WELCOME ICEBREAKER How many different places have you lived in your life? Which was your favorite and which do you call “home”? WORSHIP Take time to worship and thank God for His great love and forgiveness He has extended to us. WORD Joseph is a great character in the Bible to study when learning how to forgive. As a young man he was sold into slavery by his brothers, was framed by an immoral woman, was sentenced to years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit and was forsaken by those he helped in prison. Through the hand of God he was released and went from the prison to the office of second in command in the country over night. When Joseph’s brothers came to buy grain, Joseph recognized them, but they didn’t recognize him. He refused to let them buy more food unless they returned with his beloved younger brother, Benjamin. He would test them before revealing his identity by having his own silver cup planted in Benjamin’s sack. In this home group we want to look at how Joseph makes himself known to his brothers, how he forgives them. Read Genesis 45:1-28. - First discuss or review as a group how Joseph had to walk in forgiveness in his life. What did he have to forgive?
- Why did Joseph ask his attendants to leave when he addressed his brothers? Vs. 1
- How would you describe Joseph’s relationship with God? Vs. 4-8
- Joseph saw what Paul referred to in Romans 8:28. Ask the group if anyone can share an experience that started negative but God worked it out for good.
- Do you think Joseph forgave his brothers before this time? What makes you think so?
- How did the brothers react to the bombshell that Joseph dropped when he revealed who he was? What do you think was going through their mind at this time?
- How did his dad react? What convinced him that Joseph was alive?
- Why do you think Joseph sent them back with the instructions not to quarrel along the way? Vs. 24
- Why do you think his brothers still struggled with forgiveness years later? Read Genesis 50:15-21.
WORK I encourage home group leaders to read through the entire story of Joseph before to prepare. I apologize for not having the notes ready for Sunday. Thank you for working with me on a shorter time frame this week. Please remember Leadership Summit on Thursday, November 25. In the prayer time in your group be sensitive to those who are struggling with unforgiveness. Ask if anyone needs pray to have the strength to forgive others, or to ask for forgiveness. Has this lesson helped you? Please let us know! Email home group testimonies with this form! And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 — NIV
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