Trusting God's Plan Through Life's Trials
Summary
### Summary
Today, we explored the profound truth that God loves us and has a plan and purpose for our lives. We began by acknowledging the importance of understanding and accepting God's love, as it is foundational to our faith. Without this understanding, we struggle to grasp the rest of God's word and its transformative power in our lives. We then delved into the story of Joseph from Genesis 37, illustrating how God revealed His plan to Joseph at a young age and how Joseph's journey, filled with trials and tribulations, ultimately led to the fulfillment of God's promises.
Joseph's story teaches us that while we may face significant challenges and setbacks, God's presence remains with us, guiding and blessing us through the process. Despite being sold into slavery, falsely accused, and imprisoned, Joseph trusted God and did not force his way into the fulfillment of God's promises. Instead, he allowed God to work through the circumstances, leading him to a position of great authority and influence in Egypt.
We also discussed the importance of not forcing doors open or closed in our lives. In our impatience, we often try to make things happen on our own, but true peace and success come from trusting God's timing and His process. We must learn to trust God through the ups and downs, knowing that He is working all things for our good and His glory.
### Key Takeaways
1. God's Love is Foundational: Understanding and accepting God's love is crucial for our faith. Without this foundation, we struggle to comprehend and live out the rest of God's word. God's love is not based on our actions but on His nature. He demonstrated this love by sending His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. [08:03]
2. God Has a Plan and Purpose for Your Life: Just as God had a specific plan for Joseph, He has a unique plan for each of us. This plan often involves dreams and visions that God places in our hearts. While the journey may be challenging, we must trust that God is working through every circumstance to fulfill His purpose in our lives. [15:27]
3. Trust God Through the Process: Life's journey is filled with ups and downs, but we must learn to trust God through it all. Joseph's story shows us that even when things seem bleak, God's presence and blessings are with us. Trusting God through the process, rather than forcing outcomes, leads to true fulfillment of His promises. [29:19]
4. Do Not Force the Door: In our impatience, we often try to force things to happen in our lives. However, forcing doors open or closed can lead to frustration and failure. Instead, we should wait on God's timing and trust that He will open the right doors and close the wrong ones. [31:51]
5. God Uses Our Trials for His Glory: The trials and tribulations we face are not without purpose. God uses these experiences to shape us, build our character, and prepare us for the roles He has planned for us. Joseph's journey from the pit to the palace is a testament to how God can turn our struggles into stepping stones for His greater plan. [25:48]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[01:26] - Prayed Over and Prayer
[02:48] - Struggles with Sleep
[04:05] - Forcing Things in Life
[05:26] - Introduction to Joseph's Story
[06:32] - Points Overview
[08:03] - God Loves You and You Need a Savior
[11:06] - Genesis 37 and Joseph's Dreams
[15:27] - God Has a Plan and Purpose for Your Life
[18:10] - Joseph's Trials Begin
[19:56] - Potiphar's Wife and False Accusations
[21:30] - Joseph in Prison
[23:30] - Pharaoh's Dream and Joseph's Rise
[25:48] - Joseph's Authority in Egypt
[28:11] - Joseph's Brothers Bow Before Him
[29:19] - Trust God Through the Process
[31:51] - Do Not Force the Door
[34:06] - Personal Story of Trusting God's Plan
[38:33] - Trusting God in Difficult Times
[39:20] - Opportunities for Ministry
[41:08] - Prayer and Trusting God
[42:50] - Praying for Each Other
[43:38] - Closing Prayer and Encouragement
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Genesis 37:3-11 (Joseph's Dreams)
