How to Beat a Trap

This powerful message takes us deep into Genesis 39 and the story of Joseph facing temptation from Potiphar's wife. What makes this teaching so compelling is how it traces Joseph's journey through multiple seasons—from his father's house to the pit, from slavery to the palace—and reveals that God's favor remained on him through every transition. The central lesson challenges us to recognize that we don't have to fall into the traps set before us, even when temptation is persistent and daily. Joseph's strategy offers us three practical steps: remember your position and what you have to lose, recognize and call sin exactly what it is without downplaying it, and literally run from compromising situations. The sermon confronts our modern tendency to rationalize sin, rename it, or create gray areas where God has drawn clear lines. What's particularly convicting is the reminder that the enemy only tempts us with what we're attracted to—he knows our weaknesses. The message doesn't shy away from uncomfortable truths about sexual temptation, inappropriate relationships, and the importance of maintaining boundaries. Perhaps most encouraging is the truth that character developed early in life becomes the very thing that protects us later—Joseph's coat from his father ultimately helped him escape. This isn't just about avoiding sexual sin; it's about recognizing any trap that would derail our divine assignment, whether it's the lure of fame, money, power, or compromising our calling for temporary pleasure. We're reminded that staying in the dark room of development prepares us for what God will reveal in the light.