Grace Is Not Reserved for Good People | Judah

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S.O.A.P. – “Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer”

How has jealousy impacted you personally?

Read Genesis 37 and Matthew 5:21-22

Sermon Insights:

Grace is the vehicle God uses to ensure that we get precisely what we do not deserve.

In a world broken by sin, sometimes bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people.

Have you ever experienced the negative impact of “favoritism” in your family or workplace?

What is your greatest temptation when you find yourself overlooked?

Joseph revealed his half-brothers’ bad decisions. Joseph was celebrated openly as the favorite child in a family with multiple wives and competing sons. Joseph had dreams that his family would one day bow at his feet. Within this context, hatred grew deeply in the bitter hearts of competing wives and siblings. Because of the potential consequences, most opted to sell their brother into slavery rather than commit outright murder.

Who are you angry with? Have you allowed God to come close, forgive YOUR sin, and heal your heart—so that you can offer forgiveness to those who have hurt or neglected you?

Lord, teach me to keep my eyes on the empty cross—the place where your Son took my guilt, my shame, and my death. Remind me of the empty tomb and the confidence that because Jesus is alive, and the power that raised him from the dead is at work in me, I get to live a new life! Help me stay free of unforgiveness and bitterness. Fill my heart with compassion and love!

Someone once said, “I am so tired of people running around with a mouthful of Scripture and a heart full of hate.” Thoughts?

Read Genesis 38 and Matthew 1:1-3

Sermon Insights:

People often master the skill of hiding who they really are and presenting an honorable public facade.

How can you stand against the horrible injustice of hypocrisy WITHOUT becoming hate-filled or attacking people instead of ideas?

Have you ever done something you were convinced was right…only to find out you were completely wrong? Did you admit it immediately and humbly?

Are you hiding sin, feelings of guilt, or fear? Who do you need to talk to so that you can be relieved of the horrible weight of hiding?

Why do secrets make us sick…and how does “bringing them into the light” help us heal?

Lord, forgive me for my hypocrisy, for I say and do and feel things that I myself do not approve of. Fill me with the confidence in your mercy so that I can be honest with someone else and bring my secrets into the light so that I can be free.

If you could pick a tool to use to describe “grace,” which tool(s) would you pick and why?

Read Genesis 43

Sermon Insights:

This was a day of grace – a day Judah received what he did not deserve.

In Christ Jesus, we are covered in God’s grace, and we get what we do not deserve.

Perhaps one of the most difficult burdens to carry is a guilty conscience. What evidence do you see in Judah that he carried both a guilty conscience and a desire to not repeat his mistakes?

When you receive “grace” – undeserved kindness – how does it change your heart and perspective?

On a trip to provide enough food to save their families from starvation, Judah and his brothers found themselves eating more food than they could imagine at a table that was beyond their wildest dreams. They were receiving grace from the brother they sold into slavery…and the God who protected them all from ultimate starvation. How has God shown you grace?

Lord, help me grow in your grace—both in understanding your incredible heart and in my showing your grace to others.

Good leaders help people get into situations that will cause awareness and growth. Who has done this for you?

Read Genesis 44 and James 1:5-8

Sermon Insights:

Joseph plots one more test to see if his brothers had changed their wicked ways. He has a silver cup hidden in Benjamin’s grain sack for the sole purpose of seeing how his brothers would react. Would they stand up for Benjamin? Or save themselves?

Who do you resonate with most in this chapter?

Have you asked God for wisdom and not doubted?

Who is leading/influencing you?

Who are you leading/influencing?

Joseph’s focal point was the goodness and kindness of God, not the hatred and brutality of his brothers. He was willing to be a servant and help save his brothers and family. Who is God calling you to serve?

Lord, your planning and provision is amazing…you truly work upstream. Thank you for revealing your power to work through even sin. We know you do not cause evil, you never lie, and you do not tempt anyone to do evil. Thank you for picking up the pieces and giving us grace and mercy not when we deserve it, but when we need it.

God gave Joseph a gift he could not have fathomed as a slave. How have you seen God’s great kindness in your life?

Read Genesis 45 and Acts 13:39 (NIV)

Sermon Insights:

Grace means you don’t have to run anymore!

Grace means it’s finally safe to turn yourself in!

God thwarts the principle of “you reap what you sow” through his amazing grace.

God never gives up on you!

What does it mean that “grace is not reserved for good people”? Does that comfort or offend you?

For those who have been wronged, Jesus took the guilt on his body on the cross, so you can forgive. For those who have wronged, Jesus took the guilt on his body on the cross, so you can be forgiven. What evil is God calling you to overcome by offering forgiveness and doing good?

Lord, I have debts I cannot pay. And I’ve been hurt by others in ways they cannot erase. Thank you for taking our guilt in your body on the cross, so that we can be forgiven and offer forgiveness. Thank you for your grace—and the life we get to participate in through the power of your Holy Spirit!

Grace Is Not Reserved for Good People | Judah

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