God calls Joshua (Bible lesson for teens)

Joshua was one of the greatest leaders in Bible history, succeeding Moses and leading Israel into the promised land. His life provides many lessons for us today, as we can learn about his faithfulness, courage and trust in God even in the midst of challenging circumstances.

BIBLE READING: Joshua

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God calls Joshua pdf – preteen and teen Bible lesson

BIBLE STUDY NOTES FOR TEENS

OVERVIEW OF JOSHUA’S LIFE

Birth and childhood of Joshua: Joshua was born in Egypt and was one of the enslaved Israelites there. Joshua was the son of Nun and was born into the tribe of Ephraim. (Exodus 33:11)
Joshua is chosen as a spy: Joshua was one of the 12 spies sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan. (Numbers 13:1-16) He was one of the two who trusted God and wanted to enter the promised land.
Joshua serves as Moses’ assistant: Joshua led the battle against the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-13).
Joshua succeeds Moses: After the death of Moses, God chose Joshua to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. (Numbers 27:15-23)
Conquest of Canaan: Joshua led the Israelites in a series of battles against the Canaanite nations, ultimately defeating them and establishing Israelite control over the land. (Joshua chapters 6-12)
Division of the land: Joshua oversaw the division of the conquered land among the tribes of Israel. (Joshua 13-19)
Joshua’s farewell address: Before his death, Joshua gave a farewell address to the Israelites. He reminded the people of their covenant with God and urged them to remain faithful to God’s commands. (Joshua 23:1-16)

KEY POINTS

1. HAVE FAITH THAT GOD WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU – JOSHUA 1:5

2. TRUST THE LORD’S TIMING – JOSHUA 10:14

3. MEDITATE ON GOD’S WORD – JOSHUA 1:8

4. CHOOSE WHO YOU WILL SERVE – JOSHUA 24:14-15

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YOUTH GAMES AND ACTIVITIES – God calls Joshua

CHOOSE WHOM YOU WILL SERVE

Instructions:

Set up two signs on opposite sides of the room (e.g., “A” on one side and “B” on the other).
Ask everyone to make a choice of their favourite A or B, (e.g., beach or mountains, pizza or burgers, sports or arts).
After several rounds, present the choice between “Serving God” and “Serving Worldly Things.” Allow the participants to choose and then discuss their decisions.
Share the story of Joshua and his family, emphasizing how Joshua made the decision to serve the Lord wholeheartedly. (Joshua 24:15)

WAIT FOR THE RIGHT TIME

Materials needed: Stopwatch.

Instructions:

Gather the group sitting on the floor.
Explain each player must count silently in their minds to a given time (e.g., 10 seconds) and then stand up as close to the exact time as possible.
The leader starts the game by announcing the time they want the players to count (e.g., 10 seconds). Once the time is announced, the leader starts a stopwatch.
All players silently count in their minds, and when they believe the time is up, they stand up. The leader monitors the stopwatch and notes the time each player stands up.
Once all players have stood up, the leader announces who was closest to the given time.
Play several rounds, varying the time the players must count (e.g., 7 seconds, 15 seconds, or 20 seconds).
After the game, engage the group in a discussion about the importance of patience and trusting God’s timing, as Joshua did in his battles.

TRUST WALK

Set up an obstacle course using chairs, or other objects, creating a path with twists and turns.
Divide group into pairs. In each pair, one player will be blindfolded, while the other will act as their guide.
The guide will lead their blindfolded partner through the obstacle course using only their voice to give directions. The blindfolded player must trust and listen carefully to their partner’s instructions.
After the game, engage the group in a discussion about trusting in God’s guidance and His promise to always be with us, as demonstrated by Joshua. Encourage them to share their experiences from the game and how it felt to rely on their partner for direction.