Week 1
Week 1
Watch the Recap Video
INTRO:
This week, we are starting a new sermon series called Unhindered. For the next 5 weeks, we will be walking through the life of Joseph. Joseph’s story starts with him being thrown into a pit by his brothers, and ends with him being one of the most powerful people in Egypt? This week we are focusing on the pit. Joseph’s family story is messy. However, he was able to find healing from it and become unhindered.
WARM-UP:
Since this is the first week of Groups at Home, everyone take one minute each to share a bit about themselves (where you are from, one thing you enjoy doing, how long have you been at SLO City).
Introduce the Story of Joseph. Read Genesis 37.
WATCH THE VIDEO
QUESTIONS:
What jumps out to you about this story?
What family dynamics do you see at play?
How does all of this impact Joseph?
Peter Scazzero said, “Jesus may be in your heart, but grandpa is still in your bones.” Some of our brokenness goes back generations. Our family tree has more of an impact on us than we realize. The brokenness in Joseph’s brothers didn't happen in a silo. It can be traced back to their ancestors. Joseph was able to reflect on that brokenness, and find healing amidst a horrible circumstance.
Think about your family.
What patterns, behaviors, or narratives have been at play in your upbringing that have impacted you, or molded you in a certain way?
If you have brokenness in your family, how has that brokenness hindered you and your spiritual growth?
Read Hebrews 12:1-2
This passage from Hebrews is an encouragement to Christians to persevere in the midst of obstacles. We do not run this race alone. Rather, we follow after Jesus and the path he has laid out for each of us.
What seems to be hindering you in your daily walk with Christ?
Maybe at one point, you felt like you were in a spiritual pit. How did you get there and what steps did you take to be unhindered from that?
Read John 8:36
Although many of us have brokenness in our family line, God wants to free us from it, just like he did for Joseph. Generational shortcomings don’t have to be our story. There is freedom found in the person of Jesus.
Where have you seen Jesus meet you in our pain? In what ways have you experienced healing?
What practical steps can be taken to start breaking free from those generational habits and shortcomings?
ACTION:
This week, create your own genogram. - (Example at end of document). All you need is a pencil and paper. Don’t feel any pressure to reveal things that make you uncomfortable. Reflect on your family dynamics and how they have impacted you. If conversations need to be had, spend some time talking with those family members. This can be the first step towards healing.
Week 2
Week 2
Watch the Recap Video
INTRO:
Last week, we focused on the beginnings of Joseph’s story, and walked through his time in the pit. We looked back at our family history by creating genograms. This week we are looking at how Joseph reacts when he is placed under pressure. Many of us don’t know how to resist temptation. By studying Joseph, we can learn not only how to resist temptation, but strengthen our character in the process.
WARM-UP:
Reflect on your genograms that you made last week.
What stuck out to you?
How have you seen the impacts of your family history in your own life?
Read Genesis 39:6-12
WATCH THE VIDEO
QUESTIONS:
Read Isaiah 40:28-29
Joseph was able to flee from temptation with Potiphar's wife because he had a faithful perspective of God. The passage we just read from Isaiah reminds of how God is and how we can lean on him in times of trouble. If we view God as our helper and provider, we are then strengthened to resist temptation when it comes knocking, just like Joseph.
What has been your perspective of God? Do you view him as your friend or someone that is distant and unconcerned?
How could changing your perspective of God influence how you deal with temptation?
Read Isaiah 40:29
Battles can be won before the fighting even starts, by forming a solid plan. Potiphar’s wife tempted Joseph day after day, but Joseph planned to refuse. We even see that Joseph had to flee from the house to avoid falling into temptation. By making a plan and creating boundaries, we don’t leave the outcome of the battle to chance. We can take back the power when facing temptation.
Many of us flirt with temptation and often find ourselves shamed when we give in.
What areas of your life do you need to set boundaries and make a plan?Who do you lean on in times of temptation or struggle?
Read Thessalonians 3:13
In this verse, Paul is writing to the church in Thessolonica. Located in northern Greece, it would have been a temptation for the church to be like the rest of their society. However, Paul speaks to them, encouraging them to never tire of doing good things. In this way, they would be counter-cultural and Christ would be glorified in their perseverance. Similarly, Joseph preserved despite being in prison for something he didn’t do. God was with him in the darkness.
Doing the right thing sometimes comes with difficult consequences. Share a time when you did the right thing and encountered pain or difficulty?
In those situations, how have you seen God move despite the outcome?
Jesus tells us there will be trouble in this life. What practices can you incorporate to remind yourself to take heart, because Jesus has overcome the world? (prayer, journaling, fasting, etc.)
ACTION:
Find an accountability partner this week. This is someone you would speak to in times of temptation or trouble to keep you accountable.
Week 3
Week 3
Watch the Recap Video
INTRO:
After doing the right thing in Potiphar’s house, Joseph finds himself in prison. He fled from sexual temptation, refusing to sleep with Potiphar’s wife, and his good actions are rewarded with negative consequences. This week, we will unpack the suffering that Joseph went through to learn how we can continue to be sensitive to God’s voice and presence, even in seasons of darkness. You are not forgotten. God always has you in the palm of his hand.
WARM-UP:
Go around the group and share a high point and a low point from your week. This is meant to create space for reflection, when we are often forward focused.
Read Genesis 40:1-8; 41:1-39
WATCH THE VIDEO
QUESTIONS:
Read James 1:2-4
Suffering has the power to make us cynical if we let it. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison doing hard labor, eating horrible food, and only being allowed one visitor a year, for fighting against the apartheid. His heart could have been hardened. Instead, Nelson Mandela goes on to be the president of the country, advancing the fight on racial injustice. We see this in Joseph’s story as well. Joseph remained sensitive to God’s presence in prison.
