January 25, 2025 • 26 mins
Today on Bold Steps Weekend, Pastor Mark shares some stories to help you remember God's faithfulness. Sometimes the most meaningful reminders of God's faithfulness come through simple objects, such as a photograph, a piece of jewelry, or even stones. These physical mementos carry powerful stories of sacrifice, courage, and God's provision in our lives. Mark continues a message exploring how God's people used physical reminders to pass down their stories of faith from generation to generation. He will show you how you can create your own meaningful reminders that will keep you anchored in your faith.
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Episode Transcript
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S1 (00:00):
Today on Bold Steps Weekend, Mark Jobe shares some stories
to help us remember God's faithfulness.
S2 (00:07):
Don't forget the lessons you've learned. Don't forget the moments
where the presence of God intersected with our greatest problems
and we saw solutions. Don't forget, because we cannot experience
faith amnesia, we have to remember the God stories.
S1 (00:35):
Welcome to Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe. Mark is
president of Moody Bible Institute and senior pastor of New
Life Community Church in Chicago. I'm Wayne Shepherd. You know,
sometimes the most meaningful reminders of God's faithfulness come through
simple objects a photograph, a piece of jewelry, even stones.
These physical mementos carry powerful stories of sacrifice, courage, and
(00:58):
God's provision in our lives. Today, Mark continues the message.
He spoke at the President's Chapel at Moody a few
years ago, exploring how God's people use physical reminders to
pass down their stories of faith from generation to generation,
through personal stories and biblical wisdom. Mark will show us
how we can create our own meaningful reminders that keep
us anchored in faith. You'll find additional resources for today's
(01:20):
teaching at Bold Steps. Let's join Mark now as he
begins today's lesson in Joshua chapter four. It's titled 12 stones.
S2 (01:29):
I have a picture of my father with a horse.
He would ride a horse to these little villages in
the mountains to share about Jesus. And I want to
be reminded. Don't get too comfortable. Remember, you come from
a legacy of sacrifice, of risk taking. And it's a picture.
(01:50):
But it reminds me. I have a beaded necklace that
was given to me by a Steve Saint Whose father
was martyred in the, uh, in the Amazon jungle. But he,
his mother stayed on and helped reach the, uh, tribe,
(02:12):
the Guarani people. And he gave it to me. Uh,
we were speaking at a conference together, and I told him,
you know, it was your dad's death that helped inspire
my parents journey to the mission field. So I keep
it as a reminder that, um, there's never a sacrifice
that's too great. Don't get too comfortable. It's a great
(02:32):
reminder of my heritage, of my past. And, um, I
have a few reminders like that in my office that
are significant. You may see them, and they don't mean
much to you, but to me, they recall some powerful,
important lessons. Uh, just like 12 stones, uh, passerby could
(02:53):
walk by the 12 stones and it would just look
like a pile of stones. Not beautiful. No sculpture involved
in it. But those 12 stones attached to a memory
become powerful reminders of the faithfulness of God. And I
love what Deuteronomy chapter six says when you settle down,
(03:14):
when you've built houses, when you've come out of your
challenging season, he says, then watch yourself that you do
not forget the Lord who brought you from the land
of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Uh, he's
reminding them how quickly we forget. So never forget what
God is teaching you. Remember, remember, remember. And, um, I
(03:37):
think these 12 stones were reminding them that the flow
of our their challenge was cut off by the flow
of the presence of God. Uh, secondly, uh, not only
remember that the greatest lessons come from the greatest challenges,
but number two, pick reminders from the place where the
(03:58):
challenge was the greatest and the presence was the strongest.
Verse nine. Joshua set up 12 stones that had been
in the middle of the Jordan, at a spot where
the priest who carried the ark of the covenant had stood.
And they are there to this day. Again, this was
(04:20):
a unique spot. God said to Joshua, don't pick any stones.
I want you to pick 12 stones from where the
priest were standing with the ark, which symbolizes the presence
on their back. This is a place of presence and
challenge the intersection. And, um, I believe at the intersection
(04:43):
where the problem meets the presence, that's where we find
the greatest reminders I know in my life. That's where
I learned the greatest lessons. Where my faith was challenged
the most, where I didn't see a way forward. Where
I wasn't sure how we How we were going to
cross over. And it's the presence of God just saying, okay, God,
(05:05):
I'm going to trust you. I'm going to believe that
it's you, your presence, your power that can take me through.
