GROWTH QUESTION #1
Who would like to share a highlight, praise report, or testimony from this week?
WHEN GOD REWRITES THE STORY
MEETING AGENDA
- OPENING PRAYER – Ask one person to open the meeting in prayer.
- GROWTH QUESTIONS – Ask everyone the Growth Questions.
- ATTENDANCE – Take attendance through the DG Attendance System.
- TODAY’S LESSON – Go over this week’s DG lesson.
- GIVING – Encourage everyone to give on t he App.
- CLOSING PRAYER – Ask for prayer requests and pray.
GROWTH QUESTION #2
What did you learn from this week’s sermon?
GROWTH QUESTION #3
What was your most important accomplishment this week?
TODAY’S PASSAGE:
Genesis 45:1-8 (NLT) - 1 Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, “Out, all of you!” So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. 2 Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace. 3 “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. 4 “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. 5 But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. 6 This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. 8 So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.
Opening QUESTION
Have you ever looked back on a painful season and later realized God was doing something bigger than you could see at the time?
TRUTH #1
GOD’S REDEMPTIVE PLAN IS BIGGER THAN HUMAN FAILURE
Genesis 45:4-5 (NLT) - “...I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives.”
- Joseph does not deny what his brothers did. He names the sin clearly—“whom you sold into slavery.”
- At the same time, Joseph reframes the story through God’s sovereignty. Human failure did not cancel God’s plan.
- God did not cause their sin, but He redeemed it. What they meant for harm, God used for salvation.
- This truth reminds us that our story is never defined by the worst moment—ours or someone else’s.
- If we will surrender our lives and our stories into God’s hands, He will ultimately define them.
Romans 8:28 (NLT) — “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
INTERACTIVE QUESTION
Where have you seen God bring good out of a painful situation in your life?
TRUTH #2
TRUE FORGIVENESS NEEDS NO EXPLANATION
Genesis 45:1-2 (NLT) - “Joseph could stand it no longer… So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him…”
- Joseph’s healing does not begin with an apology from his brothers—it begins with a decision to forgive.
- His tears show us that forgiveness is not pretending the pain didn’t happen.
- It’s important to note that Joseph’s brothers had offered no apology or explanation for their actions, yet Joseph clearly forgave them without it.
- Many times, we will never receive full acknowledgment or closure from those who hurt us.
- Forgiveness is not something we wait for—it is something we choose, and when we do, God brings healing in like a flood.
Colossians 3:13 (NLT) — Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
INTERACTIVE QUESTION
What’s harder for most people—to forgive without an apology, or to wait for closure before forgiving? Why do you think that is?
TRUTH #3
WHEN GOD DEFINES YOUR STORY, BITTERNESS LOSES ITS POWER
Genesis 45:7-8 (NLT) - “God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.”
- Joseph refuses to let bitterness be the narrator of his life. God defines the story, not betrayal.
- He sees his suffering as divine positioning, not personal rejection.
- When God defines our story, we stop replaying wounds and start recognizing purpose.
- Bitterness loses its grip when we trust God’s authority over our past, present, and future.
Ephesians 4:26-27; 31-32 (NLT) — 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” 27 Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”
INTERACTIVE QUESTION
How might the words you use to describe your past need to change if you truly believe God is the author of your story?
CLOSING QUESTION
Which of these truths do you most need to apply right now in your own life—and what would it look like to act on it this week?
GIVING
There are no real “get-rich-quick” schemes, so don’t try to hoard all you get. Generosity will lead to satisfaction and fulfillment in this life.
Proverbs 28:22 (NLT)
Greedy people try to get rich quick but don’t realize they’re headed for poverty.
Encourage everyone to give their tithes and offerings.
PRAY
QUESTION #1
Who are you praying for to be saved?
QUESTION #2
Who can you invite to the next meeting?
QUESTION #3
What are your prayer requests?