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Pastor Dana’s sermon series picks up in Joshua 9, where the Gibeonites deceive Israel into a binding treaty to save themselves from the destruction that fell on Jericho and Ai. Israel failed to seek God’s guidance and were forced to put the Gibeonites and their descendants in service to the Temple. We are to seek God’s wisdom and guidance even when the circumstances seem clear so that God can show up for us in unimaginable ways.

Pastor Dana’s sermon series picks up in Joshua 7-8, where a single Israelite disobeys God’s command regarding Jericho’s devoted things and the whole community suffers loss in Ai as a result. Every Israelite faces scrutiny until the culprit is identified and he, his family, their possessions, and the stolen goods are destroyed. Only then can Israel move forward to recommit to the covenant.  Having an attitude of obedience helps us strengthen our community and encourage others because faithfulness is never only personal – it is communal.

Pastor Dana’s sermon series picks up in Joshua 6, where Israel takes the city of Jericho through the power of God, sparing only Rahab and her family. God is capable of doing what we call impossible, but this is no more evident than when we are obedient to His instructions. Our obedience protects us from the dangers of idolatry and tears down walls such as selfishness, addiction, and fear.

Pastor Dana’s sermon series picks up in Joshua 5, where God directs the Israelites to prepare to take the Promised Land by returning to their traditions so they may remember whose they are and what God asks of them. Following traditions of our faith shape us and anchor us to God.

Pastor Dana’s sermon series picks up in Joshua 3-4, in which Israel crosses the Jordan River, lead by God, into the Promised Land. They commemorate the event by placing memorial stones, to never forget to have faith in God through the generations to come. We remember what God has done so that we know what God can do next. Forgetfulness is the enemy of faith.

Pastor Dana’s sermon series picks up in Joshua 2, in which Joshua’s spies infiltrate Jericho and meet the woman Rahab, who protects them from capture so she and her family would be spared from Israel’s attack. Stories of God’s truth and might behind His people have spread far and struck fear in their enemies’ hearts. Faith often means moving forward because we trust that God is already doing something when we can’t see the full picture. When we recognize God’s faithfulness, we are called to respond and move forward with courage.

Pastor Dana’s sermon series picks up in Joshua 1:6-9, God’s call to Joshua to be strong and courageous through God’s presence and obedience to His Word. This obedience, also echoed by Moses in Deuteronomy 6:1-9, is a response to God’s faithfulness and lays the foundation of Israel’s prosperity as they enter the Promised Land. We, too, shall strive to return God’s faithfulness. The Word of God guides us in how, but we are required to pay attention so our actions and habits reflect a life of faith.

Pastor Dana’s new sermon series begins in Joshua 1:1-9, where God reassures Moses’ successor Joshua that He will be with them as Joshua leads Israel to the Promised Land, telling them to be strong and courageous and follow the laws He laid out to them. This promise comes as part of our relationship with God. God is faithful so we can trust Him even in uncertainty and obey His commands when it’s difficult.

Pastor Dana turns to Psalm 139:1-12, which expresses the depths of God’s knowledge of the writer and enduring love for him. We often fear being known in our entirety and try to hide our worst sides, but there is no hiding or running from God, who knows our most minute details. Just as fully that He knows us, He loves us without condition. That love is the reason we can find our way out of darkness and into God’s protecting light.

Pastor Dana turns to Romans 8:1-11, in which Paul writes that because Christ Jesus obeyed the Father and died for our sins, those living in Him are no longer bound by the law of death. We could never hope to earn that grace on our own merit or deeds, but we have hope of eternal life when we welcome the Spirit to dwell in us by salvation in Christ.

Pastor Dana concludes the “Walking in Jesus’ Footsteps” series, turning to Matthew 28:16-20, which sees Jesus, before His ascension, delivering the Great Commission to His disciples. We are given the mission to bring the world, the people we encounter in our lives, to God to follow, learn, and become like Christ. To succeed, we must first live that way ourselves, reflecting Jesus every day, no matter how small the act. When we do, Christ is with us.

Pastor Dana continues with the “Walking in Jesus’ Footsteps” series, showing us Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4:35-41, feeding five thousand in John 6:1-15, driving the money changers from the temple in Mark 11:15-17, and blessing the children in Matthew 19:13-15. These examples tell us that Jesus restores us with peace, abundance, holiness, and welcome. In accepting that relationship, we are asked to participate in the same work.

Pastor Dana continues with the “Walking in Jesus’ Footsteps” series, turning to Matthew 16:5-12, where Jesus warns His disciples about the false teaching of the pharisees and Sadducees. In Luke 11:37-46, 52, Jesus denounces the pharisees and experts of the law for being more concerned with appearing righteous, rather than truly caring for others. We must follow Jesus’ discernment to identify leaders who will keep us on God’s path and those who will misguide us.

Pastor Dana returns with the “Walking in Jesus’ Footsteps” series, diving into Matthew 5:1-2, the precursor to the Sermon on the Mount, and Matthew 9:14-17, which finds Jesus answering a question about fasting through an illustration. Luke 8:4-10 is the Parable of the Sower, which Jesus explains plainly to His disciples. Then in Luke 10:38-42, Jesus visits Mary, whose priority is to be His student, and Martha, whose priority is to be His welcoming host. Jesus taught anywhere so that people could transform their lives with transformed hearts and minds.

Joanne Tramel highlights the Christian impact of Frances Perkins (1880-1965), best known as the first female cabinet member, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Secretary of Labor. Perkins held early values of the Christian duty to the poor and naturally pursued labor advocacy. After witnessing the horrific Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911, she turned to politics to become pivotal in institutions and policies such as the S.S.I., minimum wage, overtime, and child labor laws, public works projects of the Great Depression, and the women’s workforce of WWII.