It's those lessons learned in those moments that have literally
transformed my life. So find that intersection. Think back for
a moment over 2020 and ask yourself, what is the
(05:27):
intersection where my challenge was the greatest? But the presence
of God was the strongest, and the lessons that you learned. Uh,
the Bible is clear in this passage that it was
not until the priest, carrying the presence stepped into the
(05:51):
problem and the challenge that a way was made. And
this is a continual reminder Or that without the presence
and the power of God that we we just can't
move forward. We can't make it. And I know some
of you are very, very attuned to that and very
aware of that, especially as we end up 2020. Number three,
(06:17):
if you're taking notes, write this down as you stand
in his presence, remember you are making a way for
present victory and preparing for future battle. I want you
to notice this. You may have never seen this in
the passage before, but in verse ten it says, now
the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the
(06:37):
middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded
Joshua was done by the people. So the priest, they
were standing there a long time, just as Moses had
directed Joshua. The people hurried over. I would hurry, wouldn't you,
(06:59):
if there were walls of water beside me. I wouldn't
be strolling. I would be at a nice jog to
get out of that situation. And as soon as all
of them had crossed the ark of the Lord, and
the priest came to the other side while the people watched.
Verse 13 says this. Listen, about 40,000 armed for battle
(07:22):
crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho
for war. So here's what I want you to understand
about this. Keep this in mind. Listen, God was setting
things up with his presence under pressure for future victories. Um,
(07:42):
it was the army of 40,000 that crossed through the Jordan.
While the presence of God was making a way for
them to cross. Now, they didn't really know that Jericho
was right around the corner. They didn't fully comprehend that.
But but listen, God in this challenge was allowing the
(08:09):
army that would defeat Jericho on the other side to
position themselves to fight the battle in the future. And
I believe that's the way it is in our lives,
is that sometimes right now, the challenge that you're in
with the presence of God is making a way, and
you're trusting God. You may not be fully aware of this,
(08:31):
but God is actually using that to prepare you, to
set you up for future victories. Uh, some of the
lessons I had to learn early on in life that
were challenging to my soul, they actually prepared me for
future victories. I didn't know it at the time. I
(08:52):
look back and I think, wow, those were small battles
I fought back then. But those small battles actually prepared
me for the greater battles that later on I would
have to fight. You see, you have to stay in
the place of his presence in the midst of the
deepest challenge until everything that God wants to accomplish is done.
(09:14):
And that's what it says earlier in the passage that
they stayed there until everything, everything passed over until everything
that God wanted to do got done. But they had
to maintain that place, which is not easy to maintain.
It's difficult. Um, but. And it wasn't just about today. Uh,
this was a great victory to cross over the Jordan,
(09:36):
but it was about the preparation for the battle that
was coming, uh, tomorrow. And I want you to keep
that in mind. Some of you have gone through some
major challenges in 2020, and you're thanking God. You're like, wow,
I'm so glad that 2020 20 is coming to a close.
(10:01):
It has been challenging for some of you a dark
year for some of you. You've been tested like you've
never been tested before. But I have a sneaking suspicion
that for many of you, this is just a preparation phase.
I don't want to scare you, but this is just
a preparation phase for some other battles that you'll be
(10:23):
facing in the future that will make 2020 seem like
very small battles. Because God is preparing you for some
major battles in the future. The Jericho battles in which again,
we have to trust the presence and the power of God.
And so it's actually a word of encouragement because of that.
(10:50):
And then number four, I'm talking to you about remembering.
Remembering and the 12 Um, set up these reminders where
you can see them often because greater battles are yet
to come.
S1 (11:20):
Remembering God's faithfulness through tangible reminders. That's our topic today
on Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe. Today's lesson is
the second part of a study in Joshua four titled
12 stones. And if you'd like to share this message,
visit us online at Bold Steps. Mark will continue in
a moment. You can also listen and share the message
directly from your smart device by subscribing to our podcast.
