Joshua 1:1-5 "After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon,...  Read More

Such an interesting talk by God. Moses finishes writing the Law (the first 5 books of the Bible), and God tells them to place it beside the ark and it will “remain a witness against you.” God knew that there would be times that the people would falter and go their own ways. God knew there would be times in which he would have to punish Israel. God knew there would be leaders in Israel that would l...  Read More

We had felt like Meriwether Lewis and William Clark as they prepared for their journey to explore the vast and newly acquired Louisiana Purchase. Our bags were packed full of warm clothing and extra sleepwear, we had the proper provisions to make fire in several different ways, we had stores of food, water filtration systems and iodine tablets, tarps, tents, and we had even checked the weather in ...  Read More

When I came to Emmanuel over 12 years ago, I had no idea what it took to lead a church. I had been a youth pastor for over 17 years, and youth ministry was my specialty. So, I came with a teachable heart. I also came with a passionate heart. For the first year, I knew that I would make very few changes, and my strategy was eventually to “make changes by addition instead of changes by subtraction.”...  Read More

Main Point and Overview:   Any time there is a transition of leadership, there are obstacles to overcome. Moses was a powerful and persistent leader for Israel, and now, he was passing the mantel to Joshua. What stood in front of Joshua must have felt daunting. That is why on multiple occasions, Joshua is reminded to “be strong and courageous.” It was a theme for him to embrace whether it came fro...  Read More

Numbers 27:18-23 We all love a good success story! I think back to the 2014 Rose Bowl game where Michigan State faced off against Stanford. I will always remember the pivotal play of the game. With less than 2 minutes remaining Stanford was faced with a 4th and 1. Michigan state didn't stop the drive. If they hold them from getting one yard, they seal the game and win. Well, the ball was snapped, ...  Read More