Sermon: Surprised by Grace
1. What is the first word you can think of when you hear the phrase “soap opera?”
2. No soap opera in the world can compare with the real life drama of the Bible. The Bible shows human beings in the full gamut – “the good, the bad, the ugly” – “warts and all”. Yet, God loves us. Although you may have heard the verse John 3:16 a million times, turn to it now and read each world slowly and consider the ramifications of this truth. When did you first realize that God loved you, “warts and all.”
3. Meet the family. Read Genesis 35:22b-26. How would you describe this family and from this description alone, point out what kinds of problems you could foresee?
4. Read Genesis 29:9-30. Jacob, the father of both Joseph and Judah was very partial to both his wife Rachel (over his wife Leah) and to his son born of Rachel, Joseph (over his ten older brothers). Obviously the family dynamics of having more than one wife has serious and bad consequences. But putting that aside, how did Jacob’s obvious partiality impact his family?
5. Read James 2:1-9. How does God view favoritism?
6. If you had the opportunity to sit down with Jacob when you saw him acting with obvious partiality, what would you tell him?
7. Read Genesis 37:3-8. Do you think Joseph knew how his brothers felt about him? If you were an uncle or aunt of family friend listening in on this scene, what would you say to Joseph?
8. The story of Judah and Tamar is in Genesis 38, and you heard it Sunday in the sermon. By the end of the chapter we don’t like Judah much. Yet, by the time Judah acknowledges his grievous sinful lifestyle (in Genesis 44:16) and begs Joseph to let Benjamin free and volunteers himself to be a slave in Benjamin’s place, we start to see his humanness. What is it about a broken and repentant person that softens our hearts towards that person?
9. Read Genesis 50:15-21 about the account of Joseph’s forgiveness toward his brothers. How is Joseph’s forgiveness a picture of God’s grace toward us?
