Gospel BC – Joshua

Day 1: Faith Gets Your Feet Wet

Summary

Faith often requires stepping into obedience before God reveals the outcome. Just like the priests stepping into the Jordan, our obedience often precedes God’s visible provision.

Read

• Joshua 3:14–17

• Hebrews 11:1

• 2 Corinthians 5:7

Background

After 40 years of wilderness wandering, the Israelites faced the flooded Jordan River. Unlike their parents, this generation moved forward in faith. The priests had to step into the raging water before it miraculously stopped—a powerful moment that revealed God’s pattern: provision follows obedience.

Key Words

• Faith – Trusting God’s promises without yet seeing the results.

• Obedience – Active trust expressed through our actions.

• Threshold – The space between God’s promise and its fulfillment.

Theological Truths

“True faith is ever connected with obedience.” – John Calvin

“Faith is not merely believing in God, but believing God.” – R.C. Sproul

This moment in Joshua typifies the ordo salutis (order of salvation): obedience doesn’t earn grace but flows from trust in God’s promises. Like Israel, believers are justified by faith alone, yet that faith produces active response.

Gospel Connection

Joshua’s name (Yehoshua) foreshadows Jesus (Yeshua), “the Lord saves.” Just as Joshua led Israel across the Jordan into the promised land, Jesus leads His people across the divide of sin and death into eternal life. The priests carried the ark—the symbol of God’s covenant presence—into the waters. Christ, the true Ark, stepped into judgment for us.

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God.” – 1 Peter 3:18

Questions for Reflection

1. Where in your life do you sense God asking you to step forward in faith?

2. How have you experienced God’s provision only after taking a step of obedience?

3. Are you waiting on outcomes before obeying God? Why?

Application

Take one “step into the water” this week—whether sharing your faith, giving generously, or beginning a spiritual discipline. Trust God with the outcome.

Day 2: Stones of Remembrance

Summary

God instructed Israel to stack stones from the Jordan as a memorial. These served as a testimony for future generations about God’s faithfulness and power.

Read

• Joshua 4:4–7

• Psalm 77:11–14

• Luke 22:19

Background

Memorials are not about nostalgia—they’re about faith formation. The 12 stones represented God’s faithfulness, reminding future generations of His power. God knows we are forgetful people and gives us physical reminders to stir spiritual confidence.

Key Words

• Memorial – A tangible reminder of God’s past faithfulness.

• Testimony – A public declaration of God’s work in our lives.

• Generational Faith – The passing on of belief through remembrance.

Theological Truths

“God’s past mercies are the foundation of our present faith.” – Charles Spurgeon

“Our memory is a servant of faith when it reminds us of the works of God.” – John Owen

We live under the New Covenant, but the principle holds. Communion, baptism, and personal testimonies serve as “stones” to remember the gospel.

Gospel Connection

In the New Covenant, Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper saying, “Do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19). The cross and empty tomb are our ultimate memorial stones. They point back to our deliverance and forward to our eternal inheritance.

Questions for Reflection

1. What “stones” do you have that remind you of God’s work in your life?

2. How can you use these testimonies to strengthen someone else’s faith?

3. What fears or forgetfulness threaten your trust in God today?

Application

Write down three spiritual milestones in your life. Share one with a friend, family member, or small group this week as a memorial to God’s faithfulness.

Day 3: Faith Is Forward-Moving

Summary

Biblical faith doesn’t just believe in God—it believes God. Faith is action-oriented and forward-moving, even when we don’t know the full path.

Read

• Genesis 12:1–4

• Luke 5:4–6

• Hebrews 11:8–10

Background

From Abraham to Peter, God called His people to move in obedience before they saw results. In Joshua’s day, the Israelites had to cross into enemy territory—faith was the only bridge between the promise and the possession.

Key Words

• Call – God’s invitation to trust and obey.

• Next Step – The immediate, actionable obedience that faith demands.

