SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE

Sermon: Radical Obedience — What to Do When God's Directions Don't Make Sense Scripture: Joshua 5:13–6:27 Time Needed: 60–90 minutes

OPENING PRAYER

(2–3 minutes)

Invite someone to pray, or use this prayer to open your time together:

Father, we come to you the way Joshua came — on our faces, asking what message you have for your servants. Open our hearts to hear what you are saying to us through your Word. Give us the courage to be honest with each other and with you. In Jesus' name, amen.

ICEBREAKER QUESTION

(5–10 minutes)

Think of a time you followed instructions that seemed strange or didn't make sense at the time — maybe from a boss, a coach, a parent, or a GPS. How did it turn out?

Invite everyone to share briefly. Keep it light — this is a warm-up, not a deep dive. Laugh together if the stories are funny. The goal is connection before conversation.

SCRIPTURE FOCUS

(5–10 minutes)

Primary Passage: Joshua 5:13–14 and Joshua 6:2–5, 20 (NIV)

"When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, 'Are you for us or for our enemies?' 'Neither,' he replied, 'but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.' Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, 'What message does my Lord have for his servant?'"

"Then the Lord said to Joshua: 'See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days... On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse...'"

"When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city."

Read the passage aloud together, then ask:

1. What stands out to you most in these verses?
2. What words or phrases catch your attention?
3. What questions does this passage raise for you?

MAIN DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

(30–40 minutes)

Sermon Understanding

1. The sermon described three things the Lord wants to press into our hearts through this passage: we are not in control, worldly wisdom doesn't equal godly wisdom, and radical obedience is the full step, not the half step. Which of those three landed most deeply for you on Sunday, and why?

2. Joshua asked the commander, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" — and the answer was "Neither." The sermon described this as God reorienting Joshua's entire framework, saying in effect: "I haven't come to take your side. I've come to take command." What is the difference between asking God to be on our side versus surrendering to God as Commander? Why does that distinction matter?

Personal Application

3. The sermon asked: "How many of us have walked up to God with a framework — with two options already picked out — and asked Him which one He's for?" When have you done that? What happened?

4. The Israelites marched in silence for six days before anything visible changed. The sermon described radical obedience as "the quiet, unglamorous, unnoticed thing that God has asked of you — the faithful prayer, the consistent presence, the steady hand." Where in your life right now are you on day four — still marching, but nothing has changed yet?

5. The sermon drew a careful distinction between responsive obedience and impulsive spirituality: "The question is not 'Does this make sense?' The question is 'Has God spoken?'" How do you personally discern whether a direction is from God? What helps you know?

Spiritual Growth

6. The sermon made a striking observation: "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands" was spoken in the past tense — before the first march. The victory was declared before the obedience began. How does it change the way you think about your own obedience when you understand that you are walking into a secured victory rather than earning one?

7. The sermon noted that the battle of Jericho was won by the Israelite community — not a lone soldier — and connected that to the importance of walking with others in the long obedience. Where do you need community around you right now to keep marching when the walls still look solid?

PERSONAL REFLECTION

(5–10 minutes)

Invite the group to spend 2–3 minutes in quiet, personal reflection. These questions are for private consideration — no one is required to share, but you can invite brief sharing afterward.

1. What is the Jericho in your life right now — the wall that feels immovable? Have you named it honestly before the Lord?
2. What has God actually said about your situation — in His Word, through prayer, through the counsel of people who love you and love Him?
3. Is there a step of obedience you have been holding back — a full step you've only been taking halfway?

After the silence, gently invite: "Would anyone like to share what came to mind — even just a word or phrase?"

GROUP ACTIVITY

(10–15 minutes)

Activity Title: The Long March — A Prayer of Commitment

What you'll need: Index cards or small slips of paper, pens

Instructions:

1. Give each person a card and a pen.
2. Ask everyone to write down — privately — one word or short phrase that names the wall they are currently marching around. This is between them and God; they will not be asked to show anyone.
3. On the other side of the card, invite them to write a short prayer of surrender — no more than one or two sentences — using Joshua's words as a model: "What message does my Lord have for his servant?" It can be as simple as: "Lord, I give you this. I trust that you have already declared the victory. Help me keep marching."
4. After everyone has written, invite the group to hold their cards as you pray together (see Closing Prayer below). Encourage them to keep the card somewhere visible this week — a mirror, a dashboard, a desk — as a reminder to keep marching.

Purpose: This activity moves the sermon's challenge from concept to personal commitment, giving each person a tangible, private moment of surrender and a physical reminder to carry into the week.

CLOSING PRAYER

(3–5 minutes)

Close in a time of conversational group prayer. Invite anyone who wants to pray aloud to do so, or use this prayer to close:

Father, we are not in control — and we are learning to be grateful for that. You are the Commander, not the consultant. We lay down our frameworks. We trust your Word over our understanding. For everyone in this room who is on day four of a long march — would you remind them tonight that you have already spoken the victory? Give us the grace to take the full step, not the half step. And for anyone who has never settled the foundation — who has never stopped trusting themselves and started trusting your Son — move in their heart this week. We trust you with all of it. In Jesus' name, amen.

TAKE-HOME CHALLENGE

This Week: Name It, Write It, March

The sermon closed with three questions. Your challenge this week is to work through all three — slowly and honestly.

Step 1 — Name your wall. Write down the specific thing in your life that feels immovable right now. Don't spiritualize it. Just name it plainly.

Step 2 — Ask what God has said. Spend time this week in Scripture and prayer specifically around that situation. If you're not sure where to start, ask your group leader or a trusted friend to help you find a passage to anchor in.

Step 3 — Take one concrete step of obedience. It doesn't have to be dramatic. It might be a phone call you've been avoiding, a conversation you've been putting off, a consistent prayer you've been starting and stopping, or simply showing up somewhere you've been absent. Do the thing — not because the walls will fall today, but because the Commander has spoken and the victory has already been declared.

Why this matters: The walls of Jericho didn't fall because the Israelites were strong enough to knock them down. They fell because God had already said "I have delivered." Your obedience this week is not about earning an outcome — it is about walking into what God has already secured.

At your next meeting: Be ready to share — even briefly — what your wall is and what step you took. You don't have to have a victory story. You just have to have shown up and marched.