08 May Discussion Guide: Meant for Good Week 1
Ice Breaker
One of the things we value within community is fun. In the midst of all the pressures life throws at us, it is our ability to laugh, play and celebrate together that reminds us we serve a good, loving, and resurrected Lord who stands above it all. So, we want to take the first few minutes of our time together to play, have fun, and celebrate the fact that we belong to Jesus.
Today’s Ice Breaker: COOKIE FACE
This is a great game to kick off the party because all of the players can compete at the same time (or you can break it down into several rounds of game play). Each player (have at least 3 people, but more if you want) places a cookie on their forehead, and the goal is to get the cookie into your mouth using only your facial muscles in under 1 minute. No hands! This is tougher than it looks!
Supplies Needed:
- Cookies
Today’s Discussion
This week we shift in our focus in the book of Genesis again, as we begin a new series titled Meant for Good. We will be taking a look at the life of Joseph; the struggles he faced, the mistakes he made, the betrayal he suffered, and how through it all, what the enemy meant for evil, God purposed for good. As we talk through this past Sunday’s sermon, let us do so with the faith and courage to ask the question, “How might God be doing the same thing in my own life?” Let’s get started.
Discussion Questions
Have you ever had a moment where you questioned if God was really in charge of the Universe?
Has tenido algun momento donde has dudado si Dios estaba a cargo del Universo?
Genesis 37:2-8
Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe. This is the account of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father’s flocks. He worked for his half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph brought a wicked report to his father of some of the things his brothers were doing. But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him. One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. “Listen to this dream,” he said. “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!” His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them.
How would you describe Joseph based off of this passage?
Have you ever experienced a bit of Joseph in other people? How about in Your own attitudes or behavior?
What does the story of Joseph, and really most of Scripture, show us about the heart of humanity, including our own?
Génesis 37:2-8
Esta es la historia de las generaciones de Jacob: Cuando José tenía diecisiete años, apacentaba el rebaño con sus hermanos. El joven estaba con los hijos de Bilha y con los hijos de Zilpa, mujeres de su padre. Y José trajo a su padre malos informes sobre ellos. Israel amaba a José más que a todos sus hijos, porque era para él el hijo de su vejez; y le hizo una túnica de muchos colores. Y sus hermanos vieron que su padre amaba más a José que a todos ellos; por eso lo odiaban y no podían hablarle amistosamente. José tuvo un sueño y cuando se lo contó a sus hermanos, ellos lo odiaron aún más. Y él les dijo: “Les ruego que escuchen este sueño que he tenido. Estábamos atando gavillas en medio del campo, y sucedió que mi gavilla se levantó y se puso derecha, y entonces las gavillas de ustedes se ponían alrededor y se inclinaban hacia mi gavilla.” Y sus hermanos le dijeron: “¿Acaso reinarás sobre nosotros? ¿O acaso te enseñorearás sobre nosotros?” Y lo odiaron aún más por causa de sus sueños y de sus palabras.
Como describirias a Joseph basado en este pasaje?
Alguna vez has experimentado un poco de Joseph en otras personas? Y que tal en tus propias actitudes y comportamiento?
Que nos enseña la historia de Joseph, y en realidad casi toda la escritura, acerca del corazón de la humanidad, incluyendo el tuyo?
What the story of Joseph, and really the story of Adam & Eve, Noah, Abraham, David, the rest of the old testament, the entirety of Paul’s epistles, and most likely your own experiences show us is that the human heart craves and longs for significance. Here, we see Jacob’s identity has become wrapped up in the first born son of the woman he loves. By putting that weight on Joseph, Jacob poisoned both Jacob and his other sons, by giving both groups a false sense of identity and significance. Joseph’s perception was overinflated as Jacob’s favoritism boosted his ego to a place where he despised his brothers. The brothers’ perceptions were under-inflated as Jacob’s favoritism made them to feel overlooked and undervalued. In the need for significance Joseph lorded his position over his brothers and his brothers sought to revolt and cut Joseph down to size. This is easy to see in the life of Joseph, but the reality is that we all struggle with this need for significance as well.
We may not throw people in a literal pit, but what do we do when our value and worth and significance is threatened? Do we throw other people’s reputations into a pit? Do we throw their opinion and perspective in the pit when we feel threatened by it? Do we seek to lord our position or reputation or title over those we feel we are better than? In the midst of all of this is the same desire Joseph had. The desire to be seen as someone important, someone worthy of love, and if we do not find the fulfillment of that desire in the unending, unconditional love of Christ for us, then we will seek to find it in the opinions, perceptions, adoration and affirmation of others. And when we live life from that perspective, then by definition people become tools for us to use to accomplish our own end rather than people to love for the purpose of glorifying God.