(11:44):
Just search for Bold Steps Weekend with doctor Mark Jobe,
and while you're there, you'll also want to subscribe to
our other Bold Steps programs such as Mark's Daily Bold
Steps radio show and our Spanish Minute Pesos Addthis. You'll
find them conveniently located inside your podcast app. Also, be
sure to stay in touch with us online. You'll find
us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube by searching for Bold
(12:06):
Steps Radio. Hit the subscribe button and unlock a treasure
trove of exclusive content, including some bonus material and insightful
teaching videos from Mark. So don't miss out! Follow us
on social media and join our growing online community today.
All right, now let's get back into the second half
of this message with Mark Jobe.
S2 (12:32):
You've been tested like you've never been tested before. But
I have a sneaking suspicion that for many of you,
this is just a preparation phase. I don't want to
scare you, but this is just a preparation phase for
some other battles that you'll be facing in the future
that will make 2020 seem like very small battles, because
(12:56):
God is preparing you for some major battles in the future.
The Jericho battles in which again, we have to trust
the presence and the power of God. And so it's
actually a word of encouragement because of that. And then
(13:17):
number four, I'm talking to you about remembering. Remembering and
the 12 stones, um, set up these reminders where you
can see them often because greater battles are yet to come.
Verse 19, it says, on the 10th day of the
(13:39):
first month, the people went up from the Jordan and
camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. Verse
20 And Joshua set up at Gilgal the 12 stones
they had taken out of the Jordan. He said to
the Israelites, in the future, when your descendants ask your parents,
(14:02):
what do these stones mean? Tell them Israel crossed the
Jordan on dry ground, for the Lord your God dried
up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over.
The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he
had done to the Red sea. When he dried it
up before us, until we had crossed over. He did this. Listen,
(14:24):
he did this so that all the peoples of the
earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful,
and so that you may always fear the Lord your God.
Now you need to notice that they they got these
(14:44):
12 stones, and apparently these were big stones. These aren't
like little pebbles or little rocks. These are stones very
difficult to carry, very heavy 12 stones. And notice that
they they carried these stones from the banks of the
(15:05):
Jordan to Gilgal. Now, if you look at the map,
you will find that the the border of the Jordan
or the banks of the Jordan, it's six and a
half miles further to get to Gilgal. And so someone
had to carry these big boulders, these big stones, six
(15:29):
and a half miles. This was not an easy task.
And I'm wondering, hey, why didn't they just leave it
on the banks of the, of the Jordan? And why
did they take it with them, these 12 stones? Well,
I believe that, um, Gilgal would become their base of
operation for the conquest of the Promised Land. It became
(15:51):
their their home base, so to speak. And I believe
that Joshua took it to their home base because Cause
they needed every time they came into the camp from
another battle. Conquering the promised land. I think he wanted
them to see the stones and remember. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
God's presence is strong enough to open any door and
(16:14):
make a way. Yeah. God's presence. Imagine coming in after
surveying Jericho, looking at the walls and how challenging it was,
and walking into the camp and seeing the stones and remembering,
oh yeah, but our God is powerful. He parted the sea.
His presence can cut through any challenge. Uh, imagine having
(16:40):
a a major defeat and coming back home and walking
past the stones and remembering. Oh, yeah, but our God
can break through even the impossible challenges. I think that
they had to see every day. When they came back,
they had to be reminded on a regular basis. Know
the presence and the power of God can cut through
(17:03):
any challenge. And I think that, uh, Joshua set the
stones up at the home base because he knew that
they would soon be facing a Jericho, which would make
the Jordan seem like a small battle. And he wanted
the people to remember the same God that stops the
(17:27):
flow of any challenge can tear down the walls of
even a city like Jericho. But they had to be reminded.
They had to be reminded over and over and over.
They had to be told the God stories. The children
that were born, the conquest of the Promised Land took
quite a while, and so there were children that would
be born that had never walked through the Jordan. And
(17:50):
I can imagine the older brother, or the mother or
the father leaning down to that nine year old and
telling them, hey, you should have seen that. You see
that pile of stones there? You know what it reminds us?
