Character Matters

Genesis 39:20-23, 40:1-8 Ministering to Others: I know it has been a minute since you have had a message from the Mount, but be not dismayed we are back and please believe this, the Lord has been speaking! This was a trying summer for me and as I was going through, the Lord spoke familiar words to me and those words were about development of character. The Lord has designs on us and he intends to use us for his purposes. Before anything can be used it must be tried or proven and in the spiritual realm this is called development. Yes beloved here we are again talking about the development of character, because being gifted without the correction of development is disaster! So the Lord has been working on me; how about you? As I was going through my season, the Spirit directed me to my old friend Joseph, yes Joseph, gifted but in need of guidance and development. The text before us shares some interesting insights regarding how to handle caring for others when you need care for yourself! Joseph has been thrown into jail because of a lie and while he is in jail the scriptures reveal that God is with him. Key thought: Knowing God and having God on your side does not mean you escape difficulty. Key thought: The blessing of our trials is that God said I will never leave you neither will I forsake you. The text reveals that God was with him and prospered him in jail. Key thought: God can make you prosperous in a poisonous situation. Joseph sees two men who are sad and he asks them "why are you so sad?" What a question! He is in prison with them. He has been lied on and imprisoned because of it, and yet he has to minister.   Key thought: Trouble in your life does not mean you get a time out from ministry. The real test of our ministry is not what we do when the skies are fair and the wind is calm, but it is how we handle the dark days and restless nights. Our ministry and character is perfected when the conditions are far from perfect. I will share more from this in the upcoming weeks but please read through the scripture and let the Lord minister to you. Determined to Live by Faith, Dr. Stan

Online Bible Study Lesson 12

Character Development 

Blessing others before we bless ourselves!

Genesis 39:1-28

Key thoughts:

Many times your gift becomes evident to others before you even realize it yourself!

Before Joseph even knew it the Bible declares his master saw it.  We are growing when we are able to use our gifts to bless someone else even when we can’t bless ourselves.

God does not always remove us from hardship to bless us.  As a matter of fact it is often times the hardship that makes way for the favor!

Working against bitterness

“We must guard against bitterness because what you thought would happen has not happened yet.”

Remember in your developmental process as people of God delay is not always denial.  Sometimes God is just working out the details!

Online Bible Study Lesson 11

Character development

PITFALLS!

Genesis: 37:19-36

Point to ponder:

Perhaps this is part of the great challenge of the Christian life, we have been saved by a God who has plans for us that he will not divulge but he let us know it by the development process.  “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 28:11

In out text today Joseph is sent out to spy on his brothers and bring back a report.  His brothers see him from a distance and decide to kill him.  

What do you think about the statement they made when they saw him?

Verse 20:  Here comes the dreamer, let’s kill him and throw him into a pit and see what comes of his dreams.

What do they do to him?  Remember everything in the verse is important!

Verse 23:  

What do they strip him?  What does that have to do with development?  The scripture say that the pit was empty, what if anything does that mean?

Purpose of Pits

What is the purpose of a pit?

What is the significance of the pit being empty?