today we have a guest speaker Jim Aldrich sharing with us about the mission in Colombia

In Joshua 23 we see the first of two farewell speeches Joshua gives at the end his life. He charges the leaders to be obedient, faithful, and loving towards God. And the legacy Joshua leaves is one of faithfulness. May we leave such powerful legacies for those who come after us.

In Joshua 20 we see the heart of God on display, mandating cities of refuge to create safety for human life. Anyone who committed an accidental death of another human being could flee to these cities for trial and once the High Priest died could safely go home. It is a picture of how Christ our Great High Priest has died for us so that we may always find refuge in Him.

If left unchecked, we will grow more cynical as we age. Caleb comes to us with an example of how to live in such a way that a cynical attitude does not grow stronger in us.

This week we learn about how the Gibeonites tricked the Israelites into pardon all because the Children of God did not pray and seek council. But even in our mistakes, God is still Good and brings restoration to both the Gibeonites and the Israelites.

We've seen Joshua come across the Jordan river, set up memorials, and now face their first major military battle challenge: Jericho. But in this battle we see God at work guiding them into a very bizarre method that only could give God the credit for their victory. It's through following His lead that we can experience victory in our own lives as well.

Certificates, trophies, medals, rings. We use physical markers for events and milestones. Our faith in God needs physical markers as well. This week we see Joshua and the leaders set up two memorials so future generations will remember that God made a way when there was no way.

This week we see the miracle of the Jordan river being stopped by God so the people of God can cross and enter the promised land. In the miracle it is the Lord who goes before them with the ark, leading them through the impossible. God is the only one worth following.

Hindsight might be called 20/20, but foresight should be called 20/400, where one is legally blind. We all have blind spots, so what do you need a clearer vision about?

Sometimes settling into the new can be more challenging than the change it took to get there. Today we begin a series on Joshua to see how we live faithfully to God in the midst of this new year.