“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”(John 16:33)We are not promised a smooth ride in this world. In fact, Jesus prepares us for the opposite. He has sent us into a world like sheep among wolves (Matthew 10:16) and reminds us that this is not our home (Hebrews 13:14). But He also promises to...  Read More

After years of enslavement, Joseph is unfairly sent to prison, further isolating him after being apart from his family for a decade. We can only imagine how lonely this season of his life must have been and yet Scripture tells us, “But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him His faithful love” (Genesis 39:21a).We will all likely walk through seasons of loneliness and isolation. These...  Read More

There are several characteristics Joseph possessed that showed who God was in his life. Joseph was submitted to God for the decision laid out before him by his master. He didn’t fight the judgment. Even though Joseph was falsely accused, he went without running away or trying to change the events that were happening to him. By his submission to God, Joseph was able to honor the keeper of the priso...  Read More

After thirty years of ministry, I’ve accepted the painful reality that any public occupation comes with criticism - some of it justified, some of it not. It should come as no surprise as Jesus loved the world with a perfect love and was rejected, betrayed, persecuted, and even put to death.This week we have been following Joseph during his YEARS in prison as a result of slander. He was falsely acc...  Read More

Obedience is hard anytime, but especially during dark or difficult seasons. Think about Joseph in that prison day after day, month after month, year after year when all he had to hold on to was God’s promises from boyhood stories and dreams. How did he remain faithful to God in that dark place? Remember Saul in 1 Samuel 15.Saul was not in a prison. He was the king. He was told by the Lord to wait ...  Read More

There are likely members of your group who are facing tough situations. Consider taking time as a group to share prayer requests for things you are facing, and take the time to pray for one another.For more serious situations, please refer to our Care Guide found on our Small Groups website for good next step options. • Think back to a dark season of life in your past. Can you now see how God was ...  Read More

“Accountability” is a common saying in the church world, and for many people it is a dirty word. I believe we view it negatively because deep down we view God as an angry judge who is generally disappointed in us. This past year, I have grown to view accountability differently - and now see it as such a gift! Let me explain...Michelle and I have always been passionate about fitness, but the older ...  Read More

When reading the story of Joseph, God’s favor on his life is evident. Let’s look!In Genesis 37, we learn that Joseph was favored by his father Jacob, who gave him a coat of many colors. When his brothers noticed that their father favored Joseph, they became jealous. Joseph’s brothers were so jealous that they ambushed him and sold him to traders coming by.Joseph was then sold to an important man n...  Read More

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him...” (2 Chronicles 16:9)In Genesis 39, we see the integrity of Joseph on full display. After being sold by his brothers, Joseph ends up serving under one of Pharaoh’s officials named Potiphar. Joseph was clearly a hard worker and a great leader. He possessed a lot of exceptional qualitie...  Read More

This chapter brings us back into the roller coaster ride of Joseph’s life. In verses 7-12, he gives a masterclass in confronting, resisting, and fleeing temptation. Today we will focus on Joseph’s rhetorical question to Potiphar’s wife in verse 9: “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”Joseph recognized that to give in to sin in this way would be “great wickedness.” He did n...  Read More

Rejection, at its core, is a feeling of being unwelcome by the people we long to be with. They consent to our presence, but we feel our presence at best is a burden and at worst unwanted. This causes an emotional pain much like physical pain. But the difference is, left unhealed, emotional pain can be re-lived and re-experienced much more vividly over the years of our lives.When my daughter Jessic...  Read More

At Heritage we try to take attendance once per semester to know who is involved in each small group. We realize that attendance-taking is a little tedious and maybe inconvenient, but it means so much to our efforts to know who in our church is connected and cared for. As some pastors like to say, “we count people because people count”. You should receive a link to provide your group names, and we ...  Read More