We took it from the center of the Jordan. You
should have seen what happened that day. Thousands of people
(18:11):
crossed through this overflowing river. We never knew how we
were going to do it. But God made a way. Miraculously,
you should have seen how the waters parted, how the
walls came up. And the priest stood there. And as
they stood there, the powerful presence of God made a
path in the middle of what seemed to be challenging.
(18:32):
And that little kid looking, hearing the stories, would repeat
that story over and over. It's the God stories that
make a difference that remind us, hey, don't forget, don't
forget the lessons you've learned. Don't forget the moments where
(18:52):
the presence of God intersected with our greatest problems and
we saw solutions. Don't forget as my kids were growing
up when they were small, my wife Dee, and I, uh, we, uh,
wrote down a lot of God's answers to prayer. And
(19:12):
when we'd sit around the dinner table, I would tell
them some of these stories over and over and over.
And then as they got a little older, they would say, dad,
tell us, tell us that story again. Dad, dad, tell.
And when people would come over, they would say, dad,
tell them that story. You know why? Because I wanted
them to remember. Hey, they may have not seen it
(19:35):
because it was before they were born or they were younger,
but I wanted them to remember the God stories, the
the moments that that God broke through. And so that
they could remember it as it boosts their faith, and
so they could tell it to their friends and eventually
to their children. Because we cannot experience faith amnesia, we
(19:57):
have to Remember the God stories in verse 24. He says,
he did this so that all the peoples of the
earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful,
and so that you may always fear the Lord. I'm
(20:19):
wondering if you need 12 stones or 12 buttons. I'm
wondering if you need some reminders of what God has
done in this year, when you thought you couldn't see
a way forward. Yeah, when you were crying in your
pillow or when you were super depressed thinking, no way
(20:44):
I'm going to make it through this. Or praying for
that person that was sick with Covid or whatever your
story may be. I don't know. But don't forget, don't forget.
You need to create your version of 12 stones. It's
been a challenging year, but I believe it's been a
(21:07):
year where God is preparing us. To conquer the Jericho's
on the other side, preparing us for greater battles and
victories that will give all honor and glory to King Jesus.
I feel that at the Moody Bible Institute, it's been
(21:28):
a year of learning. It's been a year of challenges.
It's been a year where I've seen the presence of God,
and I have this deep sense that God is preparing us. Yeah,
God is is preparing us during this season for some
incredible God opportunities in the future. And I'm glad that
you're a part of it. So I'd like to pray
(21:50):
for you, praying that God would sustain you during this time,
that you'd be encouraged, that you would be refreshed, that
you would be renewed. So would you pray with me? Father,
I thank you for those Jordan moments. I thank you
for those moments where the waters have been deep and
your presence has stepped in, and has been only your presence.
(22:15):
That's made a way, that's cleared, a path that's helped
us walk through this. I thank you for the lessons
that are etched deep within our spirit. I thank you
for those lessons that are tattooed on our soul. I
pray God that we would never forget. I pray that
you would remind us over and over. I pray for
(22:36):
those that feel like they're still going through the Jordan,
those that still feel overwhelmed with some of the challenges
right now, that you would remind them of your presence,
that you would encourage them right now. God, through the
12 stones listed in Joshua chapter four. I thank you
that you're on the throne, that you are good, that
(22:59):
you are powerful. We pause to remember your goodness today
and I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.
S1 (23:24):
Our thanks to Mark Jobe for helping us understand how
important it is to keep those physical reminders of God's
faithfulness in our lives. You're listening to Bold Steps Weekend
in part two of a message titled 12 stones from
Joshua Chapter four. If you've missed any portion of this message,
or if you'd like to find more Bible teaching from Mark,
you can do that online at Bold Steps. You may
(23:46):
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listen to an entire sermon series right from your phone,
and discover even more teaching videos centered on biblical truths
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(24:07):
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there's something wrong with me. With powerful, practical guidance, Craig
equips you to replace those lies with God's truth, unlocking
(24:29):
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(24:51):
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(25:12):
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(25:34):
tuning in. I'm Wayne Shepherd, inviting you to join us
again next weekend to hear another encouraging message from Mark Jobe.
That's next time right here on Bold Steps Weekend. Bold
Steps Weekend is a production of Moody Radio.
UU (25:50):
A ministry of Moody Bible Institute.
