Read Chapter 3 in THE STORY. Listen to the message under "THE STORY Messages." Here are some questions for thought and discussion. You can click on the question number below to join the conversation.

1. When Joseph was in prison, humanly speaking, he was in the worst of places (abandoned by his family, sold into slavery, imprisoned unjustly). Yet, from God’s point of view, he was in the best place — exactly where God wanted him. Have you ever experienced a time like this in your own life?
2. In the darkest times of Joseph’s life, we read that “The Lord was with Joseph.” How have you experienced the Lord being with you in the hard times of life? What are some of the signs that God is with us, even in the darkest of places?
3. Joseph waited two years in prison for someone to remember him and send help. Tell about a time you waited for months or years on an answer from the Lord. How did you make it through this long season of waiting?
4. God has an amazing ability to bring good out of life’s bad situations. Tell about a time when something hard and painful happened in your Lower Story, but later you saw God accomplish something wonderful in the Upper Story of his will.
5. At the end of chapter 3 of THE STORY, Joseph was reunited with his brothers 22 years after they sold him off as a slave. What strikes you about Joseph’s attitude toward his brothers and the way he treats them? What does this teach us about the condition of his heart and the depth of his faith?
6. Joseph could have retaliated and gotten revenge on his brothers for all the wrong they had done to him. Instead, he provided for them and extended forgiveness. What makes it hard to forgive people who have intentionally wronged us? What can we do to forgive, even when it is difficult?
7. Romans 8:28 tells us, “In all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” What is one situation in your life where you need to embrace and experience this truth?