Dear Noblesville First Family,

This week, my passport took me to Cherokee, North Carolina—a special place just inside the northern border of the state, nestled at the southern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Cherokee is a sovereign nation within the Appalachian Mountains. While I didn’t truly need a passport to enter, I was reminded that even here, barriers still stand. My family crossed the border with ease—we ate, enjoyed great coffee, and visited the museum. The barriers I noticed were not made of stone or wire, but of the unseen kind—those shaped by culture, history, and the limits of our own perspectives.

This Sunday, we’ll hear the story of the Israelites confronting the walls of Jericho. Before they reached that city, they spent years in the desert—shedding the old ways of Egypt and learning to trust in God’s leading.

I invite you to reflect: What does it mean to follow faith wherever God leads? How does faith empower us to tear down the walls that keep us out, keep us in, or keep us from knowing the love of Christ?

Join us Sunday, as our passport of faith carries us to Jericho.

Keep the Faith@First,
Pastor Amber