practice today influences who we become tomorrow. Your child doesn't have to lose their way when middle school pressure arrives. Joshua chapter 1 gives us a powerful lesson about motivation, courage, and the kind of success that lasts a lifetime. Welcome to day two of the 50-day journey through the book of Joshua. I've listened to some incredible motivational speeches and inspirational interviews over the years, but some of the best life advice I've ever discovered comes straight from God's word. And Joshua chapter 1 is a perfect example. Imagine Joshua for a moment. Moses had died. Now Joshua had an enormous responsibility leading the children of Israel into the promised land. Joshua needed more than an inspirational speech. He needed to hear from God. And that's exactly what happened in Joshua chapter 1. You see, God reminded Joshua of his mission, renewed his promise, and told him to be strong and courageous. Mom, sometimes we need that same reminder. Between homework, our own work activities, everything happening in our homes. It's easy to lose sight of our mission as moms. You see, we're not simply raising children to get through middle school. We are raising children who need to know God, love him, and learn to follow him for a lifetime. And if you've been wondering what that spiritual mission of your home should look like, I offer a free 15minute faith mom conversation. We can talk about what matters most to your family and one simple step you can take and the scheduling link is below. Think about your 8 9 10 11 12year-old. Think about your child. For years, you've been the primary influence guiding their choices and their decisions. But something begins to change as children approach and enter middle school. Friends, opinions, they have them. There's peer pressure and it increases. And the desire to fit in be can become a powerful motivation. One day your child is going to face a decision when you are not standing beside them. What will influence that decision? Will it be what their friends think? Will it be your child's own emotions? Or will it be what they've learned about God? What will influence them? Here's something I want you to remember. Our parenting mission isn't simply to teach children to obey us. It's to prepare them to willingly obey God. That's the kind of lifelong success worth pursuing. And if you believe our children need this kind of preparation, give this video a like so more moms can find this encouragement. Lifelong success worth pursuing. And that's one reason I created the Joshua Bible Study. Leading your family to victorious living one day at a time. It is a 50-day family Bible study designed specifically for moms and children ages 8 to 12. Every day gives you an opportunity to study God's word together, talk about what it means, and connect what you're learning to everyday life. And it can happen right around the kitchen table. I've put the Amazon link in the description. You can see what it's all about there. Now, I want you to notice something that may completely change how you think about motivation. You see, God told Joshua in verse five of chapter 1, I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Then in verse six, God said, be strong and of good courage or courageous. Joshua's motivation wasn't supposed to come from believing he was powerful enough to conquer every obstacle. his confidence, Joshua's confidence was supposed to come from trusting the God who had called him. And mom, that's what we want to teach our children. Courage doesn't mean you never experience fear or trouble. Courage means learning to trust God enough to do what's right, even when it's difficult. And in just a moment, I'm going to show you a practical way to begin developing this kind of courage with your child. Maybe you want to build that kind of confidence in your child, but you're struggling to figure out how. I'd love to help you think through this. Schedule a free 15minute faith mom conversation and we'll talk about your family's spiritual goals and identify one practical step you can begin taking together. Here's a situation your child might face. A group of friends starts making fun of another student. Everybody's laughing. Your child knows it isn't right, but they don't want to lose their friends. What will motivate their response? Will the motivation be the desire to fit in or the desire to honor God? Now, imagine you've already spent time around the kitchen table discussing these things together. Your child has learned about courage, kindness, integrity, obedience. They've practiced thinking about what God says before making decisions, even roleplaying. They may still feel pressure, but now they have another reason to choose what's right. Ask your child this. What does God say about this situation? And what would it look like to honor God in this situation? That question can be an eyeopening family conversation. Tell me in the comments, what middle school challenge are you most interested in preparing your child to face? Now, let me show you why this study can work for your busy family. You don't have to create a Bible lesson from scratch. This has it all figured out. You just open the book to the next day, find the scripture passage, work through the questions together, and let the conversation begin. Do it as quickly or as slowly as you want. The lessons are already organized in short, manageable portions. If you've been putting off family Bible study because you didn't know where to begin, this is a readymade resource to help you get started. The Amazon link is in the description. Now, here's