Joseph: Understanding God's Will for our Lives
Feb. 4 - March 17, 2024
DESTINY: Believing that God is Weaving Everything Together
March 17, 2024 • Eli Thomas • Genesis 50:15–20, 1 Corinthians 15:3–8, Romans 8:28
In the final week of JOSEPH God brings the whole story together. He is always weaving the events of our lives together for our good and for His glory. This week we look at Genesis 50 and see how Joseph gives testimony to God's work in the middle of trial. His story helps us see how God gives us the courage to face our own struggles and then uses them to save the lives of others.
DELIVERANCE: Releasing the Past and Moving Forward
March 10, 2024 • Eli Thomas • Genesis 45, Genesis 42, Genesis 43, Genesis 44
God wants to lead us in the direction of His will but sometimes we have things in our past that hold us back. Joseph had the hurt caused by his brothers that prevented him from walking in the full freedom that God wanted to give him and his brothers had the guilt and shame of their actions hanging like a cloud over their lives. But God puts them all in a place where they can both forgive and be forgiven releasing them from the bonds of sin that held them back.
DISAPPOINTMENT- Accepting What You Can't Control
February 25, 2024 • Orlie Trier • Genesis 39:6–23
Sometimes things don't go the way we expect. When we face disappointments, how do we respond? Joseph had a major turn in his life that saw him falsely accused of a crime and locked up in prison. He must have felt as though things were at their lowest. But Jospeh didn't give into despair. He accepted that he wasn't in control and put his trust in the one who was.
DISTRACTIONS: Refusing to Settle for Less Than God's Best
February 18, 2024 • Eli Thomas • Genesis 39:1–6
Distractions are all around us and frequently those distractions come as a result of the good things God gives us. The challenge this week is to not mistake the BLESSINGS of God for the WILL of God- in other words, don't be tempted to stop short of the plan God has for your life simply because he has blessed where you are right now!
DETOURS: Making Sense of Where You Are
February 11, 2024 • Genesis 37:12–36
Joseph receives a dream from God that, while unclear seems to indicate that God has great plans for his life. But then things take a radical turn. Sold by his brothers into slavery Jospeh's life seems to be headed in exactly the wrong direction. Our circumstances may make it feel like we’re headed in the wrong direction, but we later learn those detours are a strategic path to get us where God wants.
DREAMS: Understanding God's Will
February 4, 2024 • Eli Thomas • Genesis 37:1–11
God's will for our lives can often seem obscure or unclear leading us to wonder what it is that God has in mind for us. As we start a new series on the life of Joseph, what we see is that being accessible and open to God helps us to gain greater clarity into his plan. And when things ARE unclear, we are challenged to trust him even when things don't go in the direction we think they should.