Hebrews 11:30 tells us that “by faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.”
The well-known churchy children’s song tells us “Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho… and the walls came tumbling down.”

And while that historical event in Joshua 6 was certainly a one-of-a-kind moment in the history of God’s people, its symbolic lesson repeats almost as often as the chorus of that song (which may or may not be stuck in your head right now).

But what happens when it’s not Joshua but you or I fighting that battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho? How can we approach the seemingly immovable barriers and insurmountable walls that stand in the way of our calling and destiny?

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SEE IT // BE IT

(WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE)

Title: By Faith: Faith for Falling Walls // Scripture: Hebrews 11:30 // Joshua 5:13-6:20

ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out.

SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes

The historical event of the walls of Jericho falling down was certainly a one-of-a-kind moment in the history of God’s people, but its symbolic lesson often repeats in our lives. What happens when it’s not Joshua, but you or me fighting the battle of Jericho? Today we look at the immovable barriers and insurmountable walls that seem to stand in our way and how we can approach them. It involves waiting, worshipping, watching and walking.

THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion.
Stuff takes time!

SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes

Picture (What is the story saying?): What was significant about the location of Jericho? What were some factors that made Jericho feel impenetrable?

Mirror (Where am I in the story?): How do boundaries show up in your life (vertical, external, horizontal and geographic)? What can we imitate from this story?

Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): When a perceived enemy—or someone who is different than you—turns and aligns themselves with God’s will, what do you do with that? Are you able to be flexible in your perspective of them, offer forgiveness and welcome them in?

BE IT – Practice 10-15 minutes (Which of these areas is God speaking to you about this week?)

Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes
When you are quiet, you are much better at observing. God called the Israelites to a posture of worship as they approached the walls. As we identify walls that need to fall, we come to Jesus and hold up the need to him. Be still and ask God what the wall in front of you is, then ask him to help you see what He wants you to do about it.

Change IN // Group Activity 10 minutes
The writer of Hebrews intended to encourage the faith of other believers by reminding them of who God has shown Himself to be over time. Who in your life is hoping for something they haven’t seen? Do you know someone who is stuck or struggling? If so, prayerfully find a way to encourage them in faith this week. A second way to encourage others could be to share communion with your missional community.

Change OUT // Life Application Assignment 15 minutes
Where is God at work in your world (family, neighborhood and social circles)? How can you approach trick-or-treating and other fall activities with a missional purpose? Start planning now so that you can be strategic with those opportunities!

CLOSING PRAYER 5 minutes
Take a few minutes to gather any prayer requests and pray for each other to SEE IT and BE IT this week.