Today on Bold Steps Weekend, Mark Jobe shares some stories
to help us remember God's faithfulness.
S2 (00:07):
Don't forget the lessons you've learned. Don't forget the moments
where the presence of God intersected with our greatest problems
and we saw solutions. Don't forget, because we cannot experience
faith amnesia, we have to remember the God stories.
S1 (00:35):
Welcome to Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe. Mark is
president of Moody Bible Institute and senior pastor of New
Life Community Church in Chicago. I'm Wayne Shepherd. You know,
sometimes the most meaningful reminders of God's faithfulness come through
simple objects a photograph, a piece of jewelry, even stones.
These physical mementos carry powerful stories of sacrifice, courage, and
(00:58):
God's provision in our lives. Today, Mark continues the message.
He spoke at the President's Chapel at Moody a few
years ago, exploring how God's people use physical reminders to
pass down their stories of faith from generation to generation,
through personal stories and biblical wisdom. Mark will show us
how we can create our own meaningful reminders that keep
us anchored in faith. You'll find additional resources for today's
(01:20):
teaching at Bold Steps. Let's join Mark now as he
begins today's lesson in Joshua chapter four. It's titled 12 stones.
S2 (01:29):
I have a picture of my father with a horse.
He would ride a horse to these little villages in
the mountains to share about Jesus. And I want to
be reminded. Don't get too comfortable. Remember, you come from
a legacy of sacrifice, of risk taking. And it's a picture.
(01:50):
But it reminds me. I have a beaded necklace that
was given to me by a Steve Saint Whose father
was martyred in the, uh, in the Amazon jungle. But he,
his mother stayed on and helped reach the, uh, tribe,
(02:12):
the Guarani people. And he gave it to me. Uh,
we were speaking at a conference together, and I told him,
you know, it was your dad's death that helped inspire
my parents journey to the mission field. So I keep
it as a reminder that, um, there's never a sacrifice
that's too great. Don't get too comfortable. It's a great
(02:32):
reminder of my heritage, of my past. And, um, I
have a few reminders like that in my office that
are significant. You may see them, and they don't mean
much to you, but to me, they recall some powerful,
important lessons. Uh, just like 12 stones, uh, passerby could
(02:53):
walk by the 12 stones and it would just look
like a pile of stones. Not beautiful. No sculpture involved
in it. But those 12 stones attached to a memory
become powerful reminders of the faithfulness of God. And I
love what Deuteronomy chapter six says when you settle down,
(03:14):
when you've built houses, when you've come out of your
challenging season, he says, then watch yourself that you do
not forget the Lord who brought you from the land
of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Uh, he's
reminding them how quickly we forget. So never forget what
God is teaching you. Remember, remember, remember. And, um, I
(03:37):
think these 12 stones were reminding them that the flow
of our their challenge was cut off by the flow
of the presence of God. Uh, secondly, uh, not only
remember that the greatest lessons come from the greatest challenges,
but number two, pick reminders from the place where the
(03:58):
challenge was the greatest and the presence was the strongest.
Verse nine. Joshua set up 12 stones that had been
in the middle of the Jordan, at a spot where
the priest who carried the ark of the covenant had stood.
And they are there to this day. Again, this was
(04:20):
a unique spot. God said to Joshua, don't pick any stones.
I want you to pick 12 stones from where the
priest were standing with the ark, which symbolizes the presence
on their back. This is a place of presence and
challenge the intersection. And, um, I believe at the intersection
(04:43):
where the problem meets the presence, that's where we find
the greatest reminders I know in my life. That's where
I learned the greatest lessons. Where my faith was challenged
the most, where I didn't see a way forward. Where
I wasn't sure how we How we were going to
cross over. And it's the presence of God just saying, okay, God,
(05:05):
I'm going to trust you. I'm going to believe that
it's you, your presence, your power that can take me through.
