Part 1: Live the Epic: Recall, Resolve, React! | 2/7/21

Study Questions for Joshua 1:1-17

1.  Where were you 40 years ago?  

     a)  How do you feel relating to the Israelites staying 40 years in the desert, waiting for God to fulfill His purpose? 

     b)  Read 2 Peter 3:9.  How does this impact the way you feel about something you’re waiting for right now?

2. Read Joshua 1:1-2.  What truths about yourself would you rather not see? 

     a)  What things in your past (or pre-CoVid times) are gone but you still want to hold onto?

     b)  What new things might God be wanting to do in you if you let go?

3.  Hebrews 6:19 refers to God’s promises and unchanging character as our “anchor”.  How does that truth encourage you?

4.  Share some of God’s promises with each other.

5.  God told Joshua to “take courage”.  What things do you know you should do but fear is holding you back?

     a)  God told the people to get provisions ready as if there was nothing standing in their way.  How can you trust God and act by faith instead?

6.  Pray for each other over these areas.

Part 2: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Study Questions for Joshua 1:18-2:24

1.  Read James 2:26 and John 15:5.  What’s the difference between faith in God and interest in God or knowing about God?

2.  Faith for the tribes who settled on the east of the Jordan took courage.  It cost their families time with them for 7 years to serve God and their community.  Read Romans 8:11-14.  Why does our commitment to God oblige us to have courage and live a life of self-denial?  How does this not contradict with God's unconditional love for us?

3.  Read Galatians 5:25.  How do we balance the tension between us taking control of our lives and trusting Gods sovereignty.

4.  How did Rahab’s actions reveal her growing faith in God?  Think about your unsaved friends.  Who can you see God is working in to make them open to faith? 

5.  Ask yourself: Does God have your “yes” regardless of the outcome?  Share your honest answer.

6.  How does Rahab’s unrefined but bold faith challenge or convict you?  

     a)  What things are going on in your life right now where you need faith? 

     b)  Pray for each other about these things.

Part 3: Lessons from the Banks of the Jordan

Study Questions for Joshua 3:1-4:24

1.  Why is it important to understand that life with God is a journey not a destination we "arrive at"?  

     a)  How does this affect our attitude towards difficult things, delays, or unanswered prayer?

2.  What happens when you are trying to control your life versus letting God control it?  What specific things usually alert you that you are trying to get control back?  

     a)  How could you use these as reminders to trust God instead?

3.  Discuss why we should be careful when we know we are trying to run from a situation, instead of dealing with it? 

4.  How does God use people and hardship to sanctify us (make us more like Jesus)?

5.  The Israelites had to stop seeing themselves as wanderers, in order to get into the Promised Land.  How significant is the way we see ourselves in relation to whether we experience the power of God in our lives?

6.  Consider the guidelines God gave regarding the Ark in Joshua 3:4-5.  Discuss the holiness of God and how that relates to the way we behave.

7.  The Israelites had to put their faith into action before they could see the outcome.  What is the connection between God's Word, our faith, and experiencing God's power?

8.  Read Joshua 4:20-24.  Joshua erected standing stones at Gilgal to be a permanent memorial for the people.  What are the standing stones in your life?  

     a)  How does recalling them inspire you as you look forward?

9.  What is the story God is telling others about Himself through your life?

Part 4: Spiritual Spring Cleaning

Study Questions for Joshua 5:1-12

1.  If we leave things in our lives unchecked, there can be a build up of bad habits, and things that are not useful or healthy for our spiritual growth.  Describe a time when you had to do a spiritual spring cleaning.

2.  God hit the pause button on the Israelites so that they could circumcise their men.  How do you respond to delays in your life?     

     a)  Have you ever rushed into something that wasn’t actually what God wanted you to do?  

     b)  What has waiting taught you in the past?

3.  What can you put in place in your life to make sure you regularly examine yourself?

4.  What is the significance of them entering the Promised Land on the Passover?  

     a)  How does this example of God’s timing encourage you right now?

5.  How is celebrating a sacred act?  What does celebration show the people around you?

6.  God is our Protector.  Name your fears.  How does this truth about God impact them? 

7.  Obedience is the key to experiencing God.  Evaluate your life: Are you experiencing God?  Is there unhealthy build-up or disobedience that needs addressing?  Read Lamentations 3:40 and 1 John 1:9 and spend time personally confessing anything you need to.

Part 5: Listen to God When You Don't Have To

Study Questions for Joshua 5:13-8:35

1.  Why are prone to doing our own thing and ignoring others advice when we are feeling confident? 

     a)  How have you done the same thing with God?

2.  Read Joshua 5:13-6:2 and Hebrews 1:14.  What is your response as you think about God having an army of angels doing His work in the spiritual realm for you?  

     a)  How does this relate to the “delays” and "disappointments" you have in life? 

3.  How important is it to obey what God has said exactly?  Why?

4.  What does it say about us if we think we don’t need to take God’s commands seriously?

5.  When are you most vulnerable to thinking you’ve “arrived” with God?  Why? 

     a)  How can you avoid complacency in these situations when they come up next?

6.  When we think that a “little sin” doesn’t matter, we make ourselves “liable to destruction”.  Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19.  What happens when we tolerate sin, and what does that look like in our lives?

7.  Read Hebrews 12:25.  Evaluate how seriously you listen to God?  What do you sense God inviting you to do to foster your relationship with Him?

