There is More for Every Joe A devotional on the life of Joseph
Eph. 3:20,
MSG
God can do anything, you know— far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! ...
21-Day Devotional Guide A primary aspect of the series, MO4JO, is a 21-Day devotional that teaches lessons from the life of Joseph. The story of Joseph is one that shows the power of dreaming. A young teenager dreams about prominence, gets into trouble, is sold into slavery, goes to jail on a false accusation and still rises to be the Prince of Egypt. The goal of this devotional is to activate the dreamer in you. God has big dreams for you. It’s time to capture and live these dreams. This devotional contains a Bible Reading Plan, a personal prayer and a prayer for i5 CHURCH. When we engage God through His word and prayer, we experience His very presence. God’s word is living and active! As we read our Bibles, we are drawing closer to God and positioning ourselves to dream big dreams.
PERSONAL
DEVOTION per • son • al de • vo • tion [pur-suh-nul dih-voh-shun] -noun
1. The act of making room for God to speak to us through His Word.
2. Learning to hear God’s voice (vital to experiencing a God-first life.)
-verb
1. Reading the Word and discovering the character of God, then applying Scriptures in real-time.
MO4JO PRAYER@7:15am Thursdays, January 16, 23 and 30 @ i5CHURCH. The experience will also be broadcast live online at www.i5church.com
What is a Daniel Fast? In the book of Daniel, we find two different times where Daniel fasted. In Chapter 1, he only ate vegetables and drank water; in Chapter 10, while it doesn’t state what specific diet he was on, it does state he ate no rich (or choice) foods, as well as no meat or wine. Based on these two scenarios, we can say that either of these, or combinations of them, constitutes a Daniel Fast. It is important to know that there is nothing inherently more spiritual about one type of fast over the other. It is an intentional decision to deny yourself of pleasure in order to concentrate and focus on God’s word, prayer and worship. HELPFUL FASTING TIPS: ■ Keep your fridge and pantry stocked with the items you need. ■ Keep tempting foods out of sight and out of reach. ■ If you are fasting with friends and family, you may want to discuss the devotional, Sunday messages or what God showed you as a group. ■ Don’t get discouraged if you mess up. God’s mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3:22-23). God wants you to finish, and He will give you the grace to.
TELL US YOUR
DREAMS and we’ll pray for them During this series, share your dreams with us and we will pray for them as a family. Post them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and tag them using the hashtag #MO4JO You can also send them to us at i5church.com/mo4jo
#MO4JO CM Daniel Fast Sample Menu: Fruits, Vegetables, Juices and Water
Modified Daniel Fast Breakfast
Breakfast
Fruit smoothie with whey protein
Mid-morning Snack Fresh fruit or fresh vegetables
Lunch
1-2 servings whole grains with fresh fruit juice
Mid-morning Snack
Fresh fruit or fresh chopped vegetables
Lunch
Raw vegetable salad with light, organic dressing and vegetable broth soup
1-2 servings whole grains, fresh salad with legumes and light organic dressing
Mid-afternoon Snack
Mid-afternoon Snack
Fresh fruit or fresh vegetables
Dinner
Fresh salad with light, organic dressing and steamed or grilled vegetables
Water
Drink plenty of water - at least 100 ounces No meat
Fresh fruit juice or fruit smoothie with whey protein
Dinner
1-2 whole grains: fresh salad with legumes & light, organic dressing
Water
Drink plenty of water - at least 100 ounces Fish or chicken, grilled or baked
O
ur prayer for you over the next 21 days is that your passion for God and His word will be ignited, and that you will develop a heart that captures and lives God’s dreams for you. As you read these daily devotionals, keep in mind the following three things: ■ Read daily ■ Read prayerfully ■ Read expectantly
A great, simple way to journal your devotions is to use the SOAP method.*
SOAP stands for:
S O A P
Scripture Read the daily passage and then identify a scripture from the passage that stands out to you. Observation Focus on that scripture and ask the Holy Spirit to show you what God is saying. Application How does this apply to your life right now? Prayer Thank God for revealing His truths to you. Remember, prayer is a two-way conversation, so listen for what God wants to say to you. *Author Wayne Cordeiro
We encourage you to read the passages and prepare your own SOAP in addition to what has been provided. God will definitely reveal himself and his purposes to you—He is eager to.
DAY 1 ❏ MONDAY, JANUARY 13
many colors. This coat separated him from his brothers. It brought attention to him whether he liked it or not.
TOPIC: YOU ARE SPECIAL Genesis 37:3, ASV, Now Israel loved Joseph…and he made him a coat of many colors. You are special! God took time out to lay every fiber of your being in place. Nothing about you is incidental or alien to your Maker. God made you special and created you for a special purpose.
Over the years, through experiences and circumstances, we are blinded to the special things about us. We forget what beautiful gifts God has given us and made us into. This is the devil’s plan: distract you from how wonderful God has made you.
