Barista’s, Drug Addicts, and Drop Outs // Justin Graves


Genesis 50:18-21 (NIV)
His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said. But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.


I. Don’t deny the pain and harm.


Genesis 50:20 (NIV)
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.


Psalms 34:18 (ESV)
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.


II. You can sit in your pain or keep moving in God’s promises.


A.) Forgive and release instead of hunting and repaying
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Romans 12:9-12; 19 (NLT)
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.


Ephesians 4:31-32 (AMP)
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness and verbal abuse.) Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.

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Colossians 3:13 (The Message)
Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you.


B.) If you don’t let your past die it won’t let you live.


III.  God brings good from evil, purpose from pain, and beauty from ashes.  God was preparing you not punishing you!
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Romans 8:28, 31 (NLT)
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”
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“If it broke you but brought you closer to God, it wasn’t loss, it was alignment.”


We want to follow up on this week’s message with a few questions that help you respond personally to what God is saying through His Word. Let this be a time of honest evaluation and spiritual reset.

- Joseph experienced deep betrayal but chose forgiveness. How have you seen God bring good out of a painful situation in your own life?
- What’s one area of your past where you’ve seen God’s faithfulness, even if it didn’t make sense at the time?
- Are there any areas in your life where you’re still “hunting and repaying” instead of forgiving and releasing? What might it look like to surrender that to God?
- How might God be preparing you—not punishing you—through the pain you’ve walked through? What promises can you hold onto in this season?

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