Lo que la historia de Joseph, y en realidad la historia de Adan y Eva, de Noe, Abraham, David, el resto del antiguo testamento, todas las epístolas de Pablo, y de seguro tus propias experiencias es que el corazón humano anhela y sueña por significancia. Aqui, vemos que la identidad de Jacob se mueve alrededor de su hijo primogénito con la mujer que ama. Al poner el peso en Jose, Jacob envenenó a José y a sus otros hijos, al darle a ambos grupos un sentido de identidad y significado falso. La percepción de Jose estaba sobre inflada, ya que el favoritismo del padre le engrandecía el ego y empezaba a menospreciar a sus hermanos. La percepción de los hermanos era de ser ignorados y no valorados. José les restregaba en las narices a los hermanos lo tan importante que era por la necesidad de significado que sentía. Es fácil ver esto en la vida de José, pero realmente todos luchamos con esta necesidad de significancia.
Tal vez no tiramos a alguien en un hoyo literalmente pero que hacemos cuando nuestro valor es amenazado? Tiramos la reputación de otras personas en el hoyo? Tiramos su perspectiva y opinión en el hoyo cuando nos sentimos amenazados por lo que piensan? Buscamos restregar nuestra posición, reputación o título en sus caras para sentirnos que somos más que ellos? Ese fue el deseo de José en medio de todo esto. Si el deseo de ser vistos como importantes, de ser merecedores de amor, no es llenado con el amor incondicional de Cristo por nosotros, buscaremos llenarlo con las opiniones, percepciones, adoración y afirmación de otros. Y cuando vivimos con esa perspectiva, por definición las personas se vuelven nuestras herramientas para lograr lo que queremos en ves de amar a las personas para glorificar a Dios.
What people has God placed in your life to not only help you see your flaws, but to actually be the agents of healing and change to help you grow into who He is calling you to be?
Cuales personas ha puesto Dios en tu vida para no solo ayudarte a que veas tus defectos, pero también para que sean los agentes de saneamiento y cambio que te ayudarán a crecer hacia la persona que Dios té está llamando que seas?
Genesis 39:19-21
Potiphar was furious when he heard his wife’s story about how Joseph had treated her. So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held, and there he remained. But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden.
Why can It feel like God is so distant, or unconcerned, when our lives go through difficult times?
Have you ever been through a difficult time that, now looking back, you can see how God purposes those things to grow you and mature you?
What does that mean about any future difficult times you, or the people you know and care about, might go through?
Génesis 39:19-21
Cuando su señor escuchó las palabras que su mujer le dijo: “Esto es lo que tu esclavo me hizo,” se encendió su ira. Entonces el amo de José lo tomó y lo echó en la cárcel, en el lugar donde se encerraba a los presos del rey. Allí permaneció en la cárcel. Pero el S eñor estaba con José, le extendió su misericordia y le concedió gracia ante los ojos del jefe de la cárcel.
Porque se siente como que Dios está distante, o desinteresado, cuando nuestras vidas pasan por tiempos difíciles?
Has pasado por un tiempo difícil, y al mirar lo que pasó, puedes ver el propósito De Dios de crecerte y madurarte a través de eso?
Qué significa entonces cuando haya tiempos difíciles en el futuro, o en el futuro de las personas que quieres?
C.S. Lewis
“Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not.”
When we look at Scripture, and our own experiences, it seems that God’s salvation or redemption never comes the way we think it should. Why do you think that is?
What is required of us to accept and receive God’s salvation and redemption in this way?
C.S. Lewis
“Aunque nuestros sentimientos vienen y van, el amor De Dios no.”
Cuando miramos a las escrituras, y a nuestras experiencias, parece que la salvación o redención De Dios nunca llega como pensamos. Porque piensas que es eso?
Que se requiere de nosotros para aceptar y recibir la salvación y redención De Dios de esta manera?
To accept God’s salvation and redemption the way He wants to bring it requires a massive dose of humility on our behalf. We have to be willing to admit that He is God and we are not, that His purposes and plans are perfect and ours are not. We have to accept the fact that when life doesn’t go the way we think it should, that God is still in charge, still present, and is working out a plan that we would have actually asked for if we knew the things God knows. We have to understand that if God can purpose the greatest injustice in the history of the world (the crucifixion of Jesus) for His ultimate glory and our greatest good, then surely He can work out our smaller injustices to accomplish the same. Acknowledging that requires humility and faith.
Para aceptar la salvación y redención de Dios de la manera de El quiere requiere una gran dosis de humildad de nuestra parte. Tenemos que aceptar que El es Dios y nosotros no, que sus planes y propósitos son perfectos, y los de nosotros no. Tenemos que aceptar que cuando la vida no sale como nosotros pensamos que debe de salir, Dios todavía está en control y todavía está presente, y está trabajando en un plan que nosotros pediríamos si supiéramos lo que Dios sabe. Tenemos que entender que si Dios propuso la injusticia más grande de la historia del mundo (la crucifixión de Cristo) para su absoluta gloria y nuestro mejor bien, entonces verdaderamente puede trabajar en las injusticias más pequeñas para lograr lo mismo. Aceptar eso requiere humildad y fe.
Closing Thought
How does the love of Christ enable us to have that kind of humility and faith?
Pensamientos de Cierre
Como el amor De Dios nos ayuda a tener esa clase de humildad y fe?
Prayer
As we close our time together we want to make sure to take time to pray for, and encourage one another. Can we join you in praying for a family member, friend, or neighbor in whose life you are hoping to see God move in some way? Do you have any personal prayer needs?