God Works Everything for Our Good BIBLE PASSAGE Genesis 37, 39-50 (Joseph Saves His Brothers) REMEMBER VERSE Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. Proverbs 31:8 9 (NLT) SCHEDULE Anticipate 5 10 minutes Celebrate & Respond Large Group 35 55 minutes Respond & Bless Small Group 20 25 minutes Environment: OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE This lesson highlights the environment of OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE by showing us how Joseph faced many uncomfortable situations, but God worked them all for Joseph s good and the good of His people, and He gave Joseph strength and wisdom to endure. 1
Equipping Volunteers God used the circumstances in Joseph s life to take him out of his comfort zone and force him to rely on God, knowing that everything he received came from God s hand alone. In the end, Joseph understood this was God s intention that God meant everything for his good. When his brothers lamented their actions, Joseph replied, You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives (Genesis 50:20). Joseph was put in many situations in which he had no choice but to depend on God. The events he endured were difficult, lonely, and terrible. Yet we know that God orchestrated all of these circumstances so that Joseph would be appointed second-in-command of Egypt. The events that happened in Joseph s life were necessary to train him for the position God intended him to occupy both spiritually and practically. God put Joseph in a position to save many lives. As a child, Joseph was his father s favorite. He received special gifts, love, and attention. He also had dreams of greatness. Though God indeed intended to make Joseph great, He first took him far out of his comfort zone so he was forced to rely on God alone. As a servant in Potiphar s house, Joseph was quickly given the responsibility of a steward. One of a steward s most important duties was to supervise his master s agricultural estate. In Potiphar s house, Joseph received essential job training for what was to come. Later, as chief steward of the king, Joseph s main job was to supervise the king s agricultural estates and oversee the supply and care of the nation s granaries. God truly worked everything for good in Joseph s life, and He continues to do so in ours. Environment of OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE As children are challenged to step out of their comfort zone from an early age, they learn to experience a dependence on the Holy Spirit to equip and strengthen them beyond their natural abilities and desires. We believe this environment will cultivate a generation that, instead of seeking comfort, seeks a radical life of faith in Christ. Encourage your families to discover more about creating the environment of OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE in their homes by checking out HomeFront: A Spiritual Parenting Resource and Spiritual Parenting by Michelle Anthony. Importance of Joseph s Coat Joseph s coat of many colors was most likely a tunic reaching down to the arms and feet the type of garment worn by princes and powerful people. To Joseph s brothers, the tunic probably signaled two things: that Joseph was Jacob s favorite, and that Jacob meant to transfer the birthright and blessing to Joseph, the firstborn son of Rachel, the woman Jacob originally meant to make his only wife. Sources Edersheim, Alfred. 2010. Bible History Old Testament. http://philologos.org/ eb-bhot/default.htm. Aling, Charles. 2002. Joseph in Egypt. Bible and Spade. 15.1: 21 90. 2
Anticipate// (Small Group) 5 10 min 1. Hieroglyphic Name Signs Because Joseph s brothers were jealous of him, they sold him into slavery in Egypt. The time when Joseph lived in Egypt was most likely the Middle Period, the greatest period of Egypt s history. In the midst of this powerful empire, God raised Joseph to the position of second-in-command so He could save many lives through Joseph. SUPPLIES- Construction paper, Hieroglyphics sheet, scissors, markers, hole punch, string SET UP- Cut the construction paper in half long ways to make 2 strips- have children help you! ENGAGE- Have each child take one strip of paper on which they will use markers to write their name vertically (like the Egyptians) using the hieroglyphics sheet. Help the kids hole punch two holes at the top and then cut a length of string to tie to the nametag and let kids wear them as a necklace. If there s extra time let the kids write other phrases vertically in hieroglyphics- maybe make nametags to give to family members after church! 2. Earning Gumballs! This year, we have a new community goal... Gumball Goal! Children earn 1 gumball for each of the following Know the Word- Memorizing this month s memory verse (NO mistakes for older kids!) Share the Word- Bringing a Friend Cling to the Word- Bringing their Bible Live the Word- Sharing a story of how they lived out what they are learning Kids earn their gumballs in small group time, then add them to the Machine during Celebrate. Last week for September s memory verse! Memorize it now! :) Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. Proverbs 31:8 9 (NLT) 3
