We take a look at Philip’s preaching of the gospel in Samaria and how after Peter & John visit, the Holy Spirit falls on the new believers. There is an experience of God that made Simon the Sorcerer want to pay money to have the same gift. We consider for our day what this might mean; how we can have this encounter with God’s Spirit, and how we can live lives empowered & fuelled by God.

Jesus is interrupted by a man demanding his inheritance rights. Rather than engaging with him in this familial squabble Jesus warns him & us of the dangers inheritance & wealth can pose to our hearts. He develops his teaching with the parable of the rich fool – a man who forgets God and his neighbour; forgets the two great commandments. The farmer has many plans for ease and prosperity but sadly for him finds that very night his life is required of him. There’s much to learn and consider for our own lives as we look to grow as worshippers and find out what it means to be rich toward God.

God tells King Jehoshaphat the battle is the Lord’s. We take a look at how God ambushes our enemies as we sing and praise Him. Sometimes rest is more productive than fighting on. The vision for King’s Church is to become a people devoted to worshipping God and watching what He will do and how He will fight our battles.

Whilst we may think a miracle of this magnitude (God stopping the sun) is the main event in this passage, in fact the biblical writer draws our attention to an even greater miracle… ‘God listens to a man’. We take a look at how God heeds Joshua’s prayer and what an inspiration this is for us to be a people who pray!

The vivid story of the Gibeonite deception teaches us so much about consulting God in our decision making and the inevitability of living out the consequences of our sin. But ultimately it’s a story of how despite our foolishness God brings light out of darkness, hope out of despair, gladness out of mourning and grace out of cursing.

Which will you choose? Life or death? Blessing or curse? The twelve tribes stand between 2 mountains; Ebal and Gerizim, and recount the blessings of following God and recite the curses for turning their own way. They also sacrifice to God on an altar just like Abram and Jacob did at Shechem centuries before. This passage points us to Jesus – the true lamb of God sacrificed for our sins on the altar of the cross. He lived the blessed life but became our curse. If we follow Him; all the blessings become ours and the curse is destroyed – choose Jesus today.

The king of Ai suffers a horrible fate, he is hung on a tree. His body is hung up as an example of what happens to the “king of sinners”, how God brings justice and victory to His people. We look ahead to Jesus who was treated as the king of sinners, be became our curse (Galatians 3:13) and was hung on a tree (Acts 5:30). When we realise that we too deserve this fate only then can we can be saved!

God is always committed to his people even when circumstances would say otherwise. A look at how the gospel shines through in even the darkest of situations.

Joshua leads the people in what seems like a foolhardy strategy; marching around the city of Jericho. Yet as they trust and obey God, the walls come tumbling down. We take a look at how we are to obey God, how we pray and hold onto His promise and how ultimately we get to see God move in power.

Broken | Derek Tidball | Joshua5:13-15 by King's Church Birmingham