Today, look past all the difficulties and challenges, and focus on how beautiful and precious God made you. You are not just special; you have a special purpose that The story of Joseph starts off revealing how sets you apart from everyone in the world. special Joseph was to his father Jacob. We learn that Joseph was his father’s favorite and Embrace it! this deep love prompted a gift of a coat of PRAYERS: Jesus, teach me to never forget how special you have made me. Teach me to boldly walk in the uniqueness I was created with. Pray that God continues to reveal the special purposes He has for i5 CHURCH. Pray that our leadership has the special anointing and boldness necessary to lead us.
NOTES
ACTION STEPS: ❏ Take a moment to write down three things that are blessed, positive and precious about your life right now. ❏ Make a list of three people who are precious to you. You can include your name too! ❏ Pray that God reveals their uniqueness to them. Feel free to grow this list as time goes on.
JOSEPH’S LIFE IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 37:1-22
DAY 2 ❏ TUESDAY, JANUARY 14
somehow these dreams shaped the life of this 17 year old. The dreams stirred a deep well of uncontrollable enthusiasm. He couldn’t hold TOPIC: YOU HAVE A DREAM his crazy dreams to himself. He talked himself Genesis 37:5, 9, ASV, And Joseph dreamed a into trouble—his brothers hated him—but he dream, and he told it to his brethren… And he wouldn’t stop. Then the enthusiasm grew into dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his a hunger in him and he refused to settle for anything less. brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed yet a dream… We all have dreams. They might come in the form of ideas, thoughts, suggestions, advice Scientists tell us that whether we remember or plain ol’ dreams—but each of us has a or not, we all dream. Somehow, God has picture of a preferred future. They present made it such that when we settle in for the night, or for a nap, we download pictures that us with a future that we are willing to give everything up for. speak to us directly. Joseph had crazy dreams. Who dreams of their family bowing before them? But
PRAY: Jesus, help me capture the dream you have for my life. Help me live a life that is pushed toward your purposes for me. Help me refuse to push my dreams to the side. Pray that every dream God has given i5 CHURCH, especially about impacting our community, is captured and fulfilled.
NOTES
What is your dream? What are you eager to live for? What are you willing to die for?
ACTION STEPS: ❏ If you had no constraints on your life, what would you be doing right now? ❏ Close your eyes and envision yourself in that dream. ❏ Take in the joy of that vision and let it serve as your meditation for today.
JOSEPH’S LIFE IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 37:22-36
At times, with the hustle and bustle of our everyday life, we fail to slow down long ❏ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15 enough to capture all the ideas, thoughts and dreams we have. When the picture is not TOPIC: CAPTURE YOUR DREAM Genesis 37:9, NLT, Soon Joseph had another clear, we start off on a journey to a destination we can hardly recognize, even if it were to hit dream, and again he told his brothers about it. “Listen, I have had another dream,” he said. us in the head. “The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low We must capture our dreams. We must keep before me!” journals. We must have our vision-books in place. If we are going to impact the world to the degree that we were created to, we must When we read our text for today, and other keep accurate accounts of the ideas and verses that tell the accounts of Joseph’s dreams God gives us. dreams, we can’t fail to recognize the detail with which he captured his dream. Every Habakkuk 2:2, MSG, says, “Write what you detail was accurately reflected when he told see. Write it out in big block letters so that it his dreams to his family. He remembered can be read on the run.” everything. Write it down.
DAY 3
PRAY: Lord, help me capture all the dreams you give me everyday. Help me write them down as clearly as you show them to me. And most of all, teach me to work out my dreams with confidence. Lord, help Pastor Jimmy capture all the dreams you give him for i5 CHURCH.
NOTES
ACTION STEPS: ❏ Go out today and buy yourself a journal.
❏ Today, write down the dream that you spoke out loud and meditated on yesterday. ❏ Begin writing all the crazy ideas and dreams you have. ❏ Now write down any fears or anxiety that you might have in moving from where you are today to that dream that God has for you. This time when you look at the list of fears, cross each one off as you say “All things are possible with God.”
JOSEPH’S LIFE IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 38:1-30
DAY 4 ❏ THURSDAY, JANUARY 16
less about what obstacles you might face. Have you ever wondered why life seems pretty easy until you make a decision to TOPIC: THE CHALLENGE OF DREAMING change the status quo? Joseph’s life speaks to Genesis 37:5-8, NLT, One night Joseph had a this. He was already not in his brothers’ good dream, and when he told his brothers about graces so the revelation of his dreams did it, they hated him more than ever. “Listen to him no favors. With the meaning of Joseph’s this dream,” he said. “We were out in the dream made clear, his brothers make it field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly obvious he is hated. my bundle stood up, and your bundles all Even if envy and hatred are not direct gathered around and bowed low before responses to your dream, expect the devil to mine!” mount an attack on you to distract you from His brothers responded, “So you think you will your dreams. Expect things to go haywire. be our king, do you? Do you actually think you Expect all hell to break loose. Why? A man or will reign over us?” And they hated him all the woman on a mission—with a dream—is the most dangerous threat to the devil. more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them. The dreams that you receive from God are designed to spread the love of God to the The challenge of dreaming is facing the obstacles that arise as a result. Unless you are world. The challenge of a world-changing dream is the attack of the enemy. out and on your journey, you could not care
PRAY: Jesus, help me withstand the attack of the enemy that comes with a worldchangers dream. Help me trust the One who gives the dream, to push me through the difficult times. Pray that God helps i5 CHURCH deal with the hurdles and challenges of having the big vision we have. Pray that God shows us favor and grants us open doors.
