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123: Joseph, From Slave To Deputy Pharaoh
43 Plays1 month ago
Life is full of ups and downs. No one knows this more than Joseph, the apple of his father Jacob's eye and a man in possession of a very colorful coat. For Joseph, life was going very well, and he had that fancy outerwear to prove it. But then he gets sold into slavery and things start to go south for Joseph. Life improves...and then it knocks him down again. Can you relate? The hits can seem unrelenting, but Joseph's story reminds us that God is always with us. It's a story of hope, so join Pastor Chuck in this week’s episode to hear how God's promises can get you through the toughest challenges.
If you’d like to dig deeper, check out these discussion questions. You can complete them on your own, with your Community Group, or with family and friends.
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Normal Goes A Long Way'
00:00:00
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The following podcast is a Jill Devine Media production.
00:00:20
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Welcome to normal goes a long way. I'm your host Jill Devine.
Joseph's Rise to Power
00:00:23
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And in this week's message, we covered chapter three of the story. Joseph from slave to deputy Pharaoh.
00:00:32
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All right, hey, good morning, Messiah, and glad that you are here today. Also, I want to say a very good morning to those who are worshipping from home or somewhere warm, like Dave in Naples, Florida. Hey, Dave, ah glad that you're with us too. We had a nice little heat wave yesterday, didn't we? Oh, isn't that enjoyable? A taste of things to come.
Humor in Church: A Vacation Story
00:00:50
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All right, well, let's get into it. I guess was it the the end of last summer?
00:00:55
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Yeah, in the last summer, the Board of Elders came to Pastor Jim myself and and they said, hey, guys, we got some good news and we've got some bad news. And I said, OK, what's the good news? They said, good news. Church attendance rose dramatically over the last three weeks. All right. All right. The bad news is that both of you were on vacation.
A Changed Perspective: 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'
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it's good news for feland though not right Well, good news and bad news, that's all part of the story that we're looking at today. The story of Joseph is a good one and a bad one and a good one. Now, if you're like me, then you probably know a little bit about the story of Joseph. You've read the chapter.
00:01:41
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You've ah seen the movie, you've been to the Muni, maybe, to see it, or or maybe, maybe, just maybe, if you're like me, you've been to Chicago to see the live performance of the incomparable Donny Osman, starring as Joseph in the amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
From Creation to Joseph: A Biblical Journey
00:01:57
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Oh, it was about 35 years ago. But I remember it like it was yesterday. My parents had gifted Mary and myself with tickets to the Chicago theater to see it for ourselves.
00:02:11
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And let me tell you, at first, I was not exactly thrilled about going. I was hoping for Cubs tickets, you know, not some... Technicolor mumbo jumbo, whatever this is. And I pretty much griped the whole way. ah But I could not have been more wrong. I mean, wow, what a show. It was great by the end of it. You shouldn't have seen me. I was standing in my chair, yelling for Donny. Oh, and then after the show, I went out and I bought the CD. All right, CD, right? And I played that musical until I knew every song by heart. And guess what?
00:02:49
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I still do. Here's the good news. You're going to get a taste of that today. Or is that bad news? to be determined. But before we go there, let's catch up to speed, shall we? In our series thus far, we have ah covered the creation account as well as the fall into
Finding Good in Bad Situations: The African King Story
00:03:10
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sin. And then last week we saw how God is building a nation beginning with this man named Abraham. Against all odds, Abraham was chosen to be the founder of a people who would have this special relationship with God.
00:03:28
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The idea was that the whole rest of the world would be able to look at this group of chosen people and they would be able to see how the one true God interacts with them and how he cares for them and especially so how he saves them, how he keeps rescuing them.
00:03:50
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His whole old Abraham eventually has a son. ah His name is Isaac. And then Isaac has twin boys. Esau and Jacob. And Jacob, whose name is gonna be changed or is changed to Israel. This is important. The Israelites. Okay, that goes from Jacob to Isaac to Abraham. So we got the Israelites now. But Jacob or Israel has 12 sons. And one of those sons, Joseph,
00:04:17
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is where all of God's promises to Abraham and all the hopes of Jacob are now centered. The story of Joseph is good, even when it's bad, which doesn't make sense. So I'm going to explain with a little illustration, a little story. Once upon a time, there was an African king who had a close friend that he grew up with.
00:04:47
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The friend had a habit of looking at every single situation that occurred in his life, whether it was positive or negative, but he would always remark, no matter the case, he would always remark with, this is good.
