Hey there, friends. Welcome back to another week of Carpooling with Jesus. I'm Pastor Justin, and we are marching through the stories that Jesus would have heard about when he was a kid. Today, we're talking about something really cool. God's plan for our lives. Have you ever had a big dream? Maybe you wanted to be an artist, or a Lego master, a scientist, or the fastest runner on your street? Well, today we're going to talk about a boy named Joseph who had some big dreams from God, but things didn't go the way he expected. So let's dive into today's verse that comes out of the book of Genesis, the very first book in the Bible. It's Genesis chapter 37 verse nine. Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. Look, he said, I had another dream, and this time the sun, moon, and stars were bowing down to me. Okay, so let me set the scene, because that verse might be a little confusing. Joseph was one of 12 brothers, and he was his dad's favorite. His dad even gave him a beautiful, colorful coat, which made his brothers jealous. And then Joseph had a dream that made them even angrier. In his dream, Joseph saw himself as a leader and his brothers bowing down to him. When he told them about it, they weren't exactly thrilled. In fact, they were furious. Who do you think you are, Joseph? his brothers asked him. Now, here's the thing. Joseph didn't make up this dream, it came from God. But his brothers didn't see that, and they didn't understand that God was speaking to Joseph through his dreams. Instead of believing that God had a plan for Joseph and for their family, they got mad. Sometimes when we share our big dreams, not everyone understands. But just like Joseph, we can trust that when God gives us a dream or a purpose, he will bring it to life, even if it doesn't happen right away. Imagine Jesus was sitting right next to us right now, maybe in the car or at the kitchen table. What would he say about this? I think Jesus would smile and say, friend, I see you. I see your dreams. I see your hopes. And even when things don't go your way, trust me. God's plan for your life is good. Even when you don't understand what's happening, I'm with you. So if something isn't going the way you hope today, don't worry, God's not done writing your story. This reminds me of a story I heard about my friend, Brittany. Brittany loved dancing, and she dreamed of being the dance team captain. She practiced every day and was so excited when tryouts came. But when the coach picked a captain for the dance team, Brittany wasn't picked. She was so disappointed. For a while, Brittany felt like quitting dance. But she decided to keep going and give it her best. Halfway through the season, the coach needed someone to step up and lead the team. The captain she picked had moved to a different state, and they needed a new captain. The coach picked Brittany to be the next dance team captain. And it was because she had been a great example of hard work and kindness. Brittany didn't get what she wanted right away, but in the end things worked out even better than she expected. She got more respect from her coach, more trust from her teammates, and she was encouraging even when she wasn't the captain. And just like Joseph's dream didn't come true right away, God was working behind the scenes to make it happen at the right time. So friends, if you have a big dream or something isn't going how you hoped, don't give up. God has a plan for you and for your life. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. Here's your question today to answer together. What's one big dream you have for your life? I'll see you tomorrow on Carpooling with Jesus.