It's those lessons learned in those moments that have literally
transformed my life. So find that intersection. Think back for
a moment over 2020 and ask yourself, what is the
(05:27):
intersection where my challenge was the greatest? But the presence
of God was the strongest, and the lessons that you learned. Uh,
the Bible is clear in this passage that it was
not until the priest, carrying the presence stepped into the
(05:51):
problem and the challenge that a way was made. And
this is a continual reminder Or that without the presence
and the power of God that we we just can't
move forward. We can't make it. And I know some
of you are very, very attuned to that and very
aware of that, especially as we end up 2020. Number three,
(06:17):
if you're taking notes, write this down as you stand
in his presence, remember you are making a way for
present victory and preparing for future battle. I want you
to notice this. You may have never seen this in
the passage before, but in verse ten it says, now
the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the
(06:37):
middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded
Joshua was done by the people. So the priest, they
were standing there a long time, just as Moses had
directed Joshua. The people hurried over. I would hurry, wouldn't you,
(06:59):
if there were walls of water beside me. I wouldn't
be strolling. I would be at a nice jog to
get out of that situation. And as soon as all
of them had crossed the ark of the Lord, and
the priest came to the other side while the people watched.
Verse 13 says this. Listen, about 40,000 armed for battle
(07:22):
crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho
for war. So here's what I want you to understand
about this. Keep this in mind. Listen, God was setting
things up with his presence under pressure for future victories. Um,
(07:42):
it was the army of 40,000 that crossed through the Jordan.
While the presence of God was making a way for
them to cross. Now, they didn't really know that Jericho
was right around the corner. They didn't fully comprehend that.
But but listen, God in this challenge was allowing the
(08:09):
army that would defeat Jericho on the other side to
position themselves to fight the battle in the future. And
I believe that's the way it is in our lives,
is that sometimes right now, the challenge that you're in
with the presence of God is making a way, and
you're trusting God. You may not be fully aware of this,
(08:31):
but God is actually using that to prepare you, to
set you up for future victories. Uh, some of the
lessons I had to learn early on in life that
were challenging to my soul, they actually prepared me for
future victories. I didn't know it at the time. I
(08:52):
look back and I think, wow, those were small battles
I fought back then. But those small battles actually prepared
me for the greater battles that later on I would
have to fight. You see, you have to stay in
the place of his presence in the midst of the
deepest challenge until everything that God wants to accomplish is done.
(09:14):
And that's what it says earlier in the passage that
they stayed there until everything, everything passed over until everything
that God wanted to do got done. But they had
to maintain that place, which is not easy to maintain.
It's difficult. Um, but. And it wasn't just about today. Uh,
this was a great victory to cross over the Jordan,
(09:36):
but it was about the preparation for the battle that
was coming, uh, tomorrow. And I want you to keep
that in mind. Some of you have gone through some
major challenges in 2020, and you're thanking God. You're like, wow,
I'm so glad that 2020 20 is coming to a close.
(10:01):
It has been challenging for some of you a dark
year for some of you. You've been tested like you've
never been tested before. But I have a sneaking suspicion
that for many of you, this is just a preparation phase.
I don't want to scare you, but this is just
a preparation phase for some other battles that you'll be
(10:23):
facing in the future that will make 2020 seem like
very small battles. Because God is preparing you for some
major battles in the future. The Jericho battles in which again,
we have to trust the presence and the power of God.
And so it's actually a word of encouragement because of that.
(10:50):
And then number four, I'm talking to you about remembering.
Remembering and the 12 Um, set up these reminders where
you can see them often because greater battles are yet
to come.
S1 (11:20):
Remembering God's faithfulness through tangible reminders. That's our topic today
on Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe. Today's lesson is
the second part of a study in Joshua four titled
12 stones. And if you'd like to share this message,
visit us online at Bold Steps. Mark will continue in
a moment. You can also listen and share the message
directly from your smart device by subscribing to our podcast.
(11:44):
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(12:06):
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All right, now let's get back into the second half
of this message with Mark Jobe.
S2 (12:32):
You've been tested like you've never been tested before. But
I have a sneaking suspicion that for many of you,
this is just a preparation phase. I don't want to
scare you, but this is just a preparation phase for
some other battles that you'll be facing in the future
that will make 2020 seem like very small battles, because
(12:56):
God is preparing you for some major battles in the future.
The Jericho battles in which again, we have to trust
the presence and the power of God. And so it's
actually a word of encouragement because of that. And then
(13:17):
number four, I'm talking to you about remembering. Remembering and
the 12 stones, um, set up these reminders where you
can see them often because greater battles are yet to come.
