1. GROWING GODLY FAMILIES Joshua 7:10-13

2. Introduction  Once upon a time a rat looked through a crack.  Saw the farmer open a package.  Thought it was new food.  Shocked to see it was a rat trap.

3.  Ran to the chicken and told, “There is rat trap in the house.”  The chicken said, “What is it to me?”

4.  Ran to the pig and said, “There is rat trap in the house.”  “There is nothing I can do, but I will pray for you.

5.  Ran to the cow and said the same thing.  The cow said, “ I am in no danger.”  Rat was sad and felt dejected.  At night the farmer’s wife heard the trap.

6.  Ran to see.  In the darkness, did not see that there was a snake.  The snake bit the farmer’s wife.  Rushed to the hospital.

7.  Returned home with a fever.  The farmer thought that fresh chicken was good for the fever.  Sickness continued.  Friends and neighbors came.  To feed them, the farmer killed the pig.

8.  The farmer’s wife did not get well.  She died. Many people came.  So the farmer slaughtered the cow to provide meat for them to eat.

9.  The next time you hear someone is facing a problem.  Do not say it does not concern you.  If there is a rat trap in the house, everyone is at risk.

10.  In today’s Scripture, one household was the cause of Israel’s defeat.  The disintegration of one household affects us all.  The battle of Ai was a simple battle.  What went wrong?

11. 1. One family neglected their spiritual responsibilities.  The household of Achan was responsible for this.  Josh. 7:1 – “Achan took the accursed things.”  What were these accursed things?

12.  Josh. 6:17-19 – Achan took some material things.  Some things belong to God.  But we today we spend more time with our remote control or telephone than with our Bible.

13.  Whenever we take accursed things, it curses us and our household.  We cannot live successful family lifes without God.  That is the foundation.

14. 2. One family had sinful secrets in their home.  Achan knew what he did was wrong.  He hid the evidence under the floor of his tent.  Josh. 7:21

15.  When we try to hide things from God, sooner or later they will surface.  Numbers 32:23 – ‘Your sin will find you out.”  What are hiding from God in your home?

16.  You think your thoughts of jealousy, bitterness, hatred are not known to God?  Achan’s hidden sin affected his entire household.  Get rid of the accursed things.

17. 3. One family failed to give glory to God.  Josh.7:19 – Joshua speaks to Aachan  What do you do to honor God in your household?  What do I have that honors God?

18.  Does everyone one in my household have a Bible?  Do I have good Christian magazines?  Good Christian music?  If Achan had honored God in his tent, he would not have taken the accursed things.

19. Conclusion  When Achan’s sin was dealt with, the people of God won the battle at the city of Ai (Josh. 8)  When we deal with our sin, we will begin to see great things happening in our families and our church.