Sunday Morning Service: 7/12/2026 [Joshua: Built To Lead

Devotional

Day 1: Standing at Shechem: Where Memory Meets Commitment

The Israelites gathered at Shechem, a place thick with ancestral echoes. Here, Joshua retraced God’s faithfulness—from Abraham’s call to their own deliverance. Renewal begins when we name God’s past victories aloud, turning history into a compass for today. Just as Joshua anchored their identity in divine provision, we too must rehearse God’s goodness to fuel present obedience. What stories of faithfulness have we buried that could rekindle our courage? [36:44]

“I gave you a land on which you did not toil, cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.”
(Joshua 24:13, NIV)

Reflection: What specific moment in your life stands as a “Shechem”—a place where God’s faithfulness became undeniable? How could revisiting that memory shape your choices this week?

Day 2: The Ripple of One “Yes”

Choices are never isolated. Joshua warned the Israelites: every decision either leads others toward God or drifts toward compromise. Like a stone cast into water, our “yes” to God creates ripples—in families, workplaces, and communities. The call isn’t just to resist evil but to actively pull others into the current of faithfulness. What legacy does your daily “yes” leave in its wake? [40:50]

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord.”
(Psalm 1:1-2, NIV)

Reflection: Who in your circle is watching your choices today? What might your integrity—or compromise—teach them about following God?

Day 3: The Backward Order of Obedience

We often think small steps lead to big faith, but Joshua flipped the script. Settling the “who” before the “how”—declaring “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”—simplifies life’s 35,000 daily choices. Like a teenager deciding purity starts with surrender, not tactics, our biggest yes reshapes every minor decision. Where have you been negotiating details while avoiding the central surrender? [42:05]

“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse—the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God, and the curse if you disobey.”
(Deuteronomy 11:26-28, NIV)

Reflection: What practical decision feels overwhelming right now? How might settling your ultimate allegiance first clarify the next step?

Day 4: Tomorrow’s Choice Starts Today

Joshua’s charge wasn’t a one-time event but a daily rhythm. Like manna, commitment can’t be stockpiled. The Israelites needed morning-by-morning trust, just as we need fresh “todays” to choose God’s path. The father’s advice in the movie rings true: we don’t control life’s terrain, but we choose our posture in the walk. What mundane moment today is secretly a crossroads? [54:30]

“Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.”
(Deuteronomy 30:11-14, NIV)

Reflection: What habitual choice have you labeled “autopilot” that actually needs intentional surrender? How could today’s obedience simplify tomorrow’s struggle?

Day 5: When Your Choices Become Someone Else’s Testimony

The persecuted family jailed for teaching Scripture reminds us: our choices write God’s reputation in our communities. Joshua knew Israel’s obedience—or failure—would shape how Canaan viewed Yahweh. Every “no” to compromise inks a line in someone’s story of faith. What invisible audience is witnessing your quiet faithfulness? [27:22]

“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
(Matthew 5:16, NIV)

Reflection: What recent choice felt insignificant to you that might have been a signpost of God’s love for someone watching?

Sermon Summary

Joshua 24 brings God’s people to Shechem, the place where God first spoke to Abraham and promised descendants, land, and blessing. Shechem makes the moment feel full circle, because the God who called Abraham has now brought Israel into the land after years of battles, 33 kings defeated, and the land divided among the tribes.

God speaks through Joshua by reminding Israel of everything he has done. God says, “I took your father Abraham,” “I sent Moses and Aaron,” “I brought you out,” “I gave them into your hands,” and “I gave you a land on which you did not toil.” The repeated reminder is clear: Israel is standing in cities they did not build, eating from vineyards and olive groves they did not plant, because God has carried the story from beginning to end.

Renewal always starts with remembering. Joshua calls the people to look back before they look ahead, because forgetting God’s faithfulness always makes the heart drift. The people are about to live among influences that can pull them away, and Joshua knows their future choices will be shaped by what they remember.

