Heroes of the Faith, Part 3Sample

Yes, You Can

Hero: Caleb - Numbers 14:30-45, Joshua 14:13

Theme Verse: Acts 1:8

After hundreds of years, God was leading Israel to fulfill His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God told Moses to send 12 spies to explore the promised land. They returned saying the land had milk, honey, and grapes so huge that two men had to carry them on a pole! But 10 of the spies said that the people were huge and that they couldn’t take the land. One of the spies, Caleb, stopped them, saying “We can certainly do it.” He believed his powerful God would help them. God loves that kind of faith.

But the people believed the other spies, grumbled in fear, and refused to go. God was angry with them, and the punishment for those 10 men was death! The punishment for the whole nation was to wander around in the desert. When they disobeyed, they were easily defeated because God was not with them. After wandering for 40 years, the only ones left of that generation were Caleb and the other spy named Joshua who agreed with him. As a reward for their faith, God gave them the land they had seen.

God is pleased when we stand up for our faith and obey Him in something that seems impossible. God has a plan for your life that is beyond what you can imagine, if you say yes. Jesus said that if you have faith like a mustard seed, you can make mountains move (Matthew 17:20). We can grow our faith like a seed by following and serving leaders from our church. Joshua was Moses’ personal assistant (Exodus 24:13). Moses would go into a tent to speak with God, but when he left, Joshua would stay in the tent alone with God (Exodus 33:11).

We can spend time with God, too, by reading the Bible, praying, and singing songs to Him, not just with other people but also when we are alone. We can remember things God did in the Bible and in our own lives. Caleb and Joshua saw the miracles God did in Egypt. We can choose friends who will encourage us, like when Joshua joined Caleb in encouraging everyone. In contrast, the rest of Israel joined the spies who did not believe. If a friend’s unbelief is influencing you, then you can distance yourself from them and spend more time with friends who do believe. Work on your faith so that when God calls you, you can not only obey Him and live the wonderful life that He has in store for you, but also encourage others to do the same.

I choose to say yes to God. Lord, I give You control of my life to do what You want, whether big, small, or even dangerous. My life is Yours. Help me to live for You without fear or grumbling. Please open my eyes to see the big plans you have for me. Thank you.

Questions:

1. What difficult things has God asked you to do?

2. What if I hurt myself or I get into a difficult situation by doing what I believe God called me to do?

3. How I can be sure I heard the voice of God?

Application to Life:

This week your assignment is to write down five good things that God has done for you. Then think about who in your life would agree that those are good things. Those are the people you want to spend the most time with. Think about how you can change some of what you do every day so that you can spend more time with those friends. You already have some faith. This will help your faith grow, like watering a plant helps it grow.