The Bridge Church
Joseph: Living The Dream - Week 7
December 18, 2022
Locations & Times
Englewood SKY Academy
871 S River Rd, Englewood, FL 34223, USA
Thursday 9:00 AM
Thursday 10:30 AM
God is able to do great things through not so great things.
Your pain is redeemable.
MY NEXT STEP TODAY IS:
I need to receive Jesus Christ as my personal Savior for the first time
I need to be baptized
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/baptism
I need to attend Starting Point
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/starting-point
I need to join a small group
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/bridge-groups
I need to join a serve team
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/serve
I need to receive Jesus Christ as my personal Savior for the first time
I need to be baptized
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/baptism
I need to attend Starting Point
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/starting-point
I need to join a small group
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/bridge-groups
I need to join a serve team
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/serve
All things, even bad things, can become one thing: Good.
Dig Deeper:
1. Have you ever carried around a lot of luggage through an airport or on a vacation? How tiring was it to do so?
2. Why do we hold on to past regrets, hurts, and shame longer than we need to?
3. Read Genesis 50:15-18. Joseph forgave his brothers all those years ago. Why do you think the brothers are still under the impression that Joseph has a grudge against them?
4. Read Genesis 50:19-20. Has someone ever wronged you, but God used it and produced good things out of it?
5. Why is it so easy to think about our own circumstances, and how life is affecting us, instead of looking at how God is working through it all?
6. What must we do to turn our story into God’s story?
7. When our focus is on God, and not on our own desires or preferences, what changes? Who is affected by the changes?
8. Read Romans 8:28. Does knowing that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him allow you to trust Him more?
9. How is God working all things together for good different from having only good things happen to us? How is that misinterpreted sometimes?
10. What would you prefer: having a “good” life or God working all things together for good in your life?
11. Discuss how God has grown you spiritually through challenges you have faced in your life. Would you have grown in that way if there were not challenges?
12. Do you view your pain and suffering as pointless and worthless or as redeemable and with purpose?
13. We all have a lens when seeing the world and processing our circumstances. Identify one area of your life right now that creates challenge and difficulty. In what ways can you change your view of these circumstances?
14. Read Romans 8:18. What is the glory that is going to be revealed to us?
15. How did God use Jesus’ life and resurrection similarly to Joseph’s life? How is Joseph’s story a foreshadowing of what was to come?
16. What famine are we facing in our community right now? How can we be used by God for the greater good?
Live It Out:
All things, even bad things, can be become one thing: Good.
1. Our stories are about so much more than us. Identify one way in which you can take the focus off of you, and your circumstances, and refocus on something bigger that God seeks to entrust you with. Pray to God that He would continuously refocus your mind to this bigger picture.
2. God is able to great things through not-so-great things. Identify an area of your life that you consider not-so-great. On a piece of paper, make two columns. On the left side, write out all of the reasons this not-so-great thing is not-so-great. Then, on the right side, identify ways in which God has used these circumstances to produce spiritual growth in you. If you can’t see any growth yet, write down how you could see God using this circumstance in the future. Pray to God, thanking Him for using your circumstances for something bigger than yourself.
3. Your pain is redeemable. Would you agree with that statement? Do you consider the pain you have endured as meaningful and ultimately for your good and the good of others? This week, choose to believe that God is still in control and can work through seemingly impossible circumstances to do something truly great.
Reading Plan:
Monday: Genesis 50:15-20
Tuesday: Romans 8:18-30
Wednesday: Hebrews 6: 10-18
Thursday: Psalm 23
Friday: Jeremiah 29: 10-14
Saturday: Galatians 6:6-10
1. Have you ever carried around a lot of luggage through an airport or on a vacation? How tiring was it to do so?
2. Why do we hold on to past regrets, hurts, and shame longer than we need to?
3. Read Genesis 50:15-18. Joseph forgave his brothers all those years ago. Why do you think the brothers are still under the impression that Joseph has a grudge against them?
4. Read Genesis 50:19-20. Has someone ever wronged you, but God used it and produced good things out of it?
5. Why is it so easy to think about our own circumstances, and how life is affecting us, instead of looking at how God is working through it all?
6. What must we do to turn our story into God’s story?
7. When our focus is on God, and not on our own desires or preferences, what changes? Who is affected by the changes?
8. Read Romans 8:28. Does knowing that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him allow you to trust Him more?
9. How is God working all things together for good different from having only good things happen to us? How is that misinterpreted sometimes?
10. What would you prefer: having a “good” life or God working all things together for good in your life?
11. Discuss how God has grown you spiritually through challenges you have faced in your life. Would you have grown in that way if there were not challenges?
12. Do you view your pain and suffering as pointless and worthless or as redeemable and with purpose?
13. We all have a lens when seeing the world and processing our circumstances. Identify one area of your life right now that creates challenge and difficulty. In what ways can you change your view of these circumstances?
14. Read Romans 8:18. What is the glory that is going to be revealed to us?
15. How did God use Jesus’ life and resurrection similarly to Joseph’s life? How is Joseph’s story a foreshadowing of what was to come?
16. What famine are we facing in our community right now? How can we be used by God for the greater good?
Live It Out:
All things, even bad things, can be become one thing: Good.
1. Our stories are about so much more than us. Identify one way in which you can take the focus off of you, and your circumstances, and refocus on something bigger that God seeks to entrust you with. Pray to God that He would continuously refocus your mind to this bigger picture.
2. God is able to great things through not-so-great things. Identify an area of your life that you consider not-so-great. On a piece of paper, make two columns. On the left side, write out all of the reasons this not-so-great thing is not-so-great. Then, on the right side, identify ways in which God has used these circumstances to produce spiritual growth in you. If you can’t see any growth yet, write down how you could see God using this circumstance in the future. Pray to God, thanking Him for using your circumstances for something bigger than yourself.
3. Your pain is redeemable. Would you agree with that statement? Do you consider the pain you have endured as meaningful and ultimately for your good and the good of others? This week, choose to believe that God is still in control and can work through seemingly impossible circumstances to do something truly great.
Reading Plan:
Monday: Genesis 50:15-20
Tuesday: Romans 8:18-30
Wednesday: Hebrews 6: 10-18
Thursday: Psalm 23
Friday: Jeremiah 29: 10-14
Saturday: Galatians 6:6-10