NOTES
ACTION STEPS: ❏ Identify each obstacle in your life. Those you have created and those others may have created. What is the source of each obstacle e.g. work, environment, friends, personal life? ❏ Identify one obstacle at a time and deal with what you can control. ❏ Commit all the obstacles to God and trust Him to help you work them out.
JOSEPH’S LIFE IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 39:1-10
DAY 5 ❏ FRIDAY, JANUARY 17 TOPIC: DON’T LET YOUR DREAM DIE Genesis 37:9-10, NLT, Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it. “Listen, I have had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!” This time he told the dream to his father as well as to his brothers, but his father scolded him. “What kind of dream is that?” he asked. “Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow to the ground before you? But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father wondered what the dreams meant. It’s easy to adjust and conform to pressure. All it takes is giving in. Stop resisting, stop
PRAY: Lord, help me to fight when I need to and hold on where I have to. Help me to stay focused on what you have reserved for me. Lord, help me not sacrifice my dreams at the expense of conformity. Pray that i5 CHURCH doesn’t let the vision to impact the world die. Pray that we hold on to the purpose for which we were put in this community.
NOTES
fighting, just let go and swim with the current. It’s easy to let your dreams die at the expense of fighting the pressure. It’s easy to drift from the mark. Joseph came under instant pressure to stop dreaming. His brothers were not having it and even the father who favored him didn’t take it well when the dreams included him. Everything was against him, but we never see him falter or loose hold of his dreams. He held on so much, his brothers called him ‘The Dreamer’. You cannot afford to let go of your dreams. Nothing is worth more than the dream God has given you for your family, marriage and life. You cannot let criticisms, threats and even blatant attacks stop you from reaching the heights God has reserved for you. Don’t let your dream die!
ACTION STEPS: ❏ Close your eyes and think of the dreams you have in your heart. Envision the dream in action; the completed product.
❏ Resolve to never let your dreams die, no matter what.
JOSEPH’S LIFE IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 39:11-23
DAY 6 ❏ SATURDAY, JANUARY 18
frogs exciting, only points to some elements of science in the future. Patterns establish purpose. TOPIC: DON’T IGNORE THE PATTERNS Joseph’s many dreams painted one picture. Genesis 37:5,6,9,10, NLT, One night Joseph Somehow he was going to lead his entire had a dream…. “Listen to this dream,” he said. family; he was going to be the savior of Soon Joseph had another dream… This time his clan. Dream after dream, with different he told the dream to his father as well as to elements and scenarios, God established a his brothers… pattern that revealed His plan for Joseph. You could look at a child and notice his or her Take close inventory of your life and notice hobbies. Observe what excites him or her and the patterns that exist. What repeated dreams have you had? What repeated burdens have what he or she would rather learn about and plagued your heart? What repeated joys have you could relatively point to what their future you experienced? Deep within this pattern is would look like. Childhood play-experiments, a fascination with biology or finding dissecting God’s quiet voice, calling you towards your purpose—the reason He created you.
PRAY: God, open my ears to hear what you have been whispering to me since my birth. Teach me to never ignore the very many ways you reveal your dream for me. Pray that God opens the eyes and ears of the leadership of i5 CHURCH to see the dream He has for us.
NOTES
ACTION STEPS: ❏ Think of recurring situations you have encountered, the positive and negative. ❏ What do you think these patterns mean? Write that down.
JOSEPH’S LIFE IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 40:1-15
DAY 7 ❏ SUNDAY, JANUARY 19 TOPIC: BECOME YOUR DREAM Genesis 37:18-20, NLT, When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him. “Here comes the dreamer!” they said. “Come on, let’s kill him… Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!” Serena Williams, tennis. Bill Gates, computers. Ben Carson, medicine. Tiger Woods, golf. Every great man or woman is known by his or her dreams. We associate their names with what marks they have left in the world and in our hearts.
PRAY: Lord, help me become all you have created me to be. Help me be confident of your purposes for me. Help me go public with the impact you designed for me to make. Pray that i5 CHURCH becomes an embodiment of the vision God has called us to.
NOTES
Joseph spoke so often of his dream, even though he was nowhere close to fulfilling it. His consistency and tenacity nauseated his family. You could call it disdain, hatred or envy but in verse 19 of our text, his brothers now associated him with his dream. They were convinced that killing him meant killing his dream. Until we are ready to become our dreams, until we are ready to be confident with the unique purpose God has for us, we cannot say we are ready for God to change the world through us. It’s time to let loose the quiet dreams that have filled the chambers of your heart. It’s time to go public with God’s revealed plan for your life. It’s time to become your dream.
