Genesis 40-41 Discussion Guide
Sermon Date: Sept. 10, 2023
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sept Coat Drive - Donate any sized women’s winter coats any Sunday through Sept. 24 in the lobby at Westview. All coats will go to the women of New Community, a Christian ministry which seeks to help women coming out of incarceration of addiction.
Student Ministry Kickoff - Anchor Pointe Elementary Gym / Middle School 6–7pm / Worship 7-7:30PM / High School 7:30-8:30PM
Serving Teams Celebration - Saturday, September 23, 10am-12pm @ Johns-Bohn Park
-You're invited if you've served in any capacity, and we welcome new families to come enjoy and get plugged into serving! No registration required. Don't forget to bring lawn chairs for seating!
Evangelism Tool - The Holy Spirit is using CLB’s google reviews to bring people in. Please consider leaving a review, as an evangelistic tool
WHY CITY GROUPS?
The point of a City Group is to help us apply God’s Word to our everyday lives through the power of the Holy Spirit, and to multiply faithful intimates of Jesus who make more disciples of Jesus. So we gather regularly to give ourselves to three basic Christian practices: sharing stories, reading the Bible, and praying.
PRAY
Ask if anyone would like to open up in prayer and ask God to bless your time together
STORY
Break the ice with a testimony..
Who has prepared their 5-7 minute story?
Who can give testimony of God’s goodness right now? (i.e. answered prayer, provision, transformation, etc.)
VISION FOR THIS DISCUSSION
In Genesis 40 we read about the dreams of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. The cupbearer dreamed of a vine that had three branches, which budded, blossomed and bore grapes, which he would then have squeezed into the king’s cup. Joseph told him that the three branches were three days, and that in three days the king would lift up his head and restore him to his position. The chief baker dreamed of three baskets of bread stacked on his head, from which birds were eating. Joseph gave him the tragic news that the three baskets represented three days, and that in three days Pharaoh would have him hanged! Now Joseph is going to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh himself!
Looking at this point in Joseph’s life, we will focus on the topic of biblical dreams, especially since the topic of dreams is unavoidable in any study from the book of Genesis. In fact, there are more references to dreams from God in Genesis, than any other book in the Bible, and four of them are in chapters 40 and 41. The Bible records more than 100 references to dreams, which clearly demonstrates that dreams are one of the ways God communicates with people.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PASSAGE
Use the OIA (Observation, Interpretation, Application) method to read, study, and use Scripture to grow in knowing and following God.
Read Genesis 41:15–32, 39–43 to provide an overview for this study.
OBSERVATION
Take time to read the passage and make observations.
Any repeated words, phrases?
Any comparison/contrast between characters, topics, passages/stories?
Specific characters—named or unnamed?
Any connecting words/phrases to bridge verses, stories, or ideas?
(“therefore..”, “however..”, “In the same way..”)
INTERPRETATION
-What? (What’s being said in the text?)
What are Pharaoh’s dreams?
What do the dreams mean?
What does God do with Joseph because of his obedience?
-Why? (Why is it being said?)
Why do you think God spoke to Pharaoh through dreams?
The fact that God spoke to Pharaoh through dreams, shows us that God doesn’t just speak through dreams to prophets or believers. And dreams aren’t only found in the Old Covenant. Joseph, the stepfather of Jesus would be spoken to through a dream, as well as Pontius Pilate’s wife when Jesus was about to be handed over to be crucified.
Read Acts 2:17 concerning signs that would mark the New Covenant and the era of Spirit-filled believers. A vision is a picture or a set of pictures from God. A dream is a vision while we’re sleeping. Why do you think God speaks to people through dreams/visions at all? Why can it be difficult to believe God still speaks to us through dreams?
-So what? (So what does God want me to do about it?)
There are 3 different reasons God has given dreams throughout Scripture:
1. Warning
-Genesis 20 – God warned Abimelech not to touch Sarah because she was Abraham’s wife.
-Matthew 2:11–12 – The Magi-Matthew 2:19–23 – Joseph
2. Confirmation
-Matthew 1:18–21 – This dream confirmed that Mary did not become pregnant by another man, but by the Spirit of God.
3. Foretelling
-Genesis 40–41 – Joseph interpreted the dreams of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.
-Daniel 2 – Daniel interpreted the dreams of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon.Discerning the natural from the supernatural is not always easy, because it’s like trying to discern between the still, small voice of God in your heart, and your own voice.
Two Tests to Help Discern God’s Voice vs. Your Voice:
1. The Test of Time
-If you can wait it out, that’s the best way to go, because if it’s really from the Lord, time will always tell the rest of the story!
-We should never live our lives solely based on the words of other people—if God wants to show you something or tell you something, he knows exactly how to speak to you directly Himself to confirm the words.
-If someone tells you they have a “word” from the Lord for you or a “dream” for you, and you are a Christian, what they have to say should only be confirmation of the leading of the Lord, not direction from the Lord.
-Be careful to let the Lord speak to you first, and then you can be open to receive confirmation from others.
2. The Test of Truth
-Everything we experience should be passed through the filter of the Word of God, because God would never give us a dream that contradicts Scripture.Have you ever had a weird dream that was just from something you ate the night before (aka a “Taco Bell dream” haha)?
Have you had the experience of having someone in the church or perhaps a Christian friend coming to you with what they discerned was a word from the Lord that came to him or her in a vision/dream?
What was your reaction to their advice or admonition?
What did the test of time and/or the test of truth reveal?
Have you ever received a vision/dream that was actually from the Lord? What were the specifics concerning the purpose behind it? How were you able to test and discern that the vision/dream was from the Lord?
What was your reaction to the vision/dream?
What did the test of time and/or the test of truth reveal?
APPLICATION
-Inward Application (for myself)
Head—What are the biggest obstacles, doubts, or struggles we can have about believing God speaking to us through visions/dreams today?
Heart—What can we see about the Person and heart of God in the Bible that would put us at ease if He did speak to us through visions/dreams?
Hands—What next step can you take towards inviting God to speak to you through visions/dreams? How can you intentionally position yourself to receive anything He might want to say to your or to others through visions/dreams?
-Outward Application (for others around me)
Head—What biblical counsel would you give to a Christian who doubts that God would actually speak through visions/dreams?
Heart—What questions would you ask someone who feels like God would never speak to them through visions/dreams today?
Hands—Dreams/visions have been and continue to be God’s kind way to warn, confirm, foretell, comfort, strengthen, and encourage those he loves. Who in your life is God calling you to care for and have a conversation with to talk more about why visions/dreams from God are not only biblical, but beneficial?
PRAYER
Feel free to ask the group for any pressing prayer requests that would be good to pray over together.
Use the TACOS acronym to let the text you studied pray for you:
Thanksgiving - “Father, thank you…”
Adoration - “Father, You are…”
Confession - “Father, I confess…”
Others - “Father, I pray for…”
Self - “Father, please help me…”
*If size or group dynamics seem to hinder prayer, consider dividing into groups of men/women or groups of 3-4 to reduce barriers to praying out loud.