Verse 19, it says, on the 10th day of the
(13:39):
first month, the people went up from the Jordan and
camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. Verse
20 And Joshua set up at Gilgal the 12 stones
they had taken out of the Jordan. He said to
the Israelites, in the future, when your descendants ask your parents,
(14:02):
what do these stones mean? Tell them Israel crossed the
Jordan on dry ground, for the Lord your God dried
up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over.
The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he
had done to the Red sea. When he dried it
up before us, until we had crossed over. He did this. Listen,
(14:24):
he did this so that all the peoples of the
earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful,
and so that you may always fear the Lord your God.
Now you need to notice that they they got these
(14:44):
12 stones, and apparently these were big stones. These aren't
like little pebbles or little rocks. These are stones very
difficult to carry, very heavy 12 stones. And notice that
they they carried these stones from the banks of the
(15:05):
Jordan to Gilgal. Now, if you look at the map,
you will find that the the border of the Jordan
or the banks of the Jordan, it's six and a
half miles further to get to Gilgal. And so someone
had to carry these big boulders, these big stones, six
(15:29):
and a half miles. This was not an easy task.
And I'm wondering, hey, why didn't they just leave it
on the banks of the, of the Jordan? And why
did they take it with them, these 12 stones? Well,
I believe that, um, Gilgal would become their base of
operation for the conquest of the Promised Land. It became
(15:51):
their their home base, so to speak. And I believe
that Joshua took it to their home base because Cause
they needed every time they came into the camp from
another battle. Conquering the promised land. I think he wanted
them to see the stones and remember. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
God's presence is strong enough to open any door and
(16:14):
make a way. Yeah. God's presence. Imagine coming in after
surveying Jericho, looking at the walls and how challenging it was,
and walking into the camp and seeing the stones and remembering,
oh yeah, but our God is powerful. He parted the sea.
His presence can cut through any challenge. Uh, imagine having
(16:40):
a a major defeat and coming back home and walking
past the stones and remembering. Oh, yeah, but our God
can break through even the impossible challenges. I think that
they had to see every day. When they came back,
they had to be reminded on a regular basis. Know
the presence and the power of God can cut through
(17:03):
any challenge. And I think that, uh, Joshua set the
stones up at the home base because he knew that
they would soon be facing a Jericho, which would make
the Jordan seem like a small battle. And he wanted
the people to remember the same God that stops the
(17:27):
flow of any challenge can tear down the walls of
even a city like Jericho. But they had to be reminded.
They had to be reminded over and over and over.
They had to be told the God stories. The children
that were born, the conquest of the Promised Land took
quite a while, and so there were children that would
be born that had never walked through the Jordan. And
(17:50):
I can imagine the older brother, or the mother or
the father leaning down to that nine year old and
telling them, hey, you should have seen that. You see
that pile of stones there? You know what it reminds us?
We took it from the center of the Jordan. You
should have seen what happened that day. Thousands of people
(18:11):
crossed through this overflowing river. We never knew how we
were going to do it. But God made a way. Miraculously,
you should have seen how the waters parted, how the
walls came up. And the priest stood there. And as
they stood there, the powerful presence of God made a
path in the middle of what seemed to be challenging.
(18:32):
And that little kid looking, hearing the stories, would repeat
that story over and over. It's the God stories that
make a difference that remind us, hey, don't forget, don't
forget the lessons you've learned. Don't forget the moments where
(18:52):
the presence of God intersected with our greatest problems and
we saw solutions. Don't forget as my kids were growing
up when they were small, my wife Dee, and I, uh, we, uh,
wrote down a lot of God's answers to prayer. And
(19:12):
when we'd sit around the dinner table, I would tell
them some of these stories over and over and over.
And then as they got a little older, they would say, dad,
tell us, tell us that story again. Dad, dad, tell.
