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Refresh

by The Salvation Army Gwinnett

Religion & Spirituality Christianity Spirituality

Season 17

SHINE Sunday

What is the greatest treasure you could ever find? Jesus taught that God's kingdom is unlike anything the world expects. It starts small, like a mustard seed, and grows in hearts before it changes communities. Jesus does not wait for us to find our way back to God. He comes looking, just as a shepherd searches for a lost sheep. God's kingdom is open to anyone who humbly turns to Jesus in repentance and faith. When you truly discover who Jesus is, nothing in this world compares to Him. He is the treasure worth everything.

Rest Area- Father's Day

True spiritual courage for fathers and men of faith is not about dominance or self-confidence. It is about being alert, grounded in the faith, genuinely strong, and motivated by love. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, Paul's timeless charge calls men to stand firm against cultural confusion, lead their families with integrity, and reflect the character of Jesus. Strength rooted in God produces patience, forgiveness, and faithfulness. When men lead with love and obedience, they discover a deep spiritual rest that cannot be found any other way. The path forward is clear: be on guard, stand firm, be strong, and do everything in love.

Refugee Sunday

God's heart for the displaced and the foreigner is not a minor theme in Scripture. It runs from Genesis to Revelation, and it calls His people to respond with love, not fear. The word foreigner or stranger appears more than 92 times in the Old Testament, and Israel is warned 36 times about its obligations to the vulnerable. Jesus Himself said that when we welcome the stranger, we welcome Him. Welcoming the displaced is not a political position. It is an act of discipleship. The stranger in your community is not a threat to God's plan. They are part of it.

Acts: The Ends of the Earth (Week 2: A Moving Kingdom Faces Challenges)

The phrase 'to the ends of the earth' isn't about geography - it's about the need of the heart. Your mission field might be a family member, coworker, or neighbor you've known for years. In a world of spiritual darkness, believers are called to be bold lights, speaking the name of Jesus over their lives and communities. The church should be on a victory march, not a funeral dirge, knowing that Christ has already won. Global Christianity shows us that where the church stays focused on its mission, God's hand is evident. Don't wait for distant lands - identify your personal 'ends of the earth' right where you are and be willing to share the hope of Jesus with those closest to you.

Season 16

Courage Over Fear (Week 6: God can do what We Can't )

The story of Joshua's longest day reveals how faith requires both trusting God's promises and taking bold action. When five Canaanite kings attacked Gibeon, God promised Joshua victory before the battle began. Yet Joshua still marched his army all night to engage the enemy. During the battle, God sent supernatural hailstones that killed more enemies than Israeli swords, while Joshua boldly prayed for the sun to stand still to complete the victory. This demonstrates the perfect partnership between divine power and human responsibility. Like Joshua's final challenge to Israel to choose whom they would serve, we must decide whether to live with passive faith or active partnership with God in our daily battles.

Courage Over Fear (Week 5: Confidence in HIM Over Us)

The story of Joshua and the Gibeonites reveals the danger of making decisions based solely on our natural senses. When the Gibeonites deceived Israel with worn clothes and stale bread, Joshua relied on what he could see and touch instead of seeking God's wisdom. This costly mistake teaches us that our five senses, while gifts from God, have limitations and can lead us astray. As believers, we need to develop our spiritual discernment by seeking God's Word, resting in His peace, and finding confirmation through other believers. Even when we make wrong decisions, God can redeem our mistakes when we humble ourselves before Him.

Courage Over Fear (Week 4: Sin has Consequences)

The Israelites' shocking defeat at Ai after their victory at Jericho reveals how hidden sin can derail God's people. Achan's secret theft of forbidden items from Jericho brought consequences upon the entire nation. His sin followed the classic pattern: he saw what was forbidden, coveted it, and took it. God sees everything, even our most carefully hidden sins. While Achan faced severe punishment, we can find forgiveness through Jesus Christ when we confess our sins. True prayer involves not just speaking to God but listening for His response and obeying His direction.

Courage Over Fear (Week 3- God is All-Wise)

The story of Jericho reveals how God often uses unconventional methods that don't make sense to us. Before the battle even began, God told Joshua that victory was already accomplished, demonstrating that God operates outside our timeline. For six days, the Israelites marched around the city in silence, trusting God's process even when they couldn't see the purpose. When the walls finally fell, it was clear that God deserved all the glory. This teaches us to walk in obedience even when His methods seem illogical, stop rehearsing our limitations, and trust that God is working even when we can't see the results yet.

Courage Over Fear (Week 2: Freedom From Bondage)

The Israelites faced an impossible situation at the Jordan River - a raging torrent blocking their path to the Promised Land. God required the priests to step into the dangerous water before He would part it. When they took that step of faith, the miracle happened 18 miles upstream at a place they couldn't see. God was already working where they couldn't observe it. Today, we often doubt God because we focus only on our immediate circumstances, but He is working in unseen places beyond our view. Faith requires movement before confirmation, trusting that God is preparing the way ahead even when we can't see it.

Courage Over Fear (Week 1: From Self-Focused to God-Focused)

Joshua's transition from Moses' assistant to Israel's leader offers powerful lessons for navigating life's inevitable changes. When God called Joshua to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, He promised never to leave or forsake him. This same promise applies to us today during our own seasons of transition. Joshua's preparation involved years of learning obedience and faithfulness in smaller roles before stepping into greater responsibility. God addressed Joshua's fears not with condemnation but with encouragement, repeatedly telling him to be strong and courageous. The key to Joshua's success was meditating on God's Word day and night, which shifted his focus from doubts to God's promises and character.

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