ACTION STEPS: ❏ Can your friends identify your dream? ❏ Ask each person to tell you what he or she thinks your dream is. ❏ If their view is nothing like your dream, you can share your dream with those whom you trust to keep you accountable.
JOSEPH’S LIFE IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 40:16-23
DAY 8 ❏ MONDAY, JANUARY 20 TOPIC: DEALING WITH ‘DEAD’ DREAMS Genesis 37:23-24, NLT, So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing. Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. Think about it. One minute you had a spring in your step. Confident that somehow, you are going to be prominent. You might be checking up on your unruly brothers now, but someday they would bow down to you. Then, all of a sudden, you are nabbed, disrobed and tossed into a dry pit. What a change of scenario! How many of us went into our marriages with different dreams than what our present realities are? How many of us had great
PRAY: Lord, help me trust you with my dreams, even when they do not look like they can come through. Help me to wait patiently without losing faith in you, Lord. Pray that God supports i5 CHURCH through the tough times when the vision and dream look beyond reach.
NOTES
dreams of beautiful and well-mannered children, and find ourselves constantly being invited to the principal’s office for some bad behavior? How many of us saw ourselves in much better places in our careers than we find ourselves? How many of us think our dreams are dead? In that pit, I wonder what Joseph thought. I wonder if he began to ask if his lofty dreams would come through. This was nothing like the moon and stars bowing down to him; this was a dark, dry pit. The amazing thing is that we have a God that resurrects dead dreams. He causes light to shine in darkness. He opens doors and make a way where there seems to be no way. This God is on your side. If you are patient enough to walk through your process, He will turn it around for you. In the end, you win!
ACTION STEPS ❏ Reflect on your pit experience that you’ve had before. Write down how you felt in the pit or how you feel if you’re in a pit now. ❏ Write down two blessings that you are experiencing today, right now. ❏ As you move through your day, meditate on how God continues to pour blessings while we are stuck in a pit or dancing on a mountaintop. God is faithful.
JOSEPH’S LIFE IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 41:1-16
DAY 9 ❏ TUESDAY, JANUARY 21 TOPIC: ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD Genesis 37:27-28, NLT, “Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!” And his brothers agreed. So when the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders, came by, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to them for twenty pieces of silver. And the traders took him to Egypt. Yesterday, we talked about navigating through times when our dreams look like they could be dead. It can be hard to trust and keep the faith when light is darkness and when going forward really feels like backflips. Here is our assurance: Romans 8:28 (GNT),
PRAY: Lord, teach me to know your awesome greatness. Teach me to lean on your everlasting, all-powerful arms. Teach me to know that you work things out for my good. Pray that God works everything out for every member of i5 CHURCH. Pray that God upholds everyone who is going through any difficulty.
NOTES
“We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him those whom he has called according to his purpose.” To Josephs’ brothers, he was going to Egypt a slave, but God had other plans. Somewhere Joseph might have thought, ‘there goes my dream. There goes every possibility of ever seeing all those dreams come to pass. Was God just teasing me?’ It must have been hard to move from wearing a beautiful coat, basking in the euphoria of your dreams to getting tied up and dragged away to become a slave to a foreign land. When all hell breaks loose and nothing looks like it’s working, remember that all things work together for your good. When all hope is lost and the prospects of tomorrow seem bleak, remember that the good, bad and ugly come together for the best for you. God is in the business of restoring hope and fulfilling dreams.
ACTION STEPS: ❏ What is the first thing that you do when your life begins to fall apart? ❏ As a community in Christ we are meant to build each other up and pray for each other. What difference does it make when someone speaks life into your pit experience? ❏ Today encourage someone you know is in their pit experience.
JOSEPH’S LIFE IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 41:17-32
DAY 10 ❏ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22 TOPIC: YOU ARE CLOSER THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE Genesis 39:1, NLT, When Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer. Potiphar was captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. There is this picture of two men digging separate tunnels to a treasure chest. One digs his way into the tunnel and stops just shy of the chest. The next one perseveres and reaches the mark. Sometimes we give up without knowing how close we have come to our dreams.
home was going to guarantee the fulfillment of his dream—after all, the dreams featured members of his family. He couldn’t have guessed that being sold into slavery brought him closer to his dreams than ever. Come to think of it, he was sold to the guy in charge of Pharaoh’s security—he was that close to the throne. We will never know what God is preparing us for or preparing for us. We will never see the picture as big as God does. God has the master plan for our lives and trusting Him is the best way to go. Sometimes when we think we are far from our dreams, we are as close as we can possibly be. You are closer to your breakthrough than you can fathom. Just hold on.
Joseph might have thought staying close to
PRAY: Lord, help me to hold on to your hands and hold fast to your promises for me. I know that you will come through for me if I trust you with my life. I will not just come close to your mark for me; I will walk into every place you have prepared for me. Pray that i5 CHURCH walks into the fullness of God’s dream for us.
