September 24, 2023

Brothers – Part One – Genesis 37 and 39 – Rev. Justin Young

Main idea: Family may fail, but God is faithful.

Genesis 37 and 39

  1. Family Dynamics (Genesis 37:1-11)


  2. Brothers' Deception (Genesis 37:12-36)


  3. Joseph's Integrity (Genesis 39)


  4. God's Sovereignty (Genesis 39:2, 3, 20-21)


  5. Jesus's Cross

Significance

  1. Your mistakes don’t derail God’s plan.


  2. Your faithfulness advances God’s plan.




Announcements

Youth Fall Retreat - Friday, October 13 through Sunday, October 15. Parents are invited to join youth on Saturday, October 14 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Registration closes Sunday, October 1. More information and registration available online.

Congregational Meeting – Sunday, October 22 towards the end of the English worship.

  • The Chinese congregations will have their congregational meeting towards the end of the 9:00 a.m. service.
  • In addition to church-wide updates, members will vote on new deacons. (The Deacon Nominating Committee includes Kim Freije, Howard Huang, Cecil Lee, Justin Young, and Kun Zhu.)

Membership Class – Saturday, October 28 at the Chen’s.

50th Anniversary Celebration Weekend

  • Friday, November 3 at 7:30 p.m. – Join with others for a memorable game night in the sanctuary.
  • Saturday, November 4 at 2:00 p.m. – Celebrate the ordination of Pastor Rugang Li and Pastor Calvin Qin in the sanctuary.
  • Sunday, November 5 at 10:00 a.m. – Worship with all our congregations!

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This Week's Bible Reading

  • September 25 - Psalm 149, Judges 11
  • September 26 - Psalm 150, Judges 12
  • September 27 - Proverbs 30, Judges 13
  • September 28 - Proverbs 31, Judges 14
  • September 29 - Psalm 1, Judges 15

(Complete plan here.)

Growth Group Guide

This week's prayer tip: Begin your small group with prayer so you don’t run out of time at the end. (source)

  1. Do you dream? What dreams do you remember?
  2. Read Genesis 37:1-11. Divide into two groups debating for and against the idea that Joseph’s family is unusually dysfunctional.
  3. Summarize Joseph’s life as recorded in Genesis 37:12-36 and Genesis 39.
  4. What suffering does Joseph encounter? How is Joseph faithful despite significant suffering? How does Joseph’s life help us see that faithfulness to God does not necessarily protect us from suffering?
  5. Describe how you have seen God’s plan borne out in your life despite your mistakes and through your faithfulness.