Celebrate// (Large Group) 20 35 min 1. Welcome & Traditions WELCOME VISITORS- Open up your large group time by celebrating visitors! If they are a friend then have the regular attender who brought them introduce them to the group. Give all visitors a big round of applause for coming! And have a nearby leader give each visitor a high five AND a gumball (just for coming)!!! And how do we welcome new visitors to our group?! With a dance party! Play the dance party music for a minute and everyone just dance around and have fun :) (BUT- if no visitors, no celebration... motivation to bring your friends!! GUMBALL CELEBRATION- Open up Celebrate time by celebrating all of the gumballs that the kids have earned this week! Let them add them to the Gumball Machine and encourage everyone to keep Knowing the Word, Sharing the Word, Clinging to the Word, and Living out the Word! CONNECT- To finish up welcome time, let kids engage in today s connect activity- our mini ice breaker to get everyone knowing each other a little better! Today we re going to play Name that Tune! Invite one child up at a time to hum a commonly known song (e.g. Mary had a Little Lamp, Twinkle, Twinkle, etc.). Then see if the other kids can guess the name of the tune. Play a few rounds! Then have the kids get in pairs and answer this question- Name that Tune was a really popular game show a long time ago- if you could be on ANY game show, past or present, what game show would you do? Have a few kids share their answers before continuing. 2. Remember Verse Last week for this month s Remember Verse! Open your Bibles and read it together. When finished pass out Memory Verse cards to take home. Tell kids about the new incentive for memorizing their verses... Colored tags they can collect all year and make a necklace, bracelet or key chain of all verse they learned. Earn all 12 this year! (NOTE- WE WILL HAVE THESE LATER THIS MONTH FOR YOU TO BEGIN HANDING OUT) Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. Proverbs 31:8 9 (NLT) 3. Offering As a response of thankfulness and trust in God, we give a part of our money to the church to be utilized in big ways for the Kingdom! It is because we thank God for all that He has given to us, and because we trust Him to provide for us no matter how much or how little we may have. Pass around the Offering Bucket. Let the kids know that this year, all of their offerings will go towards sponsoring a child overseas who needs the money for food, medicine and school! We need to always have enough to give to our sponsor children every month, so don t forget your weekly tithing. NOTE- KIDS WILL GET TO SEE PICTURES AND STORIES OF THEIR KIDS SPONSOR CHILDREN SOON! 4. Prayer of Release Next, pray a Prayer of Release. This is a time for kids and leaders to pause, be still, and ask God to quiet their hearts and minds. Encourage kids to quiet their voices and take a seat. Then ask them to pray with you as you begin the lesson. 5. The Big God Story- God Works Everything for our Good SUPPLIES- Bible, Timeline Animation, Sound Effects 4
ENGAGE- There are many different characters in today s story. Storyteller, use voice changes and body posture changes to help the kids track the story as you tell it from many different people s parts. Last week we heard about Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. Do any of you remember what God promised to Abraham and why the promise was so important? (Encourage the kids to answer). God promised Abraham he would have a nation of children! This promise was very important, because one day Jesus, our Redeemer, would be born from Abraham s family tree! Abraham passed on this blessing to his son Isaac, and Isaac passed on this blessing to his son Jacob. Today we re going to hear about the life of one of Jacob s sons: a man named Joseph. God took Joseph very far out of his comfort zone because God had big plans for him. Picture this: In a field, in the land of Canaan, seventeen-year-old Joseph wears a beautiful robe given to him by his father, Jacob. The wind bends the grass and rustles the leaves on the trees (play wind sound effect). Joseph s 10 brothers watch him, and they re jealous because they know he s their father s favorite son. At that moment, Joseph says: I ve been having some dreams. In these dreams, you bow down to me! Well Joseph s brothers didn t really like the sound of bowing down (actually bow down as you say this) to their little brother. So they respond, Who do you think you are? We re gonna kill you! Then we ll see what comes of your dreams! Thankfully, the brothers don t actually kill him, but they rip off his robe and throw him into a large water pit with a big splash! (Play water sound effect.) Then they see some traders leading camels piled high with spices. This gives them a better idea than simply killing him. Let s sell him! says one of the brothers. (Play coins sound effect.) And they do. Then they kill a goat, dip Joseph s beautiful coat in its blood, and show the stained coat to their father, trying to make their father think that Joseph was killed. Storyteller: Jacob, the father (and son of Isaac) was so upset that he tore his clothes into shreds. Meanwhile, the traders who bought Joseph off the road, turn around and sell him to a man named Potiphar, and Joseph goes with Potiphar to live as a servant in Egypt. But God s presence is everywhere, even in Egypt, so even being sold as a servant in Egypt, God stays with Joseph and blesses him in everything he does. Now, many months later after Joseph had been serving as the best possible servant he could be, his owner, Potiphar, said, I want to put you in charge of my whole household! Now- this is where the story gets a little tricky. Because of God, Potiphar s household is blessed. But this doesn t last long. God brings about some events that cause Joseph to be thrown in jail (play jail door sound effect) even though he did nothing wrong. But remember- God is EVERYWHERE, and so God stays with Joseph, even while he s in prison. During this time, two more men come into the prison: a cupbearer, which is someone who protects the Pharaoh (king of Egypt) from being poisoned by drinking from his cup before the Pharaoh does, and a baker, which is the one who does all the baking :). One night, these two prisoners have dreams that worry them. The next morning, in the jail, Joseph asks the cupbearer and the baker to tell him both of their dreams. Joseph knows that God can tell him what their dreams mean. First, the cupbearer tells Joseph his dream. God tells Joseph the dream means good news- You are going to get your job back! Then the baker tells Joseph his dream. God reveals that the baker s dream isn t such good news. I m sorry to tell you this, but Pharaoh is going to kill you. Wow. Now that is not good news for the baker. And unfortunately, because God knows everything, the dreams he led Joseph to interpret do end up coming true. Now Joseph ends up staying locked away in prison for two more years! (play chains sound effect). But around this time, Pharaoh (remember, the king of Egypt) begins having weird dreams too. And 5
