JOSEPH!
A HERO'S JOURNEY
Sunday, August 14th, 2022
Every HERO has a JOURNEY. So do you.
During this series we are learning about the AMAZING JOURNEY of one of the GREATEST HEROES of the Bible - Joseph. Through many challenges, Joseph never lost sight of the promise God made to him as a child. He kept his focus on God and experienced the REWARD of a life lived faithfully for God through the difficult times. We can experience the same if we will stick with God when the going gets tough!
We love blockbuster movies! And the biggest and most successful movies feature a hero we can cheer for. If you pay close attention to these epic movies, you’ll begin to notice a pattern to them. The hero doesn’t just show up and “save the day.” There is usually a journey that the hero must go on before they are ready to be the hero we long for in the story. While each story is different, there are some aspects of this journey that appear in almost every hero story. We'll be exploring those in this series and what we can learn from them.
OUR LESSON TODAY:
Joseph Sold as a Slave by His Brothers!
READ ABOUT IT: Genesis 37:12-35
Every hero experiences an event or meets a person that calls them to a higher purpose for their life. God does the same for us! But to see that purpose come true, we need to focus on our character and be the kind of person that God can use.
Every hero experiences an event or meets a person that calls them to a higher purpose for their life. God does the same for us! But to see that purpose come true, we need to focus on our character and be the kind of person that God can use.
The Heavenly Rewards GAME SHOW!
Episode Two: Meekness
Why do you think both Molly and Andre won? Explain to each other why you think Stan didn’t win, again. Joseph, a Bible Hero, earned great rewards in heaven, and one reason was his meekness. When Joseph found himself sold as a slave, instead of fighting, he chose meekness. In Joseph's life we see how God honors and rewards those who are meek.
HERE IS THE MAIN POINT FOR THIS WEEK:
Today as we continue the story of Joseph, we are reminded how we love blockbuster movies! And the biggest and most successful movies feature a hero we can cheer for. If you pay close attention to these epic movies, you’ll begin to notice a pattern to them. The hero doesn’t just show up and “save the day.” There is usually a journey that the hero must go on before they are ready to be the hero we long for in the story. While each story is different, there are some aspects of this journey that appear in almost every hero story.
Last week we looked at the Hero's Calling, this week we see things start to go downhill for Joseph as his brothers sell him away and tell his father he was killed! That is quite the plight! That's why we are calling it The Hero's Plight. That means a bad situation. How many times do you see the potential hero have to go through a bad situation BEFORE they can save the day?
So let’s talk about the next stage:
• The Hero’s Plight – Before our hero can save the day, they always have a setback. It can be a villain, but often it is something within them that holds them back that they need to overcome. In future week’s we’ll look at The Hero’s Test, The Hero’s Trial, which leads to The Hero’s Hope, The Hero’s Triumph, The Hero’s Return – and finally The Hero’s Legacy – which is what we all hope to have someday!
But before we get to leaving a Legacy with our lives, there are some hard times that come first that form our character. How we respond to those will determine whether or not we become a hero. Last week we learned about how God showed Joseph he had a plan and calling for his life. Pretty exciting! But soon, things took a really bad turn. We’ll call that The Hero’s Plight. Joseph found himself sold as a SLAVE by his own brothers. I doubt THAT is going to happen to you, but I can tell you bad things will happen to you in life. How do I know? The Bible actually tells us so!
READ: John 16:33 below.
Last week we looked at the Hero's Calling, this week we see things start to go downhill for Joseph as his brothers sell him away and tell his father he was killed! That is quite the plight! That's why we are calling it The Hero's Plight. That means a bad situation. How many times do you see the potential hero have to go through a bad situation BEFORE they can save the day?
So let’s talk about the next stage:
• The Hero’s Plight – Before our hero can save the day, they always have a setback. It can be a villain, but often it is something within them that holds them back that they need to overcome. In future week’s we’ll look at The Hero’s Test, The Hero’s Trial, which leads to The Hero’s Hope, The Hero’s Triumph, The Hero’s Return – and finally The Hero’s Legacy – which is what we all hope to have someday!
But before we get to leaving a Legacy with our lives, there are some hard times that come first that form our character. How we respond to those will determine whether or not we become a hero. Last week we learned about how God showed Joseph he had a plan and calling for his life. Pretty exciting! But soon, things took a really bad turn. We’ll call that The Hero’s Plight. Joseph found himself sold as a SLAVE by his own brothers. I doubt THAT is going to happen to you, but I can tell you bad things will happen to you in life. How do I know? The Bible actually tells us so!
READ: John 16:33 below.
Jesus didn’t say in this world you “might” have trouble, he said “you will” have trouble. But the good news is, He also said we can have peace because He has overcome the world. We can trust that God is with us and will help us and give us strength in the middle of hard times.
READ: Isaiah 41:10 below.
READ: Isaiah 41:10 below.
Joseph knew that God was with him, even as a slave, and that somehow, God would work this out and his dream would still come true. We can know this too – even when bad things happen.
READ: Romans 8:28 below
READ: Romans 8:28 below
Yes, it was a terrible thing that Joseph was sold by his brothers to be a slave. But Joseph chose to have a good attitude. He decided that he might be a slave, but he was really owned and cared for and loved by God and no matter what was happening, he wouldn’t stop trusting in God and His plan for his life.
READ: Colossians 3:23-24 below
READ: Colossians 3:23-24 below
Perhaps Joseph thought, “If God wants me to be a slave, then I’m going to be the best slave they have ever seen.” Like Colossians 3:23-24 says, Joseph decided HIS MASTER was God and that ultimately, he was serving God, not a man, and therefore he would just do his very best.
Wait until next week when you see what happened as a result of that positive attitude!
Wait until next week when you see what happened as a result of that positive attitude!
FAMILY DISCUSSION GUIDE!
Use this PYRAMID to discuss the lesson as a family! If you want to re-play the game, compete as a family and build PYRAMIDS with plastic cups!
DOWNLOAD AND READ!
This weekly guide will give you some Scriptures to look up, family discussion questions and more so you can learn more about our Rock Solid Adventure from The Outpost this week!
DOWNLOAD AND READ!
This weekly guide will give you some Scriptures to look up, family discussion questions and more so you can learn more about our Rock Solid Adventure from The Outpost this week!
If you are catching up, here is the link to NEXT WEEK. (If not linked, it's not live yet.)
THIS MONTH'S SCRIPTURE CHALLENGE!
WE ARE WORKING TO MEMORIZE THIS PASSAGE:
