Joshua 3:1-17 | Ben Potloff | Years of wandering are about to end. It is hard to imagine what’s on the minds and the hearts of the people. You might remember Joshua had been to the Promised Land forty years earlier. As a spy he came back to Moses with a positive report and encouragement to go in and possess the land, only to be shouted down. The crowd won the day, with their fearful disobedience earning them exile in the desert until that generation’s death. Joshua was a young man and now he is old. He is the new leader of God’s chosen people. There would be many battles ahead. Strong leadership would be required. God would again remind Joshua that he was not alone. It was time to cross the Jordan.

MAIN IDEA

God's presence gives confidence.

OUTLINE

I. God’s holiness requires His people’s holiness (vv. 1-6)

II. God is the all-powerful Lord of all the earth (vv. 7-17)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Verse 1 says Joshua rose early in the morning. Do you have a preferred time to meet with God?

2. Joshua called the people to prepare themselves to receive the promise of God. How do you prepare yourself to meet with God in daily devotions?

3. What did the Ark represent to the people?

4. The instructions for the priests and the people were specific and exact. Why do you think Joshua’s instructions were so specific?

5. Why do you think God reminded Joshua that He would be with Him?

Joshua 2:1-24 | Ben Potloff | Joshua 2 introduces us to someone, who is quite honestly, unexpected as someone God would use. Her name is Rahab. She is mentioned alongside towering figures of the faith such as Abraham, Moses, Noah, Gideon, and King David in Hebrews Chapter 11. How is this possible? Why is it so shocking and unexpected? It’s surprising because Rahab is a prostitute. And almost every time her name is mentioned in the Bible she is known as Rahab the prostitute. Not a religious giant as you would expect but a person most people would be ashamed to be associated with. But God saw things differently. God saw a heart of faith and someone who believed in Him wholeheartedly.

MAIN IDEA

The plea for mercy brings the hope of rescue. 

OUTLINE

I. It is a fearful thing to oppose the one true God (vv. 1-11a, 24)

II. The Lord abounds in love for those who fear Him (vv. 11b-23)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What are your thoughts on Rahab lying to the men who came to capture the spies?

2. Seeing who God used to protect the spies, how can Rahab’s life be an encouragement to you in your walk with the Lord?

3. Rahab is mentioned three times in the New Testament, Matthew 1-1-5, Hebrews 11:29-31, and James 2:25. Discuss what these verses say about Rahab and why are they important for us?

4. Do you find it significant that Rahab was so concerned about her family and their safety in Joshua 12-14? Why? Are you surprised by it?

5. What are your thoughts on what Rahab says about God in Joshua 2:8-11. Why is her using “LORD’ in 2:8, 10, and 11 so significant? Why is LORD capitalized in our Bible in these verses? Is this at all surprising to you that she uses that name when describing God?

In this first chapter of Joshua, God calls Joshua to lead the people into the land, the land he has given them. But it will take strength, courage, and commitment to follow God’s law as well as trust that God is with them always. The Israelites will need this as they conquer the land.

MAIN IDEA

The promise of God gives the courage to obey. 

OUTLINE

I. God is faithful and keeps His promises (vv. 1-4, 6) 

II. Confidence in God’s plan comes from the promise of God’s presence (vv. 5, 9)

III. True success requires obedience to God’s Word (vv. 7-8, 10-18)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Joshua 1 begins “after the death of Moses.” What was the relationship between Joshua and Moses? How might Joshua be feeling at this moment? How are we inclined to respond to a season of grief? How do we move forward from it?

2. How has God prepared Joshua to assume leadership over the Israelites and to lead them into the Promised Land? How has God prepared you for the work He has called you to do? How can your group pray for and encourage you?

3. Throughout this passage, the Lord repeatedly tells Joshua, “Be strong and courageous.” What does it mean to be “strong”? What does it mean to be “courageous”? What does it look like for us today?