the cupbearer- who got his job back!- tells the Pharaoh that he knows someone who can interpret dreams- Joseph! So the Pharaoh sends for Joseph and says to him, I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it (Genesis 41:15). Joseph says, I cannot do it but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires (v. 16). So Pharaoh tells Joseph his dream about how seven ugly, skinny cows (play cow sound effect) ate seven fat cows and how the heads (or tops) of seven scrawny pieces of grain ate the heads of seven big and healthy pieces of grain. After Pharaoh tells his dream to Joseph, God tells Joseph what it means. The seven fat cows and good grain represent seven good years of crops, and the seven skinny cows and bad grain represent seven bad years of crops a time when there won t be enough food for everyone in Egypt. Joseph suggests that Pharaoh give someone the job of storing up food during the seven years of good crops so that they will have reserves of food during the seven bad years. Pharaoh was so thankful for Joseph s help that he brought Joseph out of prison and gave him that job- to store up the extra food. Can we find anyone like [Joseph], one in whom is the spirit of God? said Pharaoh (Genesis 41:38). To make the job official, the Pharaoh puts a ring on Joseph s finger, dresses him in beautiful robes, and places a gold chain around his neck. Just as God predicted, Egypt experiences seven years of great harvests, and Joseph stores up lots and lots of food so much that he can t keep track of it all! Good thing, too, because soon the seven years of bad harvests begin. Famine destroys the land. And everyone comes to Egypt to buy grain including... you ll never guess who... wait- do you think you can guess? Who from our story, after all this time, might have shown up in Egypt to buy some of the extra food that Joseph stored up? (Give kids a chance to guess)- Yes! Joseph s long-lost brothers. When Joseph s brothers arrive in Egypt, they bow down to him, Remember! just like in Joseph s dream from years and years ago! Joseph recognizes his brothers, but his brothers don t recognize him- he is dressed in beautiful robes, and gold chains after all from the Pharaoh. So Joseph says to them, I m Joseph, your brother! Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you (Genesis 45:5). After Joseph tells them this, they cry and hug and tell stories from the years that passed. Then Joseph sends them home to get their father so that the whole family can live in Egypt! Throughout his life, Joseph was put in a lot of tough situations, but God used them all for good. God also used them to make Joseph into someone who depended on God alone, not in himself and not on anyone else. God knew these difficult things were all a part of His big plan part of The Big God Story. Remember the promise God gave Abraham and how Abraham s family tree led to the Redeemer being born? Well, if God hadn t prepared a way to keep the family alive, they would have died out in the famine. Joseph s brothers wanted to harm Joseph, but God intended it for good to [save] many lives (Genesis 50:20). Sometimes things in life are hard because they re out of our comfort zone. But God can use these hard things to help us depend on Him. God also changes us when we step out in faith and go out of our comfort zone. Being out of our comfort zone helps us depend on God, who is trustworthy because He works all things for good. (Tell a story of a time you were out of your comfort zone and learned to depend more on God. Or tell a story of a time God brought something good from a hard situation.) 6
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Respond// (Large Group) 15 20 min. 1. God Works Everything for our Good SUPPLIES- Background Worship Music, any that you d like ENGAGE- As we just heard, Joseph went through many hard things in his life. But, out of these hard things, God brought so much good. He saved many people, He protected the family line of the Redeemer, and He transformed Joseph s heart so he would trust and rely only on God. God had a plan to use everything in Joseph s life for good although Joseph may not have realized it at the time. We sometimes believe that if we re truly following God, everything in our lives will be easy, and God will answer our prayers the way we want. It s true that God gives good gifts to us, His children, but that doesn t mean He always gives us everything we want. God knows that having a relationship with Him is the best thing in the world, so sometimes He allows hard things to happen in our lives (also known as trials ) so we will get out of our comfort zones and learn to rely on Him. Some of you might be struggling with the truth that God works all things for your good. You might be going through some hard things right now things that make you uncomfortable, or sad, or worried, or confused. God wants you to know that He is there for you to comfort you in the midst of things that feel uncomfortable and to remind you that He will work everything in your life