What Is Your Next Step?

Introduction

This morning we will set aside the series through the Life of Christ for a little while to embark on a series through the book of Joshua that I have titled Defining Steps: Today’s Choices, Tomorrows Story. Each day we are faced with steps in our spiritual journey and our spiritual walk. Some of them are defining steps while others are series of steps that define a particular story that is being written in our life.

As you heard just a while ago, the teens that went to camp were encouraged to take a “next step” in their walk with the Lord, and you got to hear several next steps that were decided upon.

Today, we also celebrate the Pestels taking their next step. A step that takes them out to Ankeny (IA) where Paul will be teaching at Faith Baptist Bible College. This has been, and continues to be, a step of faith for them.

But the thing is, while we may view the decisions that the teens made and that the Pestels are taking as single steps, it would be a tragedy if that is where their walk ended.

The word walk has a definition. Advancing by steps. The common definition is a bit longer — to move at a regular pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn.

It would be odd if a baby took its first step, never to take another. That baby would have taken a step, however, it would never have walked until it started to move at a regular pace by taking steps. In fact, when babies do start taking those first uneasy steps, we know them by another name — toddlers, because technically, they are not walking, they are toddling around. There is no regular gait, no regular pace.

Teens, it would be foolish to think of this decisions that you have made as the sum of your walk with Christ. These are next steps, but in order for us to be followers of Jesus, there must be many more. Some steps will be smaller, others will be more significant. Some steps may be difficult, as if going uphill or pushing against a current. But you must take continuous steps every day in your walk with the Lord.

The Pestels are taking a pretty significant step as they move to Ankeny, but this will be just one of many steps that they have taken and will continue to take.

Today, there will be opportunities to take steps towards discipleship, toward unity with other believers, toward Jesus in your own personal walk, toward serving the mission of this church, and there will opportunities to take steps away.

Right now, as you sit here listening to what you no doubt hope is a short sermon, you are preparing to take the next step. I want you to imagine yourself as if lacing up your hiking boots. Now your standing at a fork in the road. Though you cannot know exactly where the paths lead, you know that one path follows Jesus and His desires for your life, and the other follows your own desires.

The question I want you to analyze this morning is this one:

What Is Your Next Step?

In our study through the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, we arrived at a Matthew 7:13-14 that talks about the narrow gate and the broad gate. One leads to destruction, the other leads to life. We studied that bast the narrow gate there is a narrow road — difficult at times to navigate, but it leads to life. The broad gate opens up to a broad road, but it leads to death.

This metaphor is about two sets of people — those that go through the straight gate on the narrow path to obtain salvation. It is only obtained through Jesus, therefore the narrowness. The broad gate that most go down is every other attempted way to earn or gain salvation, and those paths all lead to an eternal death.

But for the Christian, the one who is already saved, we each have a choice too. Once we go through the straight gate, which is Jesus, for salvation, we face daily choices, steps that will either lead us closer to Jesus or further from Him. If we choose to live a life that is consecrated to Jesus, we will find a life of fulfillment and heavenly reward, but to those Christians that live their lives their way, without regard for the path in which Jesus wants to lead them, they will suffer loss, not of salvation but of reward. This is a life that Paul describes as amounting to nothing but a heap of worthless ashes in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.

There are times, driving down the interstate highways here in the US that exits are all over the place. In fact, there are spots where there are 4 exits between one mile marker and the next — Exit 16a, 16b, 16c, and 16d. There are other times when the exits are few and far between, and if you miss your exit, you may go another 5-10 miles before you’re able to turn around.

The same is the way with the path self-focused living. Many times we will find ourselves on this path because we have taken the wrong steps, and often times, exiting is quite easy.

But sometimes it is not. There are defining moments in our life when we take a step and suddenly, we find ourselves locked into consequences. Or more aptly, those consequences find themselves locked onto us.

I will take you to the book of Numbers before we get into our main text this morning. Before reading the text, let me give you the context. The Israelites have have been enslaved in Egypt for about 450 years, but now, God has sent Moses to lead them out after He shows the Egyptians His devastating power through ten plagues. The Israelites cross the Red Sea and make there way to Mount Sinai, where they stay about a year as Moses is receiving the Law from the Lord. Then, they make there way to a place called Kadesh-Barnea, on their way to Canaan, the land promised by God to the Israelites from the time of Abraham.

This Promised Land is a land that is currently inhabited by other nations that have rebelled against God. God has promised Israel that as they enter, He will help them push out those nations so that they can reclaim the land that is theirs.

