Are you waiting on God…. or is God waiting on you?
Main Scripture: Joshua 3:1-17
Don’t stop here; keep the conversation going on The Breakdown. Each week, we take this message further, talk through real-life applications, and wrestle with the questions you’re already asking. Just search “Journey Church with James Hilton” wherever you listen to podcasts or on YouTube.
- If you could know exactly how something was going to turn out before you tried it — a job, a move, a relationship — would you want to know ahead of time? Why or why not?
- In this passage, God tells the Israelites to follow the ark of the covenant into unfamiliar territory. What stands out to you about the way God chose to lead His people across the Jordan River?
- In Joshua 3:5, Joshua tells the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”What do you think it means to “get ready” for something God is about to do? What does that preparation look like practically?
- Read Joshua 3:3-4. What do you think the difference is between wanting God’s directionversus wanting God’s itinerary — a full plan laid out in advance? Why do you think we so often want the itinerary?
- According to Joshua 3:13, the water would stop as soon asthe priests’ feet touched the river. But Joshua 3:16 tells us the water was stopped at a town called Adam — about twenty miles upstream. What does this detail reveal about what God was already doing before the priests ever took a step?
- Read Joshua 3:17. The priests who carried the ark didn’t get to walk across the river like everyone else. They went in first, stood in the middle, and came out last. What do you think that kind of assignment requires of a person? What does it cost?
- Read Joshua 1:9. Notice that God says both “be courageous” and“do not be afraid” in the same breath. What does that tell us about the relationship between courage and fear? Does courage mean fear goes away?
- The sermon speaks directly to people who have been “standing in the river a long time” — faithful in a role nobody applauds, holding steady so others can move forward. If that’s you, how are you doing honestly? What has it cost you, and what has kept you standing?
Prayer
Lord, in the moments where I want to stand on the dock, afraid to jump in, help me trust that You are already at work upstream — twenty miles ahead of where I’m standing, already moving in ways I can’t see yet. I don’t want to miss what You’re doing because I was too afraid to get in.
And God, for the people in this group who are tired from standing in the river — the ones who have been faithful in places nobody celebrates — would You remind them today that You know exactly where they are, that You placed them there on purpose, and that the crossing isn’t finished yet.
We want to follow You into ground we’ve never walked. Give us the courage to move before we’re sure. Amen.