for your good. Right now let s spend some time praying, asking God to show us that we can trust Him because He wants to use everything in our lives for something good. (Start the music.) Give the kids a minute to talk with God to ask Him to comfort them if they re going through hard times. Encourage the kids to lean into God if they re struggling. Ask them to allow God to be their strength. Explain to them that even when we re in hard situations, He uses everything for good. After a minute of kids talking alone with God, tell leaders to stand up around the room and if any kid wants specific prayer, to come tell a leader so the two can pray together. Today is a time in quiet prayer. No activity. No writing. Just prayer. It might be stretching or challenging for some of the kids, especially for new Kindergarteners. But help them. And let them know that the more time they spend in prayer with God, the easier it is to talk with God and listen to God for even longer. After a few minute of prayer finish large group time in worship! 2. Worship Through Music Finish large group Celebrate with a time of singing music. 1. Oh Happy Day 2. Cannons 3. Everyday Then exit Large Group to spend time applying the things from today in a small group setting. Respond// (Small Group) 15 20 min. 1. Reflect: 8
Joseph s brothers wanted to harm him, so they threw him into a pit and sold him into slavery. However, God was in control of everything that happened. God intended it for good to [save] many lives (Genesis 50:20). (Leaders: Encourage the kids to open their Bibles and find the suggested passages.) Questions for Younger Kids What were some of the hard things that happened to Joseph? (Genesis 37:28; 39:20; 40:23) Why did God allow these things to happen? (Genesis 45:5 6) How was God with Joseph his whole life through the good times and the bad? (Genesis 39:2; 39:20 21; 41:16) How did God use Joseph s situation for good? (Genesis 50:20) What does it mean to be out of your comfort zone? How can it be a good thing for our faith to be out of our comfort zones? Do you think God works all things for good? Why or why not? (Romans 8:28) How has God used hard situations for good in your life? Questions for Older Kids What were some of the hard things that happened to Joseph? (Genesis 37:28; 39:20; 40:23) Why did God allow these things to happen? (Genesis 45:5 6) How was God with Joseph his whole life through the good times and the bad? (Genesis 39:2; 39:20 22; 41:16) What was the promise God gave to Abraham? (Genesis 12:2 3) How was Joseph s situation connected to the promise God gave to Abraham? What were some ways God took Joseph out of his comfort zone? How did God use Joseph s situation for good? (Genesis 50:20) What does it mean to be out of your comfort zone? How can it be a good thing for our faith to be out of our comfort zones? Do you think God works all things for good? Why or why not? (Romans 8:28) How has God used hard situations for good in your life? 2. Create: Joseph s Story SUPPLIES- butcher paper for mural, markers, For Younger Kids- tape, print outs of the Joseph Story characters & events, For Older Kids- print outs of an example of Egyptian storytelling, hieroglypic sheets from Anticipate. SETUP- lay the butcher paper out, and set out markers and other print outs your group is using. ENGAGE- Joseph went through a lot of hard things in his life, and these situations definitey pushed him out of his comfort zone. Because of this, though, Joseph learned to depend on God for everything. And God used everything for good- to change Joseph s heart and to save many lives through him. His life story is one that can bring us encouragement and comfort and hope when we are going through our own hard things, or even when we see others going through hard things. So it s important to remember His story. For Younger Kids- Help your kids think through the events of today s portion of The Big God Story and how God was at work in all of it with this activity. Hand the printouts to the kids, and have them work together to arrange them in the order of how they appear in The Big God Story. Then have the kids tape the images, in order, to the wall (or butcher paper). Talk about how God had a plan for everything that happened in Joseph s life, and even though He allowed hard things to happen, He used everything for good in the end! If there s extra time, have your kids write Joseph s Story at the top in hieroglyphics. For Older Kids- Show the kids an example of a real Egyptian storytelling. The story is told vertically at the top in hieroglyphics with some of the images shown underneath as pictures that help the story go. Have the kids work together to create a story wall of Joseph s story, remembering all of the main parts of Joseph s 9
story. Writing them down in hieroglyphics at the top and drawing some images underneath. Hang your storywall in the room to remember Joseph s Story for a few weeks. At the top- write Joseph s Story either in English or Hieroglyphics. 3. Bless: SETUP AND ENGAGE- Encourage the kids to hold their hands in front of them, palms up. This posture is meant to symbolize a willingness of heart to respond to God s Holy Spirit and receive what God has for them. Open a Bible and read Romans 8:28: In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. May you trust that God can use even the most difficult circumstances to bring you closer to Him. May you know that because God is in control of everything in the universe and loves you deeply, He can work everything in your life for good and for His purposes. HomeFront Weekly: Be sure to send home the HomeFront Weekly for next week s lesson! This preteaching tool for parents encourages families to spend time in God s Word together before children arrive at church. 10