From Kadesh-Barnea, Moses send out spies to bring back a report on the land of Canaan. They spend 40 days spying out the land and come back to the Israelite camp, and this is where we pick up.

Numbers 13:26–33 KJV 1900

26 And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. 28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. 30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. 31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. 32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. 33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

The Israelites are at a fork in the road. Their next step would be a defining step for them. For about two years they have been on this journey to the Promised Land. For those two years, they have hopped on and off the broad path. At every turn they seem to defy God (at least ten times in these two years), complaining about how things were, against the leadership that He has established, and outright disobeying Him. As soon as God disciplines them, however, they jump right back onto the narrow path of following God, God’s way.

But now, they stand at a fork in the road once more. Will they trust God to do what He has said and deliver this land to them, or will they run away in fear for their lives?

They chose to to not enter the land. Numbers 14:1-5

Numbers 14:1–5 KJV 1900

1 And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. 2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! 3 And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? 4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

Joshua and Caleb, two of the twelve spies that were sent out, begged the nation to trust God, but to no avail. I encourage you to read the rest of the chapter, as we will not have time to read it now, but what happens is this — The people refuse to listen to Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb and refuse to trust God and go into the Promised Land.

God gets very angry and threatens to destroy them all, but Moses intercedes, and this is God’s response.

Numbers 14:20–30 KJV 1900

20 And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word: 21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. 22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: 24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it. 25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea. 26 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 27 How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. 28 Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: 29 Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, 30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

This was a step into a self serving path of their own desires and goals and fears from which there would be no exit. And for the next 38 years, the Israelites wander in the wilderness until every last one of those that refused to go into the land die.

Their next step became a defining step for them. There existed no off-ramp for them anymore. Though they followed God at different points throughout those 38 years, the consequences of that one step were locked onto them.

Joshua’s Next Step

So 38 years pass and they all die, all except for Joshua and Caleb. Even Moses has died, and this is where we enter our study this morning.

Joshua 1:1–5 KJV 1900

1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, 2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. 5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Joshua, now at least 60 years old, has a step to take. He had been Moses’ right hand man and the commander of Israel’s army for a long time. He had seen God work through Moses and had heard many of the conversations that Moses had with God.

Now God is promising those same things about inhabiting the Promised Land to Joshua, and Joshua has a step to take.

Before Joshua can answer, God continues and encourages him and gives him direction. Joshua 1:6-9

Joshua 1:6–9 KJV 1900

6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. [This is a task that Joshua probably had never thought to have — to divide the land up among the 12 tribes. 7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. [The instruction now is to be strong and courageous — not so that he can fight the enemy, but so that may obey God’s law. It takes a certain type of courage to go against your natural self and your sinful flesh and obey what God wants of you. Especially when friends and family don’t want to join you. But God warns Joshua to not depart from that obedience to the left or to the right. And then God tells Joshua how he should ensure that he is obeying God’s law.] 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. [The only way to obey God’s law is to know God’s law. And the only way to know God’s law is to meditate on it continually. You want to be changed by what your read in the Bible? Make a point to think about it throughout the day. But to many of us close the Bible after reading it, and don’t give it a second thought throughout the day.] 9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

“Take a step, Joshua. Be courageous or be a coward. Be bold or give into fear. But your next move is critical.”

So what does Joshua do?

Joshua 1:10–11 KJV 1900

10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.

There in the land of Moab, the Israelites had gathered on the eastern side of the Jordan river. From the mountains in the area, one could see into the promised land, perhaps even catch sight of the city walls of Jericho. The same walls that had been the cause of so much fear 40 years ago. For Joshua and the people. there was a fork in the road — continue to live their lives as wanderers in the wilderness, or finally trust God fully and go into a land that was fortified, and inhabited by mighty nations with warriors and giants.

As the leader, Joshua takes a step in the right direction. He gives no room for dissent. He has received instruction and has decided to obey it, so he gives the command that the rest of the nation get ready, for in 3 days they cross the Jordan.

Joshua takes his step valiantly. It is the first step in a series of steps. Steps that he knows will ultimately lead to possessing the land that the Israelites have been desiring for nearly 500 years. He knows the ending, he knows the destination, but he does not see the path but one step at a time.

Little does he know that some steps will be confusing. Other steps will seem right, but will be wrong. Some steps will bring doubt and challenge his courage. But ultimately, Joshua stays the course to see the mission complete.

