This sermon was originally delivered at New Hope Church in Manhattan, KS on May 15, 2022.
This was my first Lord’s Day sermon and the only sermon I preached on a Sunday prior to seminary training or fatherhood. I had just graduated from Kansas State the day before and we were expecting our first child in a couple of weeks. I was serving as New Hope’s youth director at this time.
This sermon marks the beginning of a life of teaching and preaching. Though unpolished, its existence shows the indebtedness I have to my church in Manhattan for believing in a young, 22-year-old untrained minister and giving him an opportunity to the glory of God.
In this message on Joshua 3, Kenny invites us to witness God’s glory as Israel stands at the threshold of the Promised Land. After forty years of wandering, the people are commanded to consecrate themselves—not to manipulate God, but to remember who is in charge. Kenny reminds us that crossing the Jordan is not about human effort; it is about God fulfilling His promises on His terms. The parted waters symbolize redemption: man cannot save himself, but God delivers through His power and mercy. Just as Israel walked on dry ground, untouched by chaos, we too are called to trust God’s timing, submit to His plan, and glorify Him in every step. True faith means letting go of control and walking courageously into the life He has prepared.
