The story of Joshua is full of war, conflict, and strife. As Israel was about to cross the Jordan and enter the promised land, Joshua was repeatedly told to “be strong and courageous.” What reasons did God give him to be so, and how does Joshua’s need for strength and courage mirror our own?
(Preaching through the story of early Israel. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on March 16, 2025.)
As we transition out of our reading of the Pentateuch and into Joshua and Judges, I thought it would be helpful to put together a timeline of early Israel, from the Exodus to the beginning of the temple construction in 1 Kings 6:1. The two verses that form the backbone of this timeline are Judges 11:26 and 1 Kings 6:1, which impose pretty hard limits on the overall dates of the judges and kings. I hope this is helpful for you!
(Note: you can find links for the maps mentioned in this sermon below.) As we transition from the Pentateuch to the so-called books of history in the Old Testament, Israel is transitioning from their wilderness wanderings into the promised land. How did they enter, how did their early encounters with the inhabitants go, and how did such a weak and nomadic nation conquer all the land from the Jordan to the Mediterranean?
You can find the maps for this sermon here (Joshua 1-9), here (Joshua 10), here (Joshua 11), and here (land allotment).
(Preaching on early Israel. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on March 9, 2025.)
I previously posted a black and white version of a map depicting the land allotment for Israel in Joshua, but I think the color version is easier to read. I hope this is helpful!
As we transition into a new phase of the story in our journey through the Bible in 2025, it might be helpful to be able to visualize the land of Israel. Here is an overview chart for Deuteronomy, as well as a map of the land allotment for the Israelites given to them by Joshua.
As we continue in Hebrews 11, we consider what sort of things the people of old conquered through faith, and how their faith enabled them to conquer.
(Preaching on Hebrews 11. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on December 5, 2021.)
After comparing Jesus to angels and Moses, the author of Hebrews comes to Joshua, the rest-giver of Israel. How is Jesus better than Joshua, and what is better about the rest Jesus offers?
(Preaching through Hebrews. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on April 1, 2018.)
Watts in the Word 
