you guys having a good day you’re glad you’re in church how glad are you that you’re in church
come on Yakima I want to hear you right now I want to hear you in Bellevue right now
I want to hear you in Dubai right now I want to hear you online right now I want
to hear you in Tacoma right now
[Applause]
[Music]
yeah I was thinking while we were worshiping a moment ago I was thinking you know there’s a lot of people that do not worship
it feels awkward it feels uncomfortable and for many people they haven’t yet broke through
that discomfort to actually raise a hand or lift a voice or enter in you see
people all around you it just seems so natural and it seemed that way because it is
but they were where you were too and I want to remind you that there’s no
qualifications for worshiping
[Applause]
we I haven’t was a good couple weeks I you know I’m not perfect enough yet and I just want to tell you the only
qualification for worship is having breath let everything that has breath praise the Lord
and that’s I think that’s everybody actually here in the house today so
I want to also thank uh the two two of my favorite things that have happened this week
happened one of them happened here today and that is the dedication of our children and I want to thank our
children’s team who makes all of that possible I want to thank our children’s team for
loving our children the way that they do and putting the effort and the time and the energy
[Music]
tirelessly to create a place in a space for our kids I also want to give a shout
out to our youth team one big night was this past week on Thursday night hundreds hundreds of young people came
from all of our locations and if you haven’t seen pictures or anything like try to see them try to find them
just a a great I just want to say thank you to every one of the the youth leaders and also we had a whole bunch I
got a text from somebody in our church that it was a it was a parent and they not they weren’t they were here like to just they just kind of showed up and
they said I was so amazed pastor Kevin and all of the parents that were on location and in the hallways and supporting the
young people of our house and so I want to thank all of the moms and the dads and all of the parents and the dads on duty
for one big night and man so um let me see one more thing we’re going
to pray in a minute and we’re going to and I’m gonna let you sit down and we’re gonna we’re gonna pray a prayer that basically says our hearts are open our
minds are ready and before we say that I want to say something about that and and it is
imply that I’m going to talk for a little while and when I do this we do this every week
I want you to understand that as I talk God God will God I know God
will use me but you’re not going to remember what I say
one of the sad realities of working so hard every week is that by tomorrow you will
remember at the most two percent of what I say
but what I know is that God if you allow him we’ll speak to you directly
and yeah and I want you to know that that
I’m not I don’t need any sympathy don’t don’t say oh but Pat you know no letters please but
I have people actually over the years who said you know you you changed my life you and and I I I get it
um I’m pretty good at what I do uh I understand I’ve taught I’ve taught people a lot
but here’s the phenomenon I want you to be aware of is that it’s very regularly that people say to me you know
when you said such and such like you just like drilled into my last Sunday you said and I’m like I didn’t
say that I didn’t say that
people hear things by the Holy Spirit as I talk that are tailor-made
TaylorMade for you are you ready stay with me my heart’s open and my mind’s ready
make me better God by your word I receive it and I believe it
and I won’t be the same again in Jesus name you may be seated
Joshua chapter 1 we’re going to continue our series Live
Chapter 2: Message
like a leader and I want to begin in Joshua chapter 1 verse 1. it says after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord the Lord
said to Joshua’s son of nun Moses Aid Moses my servant is dead
bam pretty straightforward now then everybody say now then
say it again now then you and all these people get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land
that I am about to give them you and all these people get ready everybody shall get ready
everybody shout crossover everybody say there’s something better
cross over into the land that I am about to give to you let’s pause there I’m going to read some
more out of the the text but Moses was a great hero in scripture and when he died it left a void of leadership
that God was calling Joshua to step into it was a call to ownership it was a call
to responsibility it was a call to action leadership is an action
not a position and we’re calling this year the Year of
the leader at Champion Center a vision for this year is that everyone in our church
would not see your sphere of influence as being insignificant
would realize that small doesn’t mean insignificant
but would see your sphere of influence as vitally important and definitely part of your assignment
as a follower of Christ that’s what we’re hoping for my hope is
that you would discover and develop the leader in you more so this year than
at any other time in your life my hope is that we would all know that following
Jesus is a call to live like leaders that together we would be the church
that the world needs right now and that we as God’s people God’s