The People’s Next Step

Joshua is not the only one that needs to take steps, however. Forty years ago, Moses had tried to lead the people into the Promised Land, only to have them refuse. They gave into their fear and disobeyed God. Joshua has commanded the people of Israel to start packing up and to get ready to cross the Jordan River in three days time.

Why? Because there was a mission.

Joshua 1:11 KJV 1900

11b ...within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.

What is the mission? Take possession of the Promised Land, the land of Canaan.

With the mission statement given and the directions laid out, there is, as before, a fork in the road for the people. Joshua has taken steps into obedience, will the people follow? Will they take the steps in which they are being led, or will they take the same steps as their parents did a generation ago? Let’s see their response.

Joshua 1:16–18 KJV 1900

16 And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go. 17 According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the Lord thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses. 18 Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.

Wow! What a different response than their parents had. They step in the opposite direction, and they do so enthusiastically! They tell Joshua, “Whatever you command, we will do. Where you lead, we will follow.” And they do this in a great way. Blind obedience is not what Joshua is asking for, nor is it what the people are signing up for.

They have a condition for Joshua, that they will follow him as long as God is with him. And the only way that God is not going to be with Joshua is if Joshua himself steps away from following God.

And then they add an extra part to this. “Whoever rebels against your command, they get the death penalty.” “Joshua, not only will we follow you, but as a community, we will make sure that those around us follow you. We will police our people, our families, our neighbors, our tribes, and whoever doesn’t follow you we will treat as an act of treason and put them to death.”

But they don’t stop there either. They have one more thing to say. “Only be strong and of good courage.” “Joshua, we will follow you as long as you are following God. We will hold each other very accountable in this matter and require and encourage each other to follow you in the mission that God has given us. And Joshua, don’t worry. Be encouraged. Be strong.”

They had their vision. It was the same vision that Abraham had been given by God nearly 600 years prior — to have a land that they could call their own, as a nation. The vision was clear.

The mission was clear too — cross the Jordan, follow God, fight for the land and occupy it.

The culture was established. They were people that trusted God, obeyed His word, and were courageous about it.

And what values can we determine they had from their response to Joshua? Loyalty, faith, determination, encouragement, and accountability.

And with this in mind, we can see that not only did they take steps in the right direction, but they did so enthusiastically and in a way that encouraged Joshua.

Our Next Steps

This next part is going to be interactive, so I am going to need your input. This is not school, so you do not have to raise your hand, when I ask a question, just shout out an answer.

We have a vision. We said it earlier before the sermon. Who remembers it? To see Cedar Rapids transformed into a beacon of the Gospel.

We also have a mission. Who remembers the mission? To make disciples that impact Cedar Rapids and the world with the Gospel of Christ.

We have discussed before that we cannot lead where we are not going, so if we are to make disciples then it means we must be disciples. What is a disciple? Someone who is fully surrendered to following Jesus with their lives, no matter the cost. So if we are going to make disciples, then we must be fully surrendered to following Jesus with all our lives no matter the cost.

We have paths to accomplish our mission — the mission of becoming better disciples together and making disciples. We have steps that we are taking to make of ourselves the right kind of disciples and then to make disciples outside these walls.

Salvation

The first step for anyone interested in becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ is the step of salvation. Jesus said it, “You must be born again,” to enter into the kingdom of God. Salvation from what? From the condemnation of sin. Every single person is born a sinner. We have a sin nature. It is in each person’s spiritual DNA. That sin nature is why we sin. Sinful acts are things that we say, do, or think that break God’s moral laws, and we are all sinners.

There is a punishment for sin that is an eternal separation from God, who abhors sin, for all eternity in a lake of fire. This is the righteous punishment for sin, and we all deserve it, for all have sinned. God, however, loves people so much that He gave His only begotten Son Jesus to die to pay for our sins.

Jesus took the punishment, took all of God’s wrath, shed His perfect blood on the cross so that our sins would be paid for and we could have the option of trusting Him and asking Him to save us and forgive us and adopt us into His family.

You cannot be a disciple of Jesus if you are not saved by Jesus. (If you have questions about this, please see me after the service.)

From that point, all who are saved are called to be disciples. We cannot be disciples if we are not completely surrendered to Jesus and His will. We also are not called to be disciples on our own. Ephesians 5:25 tells us that Jesus died for the church. Before dying, Jesus prayed for unity among disciples. Jesus established the church with the twelve original disciples and told them to love each other and to walk in unity.

So we, as a church, must walk in that same unity. Notice that word walk. It is to steadily take steps. So, we as a church have made a point to provide members of our church the opportunity to take steps in walking together.