00:05:02
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Well, one day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. And this friend had apparently done something wrong in prepping one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired and his thumb was completely blown clean off. After examining the situation, the friend remarked, as usual, this is good.
Spiritual Insight: Joseph's Revelation to His Brothers
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to which the king replied, no, this is not good. And as punishment, he had his friend locked up in jail. Well, about a year later, the king was ah hunting alone in an area that he knew he should have steered clear from. And sure enough, cannibals captured him.
00:05:56
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They tied him up, they stacked some wood, they set up a stake, they bound him to the stake. But as they came nearer to light the fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. And being superstitious, you know how cannibals are. They never eat anyone who was less than whole. Everyone knows that. And so they untied him and they sent him on his way.
00:06:20
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And as he returned, the king was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb off in the first place. And now he felt sorry for his treatment of his friend. And he went immediately to the prison to speak with him. And he said, you were right. You were right. The king said, it was good that my thumb was blown off. And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just previously happened. And so I am very sorry to have gealed you for so long. It was bad of me to do this.
00:06:49
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No, the friend replied, this is good. What do you mean this is good? How could it be good that I jailed my lifelong friend? To which the friend replied, if I had not been in here, I would have been with you.
00:07:07
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The end. This is good. even when it's bad. And that is a very difficult attitude to take. But that gets right to the heart of the matter in the story today. After all is said and done, in the very last chapter of Genesis, Joseph spoke these words to his brothers. You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.
Resilience and Faith: Joseph's Journey
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to accomplish what is now being done, which is the saving of many lives. You intended bad, but God intended it for good. Huge statement there. That is an incredibly mature spiritual statement.
00:08:02
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that it's good even when it's bad. Won't you please, won't you please, please won't you be my neighbor?
00:08:19
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Well, as mentioned, the the life of Joseph is one of those good news, bad news kinds of stories. Joseph had 11 brothers, get that. And he was by far the favorite son. Father Jacob sang, Joseph's mother, she was quite my favorite wife. I never really loved another all my life.
00:08:42
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And Joseph was my joy because he reminded me of her. Daddy's favorite. That's good. But his brothers hate him for it. And that's bad. As a young man, Joseph was given some really wonderful dreams. He was gonna be this huge success. That's good.
00:09:06
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but Then Joseph kind of boasted up a little bit about those dreams in front of his brothers, and he told them that one day, fellas, you're going to bow down and worship me. Oh, that's bad.
00:09:18
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ah Jacob, the dad, gives Joseph, the favorite, a beautiful multicolored coat to wear. And it was red and yellow and green and brown and scarlet and black and hooker and peach and I look handsome, I look smart, I am a walking work of art. And that's good.
00:09:43
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and But his brothers tore off him, and they threw him in an empty well, and they sold him into slavery, and he's carted off to this distant foreign land, and that's bad. That's very bad. But Joseph lands a job working for an Egyptian bigwig named Potiphar. And because of strong work ethic and God's blessing, Joseph quickly rises up the ranks to be top dog of all things Potiphar.
00:10:10
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ah Plus, on top of that, Joseph is a hunk. He is strikingly handsome, kind of like the guy who played Ken in the Barbie movie, but taller and darker and handsomer. This is good.
00:10:24
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But Potiphar's wife thinks so too, and she tries to seduce Joseph. This is bad. But Joseph is a man of integrity. He refuses to sin with her. He refuses to sin against his mother.
00:10:48
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How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God? He resists our commands. That's good. But she doesn't take rejection well. And she lies to her husband. And as a result of doing the right thing, Joseph gets thrown into prison. That's bad. However, in prison, Joseph meets Pharaoh's former butler, and the butler has a dream one night.
00:11:16
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There I was standing in front of a vine. I took some grapes and I crushed him the wine. I gave him the Pharaoh who drank from my cup. I tried to interpret, but I had to give up. Joseph, who knows a little something about dreams, predicts that the butler will get paroled and that he should arrange for Joseph's
Hope Amidst Disappointment
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release. That's good.
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but the butler forgets or chickens out, either way. Once again, Joseph gets the shaft and he remains in jail for a crime he did not commit. That's bad. Well, let's take a time out. Let's think this through a little bit. What do you do when your dreams die?
00:12:13
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What do you do when I take away your coat? What do you do when things go from good to bad to worse? There are options, you know. Every day you could throw a pity party for yourself and embrace bitterness or despair and quit, give up, leave. Happens all the time.
