Man. Method. Mission.
God uses people to lead us and methods to move us forward, but His mission has always been bigger than both. In Joshua 3, Israel faces a new leader, a different way forward, and a decision that requires everyone to participate. Moses could lead them out. Joshua could lead them forward. But it took the people to take the land. As we begin LET’S GO, we’ll discover why following Jesus means more than attending church, appreciating leadership, or enjoying what God is doing. It means recognizing that we each have a part to play in His mission.
Joshua 3:1–17
Discussion topics
- HEAD – What did Jesus say to you through the Word?
- Read Joshua 3:7. Why was it important for the Israelites to recognize that the same God who had been with Moses was now with Joshua? What does this teach us about the difference between following a leader and following God’s mission?
- Compare Exodus 14:21 with Joshua 3:13–17. How did God’s instructions for crossing the Jordan differ from the crossing of the Red Sea? What remained the same? Why can people become more attached to familiar leaders, traditions, or methods than to the purpose those things were intended to accomplish?
- Read Joshua 3:17. What stands out about the participation of the entire nation? What does this teach us about the relationship between leadership, God’s provision, and personal obedience?
- HEART – How did it make you feel? “Your reactions often reveal your allegiances.”
- The sermon reminded us, “The man changed. The God who called them hadn’t.” Have you ever struggled when God worked through a different person or in a different way than you expected? What made that difficult?
- “We can become so committed to how God moved yesterday that we resist how He’s leading today.” Is there an area of your life where familiarity or personal preference might be keeping you from embracing something new?
- What excites you, or perhaps makes you uncomfortable, about the possibility of God using your life to impact people and places beyond your immediate circle?
- HANDS – What are you going to do with it?
- “Leadership can help make a way forward. But leadership cannot live your obedience for you.” What is one step of obedience you sense God asking you to take that you’ve been waiting for someone else to initiate?
- Kingdom Builders are people who use what God has entrusted to them to advance His Kingdom. Consider your time, abilities, relationships, influence, prayers, service, and resources. Which of these could you begin using more intentionally for God’s mission?
- Who is one person outside your normal circle that God may be inviting you to encourage, serve, invite, or invest in this week? What specific action will you take? As we begin this five-week series, what is one area where you would like to move from simply supporting what the church does to personally participating in its mission?
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