Connect Class

The Connect Class, normally taught by Jason and Bri, is a step that people take to learn more about out church, our Vision, Mission, Culture, and Values. They teach this class so that those that are interested in entering this covenant relationship which is the membership of this church know full well what they are getting themselves into. Those that become members are afforded many opportunities to take steps to be in unity with us in our service to the Lord through this congregation.

GNKids

We have classes for kids Most Sundays and Wednesdays. Our teachers are discipling the next generation. They are teaching them the Word of God, they are teaching them to apply Biblical principles to their lives, they are teaching them to love God and love others. The children get discipled, the adults and teens who teach and help get to disciple others, and the two groups grow in unity in the bods of Christ’s love.

GNYouth

The teens also have meetings. Most Sundays after the preaching and on Wednesdays, the teens gather and discuss the application to the sermon (on Sundays) or go through a book that is teaching them about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. As they learn, they are being discipled by their youth leaders, and they are growing closer together.

Wednesday Evenings

Wednesday Evenings we meet to go through a study on what it means to be a disciple. This is basic Christian knowledge, and we are growing together in it and learning it. Some people are hearing these truths for the first time. Others are have started to read their Bible in a different and meaningful way for the first time in their lives. For others, these truths have been common knowledge for a while. Either way, we get to spend time discipling others, being discipled, growing together in unity, listening to how God is working in others’ lives, praying with one another, and encouraging each other. Why, in the name of Heaven, would you not be a part of this?

For some of you, a lot of you, this needs to be your next step. You have stopped coming to Wednesday evenings or you have just never come. You need to be here. Listen, if I as you pastor thought that it was a waste of time, we wouldn’t do it. If I thought for a second that spending time at home and encouraging you to spend Wednesday night at home with your family was more edifying to the body of Christ and to His Kingdom, then we would not have Wednesday night services and we would not be going through these studies. But I believe, with all my heart, that each of these books that we have been through have been and are edifying those that come to them, and would edify all those that would whole-heartedly participate in them.

And I want to make emphasis on the whole0heartedly part. When you go all week without doing the studies, without reading the Scriptures, without doing any of the application exercises, then of course you will get hardly anything from this time together. If your thoughts are only on “when is this over and I can’t believe that we actually went 10 minutes past 8pm” then sure, it is not a surprise when you report that this is a waste of time.

Some of y’all that come to Wednesday night need to make it your next step to actually do the reading assignments and the studies and exercises. It will help you grow in your relationship with Jesus, and it will connect you way more deeply with others who are fully participating.

Home Groups

Another of those steps to being united more with each other is one that happens about 4 times a year, and this month is one of those times. It’s Home Groups! We have four Home Groups that you can sign up to be a part of, and several of you are already signed up.

Audience participation — if you are going to a home group and have talked to one of the hosts or have signed up through Slack, would you raise your hand?

We believe that Home Groups are important because they provide a means of connecting with other people and conversing with them and getting to know fellow members and visitors and regular attenders that are not yet members (all are welcome to join us in the Home Groups). This is one of the ways in which we practice unity — because unity must be exercised or it falls apart.

This is also a way in which we practice discipleship — Discipleship being two or more people walking together in Christ. When you gather with other Christians and talk about the application of the sermon or study the Bible or anything like that, that is a facet of discipleship.

Sometimes, we get to disciple others and impart that godly and Biblical wisdom and experience, and other times, we must be discipled by others as they teach, pray, expound on God’s word, or share their experiences with walking with God.

We believe that this is such a great opportunity for discipleship and to grow in unity as a church, that I will be at a Home Group this afternoon with my family. Your deacons will be at a Home Group this afternoon. Yes, there are times when people travel and such, but on the weeks that you can, we invite you to join us in these Home Groups so that we can get to know each other a bit better each week.

There are some people that are doing family trips and vacations and work trips this month, but please, the Sundays you are here, go to a Home Group. Grow closer to others. Disciple others. Be discipled by others. “Well, I don’t get much out of it.” If that is the case, I would be willing to bet that you are not putting much into it.

Kids teachers, teen teachers, all teachers — we are teaching those that are before us to be disciples and the importance of church unity. I expect you to go to and participate in a home group if you are able.

Good News Club

There are many avenues and steps that your could take toward making the mission of the church a reality. Our mission — to make disciples that impact Cedar Rapids and the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ — can only be accomplished if people are willing to follow the paths that are laid out for them.

