Life Group Announcements:
1. Normal church service will continue on Sunday, December 23rd (8:30/10:30 AM) and then Christmas Eve service will be held on Monday, December 24th at 4 PM.
2. This past Sunday (December 2nd), Pastor Julian Malotti was officially/publically prayed into the lead pastor role. Please continue to pray for him and his family during this new journey.
Life Group Questions:
Preacher: Pastor Julian Malotti
Title: The Importance of Perseverance
1. We read from the main text that Joseph was a man of God, loved, and obeyed Him, yet he went through a 13 year trial that was unfair. There is a basic truth to this life that we often forget and it is this: Life is sometimes hard and unfair (yes, even for the Christian).
Why do you think we forget this simple truth sometimes? Where does this idea come from that says following Christ means everything will always be smooth? (See John 16:33). Was Jesus’ life smooth on Earth?
2. Since the realistic truth is that life can be hard and unfair for the Christian, the thought process and skill we need to learn changes from “how to dodge trials” to “how to navigate them in obedience to God.”
Have you ever been tempted to think that God had abandoned you in your trial? Looking back now, do you see how He was actually allowing it for His glory and your good? If you feel comfortable, please share a personal story about how you grew from this.
3. Everything Joseph went through while being sold into slavery and falsely accused of rape, things surely seemed to not be making sense, especially after God had given him powerful dreams about greatness/blessings in his life in the future.
Can you relate to Joseph here? Has God ever spoken to you about a situation, you became encouraged, and then it seemed like the opposite started happening? How did you respond to that? What would you have done differently?
4. We learned from Joseph that it’s possible to serve God and do what’s right even in the midst of trials. Joseph didn’t allow his circumstance or feelings to determine his level of obedience to God.
Why is it so easy to only obey God when things are going our way? What are some good ways to avoid doing this? What does it look like in your life?
5. Lastly, we were encouraged in the message to keep on keeping on (keep on persevering)! The blessing awaits you on the other end of the trial, circumstance, confusion, etc. The growth, faith, and joy is built within the trial, not in the absence of it. As you encounter others throughout the coming days, remember this truth and encourage others of it as well. Begin using people’s dark times as an opportunity to remind them that it is ultimately God’s plan to conform us into His image.
Bible Verses Read Sunday:
• Genesis 39:1-9 (Main text)
• Genesis 41:39-40 and 46
