Week of 3.6.2022 | Day One
This week in The Gospel Project for Kids, we begin a new book of the Old Testament, Joshua. We are at a unique point in Israel’s history! The point at which we see the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham that He would provide a land for His people. Remember what has happened to get them to this point. It has been a long and difficult journey, but God is faithful and always keeps His promises. As Joshua prepares to lead the people into the land, we see God give the greatest pep talk ever! God reminds Joshua who He is and that He will be with Joshua as he goes, all Joshua has to do is trust and obey God. Imagine being Joshua and hearing God tell you that you will have victory in battle and receive abundant provision, if you just remember that God is the source of all strength and the reason for all success! Would you be able to trust God fully? God has given us the exact same encouragement as Joshua, and He takes it further by giving us His Spirit to live in us. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can be strong and courageous to face whatever life brings.
Big Picture Question
What is the Bible? The Bible is God’s Word that tells us what is true about God and ourselves.
Christ Connection
God encouraged Joshua and promised to be with him as he led the Israelites into the promised land, where they would be victorious and find rest. We have victory over sin and rest for our souls in Jesus, who is with us always and leads us into the promised land of God’s kingdom.
Key Passage
“Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.”
Psalm 119:105
Read
Joshua 1
Discuss
Why do you think God commanded Joshua to be both strong and courageous?
Prompt kids to consider what a leader would be like if he were strong but not courageous. Point out that being strong wouldn’t mean much if you give up every time you are afraid! What would a leader be like if he were courageous but not very strong? If you were not able to physically take on the enemy, you would be in trouble. God knows everything; He knew what kind of leader Joshua needed to be.
What other qualities do you think God wants leaders to have?
A great answer to this is to reference the fruit of the Spirit, (Galatians 5:22-23) and humility, reminding them that our humility reminds us we are dependent on God to help us lead well.
How can you grow in these leadership qualities?
A simple answer is to trust God and obey His commands. You can expand on this by reminding them what we learned last week about becoming more like God through the power of the Holy Spirit, as we follow Jesus. If we are going to follow Jesus, we have to read God’s word to know what it means to live for God and not for ourselves. We also must communicate regularly with God in prayer.
Pray
Pray together as a family about what you read today. Confess your sins to one another and to the Lord and praise Him for his forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
Family Challenge
Write encouraging notes to your kids, reminding them of the truths you have been studying from God’s word. Set aside time during this week and ask them to write an encouraging note to someone who leads them, such as a church volunteer, a pastor, or a teacher. Discuss the importance of encouraging leaders to love and obey God.