We trace Joshua’s return to Ai and the surprising grace of second chances, where God repeats old promises, calls us back to hard places, and turns past failure into future wisdom. Pride falls, generosity reorders the heart, and confession opens the door to mercy.

• second chances rooted in God’s unchanging promise
• returning to the place of loss with humility
• the “only” that reveals seek first then receive
• generosity as a disposition not an amount
• how God leverages failure for future success
• the ambush at Ai as redeemed strategy
• confessing and forsaking instead of hiding
• practical steps to revisit but not live in the past

If you want to learn more about the MidTree story or connect with us, go to our website HERE or text us at 812-MID-TREE.

A single question threads through ancient battlefields and modern routines: who are we choosing today? We walk through Joshua 5–8 to trace a pattern that feels uncannily current—kneel before the Lord, experience the joy of obedience, face the wreckage of hidden sin, and return to renewal. Along the way, we hear Jesus’s clear, present-tense call from Luke 9: deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow. The contrasts are vivid: Joshua meets the commander of the Lord’s army and discovers that the point isn’t “Whose side is God on?” but “Are we aligned with Him?” Jericho’s walls fall through trust, not tactics. Achan’s secrecy shows how private choices fracture a public community. And on Mount Ebal, the whole nation—women, children, and sojourners—gathers to remember and recommit under God’s Word.

We connect these scenes to everyday discipleship. True assurance doesn’t rest on a dusty memory of a card or aisle; it shows up in today’s footsteps. Time, difficulty, and change test roots. When the wind rises, do we release the aroma of Christ? We lean into a practical, grace-filled framework for examining direction over perfection—habits in Scripture, prayer, community care, and humble celebration of others. The good news holds the center: Jesus is the better Joshua who stepped beneath the stones we deserve, so we can stand on rubble by grace. Repentance is not meant to end in despair but to lead to remembrance, reaffirmation, and recommitment—at the table and in our rhythms.

If you’re hungry for a faith that’s honest about failure and stubborn about hope, this conversation is for you. Join us as we choose today—at home, in conflict, in fatigue—to say yes to Jesus again.

If you want to learn more about the MidTree story or connect with us, go to our website HERE or text us at 812-MID-TREE.

Joshua 5 demonstrates God's perfect timing as Israel pauses for a week in enemy territory after crossing the Jordan River, showing that weakness doesn't necessitate timidity and that God's people can find peace even in opposition.

• Israel enters the Promised Land and immediately sets up camp at Gilgal while surrounded by enemies
• Joshua circumcises all the men, making them temporarily vulnerable but recommitting them to God's covenant
• The celebration of Passover reminds the people of God's promises and faithfulness
• God stops the manna after 40 years, teaching that His provision may change while His faithfulness never does
• Joshua encounters the commander of God's army who teaches him that God doesn't take sides—He takes over
• When facing challenges, our strength isn't in our strategies but in our worship and surrender

The primary question isn't "Is God on our side?" but rather "Are we on His side?" Take off your shoes and worship Him—He doesn't need your sword or shield, but He will take your worship.

If you want to learn more about the MidTree story or connect with us, go to our website HERE or text us at 812-MID-TREE.

The story of Achan in Joshua 7 reveals how one person's hidden sin affected an entire community and teaches us that while we can commit sin, we can never contain its consequences.

• One person's disobedience caused defeat for Israel at Ai and the death of 36 soldiers
• The Valley of Achor (meaning "trouble") shows the severity of sin's consequences
• We often misdiagnose difficulties in our lives instead of examining hidden sin
• Joshua's response of tearing his clothes and falling to the ground in repentance
• God's surprising command to "get up" and address the real problem
• The process of revealing Achan's sin among two million people demonstrates God's sovereignty
• Nothing hidden will remain hidden - God already knows the sin no one else sees
• When we sin, other people must clean up our messes and face consequences
• The Valley of Trouble (Achor) later becomes a "gateway of hope" through God's grace
• We cannot fully comprehend our sin's severity or the sufficiency of God's grace 

Run to repentance. Don't walk to find it. For your own sake as well as for the sake of the people around you.

If you want to learn more about the MidTree story or connect with us, go to our website HERE or text us at 812-MID-TREE.

We explore the powerful story of Jericho's fall in Joshua 6, uncovering surprising insights about faith, silence, and God's redemptive work that often get overlooked in this familiar biblical narrative.

