This is a pre-summary (summary of the work before the work is finished– kind of like an outline, but more fun) of what I will be speaking on for the Middle School students at Cypress Bible Church this Sunday morning. I still need to develop it more, but it is over the story of Joseph and our story with God.
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Joseph was a carpenter. He repaired broken things, crafted sturdy pieces, and was paid for work.
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We find ourselves broken, but we cannot fix ourselves, we cannot fix our relationship with God.
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We find that we can do nothing good on our own, that we are not good at all.
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We are paid for our sinful work—paid with death.
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God is the master craftsman. He repairs broken things, our relationship, even our souls.
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He crafts peace and makes us good, makes us to do good works.
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He does this all through Jesus Christ, His son, our gift of life. We do not deserve Him, but still he gives.
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The story of Joseph shows we cannot earn salvation, but we have Jesus, who saves us from our sins.
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The story of Joseph also shows that God calls us to what He has prepared us to do.
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Joseph was a hard worker, a righteous man—he was faithful in the small things.
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God thus saw that he was able to be trusted with the high responsibility of raising Jesus.
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When we are faithful in the small things, God will call us to something He knows we can do.
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The story of Joseph is a story of works and faith—faith for righteousness, works for redemption.
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Jesus is the gift for the world, and we too can be a gift if we hear His call and live faithfully.