And when people would come over, they would say, dad,
tell them that story. You know why? Because I wanted
them to remember. Hey, they may have not seen it
(19:35):
because it was before they were born or they were younger,
but I wanted them to remember the God stories, the
the moments that that God broke through. And so that
they could remember it as it boosts their faith, and
so they could tell it to their friends and eventually
to their children. Because we cannot experience faith amnesia, we
(19:57):
have to Remember the God stories in verse 24. He says,
he did this so that all the peoples of the
earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful,
and so that you may always fear the Lord. I'm
(20:19):
wondering if you need 12 stones or 12 buttons. I'm
wondering if you need some reminders of what God has
done in this year, when you thought you couldn't see
a way forward. Yeah, when you were crying in your
pillow or when you were super depressed thinking, no way
(20:44):
I'm going to make it through this. Or praying for
that person that was sick with Covid or whatever your
story may be. I don't know. But don't forget, don't forget.
You need to create your version of 12 stones. It's
been a challenging year, but I believe it's been a
(21:07):
year where God is preparing us. To conquer the Jericho's
on the other side, preparing us for greater battles and
victories that will give all honor and glory to King Jesus.
I feel that at the Moody Bible Institute, it's been
(21:28):
a year of learning. It's been a year of challenges.
It's been a year where I've seen the presence of God,
and I have this deep sense that God is preparing us. Yeah,
God is is preparing us during this season for some
incredible God opportunities in the future. And I'm glad that
you're a part of it. So I'd like to pray
(21:50):
for you, praying that God would sustain you during this time,
that you'd be encouraged, that you would be refreshed, that
you would be renewed. So would you pray with me? Father,
I thank you for those Jordan moments. I thank you
for those moments where the waters have been deep and
your presence has stepped in, and has been only your presence.
(22:15):
That's made a way, that's cleared, a path that's helped
us walk through this. I thank you for the lessons
that are etched deep within our spirit. I thank you
for those lessons that are tattooed on our soul. I
pray God that we would never forget. I pray that
you would remind us over and over. I pray for
(22:36):
those that feel like they're still going through the Jordan,
those that still feel overwhelmed with some of the challenges
right now, that you would remind them of your presence,
that you would encourage them right now. God, through the
12 stones listed in Joshua chapter four. I thank you
that you're on the throne, that you are good, that
(22:59):
you are powerful. We pause to remember your goodness today
and I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.
S1 (23:24):
Our thanks to Mark Jobe for helping us understand how
important it is to keep those physical reminders of God's
faithfulness in our lives. You're listening to Bold Steps Weekend
in part two of a message titled 12 stones from
Joshua Chapter four. If you've missed any portion of this message,
or if you'd like to find more Bible teaching from Mark,
you can do that online at Bold Steps. You may
(23:46):
also want to download the Bold Steps app. Watch and
listen to an entire sermon series right from your phone,
and discover even more teaching videos centered on biblical truths
right at your fingertips. Just go to the App Store
on your phone or mobile device and download the Bold
Steps app today. And right now, we want to make
sure you don't miss out on this month's special Bold
(24:07):
Step gift. It's a best selling book titled Winning the
War in Your Mind through relatable stories and examples. Author
Craig Rochelle exposes some of the biggest lies that lead
to toxic thinking. Things like I'm not good enough or
there's something wrong with me. With powerful, practical guidance, Craig
equips you to replace those lies with God's truth, unlocking
(24:29):
a peace and confidence that so many of us have
struggled to find. By aligning your mind with God's way
of thinking, you'll experience greater joy and peace and spiritual
vitality in every area of your life. And that's why
we want to get you a copy of Winning the
War in Your Mind. We'll send it straight to your
door when you make a donation of any amount to
Bold Steps weekend. Just go online to Bold steps.org, or
(24:51):
give us a call at (800)Â 356-6639. That's 800 D.L. l Moody.
You can also send your gift and request the book
in the mail. Address your envelope to bold steps. Weekend
820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60,006 ten. And just
(25:12):
a reminder before we wrap up, you can always stay
connected with Mark's inspiring teaching on the go. Just subscribe
to our Bold Steps Weekend podcast to take these powerful
messages with you. Whether you're out for a jog or
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a five star review, too. It helps us know you're
(25:34):
tuning in. I'm Wayne Shepherd, inviting you to join us
again next weekend to hear another encouraging message from Mark Jobe.
That's next time right here on Bold Steps Weekend. Bold
Steps Weekend is a production of Moody Radio.
UU (25:50):
A ministry of Moody Bible Institute.
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