Step

Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” Joshua 3:5 (ESV)

Think of all the preparation that goes into taking a short trip with your family. There are many steps—reservations for lodging, directions to your destination, travel arrangements, clothing, and other necessities—and this list doesn’t include all you have to plan for when you arrive at your destination. Taking a trip requires lots of diligent planning. Still, if we are not careful, we will prioritize our vacations rather than planning for God’s work in our lives. For example, God was about to do some fantastic things for the people of Israel. But before God fulfilled His promises, He called the people to faith and obedience through preparation for His future work. Similarly, suppose we wish to see God continue to work in our future. In that case, we must take the initiative to prepare today.

After Joshua 1, the masses said to Joshua, “we will obey you in all things, just as we did Moses (1:17). We will go wherever you direct and do whatever you request. Then following the work of the spies (Joshua 2), Joshua speaking to the people said, “let them know that The Lord is going to do wonders among you.” Stop and think about the goosebumps and cold chills at that proclamation; when you accepted Christ, did you know that He would, in turn, do wonders among you. All because of one step of faith, God’s plan is to utilize you for His plan. 

On Sunday, John Edwards of “Just a Guy in the Pew” ministries will be with us during Worship. John began his spiritual journey at the age of 8 in the children’s ministry at UABC. He accepted Christ and was baptized at UABC. His teens years involved camps, missions, and VBS teaching, all at UABC. John was a statistic of success because of the faith of obedience displayed by his family of faith at UABC. Then like so many, John left his church and faith following high school. From there, the steps and decisions he made were anything reflective of the teaching he had learned from his family and church. John decided to follow the crowd. In doing so, that decision spiraled out of control, and John became another statistic. He was a successful business salesman with a wife and 3 kids, and with one bad step, he almost lost everything.

On Sunday, John will share his story with us, one of the good and bad decisions, which includes one step of renewal and returning to his faith. Like the faithful ones in Joshua 3, John has received many messages of faith. John has shared his story with countless people over the past 3yrs. With each telling of his story, he focuses on his faith. Unless we step out by faith (1:3) and “get our feet wet,” we’re not likely to make much progress in living for Christ and serving Him. Are you continually ready to step out on faith and live for Christ?

Serving Him,
Pastor Jeff