Weekly Messages

Have you ever been tempted to skip or skim a passage of scripture because you find it uninteresting or unimportant to the story God is telling? We all have. But what if those chapters, the ones we're tempted to gloss over, are the very places where God most clearly reveals His careful attention to the details of our lives? We might never skip or skim a passage of the bible ever again.

--

Questions for Reflection & Discussion

When have you been tempted to think God wasn't interested in the "small" details of your life? How might Joshua 14–21 challenge that view?

The Israelites trusted God to guide every decision. What would it look like for you to trust God with your own decisions in that same way?

How does seeing God's order as a gift, rather than a restriction, reshape the way you view obedience and flourishing in Jesus?

God's promises aren't waiting to be proven; they're already fulfilled, even if we have yet to experience them fully. The call for us is to simply step into what He's already finished.

God's fight is not against people but against the powers that destroy them, and in Jesus, He has already won us final victory.

--

Questions for Reflection & Discussion

When have you found it hardest to trust God's plan, and what helped you keep faith in who He is rather than what you could see?

How does understanding that God's battle is against sin and darkness, not people, change the way you view conflict, justice, and mercy in your own life?

What does it mean for you personally that "Jesus is the greater Joshua," offering rest not just from battle, but for your soul?

God sees through even the most clever of disguises, and loves us still. He proves time and time again that His mercy is more.

--

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION

What disguises do we tend to wear—spiritually, emotionally, or socially—to hide our fears or failures, and what would it look like to trust God enough to take them off?

Why do you think God chose to defend the Gibeonites even though they came to Him through deception? What does that reveal about His character and His mercy?

How does knowing that God's promises stand (even when we fail) challenge or encourage the way you keep your own word to others?

Our lives are always devoted to something. The question for us all is this: to what or whom are we devoted? Our answer to the question determines everything.

--

Questions for Reflection & Discussion

Achan hid what belonged to God under his tent. What are some things we're tempted to "bury" in our own lives—things we keep for ourselves instead of surrendering to God? What would it look like to bring those things into the light?

Israel suffered because of one man's hidden sin. What does this story teach us about how our personal choices—good or bad—affect our families, churches, and communities?

God transformed the Valley of Achor (Trouble) into a Door of Hope. How does this point us to the gospel? Where have you seen God turn places of judgment or failure in your life into opportunities for restoration?

In this message, Pastor Marvin Walker reminds us that God isn't distant from our mental and emotional struggles. From Job's honest lament to the man among the tombs in Mark 5:1-20, we see that Jesus moves toward those who feel broken, not away from them. It's okay to not be okay, but you don't have to stay alone. Discover how Jesus restores minds, renews hearts, and invites us to feel, tell, act, go, and live in His healing presence.

--

• When have you felt like the man among the tombs, distant, misunderstood, or isolated, even while trying to follow Jesus? • Why do you think Jesus crossed the sea just to meet this one man? What does that tell you about His heart toward those who are struggling mentally or emotionally? • Which of the five choices: Feel, Tell, Act, Go, and Live, is hardest for you right now? Which comes most naturally? Why? • When someone you care about is "not okay," how can you be a faithful friend who's present, not just helpful?

What if the walls in your life aren't waiting for your strength, but your surrender?

--

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION

How might seeing worship as a "weapon" change how we face challenges or spiritual battles?

How can we encourage one another to keep walking in obedience, even when it feels repetitive or fruitless?

How does remembering God's past faithfulness help us face present "walls"?

Before we can step into God's promises as a people, He calls us to pause and prepare so we are ready to receive all that He has in store for us.

--

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION

Consecrate: What's one practice, rhythm, or value that once set you apart as a follower of Jesus but has quietly slipped away? How could you begin to reclaim it this week?

Celebrate: When you look back on your journey, where do you see God's faithfulness most clearly? How does remembering that fuel your faith for what's ahead?

Choose: In what area of your life do you need to stop asking God to "be on your side" and instead align yourself with His side?

Sometimes God asks us to take the first step before we see the way forward. When He does, we must trust that the God who goes before us has already prepared the way.

--

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION

Where in your life right now do you sense God calling you to trust His presence and follow even when the path feels unfamiliar?

How does it change the way you face challenges, knowing that God never calls you to walk a path He hasn't already gone before you to prepare?

What are some ways we can create spiritual "memorials" in our families, friendships, or church community to remind others of God's work and encourage them to trust Him?

God delights in working through the unlikely and the overlooked to accomplish His plans reminding us that no one is beyond the reach of His grace.

--

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION

Where are you tempted to let fear have the final word in your life? What would it look like to cling to God there?

How have you seen God redeem a broken part of your past and use it for good?

Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute, ends up in the lineage of Jesus. What does her story teach us about the kind of people God chooses to use—and how does that encourage you about your own story and calling?