This Week at New Life

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Sunday’s Schedule

Order of Worship

Sunday, November 24, 2024

Call to Worship: 1 Samuel 2:2; Ephesians 5:19-20; Romans 11:36; Psalm 95:1; 1 Timothy 1:17

Revelation Song
Build My Life

Confession: Psalm 73

Assurance of Forgiveness: Colossians 1:13-14; 3:15

O Lord My Rock and My Redeemer

Community: Greeting and Announcements:

Missions Moment: Crates for Ukraine – Jon and Tracy

(children dismissed)

Jesus There’s No One Like You

Congregational Prayer

Sermon: Forgiveness and God’s Mysterious Plan, Genesis 50:15–21
Anthony Gammage, preaching

General Offering

Grace Greater Than Our Sin

Benediction

Want to hear the songs before worship?  Please click here.

Sermon Outline

Sunday, November 24, 2024

Forgiveness and God’s Mysterious Plan

Text: Genesis 50:15–21

Preacher: Anthony Gammage

Outline

1. The Human Default to Hurt (15-17)
   1. Revenge
   2. Self-Protection
2. Dealing with the Sin of Others (17-19)
   1. Seeking Forgiveness
   2. Reconciliation
3. The Keys To Forgiveness (19-20)
   1. Knowing our Place (19)
   2. Knowing the Cost (20)
   3. An Un-Natural Response (21)

Questions

1. How does your understanding of God’s sovereignty influence your ability to forgive?
   Genesis 50:20 shows Joseph’s trust in God’s plan, even through great evil. Reflect on how believing that God can bring good from even the worst situations can help you release the desire for revenge. Are there situations in your life where you struggle to trust God’s redemptive plan? How might surrendering to His sovereignty lead to freedom?
2. What does your response to being wronged reveal about your heart?
   Joseph’s forgiveness wasn’t passive—it was proactive and generous (Genesis 50:21). Do you find yourself leaning toward retaliation, avoidance, or self-protection when hurt by others? How can the forgiveness demonstrated in Christ on the cross reshape your instincts to reflect His grace?
3. How can the cross help you navigate forgiveness and reconciliation?
   Joseph’s words, “Am I in the place of God?” (Genesis 50:19), reflect his humility in leaving ultimate justice to God. Consider relationships where forgiveness feels particularly hard. How does Christ’s costly forgiveness—bearing both love and justice—empower you to forgive from the heart? How might you seek reconciliation in a way that reflects the gospel?

Prayer Focus

For Crates for Ukraine: 

• Pray for community on campus among believers.Pray for God to end the war in Ukraine, grow His Church and give great faith to His people during this time of suffering.
• Pray for God to provide at least 400 crates of aid by the end of 2024.
• Pray for the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ukraine as they receive aid, distribute aid and minister to those in need. May the Lord use CFU to create pathways for the Gospel and the formation of new Gospel communities.
• Pray for the hard winter ahead with frequent electricity and heat outages because of the Russians targeting city infrastructures.