Month: August 2025

Genesis 39:9 (ESV)
He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?

(For the complete story read Genesis Chapters 39–41)

Reflection

Joseph’s response to temptation reveals his deep integrity. Despite being far from home, wrongly enslaved, and in a position of power where no one would likely hold him accountable, Joseph still chose what was right. His words in Genesis 39:9 show that his moral compass wasn’t rooted in convenience or human approval, but in reverence for God. Joseph understood that integrity isn’t just about staying out of trouble, it’s about honoring God even when no one else is watching.

In moments where compromise could’ve brought short-term comfort or personal gain, Joseph stood firm. His integrity didn’t make his life easier, in fact, it cost him greatly. Yet through the injustice that followed, God remained with Joseph and continued to shape his destiny. Integrity may not always bring immediate reward, but it always positions us for long-term faithfulness and purpose. Like Joseph, we are called to live with convictions that are grounded not in what we can get away with, but in what glorifies God.

Food for Thought

• Are there moments in your life right now where doing the right thing is costing you something?
• What helps you stay grounded in integrity even when no one is watching?
• How might God use your integrity today to shape your influence tomorrow?

Prayer
God, thank You for the example of Joseph, who chose to honor You even when it was hard. Help me to live with that kind of integrity, in private and in public. Strengthen my heart to resist temptation and to walk in Your ways, even when it costs me. May my decisions bring glory to You and reflect Your character in me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Submitted by: Devon Ragoonath

2 Corinthians 7:9—10 (ESV)

As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

Reflection

The grief Paul talks about in this passage is a gut-wrenching, soul-searching conviction that we have let God down, disappointed Him, or realized we have disobeyed Him.  Through His Holy Spirit He has revealed something in our life that needs to change, and we are convicted  of this problem, mistake, or poor decision.  The definition of convicted is “having officially been found guilty.”  In a worldly sense, grief like this can leave us lonely, afraid, struggling, and embarrassed.  However, with God we know that grief can turn into repentance – a turning back toward God, His love, acceptance and forgiveness.  Thus, Paul can say with confidence and truth, “I rejoice … because you were grieved into repenting.”  When the conviction of a wrong gives us grief before God, we repent of our wrongdoing and turning back towards God in forgiveness and reconciliation we have a better, stronger relationship with the God who created us.  He offers us salvation through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection on the cross.  Our mishaps and the guilt and grief of our conviction no longer matter, and we have a new start in the light of God’s truth and forgiveness.  As Paul says, “godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”  With God’s love and forgiveness, our conviction of grief and sin lead to the light, truth, and hope of God’s amazing salvation for each one of us!  In that we can certainly rejoice!

Food for Thought

• When was a time that you felt convicted and grieved of a wrong you committed?  Did you repent and turn back towards God?  How did that feel?
• How would you explain Paul’s statement that he “rejoices that grief turns to repentance and to salvation”?  
• How could you help your friends see Godly grief as a good thing, and bringing truth into the light as a healthy step?  Could you share your moments of conviction, repenting, and turning towards God to help encourage them?

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for your death and resurrection on the cross that turns our conviction and grief into repentance, salvation, and rejoicing! Help me to feel your arms of love as I grieve, accept your forgiveness and live into the light of your awesome hope and joy.  Amen! 

Submitted by Marilyn Bollinger

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Reflection

God’s Word doesn’t merely inform—it transforms. Hebrews 4:12 reminds us that Scripture is not passive ink on paper but living and active. It cuts deep, uncovering not just what we do, but why we do it. This kind of conviction doesn’t shame—it awakens. God, in His love, uses His Word to reveal the things we hide and to redirect our hearts toward righteousness. A holy discomfort that calls us into alignment with His truth.

In my own life, this verse reminds me that no part of my heart is hidden from God. There have been times I have opened my Bible in routine, only to find a verse that speaks directly to a hidden motive or unchecked attitude. That’s not a coincidence—that is the Holy Spirit working through the Word. Conviction is one of the most powerful ways God shapes His children. It’s not meant to condemn, but to invite us to return, refine, and refocus. Conviction leads to confession and confession leads to freedom.

Food for Thought

• When was the last time God’s Word convicted you deeply?
• How do you typically respond to conviction? With resistance or surrender?
• What steps can you take today to let God’s Word pierce through distraction or defensiveness?

Prayer
Lord, thank you for Your Word, which is living and active. Thank you for loving us enough to convict us, to search our hearts, and lead us closer to you. Help us not to shy away from the truth but to embrace it with humility. Make us sensitive to Your Spirit and bold enough to respond in obedience. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Submitted by Nekeata McCain

Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)

Now, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Reflection

It makes me smile to see this verse start with ‘Now’. Faith is something we apply ‘now,’ a living, active force. The first part of this verse sounds softer and gentler to me than the second. ‘Assurance of things hoped for’ feels like something that comes from outside of us, nudging or guiding us into hope. Amazingly, we come to realize that this is exactly what is happening. We know that the Bible teaches that faith comes from outside ourselves by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). 

