Remembrance

I. The Power of Remembering

Story: Play music from the early years!

We all have memories that take us back — some funny, some painful, some embarrassing — but all of them shape how we see life.

Cultural Connection

We are a generation obsessed with remembering:

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Transition

Today I want to:

Explore three points (The Promise, The Miracle, and The Remembrance).

Explore how God moves through tough seasons

Ways to remember God’s Goodness

God’s Ultimate Remembrance for His people

II. The Promise: God Speaks Before He Moves

Share the story of Joshua ch.1-3 Scripture: 

Joshua 3:7–8 “The Lord spoke to Joshua: “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they will know that I will be with you just as I was with Moses. Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: When you reach the edge of the water, stand in the Jordan.””

Insight

Before God performs a miracle, He usually gives a promise.

Joshua needed to cross the Jordan and God instructed Him

God told Joshua prior to it all:

Joshua 1:9 “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.””

The Lord promised Joshua presence. What is God promising you? What does scripture say to us as His people the promises.

In the season you are waiting in, what promises in scripture are you holding on to? You have to go into your

III. The Miracle: God Reveals Himself Publicly

Scripture: 

Joshua 3:15–16 “Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan, their feet touched the water at its edge and the water flowing downstream stood still, rising up in a mass that extended as far as Adam, a city next to Zarethan. The water flowing downstream into the Sea of the Arabah—the Dead Sea—was completely cut off, and the people crossed opposite Jericho.”

Key Truth

God didn’t just deliver Israel —

He revealed Himself to them.

This wasn’t a small miracle.

This was flood season.

This was impossible.

IV. Why Remembering Matters

Memories:

Give us hope

Restore joy

Help us endure depression and dark seasons

Psalm 77:11–12 “I will remember the Lord’s works; yes, I will remember your ancient wonders. I will reflect on all you have done and meditate on your actions.”

Reality

Humans forget easily — especially in suffering.

We tend to remember:

What hurt us

What we lost

What didn’t go our way

And forget:

What God already did.

A British study (Clinical Psychological Science) found:

People remember better when memories are tied to physical objects or locations.

We don’t just remember events — we remember through objects // through our senses

V. God’s Strategy: Build a Memory System

Scripture: 

Joshua 4:1–3 “After the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua: “Choose twelve men from the people, one man for each tribe, and command them: Take twelve stones from this place in the middle of the Jordan where the priests are standing, carry them with you, and set them down at the place where you spend the night.””

Scripture: 

Joshua 4:21–24 “and he said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’ you should tell your children, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the water of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up before us until we had crossed over. This is so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord’s hand is strong, and so that you may always fear the Lord your God.””

Core Principle

God intentionally tied His power to physical reminders.

VI. Psalm 78: The Danger of Forgetting

Psalm 78:10–11 “They did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by his law. They forgot what he had done, the wondrous works he had shown them.”

Theological Insight

Israel didn’t fall away because God stopped working.

They fell away because they stopped remembering.

Forgetting God always leads to distrusting God.

Personal Testimony (Australia Season)

Loneliness. Uncertainty. Anxiety.

But now, looking back — only God’s goodness stands out.

A song plays… and suddenly:

I’m flooded with how faithful God was in that season.

What once felt uncertain now feels sacred.

Because I can see clearly: He was with me the entire time.

VII. Building Your Own Memory Stones

Practical Application

How do we build remembrance today?

Journaling

Keepsakes

Photos (Baptism, Youth Camp, Encounters)

Go find your memory stones.

If you think you don’t have any — start with Scripture. Use scriptures that help you remind you of God’s Goodness:

Psalm 77:11-12

Psalm 105:5

Psalm 143:5

Psalm 111:4

VIII. Jesus and His Remembrance

Luke 22:19 “And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.””