The Dichotomy of Courage and Control | Student Pastor Jordon Frye

·48 min·4 clips

After Moses dies, God tells Joshua to lead Israel into the promised land without knowing the outcome.

The episode is a sermon by Student Pastor Jordon Frye at First Pentecostal Church Anderson, titled 'The Dichotomy of Courage and Control.' It begins with a reading from Joshua 1, where God commands Joshua to be strong and courageous after Moses' death, setting the theme of leadership amid uncertainty. Frye defines 'dichotomy' as two opposing things, applying it to courage and control, stating they cannot coexist because courage involves stepping into the unknown. He uses Abraham's call in Genesis 12 as an example, imagining the anxiety in his conversation with Sarai about leaving without details. The sermon references John Bloom from Desiring God, who notes that Abraham's courage came from faith. Frye discusses Joshua's burden after Moses' death, highlighting that Joshua was in charge but not in control. He introduces 'coward's courage' as boldness only in controlled environments, contrasting it with Holy Ghost courage that shares the gospel with unpredictable people. Frye emphasizes that the Bible's truth withstands criticism, encouraging trust in scripture. He shares personal stories, including his wife's health scare where God asked, 'Do you trust me?' instead of giving answers, and his daughter's hearing loss diagnosis, where he believes for a miracle based on a word from God. The sermon references Job's questions and God's response from the whirlwind, illustrating that encountering God's voice is better than answers. Frye recounts the church's journey to a new school building, showing how waiting on God's plan yielded better results than immediate solutions. He closes by urging listeners to seek God's word at the altar rather than answers, promising that divine communication brings peace and clarity.

As heard by us

A Joshua sermon on courage when the outcome is out of reach.

The sermon reads Joshua's opening as a call to courage when control has disappeared. Moses is dead, Joshua must lead the people over the Jordan, and the promise remains intact; from that transition, the message argues that boldness rests on God's presence rather than on…

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Why you'd press play

You are weighing courage against control and wondering whether to speak when the response is unknowable.

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