NOTES
ACTION STEPS: ❏ Take a minute to think about God and His greatness instead of your list of things to do for today. ❏ Find what Jesus says about faith in Matthew 17:20. ❏ When you feel as if you are losing hold of your passion and energy for your dream today, meditate on how powerful faith in Jesus can be if you speak it over your life.
JOSEPH’S LIFE IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 41:33-44
DAY 11 ❏ THURSDAY, JANUARY 23 TOPIC: FAVOR FOLLOWS PURPOSE Genesis 39:2-3, 21-22, NLT The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him His faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. The proverbial saying, ‘There is light at the end of the tunnel’, gives us some hope. Every cloud has a silver lining. God always throws us some rope when we feel like all is lost.
Pursuing our dreams always attracts some level of pain. The pressure of pushing against the status quo will leave some bruises and cause some sleeplessness, but God doesn’t abandon us in the process. In a matter of days, Joseph went from being the favorite son with dreams of prominence to a slave in an Egyptian’s house. Although he moved from sonship to slavery, God still showed him favor. In Potiphar’s house, serving the table and washing dishes, God favored him. In the prison with other royal offenders, God favored him. Your dream will set you apart from the pack and God’s favor will always shine some light when things get gloomy and dark. When you can’t see the good in your dream, when it all seems difficult and rocky, understand that God’s favor never forsakes you.
PRAY: Lord, let your favor never leave me. Let your hands always hold and guide me through the difficult times. When I feel stuck and closed-in, let your favor make a way for me.
ACTION STEPS: ❏ Write down what your personal definition of “favor” is.
Pray that God grants i5 CHURCH favor in all our efforts. Pray that people will give their time, talents and treasures to help fulfill God’s dream for us.
❏ Write down the ways you have seen God’s favor in your life by using both definitions.
NOTES
❏ Look up the word “favor” in the dictionary.
JOSEPH’S LIFE IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 41:45-57
DAY 12 ❏ FRIDAY, JANUARY 24
safe passage.
Sometimes we feel that obeying God is an allrosy affair—no problems or challenges of any kind. Nothing could be further from the truth. Obedience to God doesn’t rule out trials, tests Genesis 39:6-7, NLT So Potiphar gave and temptation. As long as we are alive, the Joseph complete administrative responsibility devil will do anything he can to derail us. over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what Joseph had just hit a good patch in his life. kind of food to eat! Even though he was a slave, his boss was fond of him. He was the second-in-command Joseph was a very handsome and well-built and in charge of everything in the house, young man and Potiphar’s wife soon began except his boss’ wife. The one thing he was to look at him lustfully. “Come and sleep with not in control of was the one thing that was me,” she demanded. going to test his integrity. You would think the wife of a powerful man like Potiphar would Pedestrians usually have the right of way in a want nothing to do with a slave, but the enemy pedestrian crossing, but that doesn’t rule out will stop at nothing to distract you. the possibility of that one crazy driver who doesn’t care for other people. Even if you Never let your guard down. Your greatest have the right of way, you are not guaranteed moment of vigilance must be right after a win. TOPIC: OBEDIENCE DOESN’T RULE OUT TRIALS
PRAY: Lord, I choose to obey you. I choose to work out my dreams. Give me the strength to withstand any temptations and trials that I might face. Pray that God strengthens every partner and attendee at i5 CHURCH. Pray that no temptation takes out any of us. Pray that each of us sees our dreams come through.
NOTES
ACTION STEPS: ❏ Take a moment to think about what your greatest temptation may be and how it stops you from fulfilling your dream. ❏ Look up 2 Corinthians 10:5 and write it down. ❏ Today, practice making your thoughts captive to Christ by repeating the verse during stressful times. When temptation crosses your path, you will have a little bit of knowledge on remaining spiritually strong. Remember sometimes you have to run away to preserve your dreams.
JOSEPH’S LIFE IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 42:1-16
DAY 13 ❏ SATURDAY, JANUARY 25 TOPIC: THE VALUE OF INTEGRITY Genesis 39:10-12, NLT She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work. She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with me!” Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house. Your true character, they say, is not who you are or what you do when everybody is watching — but it’s who you are and what you do behind closed doors. Every now and then we are tested to reveal what our true character is. We are tested to see what choices we would make when no one is watching.
What would you have done if you were in Joseph’s shoes? You came into the house a slave but somehow you are the lead servant in the house and your master trusts you. Would you succumb to the temptation to get into the good graces of the boss’ wife? It must have been difficult to say ‘no’ to Potiphar’s wife. What if she began to make life miserable for me? In the difficult times—in the times when the two options are disheartening and life as we know it is threatened—we must choose to obey God. We must choose to stand up for the truth, and not compromise. Our responses must be like Joseph’s: But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “My master trusts me with everything in his entire household. No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.” - Genesis 39:8-9, NLT
PRAY: God give me the courage to uphold your will even when it is difficult. Teach me the value of truth and honesty, and reward my obedience to your word.
ACTION STEPS: ❏ Obeying God in the times of temptation only happens after you’ve learned to obey God in simple ways each day. How can you obey God’s word today?
Pray that God continues to give strength to our Pastor and leaders as they hold the line of integrity.