00:12:41
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in relationships, at work, with the church, even with God. You could throw up your hands and bail, or you could take a cue from Joseph. He offers us another way. You look at Joseph there, ah sold to be a slave when he was 17 years old.
00:13:09
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ah taken to a strange land, gets falsely accused and thrown in a slammer, and they're very sad, waiting for God somewhere between 2 and 13 years.
Reunion and Success: Joseph's Family
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That is a long time to wait, and everything is going wrong for Joseph.
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And yet it's only because of those bad things that Joseph was put in a position to even work the good. Because eventually Joseph, yeah he's released from prison. He becomes the second command of all of Egypt.
00:13:48
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He helps Pharaoh navigate through seven years of plenty and then seven years of famine. And Joseph's family back in Canaan, the Israelites, they are spared. See, God's watching out for them. And then they're all reunited and it's all good. From pit, to slavery, to prison, to royalty, to restoration, and the saving of many lives.
00:14:18
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Amazing. But what does that have to do with you? Well, here's what. And I'm going to quote Tim Keller here. Don't ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever think that God is not working, no matter how much it seems like He is absent. And at the same time,
00:14:47
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Never, never, never, never, never, never, never think that you're gonna be able to figure it out for a long time, exactly what he's up to, because it's only at the end, at the end. Don't say to God you have until Saturday to tell me why you're letting this happen to me. No.
00:15:14
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God works non-obviously, but he works. You see, you are being led. You are being guided. You are being carried along by God to something good. You just don't feel it. And that's exactly where hope comes in. And hope is waiting on God confidently and patiently and
00:15:47
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Do you see yourself in this story?
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Do you see yourself as God's chosen, as chosen people? I'm sharing with you ah great hope today, for in God's hands, intended bad becomes eventual good.
00:16:11
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God's good plans always come to pass. God remains faithful no matter what, even if you can't see it, or even if you don't understand it. He is faithful and He is with you. He is there through it all, through trials, tribulations, through fear, the worries, the wrongs.
00:16:37
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He is there through the seemingly impossibilities of anything ever good ever coming out of this. He's there. Here's the key line for today.
God's Presence and Guidance
00:16:47
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ah Genesis 39.2, when it's found exactly smack dab right in the middle of page 32 in this story. That line, it's a wonderful line and here it is, the Lord was with Joseph. Through it all.
00:17:03
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No matter where, the Lord was with Joseph. And okay, the Lord is with you.
00:17:16
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You can take him at his word. This is what the Lord says through the prophet Isaiah, fear not. Don't be afraid. I have saved you. I've redeemed you. I've called you by your name. I know you. Oh, Graham, I know you. You're mine. That's where it begins. And when you pass through the waters, I, there it is, I will be with you.
00:17:44
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When you pass through the rivers, they they're not gonna sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you're not gonna be burned. the blaze the The flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
00:18:01
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That's true. Yeah, life has its share of rising waters, rivers, fires. It's not painless.
00:18:16
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Chemotherapy is not painless.
00:18:21
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Financial fears is not painless. Bearing your loved one is not painless. God does not promise this earthly life free of pain. You know, we live with the consequences of sin.
00:18:44
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that God is with us. He will not leave us on her. He will not let us fend for ourselves. He promises to take your pain and work the good. But we have to understand this too, that God is not a personal genie. The reality is that our troubles can't probably, probably won't be resolved as quickly as we would like. And it could go from bad to worse.
00:19:14
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That's real. Joseph will be the very first to tell you that it's very hard to hold on to the good in the middle of the bad. Tragedy, betrayal, sickness, suffering, loss, or even just the disappointment of broken dreams. When life isn't turning out the way you that you thought it was gonna turn out, I could mess with you.
00:19:45
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It's got to hold on and hold on your faith. God is faithful and he will work the good.
00:19:58
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Always remember that God will have the last word and it's good. You read the rest of the story, you see that all of Joseph's the best days, his rise to power in Egypt, his service to his nation, his impact as a leader, his reunion with his father, his reconciliation with his brothers, all of that good stuff came after the really bad stuff. What I'm trying to say is what St.
Unexpected Good: Joseph and 'It's a Wonderful Life'
00:20:28
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Paul captured in Romans 828. And we know,
00:20:34
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that in all things, all things, all things, all things, God works the good for those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. He has a purpose. And I know when you look at Romans 28, 28, that sounds like a hallmark card, but it's not, it's not a hallmark card, it's a promise. It is a promise, it's a fact.
