Watching the News on TV can be discouraging sometimes. How could all of these bad things happen? How could they possibly be used for good? Do you ever think that about your own life too? We can’t see the big picture of our lives, so it’s hard to have the perspective that God’s plan is bigger than what we can see. God’s plan is perfect, so even when we are in the midst of trials, we can be patient!
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 (NLT)
This Week’s Finish Line: We can be patient because God’s plan is perfect
This week we looked at the story of Joseph in Genesis 37-50. Joseph was one of 12 sons in his family (that’s a lot of brothers!). Like most siblings, they didn’t always get along well, but Joseph was also his father’s favorite. The favoritism didn’t help matters, and one day his brothers nearly killed him, but instead sold him into slavery expecting to never see him again. As if that wasn’t enough, Joseph later ends up in prison, then later becomes second in command over all of Egypt. His rags to riches story is impressive, but crazier still is the way he chooses to forgive his brothers after all that time. God chose to use Joseph to save a lot of people in the midst of a great famine. God was in control the whole time!
Family Questions:
- Summarize Genesis chapter 37 together. How would you feel if you were Joseph?
- List out some of the hard things that happened to Joseph in his life (Genesis 37, 39, 40)
- Look at Genesis 39:21 together. What does God tell Joseph, and why?
- Do you think it was always easy for Joseph to have patience with God’s plan? Why or why not?
Bring it Home Conversations & Activities:
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TEACHER: Memorize God’s Word
At dinner this week, have everyone recite this month’s memory verse by heart (Psalm 27:13-14). If everyone has it down, have everyone see if they can think of other verses on patience. If you get stuck, feel free to Google “Bible verses waiting on God.” Pick a couple to write down and put up places in your house this week.
FRIEND: Waiting Games
While driving in the car this week, take advantage of every time you’re stuck in traffic together. Maybe it’s a long red light, or maybe it’s a traffic jam on 635. How can you redeem those small moments of waiting? Have your kids brainstorm ways to redeem the “waiting moments” in your life. Maybe this is when you practice a memory verse, or sing a song that reminds you of who God is. Maybe it’s a time when everyone gets to go around and say something they are thankful for that day, or something they appreciate about another person in the family.
COUNSELOR: In the Waiting
During bedtime this week, talk about some best practices while waiting on God. You might be in a season of waiting right now, but if you aren’t, this is a perfect time to think through best practices. What can you do to remember that God is good and in control? Think of things like: memorize Scripture, make a list of things to be thankful for right now, etc. Keep these things in mind when times of waiting come.
COACH: The Bigger Picture
One morning or afternoon this week, bring out a puzzle for the family to work on together. But don’t keep the box out with the final picture! Have your family try to put the puzzle together without knowing what it will look like. Talk about how we don’t ever know how God is using the small pieces of our life right now to make His beautiful plan come together.
Prayer
Thank God for seeing the whole story of your life even though you cannot. Ask Him to help you trust Him when you cannot understand why He’s allowing you to walk through hard times.
Looking Ahead
Next week we will start studying a new character trait: obedience. We will study the life of Jesus and read about how he trusted God and obeyed him.
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