citizens are citizens rather of the Kingdom would lead we that we would lead at home
that that we would lead at school that we would lead in the community that we would lead on the job that we would
lead to church I don’t want to just review some of the things that we’ve talked about just
bullet bullet-like points some of the things we’ve talked about is that everything Rises and falls on leadership
why would we not think it’s vitally important leadership is not a position or a title
it’s an action leadership is a choice you make not a place you sit
some of the most reluctant leaders of the Bible became some of the greatest leaders of the Bible
leadership is far more normal than we think it can happen anywhere
by anyone at any time the only thing that
the only time that leading is beyond you is when serving is beneath you
things that we’ve we’ve said over the last few weeks week one we talked about The Reluctant
leaders of the Bible week two we talked about the servant leaders of the Bible week three Pastor Brandon brought a
message on the second chair leaders of the Bible today we’re going to talk about the courageous leaders
of the Bible so God’s talking to Joshua he announces to
him that it’s over the the Moses era is over
now verse 6 you be strong and courageous
now there was a lot when I started thinking about this topic there’s a you know almost all of the leaders of the Bible had courage
I mean we could just make a huge list right but this verse
is a spot in scripture where the Lord said so directly
to Joshua here’s what I need from you it’s like tag you’re it
I need you to be strong I need you to be courageous because you’re gonna what you’re going to what you’re going to what you’re going to do what you’re gonna
like you’re gonna what you can’t lead without courage
so God said to him I need you to be strong I need you to be courageous
because the people need a leader and I need you to lead them to inherit the land the land that I swore to their
ancestors to give them so repeat he says be strong and very courageous and then he goes
into this be careful to be careful everybody shall be careful I want you to remember that for later be careful to obey all the law that Moses gave you
don’t turn from it to the right to the left that you might be what successful wherever you go keep the book of the law on your lips
meditate on it all day all night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it and then you’re going to be what you’re going to be prosperous
and you’re going to be successful have I not commanded you be strong and courageous do not be afraid do not be discouraged the Lord your God is going
to be with you wherever you go so as I was looking at maybe I I say
this a lot my favorite scripture this really is one of my favorite um it speaks to me and it has all of my
life since I was a teenager but as I was looking at it with I think fresh
Chapter 3: Torah
intent this past week I came across some writings in the
talmud the talmud is so so in the Jewish faith you have you have two basic books that Jewish
faith draws from one of them is the Torah and that’s the that’s the holy book it’s it’s basically to them it’s the
uh it’s it’s the premise of what they build their life and faith on
and in the Torah it’s basically five books written by
Moses the talmud is the recording of the Jewish rabbis expounding on and debating
the Torah if you got that say I got it if you didn’t just sit there and look at me I’ll explain it
so Pauline is like what I would love to do like I love to talk about what the verse
means I love to debate sometimes with really smart people smarter than me about what it actually means or where
did you get that from or how do you think it’s interpret that’s what it is and it’s a recording for a couple of hundred years of the rabbis who were who
would study the Torah and then would have conversation about it and there’s a dramatic story in the talmud that
teaches that when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness that every year
on a specific night each member of The Exodus generation
dug a grave and slept in it
and the following morning some 15 000 individuals
would be found dead in their grapes this
horrifying ritual was repeated annually for 40 years
do the math 40 times fifteen thousand
six hundred thousand which was the amount of people that had left Egypt
to go to the promised land every year
dig the grave lay down in it fifteen thousand don’t wake up
that day became celebrated or maybe that’s the wrong word it became
a holiday maybe that’s the wrong word it became a day of Memorial
where Israel would remember once a year
fifteen thousand total of six hundred thousand
of our ancestors didn’t make it to the promised land
not because God did not want them to get there
but because they lack the courage the promised land was only 11 days
journey 40 years they wandered in circles
and were not didn’t have the the courage didn’t measure up to having
the right things in their heart to be able to possess the land that God had given to them
and the point that the priests the rabbis were making is that when they when they tell this
story is that the people who left Egypt literally dug
their own Graves and died in the wilderness
the visual of people digging their own Graves and dying in them
is a picture of people all around us
who are sabotaging their own future Jesus
called it sheep without a shepherd
getting bogged down with fear with worry
rather than living a life of confidence and courage based on God’s promises