Joshua then brings the famous line into full force: “Choose this day whom you will serve.” The choice is not just a religious moment for a wall hanging. The choice is a line in the sand. Israel can lead others toward the Lord, or Israel can be led away by the gods and habits of the people around them.

Joshua’s order matters. The big decision comes first: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” The smaller decisions come after that. The little choices become easier only when the heart has already decided whose it is.

Temptation usually comes quiet, small, and gradual. Joshua knows Israel will not usually be dragged away in one dramatic moment. The danger will come through friends, neighbors, marriages, work, and ordinary patterns that slowly desensitize the heart.

Joshua tests Israel’s yes because an emotional yes is not enough. The people say they will serve the Lord, and Joshua pushes back hard: “You are not able to serve the Lord.” He is not trying to talk them out of obedience. He is searching whether their commitment is real.

Moses’ old words from Deuteronomy echo underneath Joshua’s call. God sets before his people a blessing and a curse, and the choice is both for the whole people and for each individual heart. The call is daily: choose today, and then choose again tomorrow. Christ’s sacrifice becomes the deepest place of remembering, because the Lord’s Supper calls the heart to remember, recommit, and follow with a yes that is not empty.

##

Key Takeaways

1. Renewal begins by remembering faithfully God’s people do not recommit well when memory has gone thin. Joshua starts with the long story of God’s faithfulness because gratitude gives the heart something solid to stand on. Forgetfulness makes obedience feel like burden, but remembrance shows that God has already been carrying the weight. [36:44]
2. The big choice orders little choices Joshua does not begin with a list of smaller behaviors. Joshua begins with belonging: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” When the heart settles whose it is, the daily decisions stop floating around without an anchor. [42:05]
3. Temptation usually arrives quietly The pull away from God often does not come like a lion’s den or a fiery furnace. The pull usually comes through small compromises, familiar voices, and slow desensitizing. Joshua’s warning treats ordinary influence as spiritually serious because little choices can quietly train the heart to love another god. [43:56]
4. A real yes survives testing Joshua presses the people after their first answer because a quick yes can be emotional without being rooted. True commitment can stand under honest warning about cost, jealousy, holiness, and consequence. God is not served by hype, but by a heart that knows what it is saying and still says yes. [48:28]
5. God gives a real choice Deuteronomy’s blessing and curse show that God does not treat obedience as pretend. The choice is gifted to the whole people, but it also lands on the individual heart. No one can outsource that decision to a spouse, a parent, a church, or a crowd.

## [56:09]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[19:46] - Family Updates and Kids Worship
[20:56] - Final Approach to Joshua 24
[21:36] - Lessons From the Joshua Series
[24:55] - The Weight of Daily Choices
[30:52] - Israel Arrives at Shechem
[32:51] - God Retells Israel’s Story
[36:44] - Renewal Starts With Remembering
[38:44] - Choose This Day Whom to Serve
[40:50] - Lead Others or Be Led Away
[42:05] - The Big Decision Comes First
[47:43] - Joshua Tests Their Yes
[52:09] - Choosing How to Walk the Path
[53:41] - Moses’ Warning and Daily Obedience
[60:10] - Choosing Christ Today and Tomorrow

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Joshua 24:14-15 (NIV)
“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Observation Questions

In Joshua 24, why does Joshua emphasize the location of Shechem and retell Israel’s history before calling them to choose whom they will serve?
What specific actions does God highlight as His own work for Israel in Joshua 24:2-13 (e.g., “I took,” “I sent,” “I gave”)?
How does Joshua respond when the people initially declare they will serve the Lord, and why does he challenge their commitment (Joshua 24:19-20)? [48:28]
According to the sermon, why is the order of “the big choice” before “little choices” significant for daily decisions? [42:05]

Interpretation Questions

Why might remembering God’s past faithfulness (e.g., cities they didn’t build, vineyards they didn’t plant) be essential for Israel’s ability to recommit to Him?
Joshua warns that temptation often comes through “small compromises” and “ordinary patterns.” How do seemingly minor choices gradually shape a person’s spiritual direction? [43:56]
What does it mean that “a real yes survives testing,” and how does this contrast with an emotional or impulsive commitment? [48:28]
How does Deuteronomy 11:26-28’s framing of “blessing and curse” reinforce the idea that daily choices matter for both individuals and communities?

