Destination: The Mountain of Courage
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. — Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
“Take the Next Step”
Explorers, we've already traveled a long way!
We discovered that everyone is welcome in God's Kingdom. We followed The Path of Love. Last week, we stood beside The River of Grace and learned that God's grace keeps flowing to us—and through us.
But look where our journey has brought us today.
A mountain.
Imagine standing at the bottom of a huge mountain and looking all the way to the top.
You might think: I'm supposed to climb THAT?
Sometimes life feels exactly like that.
Maybe you're nervous about starting school. Maybe you have to try something you've never done before. Maybe you need to stand up for someone. Maybe you need to tell the truth when it would be easier not to.
And adults have mountains too.
Sometimes we're facing a decision we don't know how to make.
Sometimes God asks us to do something difficult.
Sometimes we know the right thing to do—but we're afraid to take that first step.
That's when we need courage.
God told Joshua: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. — Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
Notice what God didn't say.
God didn't say: Joshua, nothing scary will ever happen.
Instead, God said: I will be with you.
That's the secret to climbing the Mountain of Courage.
We don't have to see the whole trail.
We don't have to know exactly what will happen.
And we don't have to climb alone.
We simply trust God enough to take the next step.
So, when something feels like a mountain this week, remember three things:
Trust God → Take the Next Step → Climb with Courage
Because wherever the trail leads...God goes with you.
Closing Prayer
God, when we feel afraid, help us remember that You are with us.
Give us courage to trust You and take the next step.
Amen.
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