what I believe is one of the most inspirational lessons in Joshua chapter 1. You see, God didn't simply give Joshua a motivational speech and send him on his way. He gave him God gave Joshua instructions. Listen to Joshua 1 verse 8. It says, "The book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night." Biblical meditation isn't simply repeating positive affirmations or trying to create good vibes or good feelings. It's carefully thinking about what God has said so that we can understand it and obey it. And notice what God connected to Joshua's obedience. God connected prosperity and good success in the work God had given him. That's important. The world's definition of success often focuses on popularity or achievement or money or recognition. But the success we're teaching our kids to pursue begins with a right relationship with God. and a right relationship with God focuses on reading God's word, thinking carefully about what it means, discussing how it applies to everyday life, and to do what God has instructed. This isn't just Bible knowledge. It's helping our children develop a way of thinking that can guide their decisions long after they leave our home. Middle school is only one chapter of their lives. We're helping them prepare for the entire journey of life. Mom, imagine the difference it could make if your child spent 50 days learning to recognize God's truth about the promises, discussing how to follow him. You don't have to wait until your child experiences bullying or peer pressure or friendship drama to begin preparing them. That's why I'm encouraging you to get your copy of the Joshua Bible Study today. You can find it in on Amazon. You can read it on your Kindle. Read the reviews. See how this 50-day journey can help your family. The link is in the description. Your child's future matters. And you can begin investing in that future today. And it's one day at the time. Victory for your family. One day at the time. I want to share something personal with you. My son had a learning disability and always required extra help. But something that stood out to me was this. His comprehension scores were higher than any of his other scores. And I believe that one influence in his development was something we did consistently as a family. You see this table right here? We sat around the table, read scripture, talked about what it meant. We didn't just focus on reading the words. We focused on understanding truth. So, please don't underestimate your child's ability to understand God's word. Even if they have a learning disability, if your child struggles with reading, use an audio Bible. We did that often. Let them listen while they follow along or just read aloud together. There are different ways to help children learn. And if you enjoy these practical lessons, please subscribe to the Faith Mom Mentor so you can join us throughout the 50 days of our Joshua Study that we're walking through together. Now, I want to give you one one more scripture to encourage you. This is an encouraging scripture. You might recognize it. 2 Timothy 1:7, it says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind." Think about that. The best motivational speech may inspire us for a moment. Positive affirmations may remind us of something encouraging, but our lasting confidence and our lasting hope as believers rest on something greater than any human motivation. God is at work in his people through his spirit by his word. Paul was encouraging Timothy to be faithful, not fearful. And we want our children to understand that following God is possible even when obedience is sometimes difficult. And they can learn to love others, think wisely, and act courageously. Not because life will always be easy, but because they are learning to depend on God. Mom, if you've lost your sight of your family's spiritual mission, don't keep putting off the opportunity to refocus. I want to personally invite you to schedule a free 15minute faith mom conversation. We'll talk about your child's future, the challenges you're facing right now, and one specific action you can begin taking at home. You don't have to have everything figured out. You just have to be willing to take the next step. The scheduling link is in the description. Schedule your free 15minute faith mom conversation today. I recently watched one of those timeless motivational interviews with Zigg Ziggler. You may recognize the name. And what struck me wasn't simply his energy or his inspirational speaking. It was his emphasis on purpose, integrity, relationships, and becoming a liflong learner. He understood that what we practice today influences who we become tomorrow. And that brings me right back to the book of Joshua. You see, Joshua needed to be reminded of his mission. And mom, sometimes we need to be reminded of ours. And our children need our help learning to live God's purpose with God's purpose in view. So, don't let middle school become the finish line. You're not simply preparing your child for the next school year. You're preparing them to walk with God throughout their life and into eternity. So, here's my challenge tonight. Ask your child, what kind of person do you believe God wants you to become? And then listen to their answer and open God's word together. If you know another mom who needs this inspirational encouragement, please share this video with her and join me for day three as we continue our 50-day journey through the book of Joshua. Prepare before the pressure. And remember, lasting success begins with learning to trust and obey God.
