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Crossing Over

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Joshua 1:1\\u20139 (ESV)

¹ After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses\\u2019 assistant, ² \\u201cMoses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. ³ Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. ⁴ From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. ⁵ No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. ⁷ Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. ⁸ This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.\\u201d

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This week, Chris and Jena offered us a picture of the Israelites reaching the Jordan River to cross into the promised land and likened it to how we are crossing over from one year (and decade) to another. The Lord is taking us to a new place, and He has a new day for us. What are 7 things God may be calling us to put down and 7 things He wants us to pick up in this new season? In His mercy, God gives us the power to decide and choose our way. We are as free as we want to be. The Israelites had been wandering because of unbelief and found themselves on the fringe of the promised land. Faith call us to go, to move. Will we agree with the Lord and activate faith?

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Wilderness Lessons:\\xa0

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1. Re-education in the ways of God.
2. Learn again what Godliness is.
3. Relearn obedience to God.\\xa0
4. Lesson to learn about faith.\\xa0
5. Patience.

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Philippians 3:12\\u201314 (ESV)

¹² Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. ¹³ Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

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Leave Behind:\\xa0

1. Unbelief and Distrust: Unbelief distorts reality. It is a choice (and our daily choice) to trust. We cannot allow our five senses to direct us. The truth of God\\u2019s character and promises are what ground and direct us.
2. Offense: To overlook an offense is for OUR glory.
3. Impatience: The Lord is so patient towards us. It\\u2019s who God is. May we choose to extend this fruit of the Spirit toward others.
4. Disappointments: This side of Heaven, there will be disappointment. We can come before the throne, honestly tell the Lord about our disappointments, and give them over to Him. Honesty precedes breakthrough. The Holy Spit will fill you with fresh hope.\\xa0
5. Survival mentality: The gospel is a gospel of thriving, not surviving! We are not called to daily seek to survive or make it through.\\xa0
6. Victimization: We are overcomers in Christ. We need to choose our victim mentality for an overcomer mentality. The word says \\u201cI have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.\\u201d John 16:33
7. Fear: Fear is the opposite of faith. We fear when we aren\\u2019t agreeing with God\\u2019s promises.\\xa0 Fear magnifies the problem and diminishes our authority in Christ.

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\\xa0 Numbers 13:32\\u201333 (ESV)

³² So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, \\u201cThe land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. ³³ And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.\\u201d

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Take into this new decade:\\xa0

1. Greater Love for God: Ask, and He will fill you that you may overflow to those around you.

Galatians 2:20 (ESV)

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

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2. Faith and Courage\\xa0

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Numbers 14:6-9 (ESV)
⁶ And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes ⁷ and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, \\u201cThe land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. ⁸ If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. ⁹ Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.\\u201d

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3. Season of Harvest\\xa0

Psalm 126:5 (ESV)

⁵ Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!

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4. Perseverance: Your flesh is the last thing that will persevere. Will you let him strengthen you?

Galatians 6:9 (ESV)

⁹ And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

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5. Healing\\xa0

James 5:14\\u201315 (ESV)

¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.) God wants City Central in faith and confidence that He wants to release an atmosphere of healing in this place.\\xa0

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6. Compassion: This is a heart issue. What is the condition of your heart when you lack compassion?

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Matthew 9:36 (ESV)

³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

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7. Prosperity and Increased Influence: May this be for His glory! He will elevate us so that we can elevate Him.\\xa0

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\\u201cI would recommend you either believe God up to the hilt, or else not to believe at all. Believe this book of God, every letter of it, or else reject it. There is no logical standing place between the two. Be satisfied with nothing less than a faith that swims in the deeps of divine revelation; a faith that paddles about the edge of the water is poor faith at best. It is little better than a dry-land faith, and is not good for much.\\u201d

C.H. Spurgeon.

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Discussion Questions:

1. When the Israelites arrived at the Jordan River, they sent 12 spies into the land to report on what they found. Why do you think 10 out of 12 reports were negative?

2. How did Caleb and Joshua\\u2019s reports differ from those of the other 10 spies? What does this say about their heart posture?

3. In God\\u2019s sovereignty, He allows us to choose Him and His ways. Why do you think He desires for us to choose? What does this say about the kind of God He is?

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Reflection Questions:

1. What 3 things will you choose to let go of this year? What 3 will you choose to pick up?

2. What promises of God do you see in Joshua 1:1-9? How are these promises for you today?

3. Reflect on your #1 areas to let go of and pick up. How will you be intentional about walking in newness this year?