When Bad Things Happen
Why does God allow bad things to happen? This is a difficult subject with no easy answers, and theologians and philosophers have debated the issue of pain and suffering for centuries. Joseph went through incredibly hard times. He suffered. He had his own questions, yet through his story, we see how God was working it out. He's doing the same with your story too! Never judge the end of the story by what you see in the middle.
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- Jul 30, 2023When Bad Things Happen
When Bad Things HappenWhy does God allow bad things to happen? This is a difficult subject with no easy answers, and theologians and philosophers have debated the issue of pain and suffering for centuries. Joseph went through incredibly hard times. He suffered. He had his own questions, yet through his story, we see how God was working it out. He's doing the same with your story too! Never judge the end of the story by what you see in the middle.
- Jul 23, 2023Forgiveness Happens
Forgiveness HappensPain and unforgiveness can sometimes go hand in hand. There can be hurt from a friend who betrayed you, a family member who harmed you, or someone who stole from you. Joseph went through great pain, but Joseph didn’t retaliate when he saw his brothers. He doesn’t demand that they give an account for the years wasted because of them. Instead, he chooses another path: forgiveness. Forgiveness is releasing the debt, not holding on to the hurt.
- Jul 16, 2023Change Happens
Change HappensDo you have dissonance in your life that hasn’t been resolved? Maybe you still hear the angry words of your parents bouncing around in your head after all these years: you’re useless; why are you so dumb; you were a mistake; and it’s caused some dissonance between who you are and who you want to be. Joseph had some dissonance in his life too, but as we’ll see, change is possible. And just as important, a changed heart is revealed through a changed behavior.
- Jul 9, 2023Blessing Happens
Blessing HappensIn Genesis 41, we see a life-changing event: Joseph is blessed and elevated to the second in command of Egypt. He is put in charge of operation “Collect the Grain.” He went from prison to prime minister, from nobody to somebody. One of the lessons we’ll see from his life is simply this He was Blessed to be a Blessing. God didn’t bless Joseph so that he could enjoy it all himself. God blessed Joseph to be a blessing to others. The same is true for you and me.
- Jul 2, 2023Progress Happens
Progress HappensThere is purpose to God’s progress and process. How do we live this out? How do we continue to seek God when it feels like we’re constantly running into roadblocks? What does it look like to wholeheartedly believe that God is constantly working in our lives and to trust Him regardless of the outcome? It looks like knowing God, remembering God, crediting God, and trusting God.
- Jun 25, 2023Pain Happens
Pain HappensJoseph had his ups and downs, and this was one of the worst downs. He was in prison, not for doing something wrong, but for doing something right. Sometimes we’ll pay a price for doing what’s right. As the pain of doing what’s right emerges, remember God’s plan, promise, and presence.
- Jun 18, 2023Unfairness Happens
Unfairness HappensIn this message, we’re continuing our series on the life of Joseph, and in this part of his story, Joseph experienced some unfairness. He’s a slave in Egypt and then accused of assaulting an official’s wife. Yikes! But even there, God is at work, and we see that God can work in any and every situation.
- Jun 11, 2023Betrayal Happens
Betrayal HappensRelationships are not always easy, and how we handle problems within those relationships can create a whole new set of problems. One of the consequences of doing relationships in a way that doesn’t honor Jesus is people are betrayed. When someone betrays you, it is a reflection of their character, not yours. You may have done a few things wrong, or maybe you did everything wrong, but you are not responsible for the actions of others. You’re responsible for your own actions.
- Jun 4, 2023Family Happens
Family HappensWhy look at the life of Joseph? Because no matter where you are in life, you can probably find something in the life of Joseph to relate to. Pain? He’s got it. Trouble. Yep Success. That too. Betrayal. Happened to him too. A messed-up family – just wait. Death of a parent – sadly, yes. Jail time, rejection, unfairness, rape, temptation, slavery – all in the life of Joseph. This is the environment that Joseph came from, and it reminds us that our family’s dysfunction doesn’t disqualify us from God’s work.