Teaching Notes

Israel’s Challenge

Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.
Joshua 24:14-15

Application: get fit to fight.

Strategy #1 -

Get fit to fight by knowing & committing to God’s plan.

Strategy #2

Get fit to fight by getting a game plan.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.  No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Our Challenge

If you are a married couple, engaged couple or cohabitating, we want you to:

Complete the Better Love Assessment

Complete 4 Guided Date Nights

Attend 4 Better Love Classes

If you are single, 16 years and up, we want you to…

Complete the Yada Assessment.

Attend 4 YADA Classes

Going Deeper Discussion

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:14-15

1. What kind of fear is Joshua talking about when he says "fear the Lord..." in verse 14? How does that translate to you and your family?

2. What does it look like for your family to "serve the Lord with al faithfulness?" Give some examples.

3. In verse 15 the writer is talking literally about pagan gods such as Baal and Molek. In this culture these gods would've represented a certain kind of perversion and minimizing of human life in practice. For us today, give a few examples of the kind of "gods” in our present situation we are tempted to serve i.e. Cultural, political, social etc.

4. How does a family that is committed to serving the God of the Bible look different in today's culture?