But conviction feels like something that grows and gathers substance within us. My wife suggested to me that faith grows and adds substance to our conviction of the things not seen, when we live and act in accordance with our faith. The people healed in the Bible who heard Jesus say, ‘Your faith has made you well’ first had to act in the ‘now’ and come to Jesus. When we step out in faith, I believe it adds strength and substance to our conviction and allows us to embrace the things that are not yet seen,

Finally, I’ve come to realize in my own life that faith is the operative power that allows me to believe in my heart that Jesus died on the cross for me and that he rose from the dead, winning a victory over sin, death, and the power of the devil in my life. This was a beginning for my salvation and the foundation for an ever-growing conviction for the unseen things God has planned in my life and in the plan to bring all of God’s kingdom back to life in Christ.

Food for Thought

• Consider that without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6) 
• It appears to me that God, as a good Father, is always interested in encouraging our faith and providing opportunities to strengthen our faith. Consider that everything, even difficult and unwelcome situations in our life, may offer the opportunity to turn to God and respond in faith.
• It may be that God responds more to our faith than our ‘needs’. Reflect on how we can make faith a significant part of our conversation with God about our needs. 
• Remember that God is good for his promises. Consider praying about your needs in faith and from the words and promises of God in the Bible that align with them. With that lens we may find that some of our ‘needs’ are far less important than we might have thought at first. 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you are the author and perfector of our faith. We give glory to you that you were put to death for our sins and raised for our justification. Like Abraham before us, grant that we grow strong in our faith as we give you glory. Help each of us add substance and strength to the conviction of things we cannot yet see and grant that our firm, convicted faith, be the operative power that allows us to overcome the world.

Holy Spirit, speak assurance to us by the word of God that we hear, so we can name Jesus as the lord of our lives, in the conviction that God has raised him from the dead for our sake. 

Submitted by Rob Moeller 

Matthew 22:37—40 (ESV)

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.⁸ This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.⁰ On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Reflection

The great and first commandment in all of scripture is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind.

God wants His people first and above all to love Him with every part of their being.

Your “heart and soul and mind” describes the centers of emotion, action, and thoughts.

As we examine the great and first commandment, let’s begin to examine ourselves by letting go of our own understanding of love.

Ask the Lord to help you decrease so that we can submit to His will.

The second commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself— love others above everything.

The first and the second commandments go hand in hand. Be filled with His love and you will be able to love your neighbors. It is His love that is flowing from Him through you to others. Just remember to treat people the way you would want to be loved.

Food for Thought

• How can our devotion to God lead us to love others better?
• Study this passage on love: 1 Corinthians 13:4—8
• How can we learn to love God and others as 1 Corinthians tells us to?
• God so loved us that he gave His one begotten son so we can have eternal life. That is love and no one would do that but God. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father please forgive us for not loving you according to your Word and forgive us for not loving your people the way you do. Help us to stay humble at all times and to follow your commandments in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Submitted by Pat Odom

Matthew 10:38—39 (ESV)

And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Reflection

Matthew was one of the 12 apostles. He used his wisdom and insight to write this book that presents Jesus as the Messiah, documents his teachings and miracles, and demonstrates that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises to his people.

In verse 38 it says, “whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” What does that mean to be “worthy of the Lord”? Since it is about not measuring up to God’s greatness, because nobody can, this verse is referring to living in a way that reflects God’s character and grace. Colossians 1:10 adds, “so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” In Matthew, Jesus is talking about your cross, not a real wooden instrument of execution, but more of a symbol of sacrifice and complete surrender to him. We are called to die to ourselves. Picking up your cross will not be convenient or easy.

God sent his son to die for you. His pure, perfect Prince of Peace for you! That is what your life is worth! Verse 39 says, “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” In other words, whoever thinks they should chase after worldly idols and disregard the Lord or live for the world will not go to heaven, and whoever accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior will live forever. In return for this gift are you willing to do His work?

Food for Thought

• What does it look like for you to live a life worthy of Jesus?
• How can you find your life by losing it?
• What’s one step you can take to lose your life for Christ?

Prayer

Thank you for teaching us to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will not ours be done Lord, on earth as it is in heaven. Lord, give us this day to glorify you. Lord, forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Lord, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Lord, we know you are the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Submitted by Koen Hofstee

Joshua 1:8—9 (ESV)

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Reflection

Soon the 2025-2026 school year will begin.  Maybe you have just moved to our area, and everything is new, and fear has crept in.  Maybe your children are starting a new school and instead of being excited with fresh energy, they find fear and anxiety about the unknown.  

