly your own?

Sermon Summary

Joshua’s story becomes a stark mirror for spiritual life: outward observance without inner purity will sabotage God’s purposes. The people had crossed the Jordan and celebrated visible consecration, yet hidden “devoted things” — spoils kept and sin cherished — left the nation weak and fearful when real opposition came. The text calls for radical internal consecration, honest communal accounting, and decisive action against sin so the covenant can be renewed and the promise genuinely possessed. Repentance is not merely remorse but a reorientation that makes holiness the pathway to God’s wonders; it requires confession, community, and practical structures that replace private compromises with public fidelity.

The sermon draws a line from Joshua’s command to “consecrate yourselves” to the New Testament call in Hebrews to lay aside every weight and run with endurance, showing that spiritual victory is both corporate and personal. Sin, when allowed to fester, saps strength, warps priorities, and eventually destroys what looked intact from the outside. The narrative’s harsh resolution underscores that unaddressed sin demands serious response, not because grace is absent, but because the promise cannot be inhabited with chains intact. The true alternative to being a visitor in God’s promises is to decide to be an owner: to love the promised life more than the temporary pleasures of hidden sin, to choose community accountability, and to walk into the fullness Jesus offers. The invitation at the close presses this from conviction into action — an open call to begin a life with Christ, to lay down burdens, and to pursue the promise with courage and holiness.

Key Takeaways

1. Consecrate the inward life first Repentance must begin beneath public piety; God honors inner holiness more than outward ritual. Consecration here means reordering affections so God’s presence becomes the organizing center of decisions. When inward devotion precedes outward action, the miraculous work God intends can actually take root. [01:24]
2. Take an honest, communal account Spiritual renewal is rarely private work; Joshua made the whole nation stand before the Lord as a corrective and a covenantal reset. Honest accounting surfaces hidden loyalties, exposes what saps spiritual strength, and allows the community to bear consequences and restoration together. This shared exposure is the soil where repentance grows into lasting change. [16:24]
3. Make war on sin practically Christian freedom requires intentional tactics: small groups, recovery ministries, accountability, and devotion anchored in Christ rather than self-will. Fighting sin without strategy is mere willpower; fighting from love of the promise gives endurance and wisdom in choosing means that work. Structure the spiritual life so new habits replace old chains. [22:26]
4. Choose to own the promise The tragedy of Moses — seeing the land but not entering — warns against a life of mere spectatorship. Ownership of God’s promises demands sustained moral courage, the refusal to be content with safe compromises, and a long obedience to holiness. Loving the promised life more than the fleeting pleasure of sin reshapes every choice. [31:20]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:24] - Joshua’s call to consecrate
[03:02] - The danger of devoted things
[06:08] - Hearts melted; the cost of sin
[16:24] - Honest, communal accounting
[22:26] - Practical warfare against sin
[26:54] - Decide to live, not visit
[32:54] - Invitation: begin with Jesus
[34:40] - Prayer team and next steps

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading

Joshua 7:10-13 (ESV)
The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own possessions. Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. Get up, consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.”’”

Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Observation questions

According to Joshua 7:11-12, what were the specific consequences the nation faced because of the "devoted things" hidden among them? [14:21]
In Joshua 7:13, what is the very first command God gives to Joshua before telling him how to deal with the sin?
When Achan finally confessed in Joshua 7:21, what did he admit to seeing, coveting, and taking?
According to Hebrews 12:1-2, what two things are we instructed to "lay aside" in order to run our race with endurance? [15:45]

Interpretation questions

It is often easier to fix what is on the outside than to change what is on the inside [03:02]. Why do you think we are tempted to focus on outward rituals (like church attendance) while keeping "devoted things" hidden in our private lives?
After the defeat at Ai, the hearts of the people "melted and became as water" (Joshua 7:5). How does unaddressed sin sap our spiritual strength and make us want to settle for a life that is "safe and comfortable" rather than blessed? [06:37]
Joshua made the entire nation stand before the Lord to identify the sin [16:24]. What does this tell us about the communal nature of sin and the importance of honest, shared accounting in the church?
Moses was allowed to see the Promised Land from a distance but was not permitted to enter it (Deuteronomy 34:4). What is the spiritual danger of becoming a "spectator" or a "visitor" of God’s promises rather than an "owner" who lives in them? [31:20]

