Think of a time this week when you were quick to lose your patience. Someone cut you off in traffic, your kids made a huge mess when they were supposed to be cleaning, or you just can’t seem to make it to anything on time no matter how hard you try. Our Finish Line this week is a sweet reminder that no matter how many times we miss the mark on patience, God’s patience with us never runs out. This month, we’ll look specifically at the story of Joseph to see what God can teach us about trusting and waiting on Him in all things.
PATIENCE: Trusting and waiting for God in all things
MEMORY VERSE: “Yet I am confident I will see the Lord's goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord." Psalm 27: 13-14
This Week’s Finish Line: *Because God is patient with us, we can trust and wait on Him in all things*
In Genesis 37, we see the beginning of the story of Joseph, Abraham’s great grandson, and important player in the story of God’s chosen people, the Israelites. Joseph was the 2nd youngest of 12 brothers, but everyone knew that he was their father’s favorite. That made his brothers pretty frustrated. To make matters worse, Joseph had dreams where his brothers and even his father and mother were bowing down to him like he was a king! This made his brothers so angry and so jealous that they decided to get rid of Joseph for good. They even thought about killing him, but instead, they sold him into slavery and Joseph ended up in Egypt, far away from his family. What good could God possibly be doing with a story that starts like this? Will Joseph trust and wait on God through his trials? I guess we’ll just have to be patient and wait until next week to find out more!
Family Questions:
READ GENESIS 37:2-11
- What are some of the circumstances Joseph’s family needed to trust and wait on God for? When, where, and with whom did they need patience?
- God gave Joseph 2 dreams, which were like promises of what would happen in the future. How were Joseph’s brothers doing at being patient when they found out about Joseph’s dreams? What did Joseph need to trust and wait on God for?
READ GENESIS 37:18-28
- Where did Joseph end up? (as a slave in Egypt) Does it look like God’s promises (from Joseph’s dreams) have a good or a bad chance of coming true? Why?
- Do God’s promises always come true right away? (No.) Do God’s promises always come true at the right time? (Yes!) If you were in a situation like Joseph, what would you pray to God for? What could you remember is true about God when you needed to trust and wait on Him?
Bring it Home Conversations & Activities:
* Check out our vision for parents and how to use these activities each week.
Teacher: Meal Time
Review the story of Joseph from Genesis 37. After you’ve reviewed Joseph’s story, ask each other the following questions: How would you feel if you were in Joseph’s situation? How would you explain patience to someone? Where does all patience come from? (See Romans 15:5. It comes from God who is patient with us.) When is it hard for you to be patient and wait on God? Are there times when it seems impossible that God’s promises will come true? What do you do during those times?
Friend: Drive Time
Write each word from this month’s memory verse (Psalm 27:13-14 NLT) on a sticky note. Post the notes on the inside of your car…on the windows, backs of the seat, etc. As you drive around, practice saying the verse. Each time you come to a stop light, remove one of the sticky notes and see if you can still say the verse. You could also mix the sticky notes up and have your sibling unscramble them before you get to the next light!
Counselor: Bedtime
Who is one person you need to ask God to help you show patience with this week? Is there something you need to trust and wait on God this week? Thank God for His unending patience with you. Ask Him to help you to be patient with that person this week and to help you to trust and wait on Him in all circumstances.
Coach: Anytime
On Easter weekend, we celebrated the Truths that we believe about sin and salvation with a We Believe Weekend! Later this month, we’ll have a We Believe Weekend where we will learn what God’s Word says about the Church. Take some time this week to review what we’ve learned at We Believe Weekends so far this year! Click here and scroll to the “We Believe” section to find review materials for the Bible, God, and Sin & Salvation. Feel free to download, print, and practice our questions using these flashcards!
Prayer
God thank you for being patient with us! Thank you that we can trust you in all things. Help us to wait on you and be patient and trust you! Thank you so much for sending your son, Jesus, to die on the cross for my sins so that I will live in Heaven with you one day!
Looking Ahead
Next week, we will continue in the month of April with our character trait, PATIENCE. We will be talking about trusting and waiting for God in all things!
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