One of the most impactful ways that we have been able to see this mission being accomplished is in the Good News Club. At Cleveland Elementary, over a total of 14 weeks, 7 last fall and 7 last spring, we were able to see 16 children accept Jesus as their personal savior — 7 in the fall, 9 in the spring.

I want us to look at a verse in 1 Corinthians 16:8-9

1 Corinthians 16:8–9 KJV 1900

8 But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost. 9 For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.

Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians stating that he hoped to visit them soon. However, he was going to take advantage of an open door for the ministry of the Gospel in Ephesus. In Ephesus, Paul regularly taught the gathered Christians at a school or a lecture hall called the school of Tyrannus. There, many people were being saved. For a moment, there was a door open for him to continue to teach, and he stays there longer than he had first anticipated because I believe Paul sensed this open door would soon close. Notice that he says also that there are many adversaries. There was intense opposition that would result in a massive riot that would eventually lead to Paul having to flee Ephesus, right around Pentecost.

We had an open door to preach the Gospel boldly at Cleveland Elementary last school year.

Not this school year though. Because that door seems to be closing. “Mike, does the school not want us there? Does the school district want to stop the teaching of the Gospel to children? Are the teachers protesting the presence of our workers there?”

No. Not at all. In fact, quite the opposite is true. The teachers and administration seem to want us there more and seem more welcoming now than ever. But there are adversaries. And you want to know who they are? You want to know who is closing that door of opportunity?

We are. We have 9 adult volunteers signed up for Good News Clubs this fall. This work cannot be done by 9. What is right now a wide open door to witness freely to children that are starving for the Gospel, will be a mere window of opportunity if we don’t have the workers to go into that field and harvest.

But we can’t. Because work. Because heaven forbid I ask to leave a couple hours early 6 times so that I can help in something so meaningful that no amount of pay could possibly match. Heaven forbid that I would give up a weekday evening, six weekday evenings for a chance to rescue lost, little souls. My boss’ happiness is too crucial for that. My free time, my rest time is too valuable for that. My comfort is worth more than that.

“Mike, are you saying that I should jeopardize my job, my livelihood for this?” No. I am asking, “Are you willing to it? Are you willing to tell your job, ‘I believe God wants me to help in this area of ministry, so I could I please leave early or come in late on these 6 days in October and November?’ Are you willing to ask that if God were to ask you to step that direction?”

I will go out confidently on this limb and say that most of you have not even considered that. I say most, because I know of one person that has. And this is how confident I am about the fact that I am not the Holy Spirit — I would advise that person to seriously pray about it before making that commitment. Because for this person, this would not be merely asking for a few hours off, it would genuinely put his job and his family at risk. And you know what the response that I heard through his wife was? “If God wants me to do it, then He will provide.”

Again, I want to make it clear, I am not the Holy Spirit. But some of you have made the decision already that you will not be here on Wednesdays, you will not go to a Home Group, you will not participate in Good News Clubs and you’ve come to that decision all on your own never even thinking about what God would want you to do, much less asking. And some of you won’t ask because you already know the answer He will give.

So, since I am not the Holy Spirit, I will let you deal with the Holy Spirit. I have placed you at a fork in the road. Your next step may be a life-defining step.

Invitation

I honestly do not know how to conduct this invitation. I know I need to pray. So I will ask Tahsha to come and play a song and sing if she feels the need to.

You respond however God leads you to respond. I’m going to pray.

Home Groups

1. What stood out to you from the sermon? Any comments or questions or concerns?

2. What is one “next step” you remember taking in life—moving, changing jobs, school, marriage, parenting, or something else—that felt significant at the time?

3. Is there a small spiritual habit that has helped you keep moving forward in your walk with Christ—prayer, Bible reading, gathering with believers, serving, or something else?

4. The Israelites had seen God work repeatedly, yet they still chose fear over obedience. Why do you think it can be easy to forget God’s past faithfulness when a new challenge comes?

5. The sermon described two paths for believers: a path of following Jesus and a path of living primarily for ourselves. What are some subtle ways a Christian can drift toward the easier, self-directed path?

6. The people of Israel agreed to follow Joshua as long as he was following God. Why is it important that Christians ultimately follow leaders only as those leaders follow Christ?

7. Which area might God be putting in front of you as a “fork in the road” right now: salvation, personal discipleship, unity with the church, serving, sharing the gospel, repairing a relationship, or something else?

This Week’s Challenge: Walk with the church— Attend a Home Group, Wednesday gathering, Connect Class, or another church discipleship opportunity that you have been avoiding or postponing.