Discovery Questions for July 26, 2020

By Leigh Mackenzie

1. What are you most grateful for right now?

2. When did you need courage and strength this past week?

          • What challenges did you face as you sought to obey God and the leaders he has put in place?

          • Who did you encourage last week?

Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the readers to read Joshua 3:7-17 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Repeat the process with Joshua 21:43-45 and then Joshua 23:1-5.

Ask the third person to retell the story from all three passages as if telling it to a group of fifth-graders at Vacation Bible School.

3. What stood out to you from these passages?

4. Let’s look more closely at some of the specifics in the narrative.

          • Consider the scene in Joshua 3. What challenges did Joshua and the people face through different parts of the story?

          • Look through the passages for the names Joshua used when he spoke about God. What do each of these names imply about his view of God?

          • What do they tell you about his relationship with God?

          • What do they reveal about Joshua’s leadership?

5. Based on what you have learned about God from this passage and your own life, what name would you use for God? (for example, Living God, Lord, Faithful, Provider, Promise-Keeper).

6. What do you learn about your own faith and about obeying God from these passages?

7. Based on today’s passages and our discussion, complete this sentence: “This week, I will . . .”

8. Suggest someone we as a group can be praying for this week from among your friends who do not know the Lord,

9. What big challenge will you be facing this week?

For next week: Sometime over the next week, read and reflect on Joshua 2:1-16; 6:15-25 as we continue studying Joshua and the theme, “Strong and Courageous.” You can also read next week’s supplemental texts as well as the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.