❏ So much in our society is about getting a reward for doing the right thing. What do you think a reward from God would look like? ❏ As you go through your day, pause and constantly be aware of choosing to obey God in the small ways today.
NOTES
JOSEPH’S LIFE IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 42:17-38
DAY 14 ❏ SUNDAY, JANUARY 26 TOPIC: DON’T STOP GROWING Genesis 40:1-8, NLT Some time later, Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer and chief baker offended their royal master. Pharaoh became angry with these two officials, and he put them in the prison where Joseph was… and the captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, who looked after them. While they were in prison, Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker each had a dream one night and each dream had its own meaning. When Joseph saw them… he asked “Why do you look so worried today?” And they replied, “We both had dreams last night, but no one can tell us what they mean.” “Interpreting dreams is God’s business,” Joseph replied. “Go ahead and tell me your dreams.” The worst place to be is one in which we stop growing. Growth is a natural consequence
of life. Growth is intentional; it is deliberate. As children, our parents bugged us to eat. A direct relationship was drawn between eating and growing. Dreams require us to stretch. No real dream— no big dream—is ever achieved in comfort. We grow into God’s dream for us. We have to develop silent and dormant parts of our lives, gifts and talents if we have a chance of filling the space our dreams will provide. The biggest mistake Joseph would have made was to sit quietly in the prison and refuse to exercise his talent of interpreting dreams. Before God ever exposes us on a significant platform, He will always provide us with opportunities to sharpen what we will need for the big time. Joseph was not going to go from interpreting his own dream to interpreting Pharaoh’s dream. There had to be some training and the cupbearer and baker encounters were his growth opportunities. Never take for granted the little opportunities that prepare you for the big day!
PRAY:
ACTION STEPS:
Lord, open my eyes to see the opportunities before me. Help me to value training and growth, no matter how little they might be. Teach me to take my dreams one step at a time, one opportunity at a time.
❏ Learn something new everyday. It could be a word, recipe, road back home, bible verse or a new friend. Get out there and learn something new.
Pray that as we grow as i5 CHURCH, we embrace the opportunities we have to grow as volunteers and leaders.
NOTES
❏ Share something new that you learned with someone else. Make their day.
JOSEPH’S LIFE IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 43:1-17
DAY 15 ❏ MONDAY, JANUARY 27 TOPIC: DEALING WITH DISAPPOINTMENTS Genesis 40:20-23, NLT Pharaoh’s birthday came three days later, and he prepared a banquet for all his officials and staff. He summoned his chief cup-bearer and chief baker to join the other officials. He then restored the chief cup-bearer to his former position, so he could again hand Pharaoh his cup. But Pharaoh impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had predicted when he interpreted his dream. Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought. Every one of us has been disappointed at some point in our lives. A loved one hurts you,
your children act poorly, your business fails, a decision you once thought was great blows up in your face and your heart grows heavy. Just think how Joseph felt. He had an awesome series of dreams, shared it with his brothers and got sold into slavery. He behaves himself—and with God’s favor—enjoys the good graces of Potiphar. He is thrown in jail for not sleeping with his boss’ wife. In jail, he pushes all the pain aside to help two men. The surviving man, whom he helped, completely forgot about him. It’s as if every good deed was rewarded with evil. What disappointments do we have? What hurts have we had to endure for the sake of the dreams that we have? In all our pain, we have a God who looks after us. A father who makes the good, bad and ugly work out for our good. Disappointments may come, but we have a God who turns it around for our good.
PRAY:
ACTION STEPS:
Lord, help me during the hurts and pains of disappointment. Don’t let me drown in sorrow, but lift me up to joy and peace.
❏ For every disappointment you can remember going through, write out something positive that happened.
Pray that no matter what disappointments we might face as a church, may we never lose sight of God’s hand upon us.
❏ At the end of each week, make two lists: a disappointment list and a blessing list. Pray about your disappointments and be thankful for your blessings. ❏ Share your personal source of joy in Christ with someone today.
NOTES
JOSEPH’S LIFE IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 43:18-34
DAY 16 ❏ TUESDAY, JANUARY 28 TOPIC: GET READY FOR YOUR FUTURE Genesis 41:1, 14, NLT Two full years later, Pharaoh dreamed… Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before Pharaoh. When you value an opportunity or invitation, you prepare for it. You get new clothes, new shoes, new haircut or hairdos and so on. You make sure you are presentable before whatever audience you anticipate to appear before. You cannot afford to be unprepared
when the door to fulfilling your dreams flap open. Being in jail, Joseph didn’t pay any attention to his appearance. His beard grew out, hair was overgrown and his clothes were filthy. When it was time to meet Pharaoh, he couldn’t walk into his presence shabby; he had to prepare. What God has locked up in your dreams, the platforms He wants to place you on, and the doors He will open for you have to be taken seriously. You have to prepare for the future. Read that extra book, learn that extra skill, improve that personal quality and pray that extra hour. You will need it when you come face to face with your dreams.
