The Book of Joshua on Sunday mornings

You may not find yourself planning a major military campaign any time soon. Or needing instructions on how to cross a river, take a city or divide up land. And as for the chapter on circumcision…

This autumn in our morning services we’re going to be taking a look through the book of Joshua. It was a few months ago when we read through most of the book again in our morning daily prayer times, and it struck us how pertinent many of those passages are to us as God’s people today.

Joshua begins at a time of change and transition; Moses is dead, but there is much to be done! We see a nation in transition, a community in search of a home, and a people seeking to live out what it means to be God’s covenant people.

One of the main reasons we’ve chosen Joshua is that it speaks to a people in transition. The context of mission and church life in the UK is changing, and we’re not fully sure what the new land is going to look like. “Be strong and courageous.” (Joshua 1:7) And we see God’s people learning and exploring this new land together, making sure that no one gets left behind. What a beautiful picture of an all-age community.

And the book isn’t all about battles! We meet Joshua the leader and Rahab the unlikely hero. We walk through the river Jordan as well as round the walls of Jericho. We spend time remembering all that God has done in the life of a people, as well as what it means to live an abundant life and persist into spiritual maturity.

The series begins on Sunday 14th September, and will go through towards the end of November. Don’t forget that if you miss a sermon – either at Holy Trinity or Christ the King – you can catch up here

To download the Small Group material for this sermon series click here

Phil Cansdale