Memorial stones are used to remember important events and teach future generations about God's acts. The Israelites erected stones as memorials to remember God parting the Jordan River so they could cross. These stones served as reminders of God's power and mercy. Christians also use memorials like baptism, communion, and living holy lives to proclaim God's work and be a light to others. Memorials are meant to be enduring and unmistakable reminders of God for all time and people.

1. Memorial Stones

2. The Need for Memorials Deut. 6:12-15 Be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. [13] Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. [14] Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; [15] for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land.

3. Use of Memorials To teach our children of God’s power and mercy

4. Joshua 4:6-7 “ to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' [7] tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

5. Joshua 4:21-23 He said to the Israelites, "In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?' [22] tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' [23] For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over.

6. Proverbs 22:6 " Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

7. Joshua 4:24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.

8. Use of Memorials So all the people of the earth would know that the Lord alone is God.

9. Matthew 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

10. The Nature of Memorials Enduring

11. Joshua 4:7 Tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.

12. Proverbs 22:28 Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers.

13. President Ronald Reagan ‘ I have always believed that this anointed land was set apart in an uncommon way, that a divine plan placed this great continent here between the oceans to be found by people from every corner of the earth who had a special love of faith and freedom.’

14. George Washington ‘ It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God or the Bible.’

15. Abraham Lincoln ‘ God is my witness that it is my constant anxiety and prayer that both myself and this nation be on God’s side.’

16. Calvin Coolidge ‘ The foundation of our society and our government rests so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country.’

17. The Nature of Memorials Unmistakable

18. Joshua 4:8 So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down.

19. Christian’s Memorial Stones Baptism

20. Romans 6:4-5 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. [5] If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

21. Christian’s Memorial Stones Lord’s Supper Holy Communion

22. 1 Cor. 11:26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

23. Christian’s Memorial Stones Our lives

24. 1 Peter 2:5 You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

25. Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. [2] Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is his good, pleasing and perfect will.