PRAY:
ACTION STEPS:
Lord, give me the wisdom to handle the opportunities you will bring before me. Help me to spend the time I have preparing rather than complaining about what I don’t have.
❏ Are there personal habits that are holding you back from being your fullest? Decide to break them. Then break them.
Pray that i5 CHURCH is well positioned for what God has for us. Pray that we have all the volunteers and resources needed for our dream to be fulfilled.
NOTES
❏ Are there relationships that hold you back? Decide to break them off. Then break them off. ❏ Are there negative thoughts that hound and slow you down? Decide to change them. Then change them.
JOSEPH’S STORY IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 44:1-17
DAY 17 ❏ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29
eternal wealth. Eternal wealth is one that does not lose value and keeps creating impacts in the lives of people even after the giver is TOPIC: BUILDING ETERNAL STORES gone. Genesis 41:47-49,56-57, NLT As predicted, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where for seven years the land produced bumper moths eat them and rust destroys them, and crops. During those years, Joseph gathered where thieves break in and steal. Store your all the crops grown in Egypt and stored the treasures in heaven, where moths and rust grain... He piled up huge amounts of grain cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in like sand on the seashore. Finally, he stopped and steal.” Matthew 6:19-20, NLT keeping records because there was too much Now think what would happen if Antony to measure. grew up to be a great leader in his country With severe famine everywhere… people from and leads a whole nation to civil wealth and stability. All of that would have happened just all around came to Egypt to buy grain from because someone decided to give $39 every Joseph. month to make sure he is trained properly. Last December, a representative from This is eternal wealth. One Child Matters came and spoke to us At i5 CHURCH, we cannot sit back and about sponsoring children from various ignore the pleas to be generous. A whole underprivileged countries of the world. community—nations—are waiting on our During the service, a video of a boy, Antony, sacrifice because, as in Joseph’s time, the was played. In this video, we could see the world is in dire need of what our generosity hope a few dollars could bring to a child and will provide. Any money given to provide for subsequently, a generation. someone is money well-spent. Generosity is the bedrock of building up
PRAY:
ACTION STEPS:
Lord, please help me to have a generous heart and help me to realize that money given to the church and others are going towards storing my treasures in heaven.
❏ Take a moment to remember a time when someone was generous to you in a time of need. ❏ Decide to give beyond your tithes and offerings this week.
Pray that the leaders at i5 CHURCH continue to find opportunities for us to ❏ Do something extra special for someone today. give and that we continue to impact the world with our giving.
NOTES
JOSEPH’S STORY IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 44:18-34
DAY 18 ❏ THURSDAY, JANUARY 30 TOPIC: FORGIVE AND LET GO Genesis 41:47-49,56-57, NLT “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. A few days ago we talked about dealing with disappointments. Betrayals are even worse because they seem intentional. They are like stabs in our backs.
Joseph, after more than a decade, comes face to face with the same brothers that sold him into slavery. What would you have done? How would you have responded when the last face you saw waving you into bondage in a foreign land was in front of you, begging for food? What would you have done? Unforgiveness, interestingly, tells more on the forgiver than on the forgiven. At times, people who have betrayed us are oblivious to this fact, yet we carry the heavy burden of this pain. Someone once said forgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping someone else dies. Your dreams—God’s purposes for you—cannot be fulfilled in strife and animosity. It’s time to release yourself—that is really what happens when you forgive. It’s time to forgive, and lighten the load.
PRAY:
ACTION STEPS:
Lord, help me forgive those who have betrayed me just like you forgive me. Teach me to release all the hurt and pain I feel now.
❏ Call up/talk to someone you need to forgive.
Pray that everyone at i5 CHURCH forgives whosoever has hurt them, and that we learn how to walk in continuous forgiveness.
NOTES
❏ Note how you felt after you forgave.
JOSEPH’S LIFE IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 45:1-28
DAY 19 ❏ FRIDAY, JANUARY 31
his family bowing to him, but when it came to fruition, it had everything to do with saving the world. Through the pit, to the long walk to TOPIC: IT IS BIGGER THAN YOU Egypt, to slavery in Potiphar’s house, to being Genesis 41:7-8, NLT God has sent me ahead cast in prison, God was preparing Joseph for an assignment bigger than his mind could of you to keep you and your families alive comprehend. Who would have thought a little and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the arrogant boy from some desert would be the Prince of Egypt and the savior of the world? one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh— the manager of his entire palace and the God is preparing you for something much governor of all Egypt. bigger than you can wrap your mind around. You were made for—and your dream must be If your dream is not bigger than you and your about—bigger things than your self. selfish tendencies, it is not big enough. If your I don’t think Andrew knew how important dream doesn’t change the world around you, Peter would be when he invited him to come it is still too small. If your dream is just about to Jesus (John 1). Your dream might look small your rise to prominence, it is really miniscule. in the grand scheme of things, but who knows On the surface, Joseph’s dream was just about what avalanche it can provoke.
PRAY:
ACTION STEPS:
Lord, help me dream big. Increase my heart and make it conducive to receive big dreams from you. I submit to you for the plan for my life because I know you have made me for global relevance.
