All of us know what it’s like to be hurt or betrayed. Often it’s a small breach such as being spoken to rudely or overlooked in a time of need. Other times we experience lies, gossip, or harsh words that cut us to the core. Some of us have endured unspeakable pain through abuse, adultery, or abandonment. God knows the pain we cause each other and longs to help us learn to practice forgiveness. Nowhere do we see forgiveness played out more fully in Scripture than in the biblical story of Joseph. This six-week study explores what God has to say to us about grace and forgiveness through Joseph’s story of trial and triumph found in Genesis 37-50. As we study his dreams, his betrayers, his dysfunctional family, his struggle to forgive, and his journey toward reconciliation, we’ll find truths that echo into our own personal situations as well as practical help for answering common questions, such as: How do I stop dwelling on the hurt? Is forgiving someone excusing what happened? When will I stop having to re-forgive? Is there a difference between forgiveness and reconciliation? How can I forgive and still set boundaries? Is it ever okay not to forgive? Whether or not you are working through a hurtful situation right now, you can learn from Joseph how to release your past and present hurts to God and allow Him to do a supernatural work of forgiveness in your life. God wants to use the very things intended to hurt you as a source of blessing in your life and the lives of others. The Leader Guide contains six session plan outlines, complete with discussion points and questions, activities, prayers, and more—plus leader helps for facilitating a group. Other components for the Bible study, available separately, include a Participant Workbook, DVD with six 20-25 minute sessions, and boxed Leader Kit (an all-inclusive box containing one copy of each of the Bible study’s components).
