WHEN PAIN TURNS INTO PURPOSE 

MEETING AGENDA

  1. OPENING PRAYER – Ask one person to open the meeting in prayer.
  2. GROWTH QUESTIONS – Ask everyone the Growth Questions.
  3. ATTENDANCE – Take attendance through the DG Attendance System.
  4. TODAY’S LESSON – Go over this week’s DG lesson.
  5. GIVING – Encourage everyone to give on t he App.
  6. CLOSING PRAYER – Ask for prayer requests and pray.

GROWTH QUESTION #1

Who would like to share a highlight, praise report, or testimony from this week?

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 42:1-9 (NLT) - 1 When Jacob heard that grain was available in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you standing around looking at one another? 2 I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy enough grain to keep us alive. Otherwise we’ll die.” 3 So Joseph’s ten older brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain. 4 But Jacob wouldn’t let Joseph’s younger brother, Benjamin, go with them, for fear some harm might come to him. 5 So Jacob’s sons arrived in Egypt along with others to buy food, for the famine was in Canaan as well. 6 Since Joseph was governor of all Egypt and in charge of selling grain to all the people, it was to him that his brothers came. When they arrived, they bowed before him with their faces to the ground. 7 Joseph recognized his brothers instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where are you from?” he demanded. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We have come to buy food. 8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn’t recognize him. 9 And he remembered the dreams he’d had about them many years before. He said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become.”

Opening QUESTION

What part of this passage stands out to you the most and why?

TRUTH #1

GOD USES PRESSURE TO POSITION US.

Genesis 42:1–2 (NLT) - When Jacob heard that grain was available in Egypt… “Go down there, and buy enough grain to keep us alive. Otherwise we’ll die.”

  • Sometimes God allows crisis to push us into places we would never choose.
  • Famine moved Jacob’s family toward the exact place God wanted them to be.
  • What looks like a setback is often the setup for God’s next step.
  • God can use pressure to get us moving again.
  • Crisis doesn’t just reveal our need — it redirects our lives.

Romans 8:28 (NLT) — “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God…” 

INTERACTIVE QUESTION

Has God ever used a difficult situation in your life to move you into something you wouldn’t have stepped into on your own?

TRUTH #2

GOD WORKS THROUGH BROKEN PEOPLE.

Genesis 42:7-8 (NLT) - “Joseph recognized his brothers instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them… Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn’t recognize him.”

  • Joseph’s reactions to his brothers shows emotion, tension, and a work of healing that is still unfolding — yet God still uses him.
  • This shows that God can work through us, even while He’s healing us.
  • Brokenness doesn’t disqualify us; it becomes part of how God shines through us.
  • Joseph’s tears later in the story show that God works through real, hurting people.
  • God’s plan and purpose for our lives is not limited by our pain or struggles. 

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT) — “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”

INTERACTIVE QUESTION

Where do you need God’s help to take the next step, even if you don’t feel fully ready?

TRUTH #3

GOD NEVER FORGETS WHAT HE PROMISED.

Genesis 42:6, 9 (NLT) - “When they arrived, they bowed before him with their faces to the ground… And he remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them many years before.”

  • What God spoke to Joseph years earlier begins unfolding in this unexpected moment.
  • God’s promises may feel slow, but they never die.
  • Even when we forget the dream, God remembers it.
  • God knows exactly when His word will come to pass.
  • God’s timing often surprises us — but it is always perfect.

Habakkuk 2:3 (NLT) — “This vision is for a future time… If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently…”

INTERACTIVE QUESTION

What promise from God have you been holding onto, even if it’s taken longer than you expected?

CLOSING QUESTION

What’s one thing you learned today that you can apply to your life this week?

GIVING

Choosing to set aside funds to give at the start of each week is a practical way that we can contribute to the needs of others and advance the Kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 16:2 (NLT)
On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once. 

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?