By Pastor Jim F This week at Damascus Road Church we tackled two chapters, Joshua 16 and 17. These two chapters lay out the portion of land given to the people of Joseph, the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh. They are not content with their portion. As a matter of fact, their discontentment leads them to voicing a complaint with Joshua, and ultimately with God. The root of their complaint is being more comfortable with their own limited perspective than that of God. Joshua is not swayed by their justification of their unhappiness, and tasks them with using their many blessings to act toward the possession of the land. Joshua calls them to do what God has commanded them to do (and promised that He will show them success in): purify and subdue their inheritance. He is calling them to be stewards, but specifically to steward as God has commanded. [...]

I preached Joshua 9 last week about how Israel was deceived by the Gibeonites into signing a treaty.  Joshua and his leaders asked all the right questions, but they failed to ask the right person.  Verse 14 identifies their mistake not as a failure to test, but a failure to pray: 14 So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord. I often forget to pray. It seems that my default mode is to assume that sin hasn't really impacted my intellect, emotions, even perceptions of experiences.  My gut is deceptive though it is the best friend I depend on most.  He's a bit unreliable and his advice can easily be confused with bad Thai food.   My flesh can't be trusted, as a cursory examination of the last 30+ years of decision-making would prove.  Alas, perhaps short-term memory is also the result of [...]

We are all addicts.  We are all addicted to various idols that captivate us, allure us, and lie to us.  Instead of holding to the promises of God and/or heeding His warnings, we believe the promises of sin.  Their lies patterned after the first lie, telling us we will be happier apart from God's Word.  Idols never sleep. As a recovering-moralist, for years I wrongly believed that if I just avoided idols (and their sinful followers) I would be safe from their sinful influences.  If the devil really was prowling about "like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour", then I'd just work hard to avoid his hunting grounds.   For extra protection, I'd build big walls, not so I could fight better, but so that I could sit in my bomb shelter and not fight at all.  It goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that this is [...]

Below are ten questions (five twice-over) I dare any man to ask his bride.  Unfortunately, I know most men won't because you already know the answer--and it will be difficult to hear.  You'll notice, they are not YES or NO questions, meaning, you will actually have to discuss the answer.   And know that, as Jesus is THE HUSBAND, when we fail to love and lead like Jesus does, we preach false sermons about Jesus.  In other words, our failure to be true husbands isn't just unfortunate or regrettable, it sinful.  We don't need better skills as much as we need confession and the power of Jesus to overcome the sin in us: 1.  Do you feel pursued by me or ignored by me? (When/how do you feel most pursued?) 2. Do you feel led by me or as if you have to lead me? (Where  am I not leading?) 3. [...]