This Week’s Training Notes

Welcome to the Spring curriculum of The Gospel Project for Adults, From Conquest to Kingdom. We are starting a new volume and are excited to see what God will teach us as we read more about the Israelites and their conquering the new land and becoming a kingdom.

This week, your group will be studying Unit 7, Session 1, God’s Presence with Joshua, which focuses on how God’s Word is a source of guidance, strength, and hope to His people as God interacts with Joshua, helping him lead.

So this week, here are your three things to know, listen to, and do as you prepare for this week’s session:

Something to know

We are now in the book of Joshua. Moses had died, not entering the promised land, and God had chosen a new leader to lead this next generation. God continued to be faithful to His people despite their past disobedience and assured Joshua that He would fulfill His promise and give them the land flowing with milk and honey. But more importantly, He would fulfill His promise in always being with Joshua and never leaving him. One thing to note is the repetitive phrase in this passage—that God would be with Joshua. That’s why he could have courage. In the same way, God is with us today. The presence of God in our lives should assure us, comfort us, give us courage to obey Him and live for His purposes.

Something to listen to

For something to listen to, we’ve included a link to a sermon by R. Kent Hughes in the Additional Resources called Joshua’s Divine Charge (34:57). Here is a quote from his teaching:

“God’s wisdom tells us this—that we are to move out when He tells us to move out; that the first step is often the very hardest to take. And that many of us have those steps to take. God is calling some of us to take a first step in some area now.”

Something to do

Sometimes we’re just too busy or too afraid to do an outreach project, whether it be helping serve the homeless or gathering our neighbors into our home for a meal. Ask your group if there is something God might be pushing them towards that might seem fearful in terms of outreach or evangelism. Encourage your group of God’s presence with them and decide on an outreach that your group could do together this quarter whether it be helping a nonprofit or helping one of your members plan an outreach for his or her neighbors. Before Sunday, make a short list of possibilities for your group to think about.