DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE

Sermon Series: The Gospel of Joseph

Sermon Text: Genesis 37-38

Sermon Title: A Tale of Three Men

Big Idea: God's people endure the presence of suffering while clinging to the promises of their Savior.

Sermon Points:

1. Joseph - Faithful to God through Intense Suffering

2. Judah - Faithfulness of God Despite Intense Wickedness

3. Jesus - The One Who Makes It All Make Sense


Daily Devotional Guide

Living for Jesus does not guarantee that we will enjoy a pain-free life right now. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Paul tells us that those who live for Jesus will endure hardships. For many, the abundant life of following Jesus means a life filled with nothing but success and good health and the absence of pain. In this view, those who do suffer simply don't have enough faith. 


Somewhere in heaven, Joseph must laugh when he hears such nonsense. 


Among men in the Bible not named Jesus, Joseph was one of the best. While he was a sinner in need of God's grace like all the rest of us, you'll have a hard time finding a lot of character flaws in Moses' narrative of this faithful servant. And yet, among men in the Bible not named Jesus, few suffered as much as Joseph did. 


But that still doesn't get us to the heart of what Joseph's life was all about. We miss the point if all we take away is the importance of remaining faithful while suffering. Something else is at work here. Better said, Someone else is at work. 


While there are many lessons we can and should learn from Joseph's life, the most important is this. God rules over all things and keeps His promises for His ultimate glory and the good of His people. That's why we're referring to this portion of Genesis as the Gospel of Joseph. 


Joseph's life should point our attention to Jesus. In that sense, we are no different from Joseph. God really does work all things together for the good of His people. That goes for Old Testament heroes and modern day business leaders, parents, teachers, coaches, and students. Our hardships rarely make sense when we look at them as stand alone events. But when we see them in the light of Jesus, we can more easily trust in Him as we await the day when He'll make it all make sense. 


The cross never physically shows up in the life of Joseph. But if you want to truly understand this remarkable story, you have to read it with the cross in mind. When we read Joseph, we can't help but see Jesus. Through intense hardship and injustice, God was working, not just for the good of Joseph but for the eternal good of all His people. 


Monday - Matthew 1:1-25

Tuesday - John 5:1-47

Wednesday - Acts 7:1-60

Thursday - Romans 8:1-39

Friday - Hebrews 11:1-40

Saturday - Genesis 39:1-23

Sunday - Genesis 40:1-23


DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE

Sermon Series: The Gospel of Luke

Sermon Text: Luke 16:19-31

Sermon Title: The Rich Man and Lazarus

The Big Idea: Will your master do you any good in eternity?

Sermon Points: 


The Contrasts Between Two Men


1. Their Circumstances on Earth

2. Their Destination after Death

3. Their Situation after Death


The Condition of Dead Sinners


1. Out of Time

2. Beyond Hope

3. Painfully Aware

4. Dead Broke

5. Eternally Secure


Daily Devotional Guide

Many people considered him the greatest singer in rock and roll. He played a part in creating a lot of hits with three different bands. But like many great rock stars, there was a lot of pain in Chris Cornell's voice. He grew up in a home that was a mix of Catholicism and New Age Spirituality. Both seemed to leave him feeling empty. He experimented with drugs and alcohol early. He would credit a bad experience with PCP for the depression he carried with him for most of his life. 


Cornell wanted peace and he was willing to try anything to get it. In one of his more famous songs, he sang, "On my deathbed I will pray to the gods and the angels like a pagan to anyone who will take me to heaven." That line resonates with many who want heaven but not Jesus. Cornell was quite wealthy and he seemed sincere in both his questions and his beliefs. But here's the question. 


Is that enough? 


Jesus answers that question in this week's passage where we find a very wealthy man who ends up in a difficult situation. He was successful and it showed. But none of that kept him from death. And it certainly didn't do him any good after death. The Rich Man was never more sincere than when he cried for mercy from Hell. But it was too late. 


Chris Cornell would go on to sing, "And I sat in regret of all the things I've done. For all that I've blessed and all that I've wronged." He was onto something there. What we do in this life, what we bless, and all that we've wronged, matters in eternity. No regret is more painful than the kind you have in Hell when you realize it's too late to do anything about it. 


Hell is a real place, regardless of what the skeptics and some Christian influencers try to tell us. Thankfully, Jesus is a real Savior. 


There are no exit signs in Hell. Once you're under God's eternal judgment, you're there to stay. There is, however, an entrance gate to Hell. God has given His people a tool to block that gate. That's why we preach the gospel of Jesus Christ instead of the false gospels of power, wealth, influence, or self-help. 


The pagan gods and angels Chris Cornell sang about won't be sending anyone to Heaven. Only Jesus can take care of that. 


Trust in Him before it's too late. 


Monday - Matthew 5:1-48

Tuesday - Matthew 10:1-42

Wednesday - Matthew 18:1-35

Thursday - Matthew 23:1-39

Friday - Romans 5:1-21

Saturday - Revelation 20:1-15

Sunday - Genesis 37:1-36