In the last session we learned what happened to Joseph when he was taken to Egypt. Joseph worked very hard in Potiphar’s house but was eventually thrown into jail for something he didn’t do. God had given Joseph an amazing talent which meant that he could help people understand what their dreams meant. Joseph helped Pharaoh understand his confusing dreams and he became the leader of Egypt because Pharaoh was so pleased with him! In this session we are going to learn what happened while Joseph was leader of Egypt. Let’s watch the video to see what happened:
Story Video:
Video by http://saddleback.com/
Time to Think and Pray
Questions
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How many years of abundance and famine did they have in Egypt?
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How do you think Joseph felt seeing his brothers again?
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Have you ever forgiven a friend or family member who hurt you?
Pharaoh's dream meant that Egypt was going to have 7 years of abundance (meaning they would have plenty of crops like wheat and corn that they could turn into food) followed by 7 years of famine. A famine is a when a land doesn’t grow any crops for a long time and so a lot of people have a hard time finding food to eat. Because Joseph helped Pharaoh understand his dream, they could prepare for the famine by saving up lots of food during the 7 years of abundance so that no one in Egypt would starve. Joseph helped save so many people and animals lives in Egypt!
During the famine, Joseph’s family heard that there was food in Egypt, so they travelled there to get some. Because it had been a long time since they had seen Joseph, they didn’t recognise him when they got there! Joseph noticed that his youngest brother, Benjamin, wasn’t with them so he sent them home and told them to bring him back with them. He also gave them food and money to take with them. When they came back with Benjamin, Joseph really didn’t want his brothers to leave again. He loved his brothers, even though they had done an awful thing to him years earlier. So he slipped a silver cup into Benjamin’s bag and accused him of stealing it! But then Joseph couldn’t hold it in any longer and he told them the truth about who he was. His brothers were so happy to see him and said 'sorry' for what they had done. Joseph forgave them and thanked God that his family was back together!
God helped Joseph to be reunited with his family again. He also helped him to forgive his brothers for what they had done to him. It’s important for us to forgive others too. When someone does something to us that makes us sad or angry, God wants us to forgive them, just as He forgives us when we say sorry to him. God loves us so much and doesn’t want us to hold on to things that get in the way of our being friends with him and others.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you that when we do something wrong, if we say sorry to you, you will always forgive us. When someone hurts us, please help us to be able to forgive them, just like Joseph did. Amen.
This Week's Song: I Love You
This Week's Crafts: Joseph's Family and My Family Tree
Joseph’s Family
You will need: Colouring pens or pencils, scissors, a glue stick and a copy of the printable template.
Print a copy of the template and colour in Joseph and his brothers. Then cut out the two sets of brothers along the scissor line. Fold on the dotted lines between each man, alternating between folding inwards and outwards in a zig-zag shape. Use your glue stick to stick the two end tabs together, connecting your two sets of brothers!
My Family Tree
You will need: Colouring pens or pencils, scissors, a glue stick and a copy of the printable template.
Print a copy of the template. There are three pages: one with leaves, one with circles and one with a family tree base. Colour in the tree and some leaves. Cut out as many leaves as you would like on your tree and stick them down. Draw and colour the faces of your family in the blank circles. Cut them out and stick them on top of the leaves. Show your family your family tree!
