Forgiveness Like Joseph

Hey friends, welcome back to Carpooling with Jesus, whether you're on the way to school, sitting at the breakfast table, or getting ready for homeschool. I'm so glad you're here. I'm Pastor Justin, and we are marching through stories from the Bible that Jesus would have learned when he was a kid. Today, we're talking about a big moment in Joseph's life, when his brothers came to Egypt and Joseph didn't get revenge on them. Can you believe that? Let's find out what happened and how Joseph's story teaches us about forgiveness. Our verse today is from Genesis chapter 45 verses four and five. Then Joseph said to his brothers, come close to me. When they had done so, he said, I am your brother, Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt. And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. Whoa, Joseph's story is full of twists and turns. His brothers were jealous of him because their dad, Jacob, loved Joseph the most. They sold him into slavery, and he ended up in Egypt. Joseph went through a lot of tough times, but God was with him, and he became a powerful leader in Egypt. One day, during a famine, his brothers came to Egypt for food, and they didn't recognize Joseph. When Joseph finally revealed himself, his brothers were scared. They thought he might get revenge on them for what they had done to him. But instead of getting angry, Joseph forgave them and told them that God had used everything, even the bad things, to bring about something good. He chose to forgive, showing that God's plan is always bigger than our mistakes. If Jesus were here with us right now, he would probably say that forgiving others isn't always easy, but it's always the right choice. When you forgive others, you're showing love, just like Jesus shows his love for us. Just like Joseph forgave his brothers, we should forgive others too. Let me tell you about my friend, Lillian. One day, she was playing with her friend, Sarah, when they got into a big argument. Sarah said something that hurt Lillian's feelings, and Lillian felt so mad. She wanted to ignore Sarah and never talk to her again. But then Lillian remembered the story of Joseph. She realized that holding on to her anger wasn't going to help anything. So she walked over to Sarah and said, I'm sorry for being upset and I forgive you. Sarah was so surprised, and she apologized too. After that, they hugged and became even better friends. Just like Joseph forgave his brothers, Lillian showed kindness by forgiving Sarah. So friends, what about you? Is there someone you need to forgive? Maybe a friend or even a brother or sister. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. Let's wrap up with our short Friday prayer. God, thank you for this week, help us finish strong today and bless our weekend with joy and rest. Amen. Parents, if you love this podcast, share it with a kid's pastor or a friend you see this weekend, so they can start off their week having great conversations too. Before you go, here's a question to talk about together. Have you ever forgiven someone who hurt you? How did it make you feel? We'll see you next week on Carpooling with Jesus.