Fear Not Friday: Joshua 1:9 - Be Strong and Courageous

Standing at the edge of your own Jordan can feel like staring down a river of doubt. We unpack Joshua 1:6–9 with fresh eyes, tracing how physical grit and moral courage work together and why God’s presence is the steady ground beneath both. 

Moses is gone, the river is ahead, and the task is real. Rather than offering clichés, we sit with the honest weight of exhaustion and the challenge of doing the right thing when it costs. The charge to be strong and courageous is not swagger; it is a lifeline for people who feel spent, uncertain, or overwhelmed.

We start with the kind of strength you can feel in your bones: the energy to keep going when the week has drained you. From routines that restore to the humility of asking for help, we explore practical ways to steward your body so you can take the next faithful step. 

Then we turn to moral courage, the deeper bravery that stays true when pressure mounts. Whether it’s confronting injustice, keeping a promise, or resisting the lure of shortcuts, we talk about how character is formed in the quiet and proves itself when the stakes rise.

All of it converges in the promise that changes everything: I am with you now and forever. 

That presence reframes our fear without denying it, giving leaders, parents, teammates, and friends a shared center when life feels unsteady.

 We close with a blessing rooted in Joshua 1:9, inviting you to cross your own river with a steadier heart. If you’re carrying fatigue, facing a hard choice, or leading through uncertainty, this conversation offers courage you can actually use and hope you can hold onto. 

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• Context of Moses’ death and the Jordan crossing
• Call to physical strength when exhausted
• Need for moral courage when right is costly
• God’s command anchors both strengths
• Promise of presence as fear’s antidote
• Blessing others with borrowed confidence

Transcript

Fear Not Friday Begins

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Fear Not Friday, where every Friday we come together and look at verses where God tells us to fear not, do not be afraid, do not be terrified, dismayed, do not be discouraged, do not be ashamed, but fear not.

Joshua 1:6–9 In Focus

SPEAKER_00 0:16

And today it's from Joshua chapter 1, verse 9, where God says, Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged. Sometimes your verses might be be bold, be strong, be courageous, do not be terrified, do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, do not be dismayed. That's the message God has for all of us. In the context of just verse 1 9, it's the trilogy, brings together 1 6, 1 7, and

Moses’ Death And The Jordan Moment

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1 9. In Joshua 1 6, where we began the fact that who had just died? Moses. And right before he died, he brought them to the Jordan River. And they had to cross the Jordan River to enter the promised land, which is exactly as God had described it. And sometimes in our life, in my life, sometimes we all come to a Jordan River and we see the promise ahead, and can we cross that

Physical Strength For Tired Hearts

SPEAKER_00 1:14

river? But in Joshua 1.6, there's a fear that we may not have the physical strength. And Joshua needs that physical strength. And I remind you, how many of us every Friday, Lord, I'm so tired, I'm so spent, I'm so exhausted. God, can you give me that physical strength? I'm afraid I don't have it. God give me strength.

Moral Courage When Right Is Hard

SPEAKER_00 1:35

And in Joshua 1.7, God reminds us you also need to have moral strength. And you may be fearful, Lord, am I trained enough? Do I know enough? Do I have the moral strength? And God tells us to be very courageous, meaning that it might be even tougher to have the moral strength to do that which is right. And many of us have talked about people who are wrong, who are powerful, who are so mean. God give me the moral strength to keep on doing that which is right, that I keep doing right. And in Joshua, we talk about the need to fear that what if I don't have the moral strength or the moral leadership? And God tells us it comes together, the physical and moral strength to be a good leader.

God’s Command And Promise

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And in Joshua 1.9, it brings 1 6 and 1 7 together. And God says, wait a minute, haven't I commanded you? Be strong and be courageous. Do not be terrified. Do not be afraid. Because when you're at your River Jordan, when you're trying to enter your promised land, just as Joshua and the Hebrew people did, what did God tell them? What's He telling you? I am with you now and forever. And that's my prayer today in Joshua 1.9, one of my favorite verses in the Bible. When I sign autographs or book signings or just birthday cards, Christmas cards, I love using Joshua 1.9 to encourage people to be bold, to be strong, to be courageous, because God tells us what to be, and God tells us what not to be. Do not be ashamed, do not be dismayed, do not be afraid, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, fear not.

Prayer And Amen

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If that's your prayer today, if that's your need today, let's end in those four great words. Amen. Amen.