Application Questions

What practical steps could you take to regularly “remember” God’s faithfulness in your life, especially during seasons of doubt or distraction? (Example: journaling, sharing stories with others) [36:44]
Identify one “ordinary influence” (e.g., relationships, media habits, routines) that might subtly pull your heart away from God. How could you intentionally guard against it this week? [43:56]
When have you experienced a “quick yes” to God that later crumbled under pressure? What would a “tested yes” look like in that situation today?
How can you structure your daily decisions (e.g., time, finances, relationships) around the “big choice” to belong to God first? [42:05]
The sermon compares the Lord’s Supper to a moment of “remembering and recommitting.” How might preparing your heart for communion deepen your daily walk with Christ? [59:46]
What specific habit or practice could help you “choose today” to follow God, even in small, routine moments?

Sermon Clips

77s

#RememberToRenew

“Renewal always starts with remembering. Joshua is calling the people the renewal here. Why would they need to do that? Because he is getting ready to show them this is what you're going to be up against. You're going into a country where you're gonna go occupy land. And we know that we talked about this a little bit last week. There was a little bit of this hyperbole in the scripture where it made it seem like that they destroyed everybody and everything, and that they're just marching into cities where nothing exists. There's no people. And that's not the case. We know that that was not the scripture exaggerating itself, but it was trying to talk to the extent of their occupation. But we know that the people actually went in and there, where we're even gonna see today, they were told, you're gonna have to make choices about God you're gonna follow, decisions you're gonna make, places you're gonna work, people you're gonna hang out with, those that you'll marry. All of these are choices, and they were gonna have to make the right ones. And Joshua is trying to get them on the right track before they go settle the land.”

58s

#ChooseTodayServeGod

“The reason why choose you this day and those words are so important and it matters is because this big decision is helping them later to make all of the small ones. Let's read this verse again. Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the God your forefathers worshiped. Where they got tripped up, learn from them. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, you have to make that choice, then choose this day whom you will serve because you're making a choice one way or the other if you choose not to follow him. But as for me and my house, we're gonna serve the Lord. I'm making that conscious decision.”

67s

#SmallTemptationsMatter

“Here's the thing that he's encouraging them in this because he knows that temptation typically is quiet. It's small. It's gradual. Right? It doesn't just slam you all at once with typically this big decision that you've got to make. I mean, it it might be a little bit easier if we had a Daniel in the lion's den moment, or we're thrown in and we have to make that decision to follow God or not. Right? Or Shadrach, and Abednego, we get thrown in the fiery furnace and we have to make that decision. But for all of us, it's usually a gradual little thing. It's the little choices that we make that have a tendency to drag us away and to have it to where our friends, our coworkers, the world around us desensitizes And eventually, we begin to make choices that lead us in a direction from who God is.”

50s

#DecideToFollowChrist

“There's some of you that are here today and you haven't made that one big decision to follow Christ with all your heart, to give him your life. That's the most important thing that you could do today. That decision affects all the small decisions. It helps you to get the rest of them right. And so I wanna encourage you today that if you have not asked Jesus Christ to be your lord and savior, in a moment, I'm gonna pray for us and and you can pray along with me. I hope that you'll give your heart to him. That if you were standing before god, that it's not an emotional hyped up yes, but it's just a heartfelt, yeah. God, I'm ready. I'm ready to follow you, and I'm ready for you to take my life.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Woodhaven Baptist Church - Rock Hill, SC This sermon · AI assistant

How does remembering God's faithfulness prompt renewal?

Why choose today whom you will serve?

How do big commitments shape daily spiritual choices?

Sunday Morning Service: 7/12/2026 [Joshua: Built To Lead - Choose and Act]