Training Ground
Courageous • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 4 viewsIn today’s message, we will see how Moses invested in Joshua and helped him become a courageous leader.
Notes
Transcript
Handout
October 5th 2025
Series: Courageous
Sermon Title: Training Ground
Topic: There’s a 100% chance you won’t always agree with God.
Key Passages: Numbers 27:12-23, Joshua 1:1-9
Topic: Courage, Joshua, Moses, Leadership
Sermon Blurb: In today’s message, we will see how Moses invested in Joshua and helped him become a courageous leader.
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Sermon:
Hello, Family Church!
Welcome, whether you are here in person or online.
Family Moment –
Start with something personal from your family life recently to help people get to know you.
Celebrate salvation / rededications / baptisms last week.
Celebrate new disciples and disciple-makers.
PAUSE
If you are new to Family Church, you picked a GREAT weekend to come!
It’s Missions Month!
As our missions pastor, Pastor Bob, says, “The most wonderful time of the year!”
Every year, we set aside one month to share what God is doing all over the world through Family Church and all of our partners.
And this month if going to be a fun one!
This series we are calling Courageous because we are going to learn about the courageous things our teams have done while on mission trips.
The courageous things our missionaries are doing in the Congo.
The courageous things happening in the Amazon Jungle,
El Salvador,
Kenya,
and right here in West Michigan.
PAUSE
One word that describes our missionaries - Courageous!
It takes courage to leave what is comfortable and follow God’s call on your life.
In fact… Let me show you a video of one of our courageous missionaries…
Example of courageous missionary - video? MPINDI?
Share his story of using a gang to protect him while he preaches
Isn’t that a crazy testimony!
Talk about being courageous!
Being surrounded by a gang.
Thinking that this is the end of your life.
Then God drops an idea into your mind that sounds CRAZY!
And you do it and it works!
Talk about COURAGEOUS!!!!
PAUSE
Our focus for Missions Month this year is being courageous.
This month, we want to help refocus on the reality that our lives are a training ground that God uses to prepare us for the work He has called us to do.
Work that requires strength,
courage,
commitment,
and obedience.
The Bible provides us with numerous great examples of individuals who were challenged to live courageous lives.
We’re going to take the month of October and look at our courageous missionaries and ministries, as well as great examples in the Bible of a courageous leaders.
Today we are going to look at a relationship between two guys Moses and Joshua.
PAUSE
If you have your Bible with you, and I hope you do, open it up to
Numbers 27.
New Person Bible Connection:
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Or you can always download the Family Church app and follow along on your phone as well.
Simply download the app and click "Sermon Notes" on the main page.
PAUSE
As you are getting there in your Bibles, let me give you a little background on these two guys.
Moses was a guy who was born in Egypt, and God worked through him to help bring all of God’s people out of slavery in Egypt.
Where we pick up in the Bible, Moses is in the process of taking God’s people from Egypt back to Israel.
At some point along that journey, Moses met a young man named Joshua.
For those of you who are deep Bible thinkers, you can read about the first time Joshua is mentioned in the Bible in Exodus 17.
When Moses mentions Joshua, it is to have him pick men to go into battle with…
Exodus 17:8-16…
So, we can deduce that Joshua was probably a military leader at this point.
PAUSE
Then, as God’s people progress toward the promised land…
In Exodus chapter 24, we see a shift with Moses and Joshua.
In Exodus 24, Moses pulls Joshua closer.
In Exodus 24, Moses calls Joshua, his assistant.
Exodus 33 tells us that Joshua was a young man.
But here is the point I want you all to make note of right out of the gate.
Moses discipled Joshua.
(REPEAT)
I know we talk about this a LOT as a church…
But it is because you see it ALL over the Bible.
People investing in others to become who God created them to be.
So who are you investing in?
Who are you discipling?
Who are you helping become more Godly?
Moses was doing that with Joshua…
PAUSE
So with that background, let’s start reading at verse 12 of Numbers 27.
Numbers 27:12-23 12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain in the Abarim Range and see the land I have given the Israelites.