• Understanding Jericho's true scale – a city of only 6-7 acres that would take about 15 minutes to walk around
• God's approach to victory involves both His sovereignty (100%) and our obedience (100%)
• The unusual "parade" formation before battle demonstrates worshipping before seeing results
• Silence as the unsung hero of the story – Joshua commands complete silence for seven days
• The psychological warfare of trumpets blowing each morning like an alarm that couldn't be silenced
• Rahab's story as a model of God's mercy – one section of wall left standing amid total destruction
• The walls we build to protect ourselves often become the prisons that hold us captive
• God always preserves a pathway to redemption for those who trust Him

Don't leave with walls built around you. Let them fall today, even now. Go and talk to the Lord before we stand and worship one who deserves so much more than our silence, even though we'll give him both.

If you want to learn more about the MidTree story or connect with us, go to our website HERE or text us at 812-MID-TREE.

Asaph's raw journey through spiritual doubt and rediscovered faith in Psalm 77 reveals how we can navigate times when God feels distant yet remains faithful.

• Moving from crying out to God in deep distress to finding comfort in remembering His character
• Running to God even when our cries are ugly and our pain feels overwhelming 
• Learning that our theology should shape how we suffer rather than letting suffering shape our theology
• Recognizing that our seemingly impossible situations become the stage for God's power to be displayed
• Understanding that remembering God's past faithfulness gives us courage to face present struggles
• Finding hope in Christ's work on the cross—the ultimate display of God's faithfulness
• Standing on unshakable hope even during long, sleepless nights and heavy burdens

"I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God?" (Psalm 77:11-13)

If you want to learn more about the MidTree story or connect with us, go to our website HERE or text us at 812-MID-TREE.

What's the most important thing you've ever forgotten? Maybe it was an anniversary, a doctor's appointment, or your car keys. We are people prone to forget, which is why God established memorials throughout Scripture to help His people remember His mighty works.

In Joshua 4, we find the Israelites standing at a pivotal moment in their history. After wandering in the wilderness for forty years, they've finally crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land—on dry ground, no less. God commands Joshua to take twelve stones from the middle of the riverbed and set them up as a memorial at Gilgal. These stones weren't just souvenirs; they were conversation starters for future generations who would ask, "What do these stones mean?"

The answer reveals the dual purpose of this memorial: "that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and that you may fear the LORD your God forever." The stones pointed outward as a testimony to surrounding nations and inward as a reminder to God's people. They connected the miracle at the Jordan with God's earlier deliverance at the Red Sea, creating a thread of divine faithfulness running through Israel's history.

As we examine this passage alongside Hebrews 3-4, we discover that the Jordan crossing itself points forward to something greater. Moses led enslaved people out of Egypt but couldn't bring them into God's rest because of their unbelief. Joshua succeeded in bringing them into Canaan, but even that wasn't the ultimate rest God had in mind. Both were foreshadowing Jesus, who offers true rest—freedom from slavery to sin, from aimless wandering, from exhausting striving, and ultimately from death itself.

True belief isn't just intellectual assent or cultural Christianity. It means abandoning all hope in our ability to earn what God has promised and casting ourselves fully upon Him. This kind of belief leads to action, prioritizes obedience over strategy, and sustains perseverance through difficulty. When life feels heavy, our determination alone isn't enough, but fixing our eyes on what God is doing gives us strength to continue.

What memorials have you established in your life to remember God's faithfulness? Perhaps it's Sunday worship, personal testimonies, or meaningful objects that remind you of spiritual milestones. These safeguards help us resist the "death by a thousand nudges" that can erode our faith when we're not looking. Our remembrance stokes the fires of our belief, which leads us into the rest God promises through Jesus, our great high priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses and invites us to approach His throne with confidence.

If you want to learn more about the MidTree story or connect with us, go to our website HERE or text us at 812-MID-TREE.

What rivers of impossibility are you facing right now? The story of Joshua leading Israel across the Jordan offers a surprising message of hope for anyone feeling overwhelmed by life's challenges.

This powerful exploration of Joshua 3 reveals that beneath the dramatic miracle of waters parting lies something even more remarkable - the unseen currents of God's faithfulness flowing through history. Like children playing with beach toys, we often focus on what's happening above the surface while missing the stronger forces moving underneath.

