Trusting in God's Plan

Let’s face it, sometimes things just don’t turn out the way we hope. It’s tough to figure out what God’s trying to do when we get mired down in the middle of trouble and events seem to be conspiring against us. Trusting in God’s plan and hanging onto hope may seem like Herculean tasks, but they’re not impossible. We can come through our trials and see God at work every step of the way. Looking at the life of Joseph we know that this is so. Joseph begins with a clear dream of God’s plan, but he soon encounters highs and lows that would cause many of us to lose heart. However, Joseph never gives up on God’s plan. We can learn a lot from his example.

God is the Light at the end of the tunnel

Date	Speaker	Resources	Topic
April 22, 2007	Pastor John Wunderlich	Notes1 audio archived	Genesis 37:1-11 Holding Onto Your Dream: Wherever there is a dream there is a dreamer. When God puts a dream (a vision) on our hearts we need to hold on to it tightly. The clearer the dream the better, because the dream is what sustains us when things get tough. What are our dreams? Are they clear? How can we grasp them tighter? Dreams are about vision, mission, and purpose; organizations have them, churches have them, people have them. Let’s get a clear picture of our dream.
April 29, 2007	Pastor John Wunderlich	Notes2 audio archived	Genesis 37:12-36 Trouble’s Comin': Into every dream some trouble will come. Our dreams do not go unopposed. We know that trouble will come, but when it does we act surprised. It would be smarter for us (and for the dream) to be ready (prepared) for trouble when it comes. If we’re prepared, the chances of the dream (and us!) surviving are much better. So … what can we do to be ready for the troubles that we know will come. Where and from who will our help come?
May 6, 2007	Pastor John Wunderlich	Notes3 audio archived	Genesis 39: 1-23 Transforming Your Circumstances: Circumstances can overwhelm the dream … if we let them. We always have a choice of how we will respond in the face of adverse circumstances. Joseph’s circumstances went from good to bad almost overnight. What can we learn from how he responded in the face of adversity? Joseph’s faithfulness, his willing to serve and bear fruit show us how to keep the dream alive in the midst of even the most difficult times and situations.
May 13, 2007 Mothers' Day	Pastor John Wunderlich	Notes4 audio archived	Genesis 45:1-21 The Hope For Change : One reason we persevere in the middle of trouble is that we know things will change eventually. When we lose the hope that things will ultimately get better, the dream quickly dies. Hope is the key to understanding God’s plan when it is obscured by trials. Sometimes (as for Joseph) it’s up to us to take steps to make sure that hope stays alive. Give what you’re struggling with today, what are the steps that you need to take to keep hoping?
May 20, 2007	Pastor John Wunderlich	Notes5 audio archived	Genesis 50:15-21 Seeing God’s Plan Fulfilled: When the dream stays clear, when we’re prepared for the bumps in the road, when we can transform negative circumstances into opportunities for service, when we are ready to take the next hopeful step, we are ready to see God’s plan fulfilled. It may not look like it did at the beginning, it may have had some unexpected twists and turns, but the dream (and our trust in it) are always worth the wait. What’s left for you to do in order to see God’s plan bear fruit?
May 27, 2007	Chaplain Keith Rivers		GUEST SPEAKER – (Good News Jail & Prison Fellowship)

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