2. Genesis 39:2-4 (The Lord was with Joseph)
3. Romans 8:28 (God works all things for good)
### Observation Questions
1. What were the circumstances that led to Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers? (Genesis 37:3-11)
2. How did Joseph respond to the false accusations made by Potiphar's wife, and what was the outcome? (Genesis 39:2-4)
3. According to Romans 8:28, how does God use the trials and tribulations we face in our lives?
4. In the sermon, what was emphasized as foundational to understanding and living out God's word? [08:03]
### Interpretation Questions
1. How does Joseph's story illustrate the concept that God has a plan and purpose for each of our lives? [15:27]
2. What does it mean to trust God through the process, and how did Joseph exemplify this in his life? [29:19]
3. Why is it important not to force doors open or closed in our lives, according to the sermon? [31:51]
4. How can the trials we face be used for God's glory, as seen in Joseph's journey from the pit to the palace? [25:48]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you tried to force something to happen in your life. What was the outcome, and how might you approach it differently now, trusting in God's timing? [04:05]
2. Joseph faced many setbacks but continued to trust in God's plan. How can you cultivate a similar trust in your own life, especially during difficult times? [29:19]
3. Understanding and accepting God's love is foundational to our faith. How can you deepen your understanding of God's love this week? [08:03]
4. Identify a current challenge or trial you are facing. How can you see this situation as an opportunity for God to work for your good and His glory? [25:48]
5. Think about a door you are trying to force open or closed in your life. What steps can you take to surrender this situation to God's timing and will? [31:51]
6. Joseph's story shows that God can use our trials to prepare us for greater roles. How can you view your current struggles as preparation for future opportunities? [25:48]
7. How can you support someone else in your life who is going through a difficult time, helping them to trust in God's plan and timing? [39:20]
Devotional
Day 1: God's Love is the Foundation of Our Faith
Understanding and accepting God's love is crucial for our faith. Without this foundation, we struggle to comprehend and live out the rest of God's word. God's love is not based on our actions but on His nature. He demonstrated this love by sending His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. This love is unconditional and everlasting, providing us with the security and confidence to face life's challenges. When we truly grasp the depth of God's love, it transforms our hearts and minds, enabling us to love others as He loves us. [08:03]
1 John 4:9-10 (ESV): "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
Reflection: How can you remind yourself daily of God's unconditional love for you? What practical steps can you take to live out this love in your interactions with others today?
Day 2: God Has a Unique Plan and Purpose for Your Life
Just as God had a specific plan for Joseph, He has a unique plan for each of us. This plan often involves dreams and visions that God places in our hearts. While the journey may be challenging, we must trust that God is working through every circumstance to fulfill His purpose in our lives. Joseph's story reminds us that even when we face trials and setbacks, God's plan is still in motion. Our role is to remain faithful and obedient, trusting that God will bring His promises to fruition in His perfect timing. [15:27]
Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV): "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Reflection: What dreams or visions has God placed in your heart? How can you trust Him more fully with the challenges and setbacks you face in pursuing these dreams?
Day 3: Trust God Through the Process
Life's journey is filled with ups and downs, but we must learn to trust God through it all. Joseph's story shows us that even when things seem bleak, God's presence and blessings are with us. Trusting God through the process, rather than forcing outcomes, leads to true fulfillment of His promises. When we rely on God's wisdom and timing, we experience peace and assurance, knowing that He is in control and working all things for our good and His glory. [29:19]
Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you find it difficult to trust God's timing? How can you practice surrendering these areas to Him and relying on His wisdom today?
Day 4: Do Not Force the Door
In our impatience, we often try to force things to happen in our lives. However, forcing doors open or closed can lead to frustration and failure. Instead, we should wait on God's timing and trust that He will open the right doors and close the wrong ones. This requires patience and faith, believing that God's plans are better than our own. When we wait on the Lord, we find peace and assurance, knowing that He is guiding our steps and orchestrating our lives according to His perfect will. [31:51]
Psalm 37:7 (ESV): "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!"
Reflection: Are there any areas in your life where you are trying to force outcomes? How can you practice waiting on God's timing and trusting Him to open and close doors as He sees fit?
Day 5: God Uses Our Trials for His Glory
The trials and tribulations we face are not without purpose. God uses these experiences to shape us, build our character, and prepare us for the roles He has planned for us. Joseph's journey from the pit to the palace is a testament to how God can turn our struggles into stepping stones for His greater plan. When we face difficulties, we can take comfort in knowing that God is with us, using our trials to refine us and bring glory to His name. [25:48]
James 1:2-4 (ESV): "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
Reflection: How have past trials shaped your character and faith? How can you view your current challenges as opportunities for growth and trust in God's greater plan?