START TALKING

What is a story that you loved to hear when you were younger? Maybe it is a story that your family or your friends still talk about and reminisce when you are together! Share that story with us!

What is a story that you get asked to tell by your kids or old friends or that you find yourself repeating? Why do you think that story keeps coming up?

START THINKING

Read Genesis 39:1-2 and 39:20-21. What do you notice is the same about each of these experiences for Joseph? Why does that detail matter? What do we need to remember from this when we are at our rock bottom? How does that change the questions you ask in those moments?

Read Genesis 39:8-9. As Joseph recites the story God has already written and also recites how the story could be told, who are the four characters he identifies in the story and what are each of the attributes connected to them? How do you think this helps Joseph make a life-changing decision in this moment?

START SHARING

Read Psalm 46:10 and Proverbs 21:5. How do these verses line up with the idea of "pressing pause and not play" when emotion is high? Share about a time that you made an emotional, hasty decision rather than taking time to ask God what story you want to have written. What might have been different had you taken more time to seek God's plan?

Now share about a time that you made the right choice, even if you knew it may have come with challenges or consequences, but you knew it was the story God was writing. What gave you confidence to do the right thing? How did you experience that God was with you, like Joseph did each time he was thrown into slavery and prison?

Read Hebrews 12:2. When Joseph was at rock bottom in the the pit and in prison, this may have been hard to see. But what eventually came from his obedience was the nation of Israel and ultimately the birth of Jesus. When have you been at rock bottom but looking back you see that it was only a chapter of the story? How was God writing the next chapter?

START DOING

When you are faced with a decision or a crisis, how can you build in systems and tools to press pause and remind yourself that your story is still being written and this is only a chapter?

What is something you are facing - a decision, an uncertainty, a challenge - and you are asking God what story He is writing to help you determine your direction? What do you sense the Holy Spirit is telling you to do and what are you going to do about it?

Read Revelation 12:11. How does every decision you make impact the story you have to tell that can be the difference in someone else overcoming and following Jesus? Who comes to mind that you want to ?

START PRAYING

Pray for each person's examples they shared above. Pray that we would hold each other accountable to following the story that God is writing, and allowing Him to be the author, the King, and my Lord. Pray