Next Starts Now: Next Starts With Yes! (Week 7)

Preacher: Daniel Erasmus

Worship:
Suggested Song: “Gratitude” – Brandon Lake
A song that helps us remember God’s faithfulness and respond with a renewed “yes.”

Check-in:
What is one thing from the Next Starts Now series that has most challenged or shaped you?

Big Idea:
As Joshua gathers Israel at Shechem, he calls them to do three things before stepping into what is next:

1. Remember God’s faithfulness – they did not arrive in the Promised Land by their own strength, effort, or ability.
2. Trust God in the journey – even when the process feels slow, circular, or unclear, God has been directing their steps.
3. Renew their yes – now that they are in the land, Joshua asks: How will you live here? Who will you serve?

Joshua 24 is not about fighting a battle; it’s about making a decision. In the same way, Palm Sunday invites us to declare again that Jesus is King – not just with celebration, but with surrender.

Next does not start with strategy. Next starts with YES.

Key Scriptures:

• Joshua 24:1–15 – Remembering God’s acts & choosing whom to serve
• Joshua 24:23 – “Yield your hearts to the Lord”
• Proverbs 3:5–6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart
• Matthew 21 (Palm Sunday) – Jesus enters Jerusalem as King

Discussion Questions:

1. Remember – Seeing God’s Faithfulness
   As Joshua reminded Israel of everything God had done, what are one or two key moments in your journey where you can clearly say: “Only God brought me through that”?
2. Trust – When the Journey Isn’t Straight
   Where in your life does following Jesus feel slow, circular, or unclear – and how might remembering God’s past faithfulness help you trust Him in the present?
3. Renew – Saying Yes Again
   Joshua called Israel to “choose today whom you will serve.”
   What would a renewed YES to Jesus look like for you right now – in your priorities, habits, or decisions?

Prayer Pointers
Lead the group in praying through three movements:

• Remember – “Lord, thank You for all You have done.”
• Return – “Bring my heart back where it has drifted.”
• Renew – “Today, I choose again to serve You with my whole heart.”