Have We Really Changed?

October 4, 2026

When Joseph’s brothers arrive in Egypt, circumstances recreate the defining test of their past: another favored son is in danger, and they can protect themselves by abandoning him. Years earlier, Judah proposed selling Joseph into slavery. Now he offers to become a slave in Benjamin’s place. What changed? In Part 5 of But God…, we’ll trace Judah’s journey from self-preservation to self-sacrifice and discover what genuine repentance looks like. We cannot undo our past, but God’s grace can change how we respond when the old test returns. The clearest evidence that we have changed is not how deeply we regret our former choices, but whether we are willing to choose differently today.

Passage

Genesis 44:18-45:3

Principle

Repentance is more than ##regretting## the ##past##; it is choosing ##differently## when circumstances remain the ##same.##

Practice

##Identify## a recurring harmful pattern and your role in it, ##accept## responsibility, and ##determine## your next right choice.

Small Group Questions

Use this outline for personal reflection, as a couple or family, or with a small group.

HANGOUT

Think of something about which you have genuinely changed your mind or behavior. What helped make that change possible?
Not every expression of regret signifies genuine change. Today we will trace the difference between guilt, responsibility, and repentance.

HEAR

Read Genesis 42:18-24 | Guilt acknowledges the past.

How does their current distress awaken the brothers’ memory of Joseph? What do they finally acknowledge about how they treated him?
What is the difference between remembering something we did wrong and accepting responsibility for it?
The brothers view their suffering as a reckoning. What evidence of God’s grace are they still unable to see?

Read Genesis 43:1-10 | Repentance accepts responsibility.

In what ways is Jacob repeating the same broken patterns from the past? How has Judah’s response to this long-standing family pattern changed?
In what ways does Judah take responsibility in this situation?
How does Judah’s response constitute an act of repentance? Is this how we typically understand repentance? Why or why not?

Read Genesis 44:14-17 & 2 Corinthians 7:10-11 | Godly grief produces change.

How did the brothers’ response to Benjamin’s situation differ from their response to Joseph in chapter 37, and what does this reveal?
What does Paul say will lead to repentance? What is the result of that repentance?
How do the qualities Paul associates with godly grief appear in the brothers’ response —especially Judah’s? How have you seen 2 Corinthians 7:10-11 work in your life?

HUDDLE

Is there a situation from your past that requires a response? Is there an old pattern that remains unchanged and that you need to interrupt by making a different choice? Talk about it, invite accountability, and pray together.

Daily Reading

This week’s readings follow Joseph’s reunion with his family and move the story toward its conclusion. As you read, notice how Joseph responds to those who harmed him and how God’s plan is ultimately fulfilled.

Day 1: Genesis 45:1-15
Day 2: Genesis 45:16-28
Day 3: Genesis 46:1-7
Day 4: Genesis 46:28-34
Day 5: Genesis 47:1-12
Day 6: Matthew 18:21-35
Day 7: 2 Corinthians 7:8-11

Think Deeper

What life event has had the most significant impact on how you think, act, or believe?
Have you ever been confronted by someone about a sin you had grown blind to?
Can you identify any harmful patterns in your life or family?