All of us know what it's like to be hurt or betrayed. Often it's a small breach such as being spoken to rudely or overlooked in a time of need. Other times we experience lies, gossip, or harsh words that cut us to the core. Some of us have endured unspeakable pain through abuse, adultery, or abandonment. God knows the pain we cause each other and longs to help us learn to practice forgiveness. Nowhere do we see forgiveness played out more fully in Scripture than in the biblical story of Joseph. This six-week study explores what God has to say to us about grace and forgiveness through Joseph's story of trial and triumph found in Genesis 37-50. As we study his dreams, his betrayers, his dysfunctional family, his struggle to forgive, and his journey toward reconciliation, we'll find truths that echo into our own personal situations as well as practical help for answering common questions, such as: How do I stop dwelling on the hurt? Is forgiving someone excusing what happened? When will I stop having to re-forgive? Is there a difference between forgiveness and reconciliation? How can I forgive and still set boundaries? Is it ever okay not to forgive? Whether or not you are working through a hurtful situation right now, you can learn from Joseph how to release your past and present hurts to God and allow Him to do a supernatural work of forgiveness in your life. God wants to use the very things intended to hurt you as a source of blessing in your life and the lives of others. The Participant Book includes five days of lessons for each week, combining study of Scripture with personal reflection, application, and prayer. Other components for the Bible study, available separately, include a Leader Guide, DVD with six 20-25 minute sessions, and boxed Leader Kit (an all-inclusive box containing one copy of each of the Bible study’s components). God wants us to release our past and present hurts and allow Him to do a supernatural work of forgiveness in our life. Melissa Spoelstra is a popular women’s conference speaker (including the Aspire Women’s Events), Bible teacher, and author who is madly in love with Jesus and passionate about helping others to seek Christ and know Him more intimately. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Bible Theology and enjoys teaching God’s Word to diverse groups and churches within the body of Christ. She is a contributor to Girlfriends in God online devotional as well as Proverbs 31 ministries First Five app. She is the author of eight Bible studies ( Acts , The Names of God , Romans , Elijah , Numbers , First Corinthians , Joseph , and Jeremiah ) and four books ( Total Family Makeover , Total Christmas Makeover , 30 Days of Prayer for Spiritual Stamina , and Dare to Hope ). Melissa makes her home in Waxahachie, Texas, with her pastor husband and four kids. Joseph The Journey to Forgiveness By Melissa Spoelstra Abingdon Press Copyright © 2015 Abingdon Press All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4267-8910-6 Contents Introduction, Week 1: Acknowledging the Pain Genesis 37, 39, Week 2: Waiting to Be Remembered Genesis 40, Week 3: Dreams Coming True Genesis 41–42, Week 4: The Roller Coaster Ride Genesis 43-44, Week 5: Grace and Boundaries Genesis 45-46, Week 6: Moving Forward Genesis 47-50, Recommended Reading, Notes, CHAPTER 1 Week 1 ACKNOWLEDGING THE PAIN Genesis 37, 39 Memory Verse I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles. When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn. (Psalm 142:2-3) Fun Fact: Joseph's name means "May God add" or increase (Genesis 30:24). Day 1: A Dysfunctional Family We don't have to look much farther than our own front door to find a place to practice forgiveness. Living in close proximity to others provides many opportunities to hurt one another. With pretenses down, we unveil our true selves at home. Family members see what we hide from others outside our four walls — such as laziness, selfishness, anger, and favoritism. I've heard it said that the true test of a Christian is how he or she lives at home. Families are the people committed to love us even when our flaws are exposed. Whether through birth, adoption, or the covenant of marriage, family connections often involve our closest relationships: husband and wife, parent and child, sister and brother, grandparent and grandchild. What family member are you closest to at this stage in your life? Now imagine the pain if that person was disloyal to you in some way. When that sacred trust is broken, the betrayal cuts deep wounds. Carrie said this about the fracture in her family: How do I forgive someone who stood before God and a church full of people and vowed to be faithful until death but then deceived, lied to, and manipulated not only me but also our children and everyone we both knew in order to hide his adulteries? He then manipulated church leaders into believing I was crazy. When finally the truth was revealed an