View source for Joshua 8; Let's Try This Again

=Objectives=
*Students will recognize that God works in a multitude of ways.

=Opening=
*Recall a time when a sports team you were cheating for appeared to have forgotten the basics.  What did that look like?

*Did the team recover?

*Why is getting back to the basics sometimes important?

#Note: Getting back to the basics is not an excuse for ignoring or dismissing bigger items.  Rather, we need to make sure that in our zeal for the deeper things we do not ignore the basics.  An individual that only works on basics will never accomplish more than basics.  However, an individual who never looks at basics will not accomplish anything.

=Main Body=
==The Command==
*Compare Matthew 28:18-20 with Joshua 8:1-2.  What similarities do you notice?
*Have you ever experienced defeat in evangelism?  What principle from Joshua 8:1 can we apply when we have experienced defeat?

*What battle strategy does God give Joshua in Joshua 8:3-8?

*How was the battle strategy different from that of Jericho?
**In Jericho God brought the walls down.  Here, God called in the Israelites to do the work.  God is not bound by one mode of operation.  I think that sometimes we get ourselves stuck in a rut of "what worked" instead of asking what God wants us to do.  The key to success is obedience to God's plan.  

*What command had been given to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 13:4?

*When is it hard for a christian to obey?

==The Battle==
*What does Joshua do in Joshua 8:9-13?

*What mistake does the king of Ai make in Joshua 8:14-17?

*What does Joshua 8:18-20 tell us about the fellowship Joshua enjoyed with the Lord?

*Who is killed and who is not killed in Joshua 8:21-28?

*What does Joshua do with the king of Ai in Joshua 8:29?

==The Renewal==
*How do the post-battle events differ between Jericho and Ai according to Joshua 8:30,31?

*What does Joshua read in Joshua 8:32-35?

*Why do you suppose Joshua took the time to read the Law?

=Conclusion=