and God’s thoughts and God’s wisdom rather than following the path that
leads to life all around us today in our world we have people
that are literally digging their own grave
when you think about it that way it makes sense that God would say to Joshua
be strong and courageous to lead the people
Joshua could not be like the people who dug their own Graves
God needed Joshua to be strong and courageous getting to the promised land depended on
him being strong and courageous and Leading the People
Chapter 4: Summary
what we know about the people who dug their own Graves is I’m going to summarize it in five things quickly for
you if you want to write them down you have to move fast but what we know about them is number one
they complain a lot they murmured the Bible uses that word
murmured funny word kind of but I think we all know what it means they they murmured
they murmured they complained secondly they blamed
they blamed a lot they complained about the journey being too hard they complained about
the bad food they had while in route they blamed their leaders
they blamed God number three they lived in the past they kept looking back and talking about
how we were better off back there went to God we were in Egypt again
at least we have some predictable food number four they underestimated their
potential there’s a scripture in the Bible that says they when when they went and spies went out
to spy out the land it literally says that the people who were afraid to go to the land said we sit we
we are like grasshoppers alongside the Giants of the land we can’t do it
number five they were just afraid to fight for their future
wanted to see if I could leave a lasting that you’ll remember 24 hours from now
this is a shovel people who were stuck in the wilderness
complaining about how hard the journey was the bad food
blaming other people saying it’s not our fault
it’s somebody else’s fault I want you to just remember every time
you go there it’s like digging your own grave
and I want you to understand that you are surrounded by people who are doing this
constantly every day
I don’t know it’s not my fault I’m just telling you right now if my mom is my dad it’s my boy
boss we’re surrounded by complainers blamers
[Applause]
Chapter 5: Leadership Begins With You
see leadership is not just what you do but it’s what you don’t do that most people do
think about that I think that’s on the screen leave it up there for a minute leadership is not just what you do it’s what you don’t do
the conversation you don’t enter into the attitude that you will not have
most people do it but leadership begins with you and that’s where I said a while ago when
I was reading the verse where God told Joshua be careful everybody say be careful see God knew all around you are a bunch
of complainers and whiners and belly acres and blamers
but you he said be careful to obey law the law what’s he talking about he’s talking about the Bible
you’re talking about the scriptures talking about the Holy writings of God and don’t turn from it to the right or to the left God is good
stay right there God is blessing me stay right there God has a plan for my life stay right
there God’s going to get me through this stay right there be careful he said I need you to be a
leader I need you to be a leader be careful not to go to the right or the left that you might be successful wherever you go
keep that word in your mouth day and night meditate on it
when we learn when we talk about learning the Bible a lot of people are still in the idea that well it’s like scripture verses learned by children
you know I’ve outgrown that you you should never outgrow memorizing the word of God
if you’re a Christian and believer the word the worse of wisdom it’s your it’s your direction
it’s your compass in life and and and what you read today and
memorize the day it might be five years from now or 25 years from now that that word will
come back to your mind at the exact moment and time that you need it
to be a guide to you to be a strength to you and so God was telling Joshua
hey be careful because if you’ll be careful and you’ll meditate on my word
and you’ll not get caught up in all the stuff around you then you’re going to get through the wilderness and and you’re gonna influence other
people in the process and you’re not going to get there alone but I’m going to use you to make a difference in the lives and the minds of the people
see we live in a culture today of complaining and blaming and finger-pointing and accusing people digging their own Graves
next time you have a thought well I wonder why God is letting this happen just remember we’re in a dispensation of
Grace and we have the privilege and opportunity right now God’s given us the privilege and the opportunity to decide
how we’re going to live our lives and people in the world right now
they’re not living life God’s way and so generationally there’s a compilation
of all kinds of mistakes and mess-ups and goof-ups and people thinking what they’re going to think
and that piles up and now we got a whole whole bunch of
yeah I won’t say what I just thought but got a bunch of stuff going on and it’s popular to blame the company
that you work for it’s popular to blame the church that you go to it’s popular to complain that your boss actually
wants you to work hard can you imagine popular to blame America it’s popular to
blame history tear down some statues yeah that’s gonna really help us out
blame the police blame your boss blame the teacher