God deliberately chose flood season - the worst possible time - for Israel to cross the Jordan. Why? Because our moments of greatest difficulty often become the stage for God's most dramatic displays of power. When waters rise around you, it might not be evidence of God's absence but the setup for His most magnificent work.

The beauty of this story lies in how little faith was required. The priests carrying the ark weren't asked to wade into deep waters on blind faith - they simply needed to put their toes at the water's edge. That small act of obedience triggered God's supernatural response, stopping the river's flow for fifteen miles upstream and creating not just a narrow path but a wide highway of dry ground.

This pattern reaches its fulfillment 1,400 years later when Jesus would be baptized in this same stretch of the Jordan River. The God who parted waters for His people would ultimately send His Son to pass through the waters of judgment, creating a path for us all.

Whatever flood-stage challenge you're facing, God isn't asking for heroic faith - just enough trust to put your toe in the water. Take that small step today and discover the solid ground that comes from following the One who goes before you.

If you want to learn more about the MidTree story or connect with us, go to our website HERE or text us at 812-MID-TREE.

What if your greatest shame became your greatest testimony? The story of Rahab challenges everything we think we know about who belongs in God's family.

Joshua 2 takes us to an unexpected location—the house of a prostitute in Jericho—where two Israelite spies find refuge as they scout the Promised Land. But this isn't just any woman; Rahab is a foreigner who demonstrates extraordinary faith despite her background. With soldiers searching the city for these men, she hides them and makes a stunning declaration: "I know that the Lord has given you the land...for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath."

The beauty of this narrative lies in its contrasts. Rahab likely learned about God through conversations overheard from clients—her very brokenness positioned her to hear about God's mighty works. When she lets the spies down from her window with a scarlet cord, she becomes the means of salvation not just for herself but for her entire family. This cord, reminiscent of the Passover blood, marks her home as a place where anyone who enters will be saved from coming judgment.

Throughout Scripture, Rahab continues to be called "the prostitute" even while being honored in the hall of faith (Hebrews 11). Why? Because "in Christ, your past must be remembered as a testimony, but it will never define your future identity." Her story culminates beautifully in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus, where she appears simply as "Rahab"—the mother of Boaz, a man of exceptional character, and an ancestor of Christ himself.

This powerful message reminds us that faith often exists in simple acts of sacrificial kindness, that no one is beyond redemption, and that God delights in writing incredible stories through unlikely people. Where might you be hiding your past and wounds instead of putting God's incredible grace on display? Your story matters, and it might just be the testimony someone else needs to hear.

If you want to learn more about the MidTree story or connect with us, go to our website HERE or text us at 812-MID-TREE.

The journey from the wilderness to the Promised Land represents one of Scripture's most pivotal transitions—and in this illuminating exploration of Joshua 1:1-9, we discover how God orchestrates leadership transitions that advance His unchanging mission.

When Moses dies, God doesn't pause to mourn or reassess. Instead, He immediately commands Joshua: "Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go." This remarkable moment teaches us that while leaders may change, God's purposes never falter. Four times in this passage, God commands Joshua to "be strong and courageous"—a refrain that echoes through the ages to every believer facing uncertainty.

The backstory makes this moment even more profound. Forty years earlier, twelve spies explored Canaan, but only Joshua and Caleb trusted God's promise despite seeing formidable obstacles. That failure of national faith resulted in an entire generation missing their inheritance. Now, Joshua leads a younger generation (everyone under 20 except himself and Caleb) into their destiny.

What does follow-worthy leadership look like? Through Joshua's example, we discover four essential qualities: immediate obedience without hesitation, complete dependence on God while taking action, willingness to invite necessary sacrifice, and openness to meaningful encouragement. These same qualities appeared perfectly in Jesus, whose name in Greek is the equivalent of "Joshua" in Hebrew—a connection that reveals God's consistent character across Scripture.

Most compelling is Joshua's challenge to the tribes that had already received their inheritance east of the Jordan. Though they had settled into comfort, he called them to leave everything behind temporarily to help their brothers secure their inheritance. This powerful picture reminds us that receiving God's blessings isn't our final goal—helping others experience His promises is our ongoing mission.

As we navigate our own wilderness-to-promise transitions, remember that every Christian is called to lead somewhere. Your next step of courage might be someone else's pathway to freedom. Where is God calling you to be strong and courageous today?

If you want to learn more about the MidTree story or connect with us, go to our website HERE or text us at 812-MID-TREE.