Use this space to take your general notes during the message.

When was a time in your life that you encountered hard times and wondered, "Where is God"? Did you feel helpless or hopeless? This is exactly what we are talking about this week as we discuss the story of Joseph.

Pastor Jonathan gave us a quick recap of the story of Joseph. To read his story in its entirety, go to Genesis 37-50. There are so many layers to the story of Joseph's life and we are going to peel them back to reveal the bigger message God has for us. It's a message or hope.

God does good things through bad times. When Jacob died, Joseph's brothers feared that after all they had put him through that, he would attempt to get even or seek revenge. However, we see that this was not the case. In fact, Joseph's response to his brothers was pretty surprising by most human standards. Read Genesis 50:19-20. What can we learn from Joseph's response to his brothers?

Put yourself in Joseph's place. How difficult would this reaction be for you? How would you feel if you were in the place of one of his brothers and on the receiving end of this grace and forgiveness?

Let's jump to the New Testament and read Romans 8:28 (NIV). In Genesis, Joseph says "God intended it all for good". That same reminder is repeated in this verse in Romans. We know that God does good things even through bad times. How have you seen specific examples of this? Use the perspective below to help you think of situations.

-For you: unexpected/foreseen blessings

-In you: character, growth (think of how Joseph grew through this story)

-For others: it’s never just about you, or the here and now

Pain can make us feel very hopeless. Pastor Jonathan told us 2 things that we can do during the hard times; Trust and Keep going. Take some time and pray to our Heavenly Father to help you do the next right thing.