blame blame blame blame blame but that’s not what God’s called us to
and living like a leader is Having the courage to not be part of all of that living like a leader is making a
decision that you’re gonna you’re gonna put away the shovel you’re not going to dig a grave to die
in living like a leader means that you are
going to have the courage to live like most people don’t you have the courage to not do what most
people do to not look back you’re going to forget the things that are behind you
like the Bible tells you to and you’re going to press toward the things that are ahead
you’re you’re not going to underestimate your potential and when you have those thoughts you’re going to keep on you’re going to keep on coming back at
it and you’re going to say I am who God says I am who he says I am
you know the words or maybe you don’t maybe like me but I’m anointed I’m appointed
yeah I just butchered that up really good right uh
deep doing what they do to not be afraid to fight for your
future Hebrews 10 verse 39 says this it says we
Chapter 6: Living Like A Leader
do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed but to those who have faith and are saved
when people around you shrink back living like leader means you don’t shrink back live like a leader
your family needs you your friends need you your children need you don’t let what you feel Define you
the world is doing that a lot right now like I feel that so it’s true no it’s not
truth is not subject to your feelings just because you feel something doesn’t
make it true feelings are not facts so to be be careful to keep God’s word in your heart and
your mind because when you live life based on feelings it’s like digging a grave to
dying I love this quote it says never let what
you feel make you forget what is real facts over feelings
never let your emotions overpower your intelligence
somebody shout amen can you take a little more
leadership is facing negative realities without giving up on a positive outcome
Moses is dead I don’t know what you’re dealing with that is
difficult information to digest I don’t know where you’re at in your life
that feels so conclusive I don’t know what you’re struggling with today
that is painful and hurtful but living like a leader
is dealing with what is in the present a reality
without giving up your faith and your optimism
for the future God is faithful God will do
what God said he will do but you got to put away the shovel
let me tell you about Joshua Joshua had been
to the land already and had seen the land already Joshua brought back the grapes the fruit
of the land because the soil was so good there it was a place for them to have their own property
Homestead remember they were they were slaves they had nothing but Joshua had been and he had looked
out you’re like PK he didn’t have binoculars just work with me
he looked out from a hillside and he saw it
hi you guys up in the you’ve had some good looking people up there
he didn’t have a shovel but he had but I’ve been talking about a long time he had
he had a hammer he was a builder this is an ax slash hammer and you know what else he had was he had
this ready to go
[Music]
he was ready for those giants that’s the spirit of Joshua he was ready to take on
the Giants because he had seen the land
good oh I know the Giants are there but we can do this
[Music]
Giants are there but the grapes are there too
Chapter 7: Seeing The Future
I see the grapes see that’s the thing about seeing the future is that some people would just like they’re just so Pollyanna on it
like you know they think that that means you don’t see Giants no no no foreign
so when you look out of the future the right way to see the future is see
the rewards and the blessings and know that there are some Giants and adversity
and challenges ahead of you but know in your heart
that God’s given you the land that he promised to you know in your heart that what looks like
today so discouraging in your life there’s a weapon in your hand just keep
your vision alive keep believing that we’re going to get through this we’re going to move forward and let me tell you what will happen
when you are when you are put away the shovel you pick up the binoculars you grab the hammer and you get the sword on let me tell you what
will happen this happened for them it’s that the rivers parted in front of them yeah
this is this is the whole thing about crossing over like Joshua said just to the priest like just go down and put your feet in but
Joshua what’s the deal just go ahead we got to take steps of Faith right now and when the when the feet went into the
river the river started to roll back you’re like PK that’s the Red Sea no it happened twice it’s both
it we’re gonna go rivers are going to part enemies are going to be subdued
you are more than a conqueror through Christ you can do all things through Christ
everyone who goes through a Wilderness everyone goes through a Wilderness at different times in your journey Jesus
himself at a Wilderness experience but your response to the Wilderness will
determine how long you stay in the wilderness and what I’m preaching to you and talking to you about today is there’s a lot of people
that need some leadership they need some Direction
they need some guidance honestly when I came into this series I thought man people are gonna they’re
gonna be resistant to this whole thing because they don’t see themselves like leaders
I know they don’t they’re like they’re gonna they’re gonna be like this and I’m just gonna go in I’m gonna pound away
I’ll give it my best shot with everybody there because people just don’t see themselves like that many times they
don’t want to see themselves like this oh this morning my my rings were not on me
and they were sitting on a table by where I was this morning and
one of our team Andy walked in and he picked up this ring I think it was I think it was this one he picked it
up he put it on he turned around to his wife
[Music]
he’s like I think this looks good on me she said back you’re not a ring guy
I looked at her and I’m like are you being cheap right now you don’t want to have them wow
[Music]
and I said to him all you have to do is decide to be
[Music]
[Applause]
everybody say all I have to do is decide to be
say it again all I have to do is decide to be say it again all I have to do
is decide to be your family needs you your children need you
[Music]
I said your children need you some of you men
feel really spiritually inadequate
[Music]
start right here have it in the house as we go to church every week every single week
come hell high water if we’re not on vacation or some we’re not sick we’re here
I promise you that Stacks up it’s called stacking the habits and then you’re dropping them off when
they’re teenagers you’re dropping them off at in fact you’re saying to them hey it’s one big night let’s go
one big night let’s go we don’t want to be late I’m talking to your dad if you speak you feel spiritually
incapable but it just starts in such simple ways
when you began to say I’m putting away the shovel I’m going to quit fine and fault with everybody and everything I’m going to
quit griping I’m going to quit complaining I’m going to quit pointing fingers I’m going to start I’m going to start praising I’m going to start
encouraging I’m going to start being a builder I’m going to start being a fighter I’m going to fight for my children I’m going to fight for my
family I’m going to keep my binoculars on I’m going to see the vision in front of me
[Applause]
[Music]
I’m gonna live like hey leader come on let’s give the Lord a
great big hand today
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
Stay Free
[Music]
[Music]
inside yeah stay with me I’m putting away the shovel
Chapter 8: Prayer
come on I’m not digging No Grave I’m not gonna die in a wilderness amen amen amen you receive that you
receive that come on you you received that lift your head up if you would toward
Heaven father I thank you for your word I know it never returns void it always accomplishes what it’s sent forth to do and I thank you today God
for receptive Hearts hearing ears and we’re believing you God that your word
has found a place the words of that I’ve said and the word that you’ve said Lord in the process of
this message I’ve found a place in hungry hearts and that we will not be the same
helping us and we’re hearing you you’re helping us and we’re hearing you now give us the power
every day to walk it out give us the strength when we fall to get back up
[Music]
to be the people you’ve called us to be in Jesus name I want to invite you today if you’re a person who would say pastor Kevin I need
a new beginning in my life my relationship with God boldly raise your hand I want to pray with you today just lift your hand Yakima
if you’re there sir ma’am if you’re in Bellevue today this is your moment or New Beginnings DuPont online
here in Tacoma just courageously raise your hand this could be a new beginning not just for you but
for the people around you
[Music]
thank you Lord thank you Jesus for people open to your word your will say this
with me everybody with your hand up as well as all of our church family say with me Lord Jesus welcome to my world
forgive me of all my sin come into my life you are my leader and you are my Lord
and today is my day for salvation my day
or a new beginning I won’t be the same again in Jesus name before we
before we thank God for that moment which is a great moment if you’re here at any of our locations today and you’re not planted in the
house of the Lord I want to pray with you because the Bible says when we’re planted in the house of the Lord we will flourish like we’ll flourish but you’ve got to
have your roots you can’t just be out there in the world you can’t the world is cray-cray huh
you’ve got to have roots and Truth and you’ve got to keep persevering to know God and to know God’s truth and God’s word
getting planted is is the foundation of the Christian life being a part of the church is the foundation of the
Christian Life God’s will for all of us who are believers to be planted in the local church if you’re a person who
either this is new to you or you have may be hesitated in this area I want to pray with you today and I need you to
just acknowledge today I I want to be planted in God’s house I don’t want to be out there wandering around I don’t want to be part of the crowd of today I
want to be among Scots people in God’s house raise your hand and say with me say with me
today Lord Jesus I hear you come on I hear you and I receive it
in Jesus name keep your hand up God I thank you for every person today who is coming close
people that are looking in the window at the church people today got that are are tasting testing
wondering I pray Lord that inhibitions would drop today and that people who have been on the outside
would come to the inside and would respond to your spirit by being part of your family
in Jesus name now let’s celebrate two big decisions
come on two big massive we celebrate you today God bless you
a few months ago we