• Trust – Confidence in God’s goodness, even in uncertainty.

Theological Truths

“Obedience is the hallmark of faith.” – Sinclair Ferguson

“Faith is not simply a feeling of dependence; it is obedience to the truth of God’s Word.” – Francis Schaeffer

This reflects the law/gospel distinction: the law shows us the path of righteousness; the gospel gives us the power to walk in it.

Gospel Connection

Jesus is the greater Joshua who calls His disciples to follow Him—not knowing where the path leads, but knowing who goes with us. Like the Israelites, we move forward not by sight, but by faith in the One who conquered death.

“We walk by faith, not by sight.” – 2 Corinthians 5:7

Questions for Reflection

1. What is your “next step” of faith God is calling you to take?

2. Are you more focused on outcomes or obedience? Why?

3. What does trusting God look like when your future is uncertain?

Application

List one area where you’ve hesitated in obedience. Commit to taking one faithful action this week—even if the outcome is unclear.

Day 4: The Lord Who Saves

Summary

Joshua’s very name means “Yahweh saves.” His life is a shadow of the greater Savior, Jesus Christ, who brings true and eternal deliverance.

Read

• Matthew 1:21–23

• Romans 10:9–13

• John 14:6

Background

Joshua led God’s people into the earthly Promised Land. But this was never the end goal. The entire Old Testament points forward to Jesus, who leads His people into the eternal kingdom through His death and resurrection.

Key Words

• Savior – One who delivers from danger or judgment.

• Immanuel – God with us.

• Typology – An OT person or event that foreshadows Christ.

Theological Truths

“The Old Testament is the gospel in bud; the New Testament is the gospel in bloom.” – Matthew Henry

“All of Scripture is one unfolding story: Christ in all the Scriptures.” – Graeme Goldsworthy

Joshua’s life is a type of Christ—not perfect, but pointing to the One who would be. The law came through Moses; the promise land came through Joshua; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).

Gospel Connection

Jesus is the greater Joshua, who didn’t merely lead us through water, but through death itself. He is the Ark of God’s presence, who bore judgment in our place. In Him, we have the fulfillment of every promise.

“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.” – 2 Corinthians 1:20

Questions for Reflection

1. How does Joshua’s story deepen your appreciation for Jesus as Savior?

2. What does it mean to you that Jesus is with you and for you?

3. How does Christ’s fulfillment of the law give you confidence before God?

Application

Share the gospel with someone this week using Joshua as a launching point. Explain how Jesus is the greater Savior who leads us into eternal life.

Day 5: Choose This Day

Summary

Joshua’s final challenge to Israel was clear: choose whom you will serve. Our faith journey demands continual decision to trust, obey, and worship the Lord alone.

Read

• Joshua 24:14–15

• Deuteronomy 30:19–20

• Romans 6:16–18

Background

At the end of his life, Joshua calls Israel to decision—will they serve Yahweh or false gods? The same question confronts us daily: Will we serve self, sin, or the Savior?

Key Words

• Covenant – A binding relationship with God.

• Allegiance – A heart devotion expressed in action.

• Holiness – Separation unto God for His purposes.

Theological Truths

“The human heart is a perpetual idol factory.” – John Calvin

“Grace does not free us from obedience; it frees us to obey.” – Martyn Lloyd-Jones

We are not under law as a means of salvation, but under grace, which produces obedience. True liberty is found in serving the Lord.

Gospel Connection

The law condemned us. The gospel redeems us. In Christ, we’re free not to sin, but to serve. Joshua called the people to covenant faithfulness—Jesus established the New Covenant in His blood. His Spirit empowers us to choose Him daily.

“If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” – Luke 9:23

Questions for Reflection

1. What gods or distractions compete for your heart?

2. What does it mean to “choose this day” in your current context?

3. How does God’s grace empower your obedience?

Application

Make a daily declaration of allegiance. Pray each morning: “Today, I choose to follow Jesus. Help me love and obey You.”