God is looking for pioneers who will go into uncharted territory and live off the map. Thankfully, these uncharted journeys are not unchartered. We may be going without a map, but we have a compass and a guide. God guides us through the Holy Spirit, and He gives us a compass we can use to discern what direction He wants us to go and the best way to get there. We may not have knowledge, but we can trust that the God who is leading us off the map will speak to us and help us as we pioneer.

In this Uncharted series, we're going to live the life of a pioneer. We are going to go off the map with God to see how we make our way through unfamiliar places among unfamiliar people. This is something all Christians need to do from time to time. God grows His Kingdom by at times taking us to places we have never been before instead of leaving us where we have always been.

Our guide in this pioneer journey is Joshua. Joshua had to lead the Israelites through the uncharted territory of the Promised Land. For many years, the Israelites had dreamed of life in the Promised Land, but they had to be pioneers when they arrived there. From Joshua's example, we will learn how to better use our compasses to follow God's direction. Even more, we will see that we can trust God throughout our time off the map.

So let us go off the map with God. Let us be pioneers who are willing to trust and to listen for God's direction and use a compass to discern the best way to move in that direction. Let us make the choice to enter the uncharted.

I am a modern Magellan. Not only am I blessed with a good sense of direction, I am outfitted with an up-to-date navigational GPS (voiced by one Mr. John Cleese… awesome), a phone with GPS and navigational features, and on-demand access to Google Maps. I don't get lost. I always know where I am. I always know where I am going. I research it on Google maps. I look at the street view. I familiarize myself with landmarks. I see if there are short cuts, roadwork, freeways, causeways, and one ways.

My wife Kim, on the other hand, has a terrible sense of direction. TERR-I-BLE (Love you.) Given how different our approaches are to navigation (terrible vs. awesome), it should come as no surprise that our worst arguments have been the result of her getting lost and me trying to direct her over the phone. (Which, in reality, is really much better than arguing over things that actually matter, like what to name our son. Oscar FTW.)

But where I find confidence, my wife finds confinement. Could it be that my directions, the very things I think free me, actually do the opposite? While Kim enjoys the adventure, have I become a prisoner to the path I've predetermined? Have I just been a tourist? There is excitement and adventure, danger and mystery, risk and reward… and I miss all of it.

All this is off the map and in the map and around the map, yet in all my preparation, I miss it. Actually, I avoid it. I plan around it. Don't rock my boat. Being a pioneer scares me. Kim anticipates it. Being a pioneer means having a different faith – one that can't be found in preparation or John Cleese or Google Maps. It is a faith that means I won't always have the security of my maps, but it is a faith that means I will always be guided.

Maybe I'm the one with terrible sense of direction.

(Has anyone seen my wife?)

Master Teacher's Guide [ view sample ]
The Master Teacher's Guide is designed for use in large-group settings such as Wednesday night gatherings, combined Sunday School classes, summer camps, and other worship gatherings. It contains background information, explanation and application points, opening illustrations and stories, prompts for personal stories, and life-changing Turning Point activities.

Leader's Guide [ view sample ]
The Small Group Leaders Guide is perfect for use in Disciple Now settings, in-home small groups, individual Sunday School classes, and other settings with one leader and 10-15 students. It contains background information, explanation and application points, group activities, discussion questions, and life-changing Turning Point activities.

Gathering Tool
The Gathering Tool is designed to provide an opening illustration for groups that meet together in a large group before dividing into small groups or Sunday School classes. This will allow small groups to experience the series video and will add to the overall experience of going through the series.

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