13 After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was,
14 for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes.” (These were the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.)
Side note…
That story mentioned there…
That happened RIGHT BEFORE Joshua comes on the scene.
That action of Moses was the moment before God caused Moses to notice Joshua and start investing in him.
And I DO NOT think that is pure coincidence.
Verse 15…
15 Moses said to the Lord, 16 “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community
17 to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him.
19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence.
20 Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him.
21 He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord.
At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.”
22 Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly.
23 Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses.
Stop there church.
Here is what I want you to think about.
Joshua was a military leader.
He had a Godly man invest in him for 40 years!
And now, 40 years later, this warrior is becoming the spiritual leader of all of God’s people!
That is amazing!
God can transform anyone, regardless of their background.
The training ground for Joshua was hanging out with Moses for 40 years.
Wandering around a desert.
Watching Moses lead the people.
Watching Moses deal with crazy people.
Watching Moses submit to God.
Watching Moses deal with people wanting to go backward instead of forward.
Watching Moses for 40 years…
Discipleship.
Again….who are YOU investing in?
Who is your Joshua?
ADD A SHORT STORY ABOUT ONE OF YOUR DISCIPLES.
Who is your Moses?
We also need someone investing in us.
ADD A SHORT STORY WHO DISCIPLES YOU..AKA EPIC PASTOR ADAM!
PAUSE
Church, understand that God is already equipping you for the work he calls you to do.
Personal example here—look back on your life and see how God equipped you for this time at Family Church
PAUSE
I want to encourage you all to stop and look at your life…
How has God prepared you?
How is He continuing to prepare you for your mission field?
Who is discipling you?
And, who have you started to disciple?
PAUSE
Let’s move now to Joshua’s book… Flip to
Joshua chapter 1.
Let’s start reading at verse 1.
Joshua 1:1-9 1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses ’aide:
2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.
3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.
4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.
5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
Let’s read this next part together…
7 “Be strong and very courageous.
Be strong and very WHAT church?
Courageous.
Be strong and very courageous.
Let’s write this down…
God wanted Joshua to be a strong and courageous leader.
(REPEAT)
But the reality is there is something we need to do in order to do that…
And the good news is the rest of this verse tells us what to do.
Let’s read…
Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.
8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.
Fill in this next point…it come from what you just read…
How to be a courageous leader: obey God, stay on the path, speak God’s Word, pray God’s Word, live God’s Word.
(REPEAT)
All that comes from the verses you just read.
If you want to be a strong and courageous leader…
You need to know God’s rules and live them out.
And the rest of this verse gives a great promise IF you do it…
It says you will be what church???
Then you will be prosperous and successful.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
PAUSE
What is God telling Joshua to do here?
Be strong and courageous —
Obey all the law – why?
Successful wherever you go!
Study and Meditate on the Law.
Do everything written in it.
Why?
You will be prosperous and successful!
PAUSE
So let me ask you a question…
Are you walking in obedience?
How much time are you spending in the Word?
How much time are you praying?
How much time are you investing in others to become Godly?
Do not be afraid!!!!
Do not be discouraged!!!!
If you do this stuff Joshua promises us the Lord will be with you wherever you go.
Fear has no place in our mission from God.
God will be with you wherever you go.
God is continually training us.
He is preparing us for the work of this mission field we call life.
Our hope is you will step onto your Training Ground…
Serve in local ministries and/or go on a mission trip…
ADD PROMO PIECES HERE?
PAUSE
Let me give you your life application today.
If you are new, or newer, to Family Church, we LOVE to end our messages with something for you to talk about with someone else.
Something to help you apply the message to your life.
So here is this week’s Life Application…And yes…it will sound a lot like last two week's…
Life Application: Pray for a courageous month. What will God give you the courage to do this month? As a result of today’s message, I will _________________________.
Prayer:
Make sure to do a salvation call!
Offering:
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Week #5 -
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We have many people who have added Family Church to their wills to leave 10% to their church.
It is a great way to show your family that leaving a Godly legacy is important to you.
Have a great week!!