Part 6: Don't Trust Your Gut Instead of God

Study Questions for Joshua 9:1-12:24

1.  Do you tend to rely on fight or flight when you’re faced with a challenging situation?  Why?

2.  Read Joshua 9:14.  Why is it dangerous to trust your gut - your own best judgement?  What should we trust instead, and what does that require of us as His followers?

3.  Share examples in the Bible when God told his people to do something that didn't make sense, humanly.  

     a)  Share a time when God has told you to do something that didn’t seem to make sense.

4.  Discuss how our kingdom impact is affected when we don’t ask God what He wants us to do, and just rely on our own abilities and reasoning.

5.  Read Galatians 5:16-25.  What does it mean to "keep in step with the Spirit"?  How is this different than following your own wisdom?

6.  Describe a situation where you have run away from something instead of persevering where you know He has called you.  How do we know if we are simply escaping a situation instead of being called away?

7.  Read Joshua 1:7-8 and Romans 12:1-2.  How does God tell us to posture ourselves to hear His direction?

Part 7: God's Got a Plan, Down to the Details

Study Questions for Joshua 13:1-21:45

1.   What is your default behavior when your future is uncertain?  Why?

      a)  What’s going on in your life now where you are having to trust God even though you don’t know the details?

2.  God promised to make Abraham a “great nation”, but Abraham took things into his own hands because he was just looking for a son.  How do we miss God’s best for us when we don’t wait on His ways and His timing?  

     a). Have you done this before?  Share.

3.  Read Joshua 13:7.  How detailed was God’s plan for the Israelites?  

     a)  What details in your life right now might you feel differently about if you accepted them as God’s planned details for you?

4.  Discuss this statement: “If He spoke this clearly about His plans,  He will speak just as clearly when He wants us to change direction.”  How is this relevant to you right now?

5.  What’s wrong with the thinking that says: “God did His part, now I’ll do mine.?  How is this different at a foundational level from doing things in relationship with God?  

     a). Practically, what difference does this make?

6.  Read Joshua 21:43-45.  How does this encourage you right now to stand firm in your faith?

7.  What do the allocated Cities of Refuge tell you about God?

     a)  How should this make a difference to the way we live our lives as forgiven sinners?

Part 8: Build Your Life Around God, Don’t Just Build Him Into Your Life

Study Questions for Joshua 22:1-34

1.   What is the difference between God being a part of our lives, and building our lives around Him?  

     a)  Read Romans 12:1-2.  What's the difference between the 'perfect' will of God and the 'permissive' will of God?

     b)  What does this difference look like practically in daily life?

2.  What was the purpose of the formation of the tribes of Israel around the Tabernacle as they camped?

3.  The tribes on the eastern side of the river set up an altar to God that seemed to be sensible and spiritual, but it was not what God had told them to do.  How do we make similar compromises and justify them today?

4.  Why do we settle for 'mostly in' instead of 'all in' with God?

5.  Read Joshua 22:10.  How do we try and compensate for our distance from God?

6.  Read Joshua 22:11-20.  How does living in the 'permissive' will of God affect the church as a whole?

7.  How can we lead our families in a way that they see God as the center of our lives instead of just an option?

8.  Read Joshua 22:30-34.  The nation of Israel was at peace but stayed divided.  What is the danger of looking for affirmation from others instead of God?

Part 9: Be Faithful to God as He is to You

Study Questions for Joshua 23:1-24:33

1.  As you think back over the series on Joshua, where in the story were the Israelites able to: a) recall Gods faithfulness/power, b) resolve to trust/obey God, and c) react by following God/committing themselves to Him?

2.  Read Joshua 23:14.  What is your testimony about God's faithfulness in your life?

3.  Why can we rely on Gods faithfulness being unconditional?

4.  Read Joshua 24:12-13.  In what areas do you need to be reminded that what you have is not because of your own work or ability?  

     a)  What difference does this make to the way you see your life?

5.  Read Joshua 24:14.  We all end up serving someone or something.  If you aren’t serving God as a daily practice, what things do you turn to serving? 

     a)  How can you know if you’ve shifted from genuinely serving God to serving other things instead?  

     b)  What helps you to keep choosing and serving God? 

6.  Read Joshua 24:19.  Explain the “jealousy” of God.  What does exclusive devotion look like for Christians?

7.  Read Joshua 24:23.  “Yielding your heart” has a sense of stretching us beyond what we’re comfortable with.  Where is God stretching you right now? 

     a)  What does yielding to Him look like for you in that area (what do you need to say “yes” to, or “no” to)?

8.  The main things God has spoken to us about through this 'Live the Epic' series were:

• Have the courage to let go of things in your life that you’re holding on to from the past that are stopping you experiencing God today (chapter 1)
• Put your money where our mouth is—pay the price to put your faith into action and live out what you say you believe (chapter 2)
• Life with God is a journey, not a destination—so don’t run when it gets hard, see yourself and your life the way God does, that He's at work in your story even though you can’t see it today (chapter 4).
• Do regular 'spiritual spring cleaning'—examine yourself to ensure you’re truly trusting God and living in step with Him (chapter 5).
• Listen to God even when you think you don’t need to—the times when we think we don’t need to trust or to rely on God are the times we need Him most (chapter 7).
• Don’t trust your gut instead of God—turning to God should be your first response, and obedience your second (chapter 9).
• God has a plan, down to the details—and that plan takes into account our sin, God’s got it covered (chapters 13-21).
• Build your life around Jesus—don't try and fit Him into your busy schedule (chapter 22).
• Do it!—choose God. Yield your heart to Him! (chapter 24)

Which of these thoughts is God wanting to impress on you from this series?  What next step is He asking you to take?