Serve Courageously
October 11, 2026
Sermon: Lead Courageously
Scripture: Johsua 1: 1-9
Reverend Betty Jo Sims
Invocation
Lord God, Maker of heaven and earth, we gather together in Your name. We come as living sacrifices, to offer You our worship and thanksgiving, our praise and our prayers. Come among us, living Lord. Through the power of Your Holy Spirit, transform our hearts and minds so that we may encounter Your presence, recognize Your voice, know Your will, and follow in Your way.
Be with us now as we worship together this day for we pray all this in your precious name, Amen
Scripture Johsua 1: 1-9
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Ephesians 6: 10 - 18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
This is the word of God for the people of God,
Thanks be to God.
Prayer
Generous and Loving God, You call us together as the Body of Christ, and equip us to live as your disciples in our local communities and through our connections around the world. Bless this Miracle Sunday day, that through our sharing of resources, our gifts might multiply to support and equip ministers around the world whom you have called to pastoral ministry.
May their education be one of many opportunities for your Spirit to work through The United Methodist Church To make disciples of Jesus Christ who transform the world.
With gratitude and hope, we offer who we are and what we have for the healing of the world and the glory of God. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, who shows us the way of mercy and invites us into the freedom it brings. Amen.
“Lead Courageously”
Courageous leadership arises from trust in God’s presence and strength. Christian leaders across the world face many challenges—limited resources, societal pressures, injustice, or uncertainty.
Scripture teaches that courage does not come from confidence in ourselves but from God’s promise to be with us. This week we focus on leadership rooted in faith, shaped by integrity, and committed to justice. Through theological education, the Church invests in leaders who guide communities with wisdom and resilience.
To “lead courageously” is to step forward even when the path is difficult, trusting that God strengthens, equips, and goes before us. In Joshua 1:5–9, As Joshua prepares to lead Israel into a new land, God repeats a powerful command: “Be strong and courageous.”
Joshua faces uncertainty and responsibility, yet God anchors his courage in a promise, “I am with you wherever you go.”
This passage reminds leaders in every context that courage comes from God’s presence.
Joshua is also instructed to meditate on God’s law, linking courageous leadership with faithful obedience. For pastors, lay leaders, and students preparing for ministry, this passage provides assurance that God equips those whom God calls. Theological education strengthens leaders with biblical grounding, spiritual discipline, and confidence to guide communities through change.
Psalm 27 expresses profound trust: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” The psalmist faces real threats yet chooses confidence in God. This trust allows the believer to stand firm even when surrounded by difficulty.
Verse 14 offers wise counsel: “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage.” In cultures experiencing conflict, hardship, or uncertainty, these words provide comfort and resolve.
Courageous leadership does not deny fear;
it moves forward with trust in God’s protection and guidance. Theological education helps leaders cultivate spiritual resilience so they can encourage and strengthen others.
In Ephesians 6:10–18, Paul urges believers to “be strong in the Lord” and to put on the full armor of God. The imagery of truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God being items to actually put on like garments reveals the spiritual resources available to every leader. This armor equips the Church to stand firm against challenges, temptations, and injustice.
Across cultures, Christian leaders face pressures that test their integrity and resolve. Paul’s teaching reminds us that strength comes not from human effort but from God’s power.
Theological education equips leaders with biblical knowledge, ethical grounding, and spiritual discipline—essential tools for courageous leadership.
In Isaiah 58:6–10, the prophet Isaiah challenges God’s people to a form of worship that confronts injustice and brings liberation. True fasting means breaking chains of oppression, sharing bread with the hungry, sheltering the homeless, and caring for the vulnerable.
Courageous leadership stands with those who suffer and works for transformation in society. God promises that when communities pursue justice, light will break forth and healing will come. This passage speaks across cultures where poverty, violence, and inequality persist. Courageous leaders advocate for dignity, fairness, and compassion.
Theological education helps equip such leaders—prophetic, compassionate, and committed to God’s justice.
The United Methodist Church is called to lead courageously. In secular contexts where public faith can seem out of place, courageous leadership is not loud or confrontational for its own sake. It is faithful to the gospel when speaking carries a cost. It names injustice, defends the vulnerable, and acts for what is right when silence would be safer.
Our struggle is not with people. Paul reminds believers that our adversary is not flesh and blood, but the forces of this present darkness. That darkness appears in unjust laws, environmental harm, persecution, inhuman treatment of minorities, and war. The question is how to stand firm without becoming hardened.
The armor of God is both spiritual and practical: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God. These are not weapons of aggression but resources for resilient, hope-filled leadership. The prophets teach that true faith loosens bonds of injustice, shares bread with the hungry, shelters the unhoused, and refuses to turn away from suffering.
The Church is called not only to pray but to act. We stand, not against people, but against whatever denies the image of God in them. Across cultures, let worship fuel justice, prayer become action, and leadership reflect the liberating love of Christ.
With our new United Methodist Initiative to Love Boldly, Serve Joyfully, and Lead Courageously, we take steps of faith to respond with our many actions to aid and embolden people everywhere.
In the name of the Father,
The Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Pastoral Prayer
Lord God, Maker of heaven and earth, we come to you as living sacrifices, to offer You our worship and thanksgiving, our praise and our prayers. Come among us, living Lord. Through the power of Your Holy Spirit, transform our hearts and minds so that we may encounter Your presence, recognize Your voice, know Your will, and follow in Your way.
Generous and Loving God, You call us together as the Body of Christ, and equip us to live as your disciples in our local communities and through our connections around the world. Bless this Miracle Sunday and our special offering, that through our sharing of resources,
our gifts might multiply to support and equip ministers around the world whom you have called to pastoral ministry. May their education be one of many opportunities for your Spirit to work through The United Methodist Church To make disciples of Jesus Christ who transform the world.
Holy God, we come before You in humility, For we do not live as we ought. We do not love You with our whole heart and mind and strength. We do not love our neighbor as ourselves. So we pray, in all humility, That You will change our hearts and minds, That You will show us again how to love others the way You love us, That You will put power and courage in our hearts to do your will.
O God, hear our prayers and answer them as you know is best for us,
We know that those who call upon your Name rejoice.
Help us rejoice anew as we pray for these …..
our police officers, EMTs & firefighters, all in our military service & their families, our nation, our church, all unspoken prayer concerns, people of Ukraine & Russia, the Middle East, Cuba & Venezuela, Japan, Nepal, all victims of violence
And others we carry in our hearts ……………
Give us a new peace this day. Help us to pray and listen for you.
Now may we boldly pray together the prayer
you taught us - - saying
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us, not into temptation
but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.