I continued our series "The Life of Joseph: God's Sovereignty in Our Suffering"this past weekend at Eastbrook Church by looking at Joseph's temptation in Genesis 39. Here, Joseph finds God's present with him and even blessing him in suffering. Then, when things seem to be heading in a positive direction, he is caught in the webs …
Four Aspects of Suffering in Joseph
Let’s reflect on four aspects of suffering that we see in the life of Joseph: Joseph’s family dynamic brought suffering down upon him. Joseph did not choose to be born into the dysfunctional and broken family system of Abraham's generations, but that was the context of his birth and growth. The tensions between Joseph and …
The Context of the Life of Joseph
As we begin our series "The Life of Joseph: God's Sovereignty in Our Suffering" from Genesis 37-50, I cannot emphasize how important it is for us to understand the context in which Joseph's life takes place. Certainly, we must pay attention to both the historical context of Genesis and the relational/familial context of the generations …
Descending [Life of Joseph, part 1]
This past weekend at Eastbrook Church we began a new series "The Life of Joseph: God's Sovereignty in Our Suffering" by looking at the beginnings of Joseph's story in Genesis 37. Joseph’s story begins with dreams, parental favoritism, and family tensions. His father’s favorite son, Joseph quickly finds the disagreements with his brothers boiling over into …
Growing (discussion questions)
Here are the discussion questions that accompany my message, "Growing," from this past weekend at Eastbrook Church. This is the final part of our series, "Beginnings." The text for this week is Luke 2:22-52. Discussion Questions: Answer one of the following questions: What is one of your favorite memories from growing up? Why? When have you …
Matthew Erickson 