Loading scripture…
Fear Creates The Need For Courage
The sermon begins by clarifying that courage only becomes necessary when fear is present. That means fear is not proof that a person has missed God. It is often the very reason God must command boldness. Joshua is told to be strong and courageous because the assignment ahead is real, weighty, and capable of intimidating him.
Physical, Moral, Spiritual, And Corporate Boldness
Rather than treating courage as one vague feeling, Bishop Hill breaks it down into dimensions. Physical boldness is the resilience of body and mind required for the fight ahead. Moral boldness is the determination to obey God even when compromise would be easier. Spiritual boldness is rooted in meditation on the word and confidence in what God has said. Corporate boldness comes from the right people around you who refuse to let you settle for less than obedience.
Obedience Is Part Of Possession
The message presses hard on Joshua 1:7-8. What God commands is not separate from what God promises. Obedience is presented as necessary to possession, not incidental to it. That is why the sermon keeps challenging the church to reject selective obedience, emotional inconsistency, and the habit of only doing what is easy.
Discouragement Is Met With Courage
Another major point in the sermon is that disappointment and discouragement arrive quickly whenever people pursue what God has promised. The answer is not retreat. The answer is courage early enough to keep discouragement from taking over. Boldness becomes the antidote to the emotional collapse that can come when one or two things fail to go according to plan.
You Need The Right Community Around Your Becoming
The closing movement of the sermon stresses that commanded courage is not lived out in isolation. Joshua receives reinforcement from the leaders around him, and the church is challenged to seek relationships that demand maturity, discipline, and faithfulness rather than enabling excuses. The right community does not merely comfort you. It holds you accountable to what God said.
Sermon Quote
“Whatever is commanded is necessary to obtaining what is promised.”
Sermon Quote
“The boldness to do what's right even when it's uncomfortable.”
Sermon Quote
“Courage is the antidote to disappointment.”
Sermon Quote
“Be strong and courageous.”
Related Sermons
Favored To Function
Feb 1, 2026
On First Fruits Sunday, Joshua 3 becomes the lens for understanding favor correctly. This message insists that favor is not given for ego, comparison, or private consumption. God favors people so they can function in assignment, bless others, and reveal his hand through their obedience.
The weight of a second chance
Bishop Terry L. Hill, Jr. · Aug 30, 2026
From Exodus 34, the speaker teaches that after we mishandle what God has given us, God may still speak to us and offer another chance—but that second chance carries responsibility, effort, and preparation. Like Moses, we must “chisel out” what we broke and show up differently so we can leave differently.
An Obligated Community
Bishop Terry L. Hill, Jr. · Aug 30, 2026
Teaching from Mark 2:1–12: four friends refuse to let their paralyzed friend miss the opportunity to get to Jesus. An obligated community takes responsibility to carry others, pushes through obstacles, and is willing to take radical steps to put a need in front of Jesus. Jesus first heals what can’t be seen (forgiveness, guilt, shame), then also heals what can be seen to prove his authority, moving people from onlookers to joint praisers.
