Merry Christmas, friend! I pray this season brings you joy and peace and the hope that Christ, who came as a baby, is coming again. 

Hello, friend. Thank you for joining me for another Encouraging Word. 

What does trust have to do with greed? According to Joshua chapter 7, quite a lot. This passage reminds us that looking for security in anything or anyone other than God will always let us down. 

Today’s episode brings us to a familiar story in the Bible. Maybe you’ve sung the old song about Joshua fighting the battle of Jericho. But this story is about more than the Hebrews defeating the Canaanites. This is a story about fighting from a place of victory to defeat the strongholds in your life.

You know what it's like to face difficulty. You have before and you will again. You may be, right now, facing a challenge so great that a solution feels impossible. If that sounds familiar, I encourage you to follow the example of Joshua — before you go into battle, call on your Commander.

Hello, friend. I hope you’re doing well. This week we celebrate Thanksgiving, so I think today’s episode is especially fitting.

In Joshua 4, just as many of us will do this week with family and friends, Joshua and the Hebrew people were instructed to pause and remember all God had done for them. And that act of gratitude prepared them for what came next.

Hello, friend. I hope you’re well today.

 The last few episodes, we’ve seen Joshua and the Israelites face one obstacle after another. Well this week is a biggie – crossing the Jordan River. But this story isn’t just about getting from one side of a river to the other. It’s about how God delivers us from what stands between us and him.

Hi, friend. I hope you’re having a good day.

 Today’s episode brings us to one of the unlikeliest heroes of the Bible—Rahab. Maybe you know her story. Maybe you relate to her story. Nothing to lose, pulled from the bottom of the pit and pressed into service for God’s plan. God used her because she trusted him. May we all have that in common with Rahab.

Hello, friend. Thank you for joining me for another Encouraging Word.

It can be difficult to tune out the negative voices around us. It can be difficult to tune out the negative voices in our own heads! If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, you know we just did a bunch of episodes about that. But thankfully, God has given us his Word, just as he gave Joshua and the Israelites, to help us know and heed his voice. 

Hi, friend. I sure hope you’re doing well.

Last week I told a story about getting a gift from my dad. I have another story about my dad this week. You probably know by now that I love to tell stories about my dad. This story isn’t about getting a car. It’s about something he did for me when I was young that our Heavenly Father does for us now – he fights for us.

Hello, my friend. I hope you’re having a good day.

In our human reasoning, Joshua had every reason to be uncertain. No one would have bet on the Hebrew people to conquer Canaan. But Joshua had one big thing going for him – God told him he would be victorious.