We all go through difficult times. What are some practices that can keep us sensitive to God’s voice, like Joseph was?
In the seasons of darkness, how have you seen God keep you in-tune with his Spirit and purpose for your life?
Read 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
While Joseph was in prison, he got the chace to minister Pharaoh’s Chief Cupbearer and Chief Baker. Even though Joseph was in a horrible place, he was able to help these two men in their distress. Joseph didn’t default to selfishness, but servitude instead.
Share a time when someone served you despite having their own struggles and obstacles.
How have you felt God calling you to serve the people in your life, even in a painful season?
Read Romans 5:3-5
God oftentimes uses seasons of pain to prepare us for something great. God was molding and shaping Joseph during his time in prison, to later take a position of power in the Egyptian government. Scripture is clear that God will use fire to prepare us for his call on our lives.
God will not waste our pain. How has your pain made you more dependent on God?
What do you find comforting or challenging about the idea that God doesn’t cause our pain, but works through it?
ACTION:
Identify one way you can serve others this week, even if you're going through a difficult time yourself.
Week 4
Week 4
Watch the Recap Video
INTRO:
Let’s start at the end. The book of Genesis concludes with Joseph and brothers being reconciled to each other. Jacob has passed, and now the 12 tribes of Israel have been solidified. Throughout Joseph’s story we’ve seen tragedy, injustice, and pain. Now, we will see Joseph rise through the ranks in Egypt, experiencing restoration and fulfillment. Through it all, God remained with him.
WARM-UP:
Go around the group and share a high point and a low point from your week. This is meant to create space for reflection, when we are often forward focused.
WATCH THE VIDEO
QUESTIONS:
Read Genesis 42:6-8; 42:19-24
“If you circumvent the grief process, you run the risk of giving up on love.” -Dr. Danjuma Gibson. When we open Genesis 42, we see that Joseph has become the most important person in Egypt. Simultaneously, there’s a famine that causes his brothers to come down to Egypt and ask for help. This is the first time Joseph has seen his family since they tried to kill him. Instead of using his power to enact justice or denying his own pain, Joseph allows himself to feel his feelings.
When you come face to face with pain, what is your knee jerk reaction? Do you allow yourself to feel or do you harden your emotions?
Acknowledging our pain helps us make meaning of what we have lost. What would your spiritual life look like if you allowed yourself to confront the pain that you ignore? How would it affect your relationships?
Read Genesis 42:19-25
It’s okay to set up boundaries with people in your life who have wronged you. It benefits the other person as much as it benefits you. This is exactly what we see Joseph do when his brothers ask him for provisions. There is blessing in boundaries.
In order for Joseph to bless his brothers, he has to set up a boundary. Who do you need to set up boundaries with in order for that relationship to heal?
Joseph eventually reveals his identity to his brothers and allows them to see his pain. That was the next step in forgiveness. Who do you need to be honest with about your pain?
Read Genesis 49-50; Matthew 3:2
Joseph ultimately extends forgiveness and is reconciled with his brothers. In our own lives, we need to be like Joseph and have a heart for reconciliation because that is the way of the Kingdom. Forgiveness is not forgetting the wrongs done to us. It's allowing Jesus to take our pain and lead us forward.
Scripture tells us that God has forgiven our sin through the work of Jesus on the cross. If you have been on the receiving end of forgiveness, how did that shape your view of God’s grace?
At the end of the story, Joseph is living an unhindered life. What steps can you take moving forward to live free from the weight of your past and brokenness? (That may begin with acknowledging the weight you carry)
ACTION:
Choose one person and intentionally do something to bless them this week, even if it's just praying for their well-being.
Week 5
Week 5
Watch the Recap Video
INTRO:
In our concluding week of the Unhindered series, we reflect on Joseph's journey from pain to purpose. At 17, he was sold into slavery by his brothers, yet through these trials, God shaped him into the man we encounter in Genesis 50. Reconciliation and restoration mark Joseph's story as he mends his broken relationship with his brothers. This week, our focus is on the theme of provision.
WARM-UP:
Go around the group and share a high point and a low point from your week.
WATCH THE VIDEO
QUESTIONS:
Read Genesis 41:16-24
Joseph, despite being sold into slavery by his brothers, remained faithful to God. His ability to interpret dreams led him from prison to a position of power in Egypt, speaking to the power of faithfulness.
How do you think people would describe your reputation in difficult situations?
In what areas of your life are you dependent on God, and in what areas are you independent? What can you do to change that?
Read Jeremiah 29:1-14
God called the exiled Israelites in Babylon to be rooted, despite their circumstances. Even amidst oppression and pain in a foreign land, they were called to be lights for the community. Similarly, Joseph was rooted while in Egypt. Despite his horrible circumstances, he was a blessing.
Describe a time when God called you to be rooted in a place or situation that was uncomfortable for you.
How did that experience impact your faith? How did it impact your view of God’s character?
Matthew 6:25-27
Joseph found peace in God's plan, even when he faced hardship. Despite the darkness of the pit and the prison, God's light guided him. Similarly, we can find peace in God's provision and the knowledge that Jesus has overcome the world. Our trust in God, rather than our own plans, allows us to face any challenge with courage.
Recall a time when you followed God’s plan, even when it didn't make sense. How did that turn out?
What part of Joesph’s story resonated with you the most and how can you use your story to help others?
ACTION:
Write a letter to yourself from God's perspective, highlighting how He might use your current challenges for future provision.