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Joshua 1:9 “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.”
The book of Joshua opens with a defining moment: Israel stands at the edge of the Jordan with the towering legacy of Moses’ leadership behind them. As a newly formed nation being shaped into “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6), they have witnessed the visible presence, provision, and power of God throughout the wilderness years. Now before them lies the land God promised, a land flowing with milk and honey — and a journey that will require courage, obedience, and unwavering trust. God’s call to Joshua, “Arise, go… be strong and courageous… as I was with Moses, so I will be with you,” becomes the anchor for his leadership and the banner over the people, inspiring them to step out of what is familiar, into what God has spoken, and toward what He has prepared.
In many ways, Calvary Church stands at a similar threshold. As we step into 2026, we remember with gratitude the enduring legacy of our late Senior Pastor Prince Guneratnam. For over five decades, Senior Pastor — together with Sister Petrina, our overseer — led Calvary through seasons of growth, sacrifice and impact, taking us from a small congregation to a missions-minded, Spirit-filled, multi-generational church with a global footprint. Standing on this rich and entrusted legacy, we now press on to take hold of the greater things God has prepared for Calvary — “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” (1 Corinthians 2:9). We step out not in our strength, but in the assurance that the same God who went before Joshua — and faithfully led our late visionary Senior Pastor — goes before us still, and He will be with us wherever we go.
The monthly sub-themes will reflect the three movements drawn from the book of Joshua:
· UPWARD — Anchored in God We begin the year by fixing our eyes on God — His presence, His promise, and His power. Before Israel took a single step, God anchored them in the authority and promises of His Word.
· INWARD — Set Apart for God We allow God to shape our inner life so that our hearts align with His will and purpose. Israel could only conquer and be victorious as they walked in faith, obedience and consecration.
· OUTWARD — Advancing God’s Mission Through their conquests and possession of the land, God’s name was made known among the surrounding nations. As we continue to advance God’s kingdom, our vision is to see lives transformed and nations impacted through God’s work in and through Calvary.
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Month |
Sub-Theme |
Scripture |
Emphasis
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UPWARD — ANCHORED IN GOD
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Jan |
Arise and Go
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Joshua 1:2-3 (NKJV) 2 Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. |
“Arise and go” is God’s invitation to move forward with courage and actively take hold of the abundant life and purpose He has prepared for us — as individuals, families, and as a church. He has already given us every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3), grace for every assignment (2 Corinthians 9:8), and authority to overcome the enemy (Luke 10:19). Like Israel, we must leave the familiar, step out of our comfort zones, break free from our “Egypt,” and release past successes to embrace God’s promise. Israel had to cross the Jordan to enter Canaan. What “Jordan” stands between your present reality and God’s promise? Bring it to the Lord at the onset of the year.
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Feb |
Staying Anchored in the Word |
Joshua 1:8 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. |
As Israel prepared to take possession of the promised land, God commanded Joshua to meditate on His law continually and obey it fully. The Hebrew word hagah for “meditate” conveys the idea of actively pondering, murmuring, and even “growling” like a satisfied lion devouring its prey. It paints a picture of passionate, intense, and persistent engagement with God’s Word—so deep that it shapes our thoughts, attitudes, and behaviour.
When we hagah the Word, we gain godly wisdom to make sound decisions and accomplish all that God intends for us. When was the last time you hagah God’s Word? How might your life look different if you intentionally make God’s Word your pursuit in 2026?
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Mar
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Stepping Out in Courage
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Joshua 1:9 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.” |
God told Joshua four times in one chapter to be “strong and courageous.” The repetition is not redundant but profoundly intentional. Israel was crossing the Jordan at flood stage (Joshua 3:15) and stepping into uncharted territory.
Ahead of them stood giants like the Anakites and hostile nations such as the Jebusites, Hivites, Amorites, Perizzites, and Canaanites—fortified cities, brutal armies, and immense, humanly impossible obstacles. God was prescribing the antidote to fear before panic and competing voices could drown out His assuring presence. What voices are speaking loudest to you—fear, doubt, despair, failure, worldly opinion? Turn up the volume: Immanuel — God is with you. Let every other voice be silenced.
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April |
Obeying Wholeheartedly |
Joshua 1:16-17 16 Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you.”
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Israel’s bold pledge of loyalty to Joshua reflected genuine desire, yet their later choices revealed how quickly wholehearted obedience can become selective when the cost is high. Years of gruelling battles with no immediate reward, the strength of their enemies, the lure of plunder, and cultural pressures slowly eroded their resolve. Fear, fatigue, discouragement, and a lack of spiritual vigilance shifted their posture from God-dependence to self-reliance.
What sustains wholehearted obedience is not willpower, but relationship. The more we trust God’s heart, the more our obedience flows from devotion, rather than duty. Is obedience becoming a pressure for you? Return to relationship — let God rekindle your heart.
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INWARD — SET APART FOR GOD
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May |
The Consecrated Life
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Joshua 3:5 Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” |
Before Israel could cross the Jordan and witness God’s miraculous power, they were first called to consecrate themselves. Consecration is an inward surrender — setting ourselves apart, purifying heart and mind, and removing what dulls our devotion or restricts the flow of His power.
Often, God withholds “amazing” works not because He is unwilling, but because there is a character mismatch — the level of our spiritual maturity, humility, and purity of heart cannot “handle” the sheer weight of His holiness and glory. The Lord is still doing amazing things. How can you position yourself for the manifestation of His glory?