❏ Write down an instance when your actions or words had a bigger impact than you had imagined.
Pray that everyone in i5 CHURCH would dream and live beyond him or herself. Pray that all our dreams will go on to change the world for Jesus.
NOTES
❏ Today pray for a revelation on how you can serve in moving i5 CHURCH towards impacting the world in 2014. ❏ Decide which steps you will take to join in making the outreach dreams of i5 CHURCH a reality this year.
JOSEPH’S LIFE IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 46:1-34
DAY 20 ❏ SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1
dreams in sight. There must never be a time in your life when your past victories paralyze your future conquests. TOPIC: NEVER CATCH UP WITH YOUR Dream big and dream always. If God can do DREAM more than your wildest dreams, why do we Ephesians 3:20, MSG God can do anything, stop dreaming? This limitless character of God you know—far more than you could ever is an invitation to surpass the boundaries we imagine or guess or request in your wildest have grown to know. dreams! If you have achieved your childhood dream, Your dreams do not confound God, no matter get a new one. If you have made the impact you hoped to make, there are more lives to how big you think they are. In fact, God has more for you if you can increase your capacity. reach. There is always more to do and more God never runs out of dreams; He runs out of change to be made. We cannot stop. One fulfilled dream should not be enough—no people willing to live for causes bigger them matter how big. We must die dreaming— themselves. dreaming of better things that could be. Our You must never get to a state of complacency God is able to do ANYTHING! in the sense that you just get by with no
PRAY: Lord, I never want to stop dreaming. Lord, fill me up constantly with dreams of the purposes you have for me. Jesus, don’t let me catch up with my dreams. Pray that God continues to give our Lead Pastor Jimmy Rollins, and the leadership of i5 CHURCH bigger dreams for the bigger impact He would want us to have. We cannot stop, ever!
NOTES
ACTION STEPS: ❏ Do you find yourself stuck on the success of yesterday that you don’t have any dreams for your future? ❏ If yes, today—right this moment— capture a dream bigger than you. Ask God for a God-sized dream that you will need God to fulfill.
JOSEPH’S LIFE IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 47:1-17
DAY 21 ❏ SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2
thoughts and ideas. When you write your ideas, thoughts and dreams down, you are taking a big step to TOPIC: GET A DREAM BOOK commit to whatever it takes to see it through. Habakkuk 2:2-3, MSG And then God You will do three more things with this book. answered: “Write this. Write what you see. First, pray over it, and commit it to God. Ask Write it out in big block letters so that it can God to prepare you for your dreams and be read on the run.” prepare your dreams for you. Ask God for the This vision-message is a witness pointing to courage that never falters or fails in adversity. what’s coming. It aches for the coming—it can Pray that you are never caught up in the hardly wait! And it doesn’t lie. euphoria of victory that you stop dreaming. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It’s on the way. Second, give a copy of your dreams to It will come right on time. someone who can keep you accountable. They can help you work out the steps to As we round up this fast and this devotional ensure you are prepared for your dream. period, let’s do something practical. Third, go ahead and live your dream! No one Get out a journal or notebook and write out else can do what you have dreamt. every one of your dreams. Just keep writing until you have exhausted all your outlandish
PRAY: Lord, as I write down these dreams you have given me, make me ready for them. Give me a courage that stands tall and firm in adversity and a focus that is not broken in the joy of dreams fulfilled. Pray that the Pastors and leaders of i5 CHURCH capture the dreams that God has given to them. Pray that God gives them the courage to go forward and fulfill these dreams.
NOTES
ACTION STEPS: ❏ You should have a Dream book by now. If you don’t, go out and get one. ❏ Now begin to document every dream you have for this year and the rest of your life. It should even include the little things like what books you want to read, how much money you want to save and so on.
JOSEPH’S LIFE IN 21 DAYS: Genesis 47:18-31
#MO4JO The Next 21 Days
W
e want to encourage you to be just as intentional about the next twentyone days…and the twenty-one days after that…and so on. Remember, keeping the fire and zeal for God burning in your heart is what will keep your relationship with Him fresh and new. It will allow you to continue serving and obeying Him as you experience the joy of your salvation everyday— regardless of what life brings your way. The principles you have practiced in these twenty-one days are very easy to sustain long-term. Prayer, fasting, and personal devotion are all quite simple to incorporate into your everyday life. Over these last twenty-one days, you’ve created space for
God to fill. The best way to continue in these same practices is to keep that space open indefinitely. Don’t allow it to close up! Protect that time and space with God and make it your priority each day. Just like reading your Bible, praying, and attending church, fasting is also a lifestyle. We encourage you to establish a frequency and consistency of fasting in your life. Remember, this is not a legalistic thing. This is an “I get to experience God” thing. It is like going into heaven for a tune up, so we can keep our passion for God at a high level. We encourage you to do the same. Figure out what works for you, commit to it, and make it a part of your life.
8262 Lokus Rd. Odenton, MD 21113 410.672.4260 www.i5church.com/mo4jo