Be Unshaken & Unafraid

What does this (graduation) mean?

“Graduation is not the end; it’s the beginning.”

-Senator Orrin Hatch

As you reflect on this Summer and the transitions taking place, what is this the beginning of in your life?

Milestone on the Timeline of Life

Kindergarten Graduation?

So far, this is the biggest graduation of your life, and one that represents one of the biggest transitions in your life > the process of becoming an adult

You now have the option of continuing your education - some have already begun that process

You now date with the idea of marriage in mind

Transition: Relation of Graduation > Moses to Joshua

Story takes place in and continues in Joshua 1

1. Deciding Before the Crossroads

Deuteronomy 30:11–20 ESV

11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. 15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

- It’s not impossible!

God’s commands are not far off and not too hard to carry out

Israel could keep the commands & SO CAN YOU

God is not expecting perfection or the impossible from you, He just wants obedience

15-18 - God will get the glory

English Standard Version Chapter 30

15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.

Israel had a choice & SO DO YOU

God will show his mighty hand in your life > HOW IT HAPPENS is completely up to you

“God would much rather spend His time blessing you”

19-20 - God cares about your choice

English Standard Version Chapter 30

Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers

Although the choice belongs to Israel & you, God care’s about the choice that you choose.

If you couldn’t already figure out the better option in this equation, He gets blunt…CHOOSE LIFE

To love and trust God means to obey His voice, for a child who really loves and trusts their father will obey him. It means to cling to Him, for if we really love and trust Him, we will be attached to Him. It means to regard Him as our life and the length of your days, because if we love and trust Him, He is not part of our life, He is our life.

Before you get to college, before you get married, before you take that dream job, before you step into the next season...

MAKE A DECISION WHAT WAY YOU WILL GO

By making the decision now, you won’t have to worry about the decision when pressure is coming from all other directions

2. Be Strong & Courageous

Deut 31:

Deuteronomy 31:1–8 ESV

1 So Moses continued to speak these words to all Israel. 2 And he said to them, “I am 120 years old today. I am no longer able to go out and come in. The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan.’ 3 The Lord your God himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them, and Joshua will go over at your head, as the Lord has spoken. 4 And the Lord will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them. 5 And the Lord will give them over to you, and you shall do to them according to the whole commandment that I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” 7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. 8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Don’t Misrepresent Jesus

31:1-2

God tells Moses, “You will not cross over this Jordan”

Prior to this, when the nation of Israel was at Meribah, Moses took instruction from God and added his own to it, including a lecture to the Israelites about their greed.

Moses took the words from God and add words of man, therefore misrepresenting God to the people.

Because of this, his punishment was that he would not get to see a fulfilled promise in his life, dwelling in the promised land.

Don’t take a promise that God has given you and add your own ideas to it.

In all that you do, represent Jesus to the best of your ability - you may be the only “Jesus” that some people will meet.

Jesus Goes Before You

Deuteronomy 31:3–6 ESV

3 The Lord your God himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them, and Joshua will go over at your head, as the Lord has spoken. 4 And the Lord will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them. 5 And the Lord will give them over to you, and you shall do to them according to the whole commandment that I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Deut 31:

Moses, the only leader that most of these Israelites had, was now passing on the torch to, Joshua

Encouraging Words to Joshua

vs 4 - Sihon & Og - Algebra, History, <insert your least favorite class>; God brought you through them and He will be with you as you tackle your next adventures.

vs 6 - 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Reassurance: Don’t Be Afraid

Deut

Deuteronomy 31:7–8 ESV

7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. 8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Repeat Until It’s Apart of You

Deuteronomy 31:23 ESV

23 And the Lord commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I will be with you.”

Joshua heard this exhortation seven (7) different times in Biblical record

Even though Joshua was a great leader and accomplished many great things, he still had fears and needed encouragement to fight through and trust God

Don’t become too big for God to use you

Joshua could’ve planned and strategized war plans all he wanted. By doing it in his will, I’m not sure they would’ve won a single battle.

By trusting God and following His lead every step of the way, Israel went on to conquer many nations and take possession of their promised land.

The last time we see the phrase, “Be strong and courageous,” Joshua is the one saying it to others.

Once you get this in your heart, you will begin to help others get through their tough times.

Recap:

1. Decide before the Crossroads

2. Be Strong & Courageous

Blessing & Gift Bible

Call Seniors Forward in a Line

Justus Good

Graduating from Shepherds Hill Christian School

Attending Fire School in the Fall to become a Firefighter

Plan to get married

Jenesi Diego

Graduating from Shepherds Hill Christian School

Future plans: get married and have a family of her own

Future plans: get married and have a family of her own

De’asia Moses-Wicker

Graduating from Southeast High School

Attending SCF for two years to get AA Degree

Going to USF after that to get degree in Elementary Education, with plans to become an elementary school teacher

Jacob Supe

Graduating from Florida Virtual School

Planning on pursuing music, photography and modeling; mainly focusing on music

Nicole Pekarek

Graduating from Shepherds Hill Christian School and

State College of Florida with my AA

Plans to attend Lee University in Tennessee to get her Bachelors in Accounting

Summer Wilhoit

Graduating from Shepherds Hill Christian School

Has Dual-Enrolled at SCF and acquired College Credits

Plans to attend Palm Beach Atlantic (in West Palm Beach) to get my Masters in studio art and minor in art education to be an art professor at a college or University, fully rounded in all art trades.

Hand out Study Bibles

This last year I’ve tried to focus on building students to become Unshaken & Unafraid

Psalm 91 ESV

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. 5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. 9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— 10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. 14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. 15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Pray over Students with Leaders