4. Part of God’s command to Moses was to be “careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you,” and that Joshua should “meditate on it day and night” then he would be prosperous and have good success (v. 7b-8). We are also called to follow God’s law. What did Jesus say were the greatest commandments (see Mt. 22:37-40)? How do we live that out in our daily lives?

5. God promises that He will be with Joshua wherever he goes (Joshua 1:9b). As Christians, we have this same promise: “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b). In what ways do you experience the truth of this promise? How does it empower us to move forward in faith?

6. What of the Lord’s words to Joshua do you need to take to heart? How can you pray for one another specifically?

Genesis 1:1 | Mike Clarensau

John 1:19-34 | Max Janusch

1 Timothy 1:12-17 | Ben Potloff | "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost" (v. 15). The good news of Christmas is that God himself, in the person of Jesus Christ, came to rescue and redeem sinners to his own eternal glory!

John 9:1-41 | Ben Potloff | "Jesus said, 'For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind'" (v. 39). Some of the sayings of Jesus can be difficult for sinful human beings to understand and—often—even harder to accept. However, the idea of judgment is critical to understanding the person and work of Jesus Christ. For the one who trusts in Christ, there is great hope in the final Judge.

MAIN IDEA

Jesus came to make the blind see.

OUTLINE

I. Pain is not punishment or purposeless, but is a platform that displays God’s power (vv. 1-7) 

II. Rejecters of Jesus are blind and guilty, believers in Jesus have light and life (vv. 8-41)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What stands out to you in this passage? Why?

2. What is difficult to understand or accept in this passage? How does your natural—and sinful—self want to push against the words of Jesus?

3. What hope is there for sinners facing a judge like Christ?

4. How does this passage give you a richer understanding of the person and work of Jesus?

5. How does this passage call you to live differently?

Luke 19:1-10 | Ben Potloff | "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” The story of Jesus and Zacchaeus is familiar to those who grew up in the church. Zacchaeus, a wee little man and swindling tax collector, climbs because he simply must see Jesus. Despite the grumbling of the crowd, Jesus goes to his house and declares good news: good news for Zacchaeus then and good news for us today.

MAIN IDEA

Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

OUTLINE

I. Jesus pursues the unworthy and despicable (vv. 1-7, 10)

II. Salvation by faith leads to a changed life (vv. 6-9)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Are you familiar with the Sunday school story of Jesus and Zacchaeus? Before Sunday's sermon, what did you think was the main point of this story?

2. What was Zacchaeus seeking? What does he find?

3. What does this narrative teach you about the person, work, and mission of Christ?

4. How does this passage challenge you to think and/or live differently?

Mark 10:35-45 | Ben Potloff | "But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all" (vv. 43b-44). How are the people of God supposed to interact with one another? Here, we see that they are to love and self-sacrificially serve.

MAIN IDEA

The Servant is the greatest. 

OUTLINE

I. The human heart seeks self-serving glory (vv. 35-41)

II. True greatness is achieved through self-sacrificial serving (vv. 42-45)

Matthew 5:17-20 | Ben Potloff | "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them" (v. 17). In the Old Testament, God gave His people the Law and the Prophets so they would know what is required for them to be in right relationship with Him. Sadly, Israel rejected, distorted, and fell short over and over again. Something needed to be done for God's people to be forgiven of their sins and counted righteous before God! Here, we see that Christ is the one who does what sinful people could never do in the face of God's perfect law.

MAIN IDEA

Christ came to fulfill God’s Word.

OUTLINE

I. The Old Testament points to Christ (vv. 17-18)

II. The Old Testament endures in Christ (vv. 19-20) 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What stands out to you about this passage? What is challenging or confusing about what Matthew records here?

2. What is the purpose of God's Law and His Prophets in the Old Testament?

3. How is God's grace seen in Christ's fulfillment of the Law and Prophets on your behalf?

4. What does this passage teach you about the person, work, and purpose of Jesus Christ?

5. How does this passage challenge the way you think or how you live?