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June |
Realign Your Heart
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Joshua 7:11, 13 11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. . . 13 “Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There are devoted things among you, Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.” |
In Joshua 3:5, God promised to do amazing things among His people when they consecrated themselves. But by Joshua 7, “devoted things”—hidden sin and compromised devotion — were standing in the very way of these “amazing things.” The stinging defeat at Ai reveals a vital principle: unconfessed sin weakens our spiritual defense and leaves us powerless before the enemy. Realignment is not optional; it is the urgent prerequisite for restored strength and victory.
Achan’s sin exposes the lie that sin is private. Personal sin carries communal consequences — weakening families, ministries, and even churches. One man’s compromise opened the door to defeat for all. How might that reality shape your choices today?
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July |
Remembering His Faithfulness
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Joshua 4:6-7 6 We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.” |
God calls Joshua to intentionally build spiritual memorials to commemorate what He has done, so His works would never be forgotten.
Forgetfulness was a major factor in Israel’s repeated cycle of sin, suffering, crying out, and returning to God. It was not merely stubbornness — it was a failure of remembrance. Israel forgot God’s covenant, His commands, His works, and His deliverance. And when they forgot His goodness, their hearts drifted and their perspective shifted. Gratitude gave way to complaints. Fear grew where confidence once stood. Obedience lost its motivation, trust eroded, and sin regained its appeal. Half a year has gone by—what stones of remembrance can you put in place?
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Aug
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Walking in Covenant Identity
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Joshua 5:9 9 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day. |
Although Israel had left Egypt 40 years earlier, Egypt had not fully left them. Likewise, we can walk with God for years and still carry old wounds, cling to labels He has removed, or remain bound by destructive thought patterns that keep us from living as liberated heirs of His promises. At Gilgal, circumcision marked Israel’s decisive break from their slave identity and re-established them as God’s covenant people.
Today, what marks us is not physical circumcision but circumcision of the heart — a lifelong work of the Spirit transforming us from within. Where do you need a “Gilgal moment,” allowing God to reshape who you think you are so you can live like who He says you are?
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OUTWARD — ADVANCING GOD’S MISSION
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Sept |
Completing the Unfinished Task
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Joshua 13:1 (NKJV) Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the Lord said to him: “You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed.”
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Israel left “very much land yet to be possessed” not because God withheld provision, but because they failed to persevere and press in fully. Once the major threats were neutralised, they settled for a “good enough” peace instead of the total victory God commanded. They chose comfort over conviction, convenience over covenant and they accepted partial possession of the full promise.
Likewise, we often leave “territories” unpossessed — character issues unaddressed, conflicts unresolved, tasks unfinished, ministries avoided, gifts unused, callings postponed. Settling for partial victory can sabotage the fullness of God’s intention for our lives. Don’t settle for what is merely good and miss God’s best. What land do you still need to possess?
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Oct |
Advancing the Kingdom Together |
Joshua 18:3-4 3 So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you? 4 Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land.” |
While five tribes had already secured their inheritance, seven still had not stepped into their God-given territory. Joshua’s challenge — “How long will you wait before taking possession?” — was addressed to all Israel, because the unfinished obedience of one tribe affected the entire nation. He mobilised three men from each tribe to survey the unpossessed land; no tribe could say, “That’s your battle, not mine.” Together, they were re-aligned to God’s larger vision and agenda.
Kingdom advancement is never the work of an “elite few” in full-time ministry. Reaching families, restoring prodigals, discipling believers, and evangelising communities is the shared mission of all Calvarites. What is your God-assigned task in this mission? How long will you wait to complete it?
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Nov |
Serving the Lord Faithfully
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Joshua 24:14-15 14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. . . 15 But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” |
In his farewell address, Joshua issued a final call to covenant faithfulness. His charge — “Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness” — revealed that Israel still lacked true reverence and wrestled with divided loyalties despite all they had witnessed. Although the military conquest was largely complete, the greater battle was for their hearts. Joshua confronted them with a decisive choice requiring a total break from past allegiances and a renewed commitment to God: “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Advancing God’s Kingdom begins by securing the outpost of our own hearts and homes. What would it take for you to make that your resolve?
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Dec |
Leaving a Legacy of Faith
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Joshua 23:14 You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.
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In his closing discourse, Joshua reminded Israel that “not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed.” God had been perfectly faithful; likewise, Israel was to remain faithful so the next generation would see His faithfulness through their lives. Joshua’s own life stood as an enduring testimony to the utter reliability of God’s Word — Israel could trust her Promise-Keeper. Knowing that this generation could inherit the land yet still lose the legacy, he warned them not to bow to surrounding idols or cultural pressures, but to love the Lord wholeheartedly (vv. 11–13).
How is your story unfolding? You decide how the remaining chapters will be written. And Calvary — may our legacy endure for generations!
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CHURCH SUB-THEMES 2026 – STEPPING OUT
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UPWARD — ANCHORED IN GOD
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INWARD — SET APART FOR GOD
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OUTWARD— ADVANCING GOD’S MISSION
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January – Arise and Go (Joshua 1:2-3)
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May – The Consecrated Life (Joshua 3:5))
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Sept – Completing the Unfinished Task (Joshua 13:1)
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February – Staying Anchored in the Word (Joshua 1:8)
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June – Realign Your Heart (Joshua 7:11, 13)
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October – Advancing the Kingdom Together (Joshua 18:3-4) |
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March – Stepping Out in Courage (Joshua 1:9) |
July – Remembering His Faithfulness (Joshua 4:6-7)
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November – Serving the Lord Faithfully (Joshua 24:14-15) |
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April – Obeying Whole-heartedly (Joshua 1:16-17)
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August – Walking in Covenant Identity (Joshua 5:9) |
December – Leaving a Legacy of Faith (Joshua 23:14) |