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "God loves you, and you need a Savior. This point is foundational to the Christian faith. Not just to this message today, but it's foundational to the Christian faith. God loves you, and you need a Savior. If you don't agree with that this morning, if you're struggling with that thought this morning, I'm going to tell you, you're going to struggle. You're going to struggle with everything else that this word has to say. If you don't believe in your heart that God loves you, this won't make sense. This won't change your life if you can't wrap your mind around the thought that God loves you." (40 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Church, you are incapable of loving other people. Sorry, my wife just made a face because I spit sometimes in my talk. She's been watching me do that all morning. Side note. We are incapable of loving other people if we don't know the love of God. You tracking with me? See the enemy's trying to thwart. He's trying to thwart my plans this morning. We're going to talk about that here in a little bit. We are incapable of loving other people if you don't understand the love that God has for you first. Church is foundational." (33 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "As a believer in Jesus Christ, if you're in here today and you're a believer in Jesus Christ, God has a plan for you and it's to reach people with the gospel message. All right? That's big picture, okay? That's 30,000 foot view. That's God's plans for our lives. He wants to change this world through me and you. He, he wants to use me and you to bring the gospel to people around us. That's what he wants to do." (24 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Church, God's given you dreams. He's given you visions. He's given you promises. But too often, we hear this phrase, hey, trust the process. Just trust, anybody trust the process, right? You're going through some garbage, you're like, just gotta trust the process. It'll work out. It'll work. It'll work out. Just trust the process. It's okay. That's an okay mindset to have, but what if we learn to trust God through the process? We put our trust in the process. That's gonna let us down at some point in time. But church, if we can learn to trust God through the process." (39 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "God works all, all things good for those who love Him who've been called according to His purpose. I look in this place and these three different services and I know this is something new for New Hope Church, but each service is a little bit smaller than what we're used to, right? But here's the cool thing about that is we look around here and there's plenty of open seats in this place right now, right? You know what I see? I see a boatload of opportunity. I see opportunity for you guys to take the gospel, for you to take the love of Jesus Christ, understand that, know it, accept it, trust God, and the process that you're in right now, love other people and spread that gospel." (36 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "But here's the deal about sleep is unless you're an insomniac. It always comes. It might be a little bit later than what you wanted. But sleep always comes. And you can't force it. You can't make it happen. It just does. But sometimes in our lives we find that that's kind of our response to different things. We want to make things happen. We want to force things to take place in our lives. And we do that in different areas. Whether it's relationships. Sometimes we want to force certain relationships to happen. Sometimes we want people. We want people to like us. And so we do what we can to make sure they know that they can like us." (38 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Joseph didn't make this stuff happen, right? He trusted God through the process. He walked through the garbage. He went through the roller coaster up and down in life. I got to tell you, I'm 37 years old myself, right? And my wife, I said this earlier, so, you know, you guys get the same information first service. Second service didn't get this. She's older than I am, all right? So just so you know. But here we are in our 30s and 40s. And so, don't worry about that either, all right? There are a lot of things you guys don't have to worry about. I'll give you the key things you got to worry about today. We're fairly young still, in my mind, all right? We're not old by any stretch of the imagination, but we've gone through some stuff. I look in this room and I know some of you guys, you've gone through some stuff. You've had difficulties. You've had struggles. You've had things that have caused you to go, God, where are you at in this? But that does not change the truth of these first two points, church. That God loves you and he has a plan for you. And sometimes we have to go through the garbage to get to where God's taking us." (72 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "And so, so all of a sudden, he's in prison. And Joseph's just on this rollercoaster ride, okay? You track with me? He's on this rollercoaster ride of success, of failure, of success, of struggle. Of God, what? What? What's going on here? The enemy tries to thwart God's plans. And so then, the cupbearer and the baker, if you're familiar with the story, those two guys come on the scene. And if you're not familiar with the story, my challenge, get into Genesis. Read chapter 37 through 41. You know what? Read a little bit more than that. Jump ahead of where Pastor Brad's at, all right? So that when he preaches on it, you're like, oh, I remember this. You wanna learn the Bible and you want that to impact you? Absolutely do that, all right? Get into that word." (47 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "And so, so Joseph's like, cupbearer, remember me when you get out of prison. And the cupbearer's like, yeah, I got you. Except that I don't. I'm gonna go do my own thing. So the cupbearer forgets Joseph. Joseph spends two more years sitting in prison for something he didn't do until all of a sudden Pharaoh, Pharaoh has a dream. And then the cupbearer remembers, hey, there was this dude that I spent time in the clanker with. You need to bring that dude out. He can interpret dreams. So Pharaoh calls Joseph, brings him up, tells him his dream. Joseph interprets the dream. And the dream interpretation is, hey, Egypt's gonna have seven years of prosperity, seven years of abundance of grain. We gotta collect that. We gotta keep it because right after that is gonna be seven years of drought, seven years of despair and famine, all right?" (47 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "And so, so read through this. The cupbearer, the baker, they get on the scene. They're like, dude, we had some wild dreams last night. Anybody have wild dreams? You just, you have no idea where they came from, right? Sometimes it's just that like day old pizza that you ate yesterday afternoon that you shouldn't have. But sometimes, sometimes God speaks to us through a dream. Sometimes he's giving us purpose. He's, he's, he's trying to bring something up, all right? And so, so we gotta be sensitive to that. We gotta be listening to that. Well, the cupbearer and the baker, they're like, we had these dreams. We don't know what they mean. Joseph's like, I can interpret those for you. And so he interprets these dreams for the cupbearer and the baker and spoiler alert, the cup baker gets reinstated into the service of Pharaoh. Yay, cup baker, cup bearer. I mess these words up all the time. The baker legit ends up losing his life. They're like, you know what? Your dream was not very good. You're out. And so the baker dies, all right? It's just the way it is." (59 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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