Application questions

Sin has a wearying effect that can make us want to give up and say, "I guess this is just who I’m going to be" [07:05]. In what area of your life have you felt tempted to settle for a "desert" experience because the fight for holiness feels too hard?
We cannot stand before our enemies until we take away the "devoted things" from among us [14:21]. What is one "weight" or "clinging sin" in your life right now that is tying your hands behind your back as you try to move forward?
Fighting sin with mere willpower is like a New Year’s resolution that eventually fails; we need practical tactics [22:26]. What practical structures—such as a small group, a recovery ministry, or a specific accountability partner—can you lean into this week to move from "trying" to "training"?
The only way to truly win the war against sin is to love the promise of God more than the temporary pleasure of the sin [24:09]. What is a specific promise or "wonder" God has for your life this year that you are willing to fight for?
Owners of a home treat it differently than renters; they knock down walls and change the carpet because it belongs to them [31:20]. If you decided today to be an "owner" of God’s promises, what "walls" in your habits or environment would you need to knock down immediately?
Joshua told the people to "consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you" (Joshua 3:5). What would it look like for you to spend time this week "consecrating the inside" of your life through prayer and confession? [01:24]

Sermon Clips

37s

#UntamableSinDestroys

“``The thing you quickly find out about something like a tiger is there is no way to tame an adult tiger. In fact, if you were at the zoo, next time I would encourage you, look at the way they enclose lions versus the way they enclose tigers. Lions can be enclosed with a simple fence, with a simple enclosure, but the tiger enclosure has a pit around it and high walls. Because every story you read about a tiger getting out of its cage in the zoo, someone got hurt or someone died. And you need to understand something in your life. The enemy, he only has one purpose. In sin when it is fully grown, that is the destruction that it brings.”

42s

#MakeWarOnSin

“What do we do with hard passages of scripture? What do we do with moments in scripture that feel like they're hard for us to wrap our mind around? Well, the first promise that you get to stand upon today is that we are new covenant people. I'm thankful that Jesus took that kind of pain and that kind of punishment upon himself. Therefore, you and I might not have to. But the takeaway from this passage that we need to take is that sin, when it is full grown, leads to destruction, and it deserves a harsh response. See, the second step for an internal life of consecration is that we make war on sin in our lives.”

35s

#ClaimYourPromise

“I have no interest in being a renter in the promise of God. Y'all treat a vacation rental. I'm on edge. I'm like, kids, you better not break anything in here. Take your shoes off. Don't put the food there. You gotta make sure we're not writing on walls. We're not doing anything. But if I own that thing, you gotta change that carpet. This is my house. We're changing the color on the walls. This is the way I see the house going. We're gonna paint this. We're gonna fix this. We want it to float. We'll knock down that wall. Why? Because I'm not renter. I'm an owner in the promise of God.”

35s

#LordIsOurVictory

“Hear it today as a prophetic warning. There are things that matter more in life. There are things that if left up to you have the ability to sap and to destroy the entire work that God would want to do in your life this year. And as a result, God speaks to Israel and says to them, get rid of all of it. Therefore, it be made known among the nation and among the nations to come that the Lord alone is the reason for victory, that the Lord alone is the reason for wealth, that the Lord alone is the reason for prosperity.”

42s

#OccupyThePromise

“And a church today wants to walk in power, walk in repentance and holiness. And every time we gather, it is an opportunity for us to once again return to the Lord. Every time we come to an altar, every time we come to a worship service. My main idea for us today is this, repentance and holiness will allow me to live in the power and the promise of Jesus. I don't want you to visit the promise of Jesus. I don't want you to see the promise of Jesus. I don't want you to hear about the promise of Jesus. I want you to occupy the promise of Jesus in 2026.”

19s

#DealWithDevotedThings

“encouragement to our church today is this. There are real enemies that you are going to need to fight to walk into the promise that God has for you this year. And if we do not deal with the devoted things, it doesn't make you a bad person. It doesn't make you an evil person, but you are entering into a fight with your arms tied behind your back.”

29s

#LovePromiseOverSin

“You need to understand something. The only chance that you and I have against fighting sin in our life is to love the promise more than we love the sin. When I first started going to church, I was so frustrated and so intimidated by the pastors because I would look at them, and I assumed that all of them did not struggle with sin in the same way that I did. I was like, oh my gosh. Those guys, those girls, they're perfect. They've got it all figured out. They are not like, woe is me, the heathen that I am.”

33s

#RiseAndRestore

“He doesn't look at him and say, oh, yeah. Woe is you, Joshua. This is just how it's gonna be. He doesn't say, oh, you're right. It's your boss' fault. It's your family's fault. It's that abuser's fault. He says, get up. He said, it's time to fight again. He said, it's time to restore the covenant again. And God would speak that word to our church today because Jesus' blood and his grace is sufficient. Anyone that would call upon Jesus can walk in this freedom and healing.”

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