Please explore the following resources that our Resource Team curated. We think they will help you as you dive deeper into the topics discussed in our sermon series Follow.
Recommended Books:
Women of the Word- Jen Wilkin
“How can we, as Christian women, keep our focus and sustain our passion when reading the Bible? Offering a clear and concise plan to help women go deeper in their study of Scripture, this book will equip you to engage God’s Word in a way that trains your mind and transforms your heart.”
Recommended Articles:
Discover the Beauty of Slow Scripture Meditation - Journey Women Podcast
Desiring God: "Read the Bible with All of You"
This article reminds us that God “prepares us for the battles of faith, the everyday and the extraordinary, by training us to read his word well. We will not find strength and courage for suffering without learning to read, really read, the Bible.” We must read it with our minds, our hearts, our hands, our mouths, and with our God.
Desiring God: "Never Once"
“The keys to safety and prosperity are found in the precious words of our God. Our hearts are prone to trust in other gods, to try and manufacture protection and success on our own. But God is calling Israel — and us — to seek and obey him in his word, knowing that he is all-wise, all-loving, and always faithful...”
Recommended Podcasts:
Warehouse Podcast
Welcome to the Warehouse. Have you ever heard a sermon and thought, "how in the world did he discover that?" Or "Where did he get that idea?" Every week at Cornerstone Church, two teams dig into the biblical text that will be taught during our weekend services. We spend hours talking about the text, context, culture, you name it. But you can't stuff ALL that into a 30-minute message. That's where we come in. We'll show you the stuff in the warehouse that didn't make it to the stage.
Knowing Faith Podcast: "How to Read the Bible"
“How and why should you read Scripture? This episode explores everything from choosing a reading plan to knowing why it’s important to understand the various literary genres that make up the Bible.”
Meditating on God's Presence - Part 1 David Platt on Radical.
Meditating on God's Presence - Part 2 David Platt on Radical. These are about the command to and need for meditating on God's Word. He speaks on how to meditate on God's Word and leads us in meditating on Joshua 1:1-9. "There is a temptation for Christians to monotonously drift through the pages of Scripture without meditating on the glorious truth of God’s Word and the great reality that He is with us. In this sermon from Joshua 1:1–9, David Platt exhorts us to see that like Joshua, even in the face of uncertainty and despair, we have great reason to be confident and filled with hope, living each day trusting in God’s presence and clinging to His Word." Or you can watch the video of the message here: Meditating on God's Presence. A sermon by David Platt
Biblical vs Eastern Meditation The Bible tells us in Joshua 1:8 to “meditate (on the Word of God) day and night”, yet for many Christians the concept of meditation is surrounded by ideas of eastern mysticism. Is there a distinction between the Biblical method and the Eastern method of meditation? Janet Parshall on “In the Market” has a great discussion with Dr. Timothy Jennings comparing and contrasting these two different world views.
Recommended Videos:
Book of Joshua Summary | Watch an Overview Video
Watch: How to Read Biblical Narrative Video Series | BibleProject™
Watch: How To Read the Prophets Video | BibleProject™
Watch: How to Read the Bible Video Series | BibleProject™
John Piper: "Be Strong and Courageous in Jesus"
“God not only encourages his people to be fearless, he commands it. God is most glorified in us, when we are most dependent on his strength, not our own...”
The Village Church: "Know your Bible" Forum/Institute Course
This is a HUGE resource if you are serious about growing in Biblical literacy and learning how to really study the Word of God in depth as we go through our “Hear” series. The first 45 minutes is a teaching from Jen Wilkin as she explains the “Why?” behind Biblical literacy. The next 45 minutes is a teaching from Matt Chandler as he offers some basic principles for every Christian to use if they want to know their Bible better. The final 30 minutes is a Q + A panel about the topic.
Recommended Sermons:
"Biblically Serious" - Matt Chandler
In this sermon, Matt Chandler emphasizes the importance of not only hearing, but deeply knowing the Word of God. He breaks down the following questions: “What is the Bible?”, “What does it do?”, and “How does it work?”. He also teaches on how there is an undeniable connection between the person of God and His Word.
"Be Strong and Courageous" - R.C. Sproul
“All of us have battles that we must overcome in our lives. Sickness, the death of loved ones, and financial crises are just a few of the battles we face…But how many of us feel abandoned by God when we don’t sense His presence? How can we get assurance that He is there in our midst? Beginning this series on The Book of Joshua, Dr. Sproul reminds us that the same God who went with Joshua and the people into the promised land also goes with us.”
Joshua's Divine Charge Kent Hughes. The Gospel Coalition.
Other Recommended Resources:
Blogs:
Ligonier Ministries: "Meditating Day and Night"
This short blog uses Joshua 1:8 to focus on the importance of authentic Scripture meditation. While it is becoming more uncommon in the modern-day church, it is absolutely integral to our spiritual growth as believers. In fact, meditation is the means by which the meaning of Scripture begins to take root in our hearts.
Ligonier Ministries: "Joshua"
“As we consider today's passage, however, we must note that the courage Joshua is encouraged to have is not exclusively military courage. That type of courage, of course, was necessary (Josh. 1:7, 9). But the Lord's exhortations for Joshua to meditate on the law of God indicate that he was to continue to have the courage to take our Creator at His Word…”
Reading Plan:
Chronological Daily Bible Reading Plan This is a printable PDF that leads you through the entire Bible chronologically in 365 chunks, although you can take it at your speed. The list is not dated so you can start this on any day of the year without feeling like you're behind schedule. After attempting to read the Bible 'cover-to-cover' many times, my father shared this with me. This plan enabled me to not just complete my read-through, but to see and better understand the timeline and sequence of events in the Bible. If you struggle with completing a read-through of the Bible because you get tangled up in the kings and prophets, and you don't want to use a Bible app, it's worth printing this and trying a chronological reading.
Songs:
"Joshua 1:1-9 (Be Strong and Courageous)" by Matt Papa
"That's the Power" - Hillsong Worship
"Through" by Jason Gray
"Fear No More" by Building 429