Sunday, 8/30/2026

FROM ORDINARY TO EXTRAORDINARY: SUCCEEDING IN SPITE OF

YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES

Genesis 39:23 (NLT) “The warden had no more worries, because Joseph

took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he

did to succeed.”

Things don’t always go as planned.

Many circumstances in life are uncontrollable.

Character, not circumstances, determines what we do with our lives.

Joseph’s Three Major Difficulties

He was rejected at home. Genesis 37:4 (NLT) – “But his brothers hated

Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They

couldn’t say a kind word to him.”

Genesis 39:6–7 (NLT) – Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him day after day.

He was forgotten by friends.

Key Truth: “The Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he

did.” (One+ God = a majority.)

Joseph’s God Centered Character

1. Fulfill My responsibilities to the Glory of God

Genesis 39:6 (NLT) – As a slave: “So Potiphar gave Joseph complete

administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there,

he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat!”

Genesis 39:22–23 (NLT) – As a prisoner: “Before long, the warden put

Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that

happened in the prison. The warden had no more worries, because Joseph

took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he

did to succeed.”

The Law of success: Luke 16:10 – “The person who is faithful in the little

things will be faithful in the big ones and the one who cheats in the little

things will cheat in big things too.”

Colossians 3:23 – “Whatever you do, do it all heartily as unto the Lord and

not unto men knowing that the Lord is your real master and He will reward

you.”

2. Maintain My integrity for the Glory of God

Genesis 39:9 – “My master trusts me with everything in this entire

household. How can I do such a wicked thing as this? It would be a great sin

against God!”

Genesis 39:10 – “And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused

to go to bed with her or even be with her.”

Motivation: loyalty to others + love for God.

Proverbs 14:32 – “Wicked people bring about their own downfall by their

evil, but good people are protected by their integrity.”

3. Trust God’s sovereignty for His Glory

Genesis 45:7–8 – “God sent me ahead of you to save your lives by a great

deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.”

Genesis 50:20 – “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to

accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Two Important Lessons:

1. Pain often has a hidden purpose.

2. God often redirects our lives through failure, mistake,

disappointment, or a broken dream.

Proverbs 3:5–6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your

own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make

your paths straight.”

Three Questions to Ask in Hard Circumstances

Is it my fault ?

What can I learn from this?

How does God want me to act in this circumstance?

Philippians 1:27 – “But whatever happens, make sure that your everyday life

is worthy of the gospel of Christ.”