00:21:04
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Joseph held on to the promise of God and the over came because ultimately his story was connected to God's story. Author John Ortberg writes that Joseph's story is reminiscent of another story about another young man whose life wasn't going the way he thought it was going to go. It's a wonderful life. Staple of the Christmas season,
00:21:31
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is the story of a young man named George Bailey, who, like Joseph, was a dreamer. He was gonna travel the world, he was gonna do great things, build skyscrapers a mile high. But none of those dreams came true. He ended up feeling trapped in a small town, in a two-bit savings and loan company, wondering whether his life was even worth living at all.
00:22:01
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Bortford continues, I read recently that this movie is now much more popular than it was when it first came out. In 1946, its box office performance was a bit of a disappointment. And the writer of the article suggests that one reason for its reassertances is that it resonates now with so many people who feel like George Bailey, that life isn't turning out the way that they planned. They wanna know that they matter. And that what they do is worthwhile. That they want the reassurance that when it's all said and done, that their overwhelming feeling will not be disappointment. And one pastor commented, he said, I meet many faithful Christians who in spite of their faith,
00:23:01
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are deeply disappointed in how their lives have turned out. Sometimes it's simply a matter of how they are experiencing aging, which they take to mean that they no longer have a future. But often, due to circumstances or bad decisions or actions by others or self, what they had hoped to accomplish in life
00:23:30
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didn't happen. And they painfully puzzle over what but was it that I did wrong or whether God had really been there with them. And much of the distress of these good people comes from a failure to realize all the good that's coming their way. What is most important is what God has done.
00:23:58
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what God has done for them, and what He thinks of them, that they matter in His eyes, not on what they did or did not accomplish. There is good coming, and it really is a wonderful life. Those in Christ will live happily ever after, and I know, I know, it's hard to believe sometimes, isn't it? Sometimes,
00:24:29
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It seems that bad news will have the last word. Well, maybe it's no surprise then that in the greatest story of all time, God sent one more dreamer to a distant land.
Parallels of Betrayal and Redemption: Joseph and Jesus
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He ended up being another young man for whom things seemingly went worse and worse and worse, not better.
00:24:59
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Jesus is the ultimate Joseph.
00:25:05
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Oh, he too wore a robe, a scarlet one, not given as a sign of status, nor they made them wear it to make fun of them. And then they stripped him of that robe.
00:25:19
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It was betrayed, sold, 30 pieces of silver, denied, condemned for a crime that he did not commit, crucified, locked in a tomb, the beloved son taken for dead until...
00:25:37
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The third day, you gotta get to the third day, release. It was all good. The ultimate good on resurrection day, eternally bad, lost for all time. What Satan intended as the ultimate evil, God used for the ultimate good. And because of Easter, whatever bad comes into your life,
00:26:05
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It has no power over you. We are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. You see the story. The story of this life in this world, it's a good news, bad news story. In this life, we all die in the end. But believe it or not, this is good.
00:26:37
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because your story doesn't end here. The third day means that you will live happily ever after.
Faith in God's Eternal Plan
00:26:48
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And there is a reason that God gave us the Joseph story. And there are many, many, many, many, many lessons to learn from it. But the greatest in the Joseph story is that it is a picture of Joseph's life pointing to Jesus and Calvary and Easter. The bad news is that sinners like you and I, we deserve an eternity in hell without God being there.
00:27:27
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But the good news is that God sent Jesus who redeemed us by his shed blood on the cross so that we would be free indeed. And this is great news and the day is coming when your status will be elevated. You will rise to the ranks and you will enter into the joy and service of the king.
00:27:53
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Through faith in Christ, your story is connected to God's story, which means your current circumstances, no matter how successful or how dismal they may be right now, it's not the end of your story. I love the way C.S. Lewis put it.
00:28:14
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He says, all that you have experienced in this life, all of this that you have experienced so far is just the cover and the title page. But one day, you will travel to another land and you will begin chapter one of the great story, which no one on earth has read, which goes on forever.
Engagement Invitation: Study Questions
00:28:41
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and in which every chapter is better than the one before. Your dreams and God's dreams for you will come true, that he is with you and will be with you for always. You see the story and your story have a very happy
00:29:08
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If you'd like to dig a little bit deeper, we have some study questions for you right now at normalgoesalongway.com. You can complete the questions by yourself or with a friend. We'll come back this Thursday as Miss Hannah and Miss April walk you through the kids' version of this week's message.