Fear keeps us from doing what God has called us to do.  F E A R stands for false evidence appearing real.  When we look at Joshua 1: 8-9 it reminds us that God knows fear is a very real emotion.  God understood Joshua being afraid, but He called Joshua to not give in to his fear, to be courageous and to trust Him.  For me, I was overwhelmed with fear when my son had a very short time to live. I had already claimed this very scripture several months before and had no idea it would become my lifeline and testimony.  I wore this scripture on my wrist and around my neck.  We have a choice who or what we give the power in our lives over to.  Fear is a natural response, so we must lean into the Word of God daily.  God is not just suggesting we trust Him, He is commanding us to trust that He IS with us and WILL lead us.  Our fears will turn into joyful anticipation of what God will do and what He will accomplish through our lives. 

Food for Thought

• When have you experienced the emotion of fear? Did you take that fear to God?
• What difference did praying about your fear and turning it over to God make?

Prayer

Gracious Lord, thank you for being merciful and understanding our human emotions. We are created in your image, and You do not lead in fear. Thank you for the Holy Spirit being near and providing direction and comfort when we find emotions of any kind that overtake our mind. Please be with us as we start the new academic year and provide peace, joy, and safety for our children and their teachers. May we find joy as we anticipate what you will do in our lives. Amen!

Submitted by Rhonda Silver

2 Chronicles 34:2—3 (ESV)

 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and the metal images.

2 Kings 23:3(ESV)

And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.

Reflection

At just eight years old, young Josiah was named the king of Judah. He inherited a land of immorality and idol worship and was called to lead a people whose hearts were far from God. Many kings before him were known for doing what was right in their own eyes, pridefully leading God’s people astray and seeking their own gain. Yet, Josiah took a different path and purposed to seek the one true God, devoting himself to “walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments.” 

His devotion to seeking the Lord led to great conviction and it all began with the Words of scripture piercing Josiah’s heart.  Devotion should welcome conviction, knowing that conviction leads to transformation. Through Josiah, the nation that had been steeped in idolatry and spiritual decay experienced miraculous transformation, renewing the covenant between God and the people.

This passage is a reminder that seeking the Lord doesn’t depend on age, background, or circumstances. Josiah didn’t wait to be older, more experienced, or for a time when it might be more convenient. He sought God earnestly and aligned his heart with God’s will. The phrase “he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left” paints a picture of unwavering focus. In a world full of distractions and competing voices, Josiah fixed his eyes on the Lord and didn’t veer off course. That kind of steadfast devotion is what God still desires from His people today. 

Food for Thought

• When we seek the Lord, He is sure to meet us and reveal Himself to us
• How was Josiah convicted, and how can we be convicted to bring about spiritual transformation in our land?
• In this season, what would it look like to welcome conviction from God’s Word rather than resist it? What would it look like to count the cost of tearing down what the enemy has tried to build up? 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, as I open your Word, I open my heart ready to receive it. If it convicts me, I receive it. If it encourages me, I receive it. If it challenges me, I receive it. Even if it is hard to receive, let me receive it with joy. Here I am. Speak, for your servant is listening. 

Submitted by Anna Hearn

Colossians 3:12 (ESV)

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

Reflection

Humility, from a worldly standpoint, is a modest or low view of one’s own importance. However, biblically speaking, it is recognizing our dependence on God and valuing others above ourselves with a modest, selfless attitude.

As we prepare every day to start our routine with important things like emotional and physical readiness, it is also important to prepare ourselves spiritually. The virtues we see in today’s Scripture must—by the power of the Holy Spirit—be included in getting our day off and running well.  The Apostle Paul is telling us, the chosen and holy people, to be clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  This is shown by putting others before ourselves.  Jesus was a perfect example of humility. He didn’t walk on earth as a king, although He was and is the Son of God.  But instead, He came to serve others. He showed compassion for the lost and kindness everywhere He went and in every situation.

As we conclude the first week of 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, we remember Hannah and how she came to God in prayer, with humility as God’s servant, asking for Him to respond to her prayer, and in return, offering her son back to serve the Lord. She then patiently waited on God’s response. 

 Food for Thought

• During a time when you showed kindness and compassion to someone else, was the result a good one?  
• When was the last time you acted with humility, gentleness and patience?  Did it make a difference?
• How, through prayer, can you grow in this area? 

Prayer

Loving Father, we come to You, knowing that we can’t do this on our own. We need your Holy Spirit to give us the strength to live these virtues each day.   It is only through a prayerful relationship with You that we can live a life of Jesus-like humility.  Help us love each other as You love us. May we glorify You through a life of humility.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!

Submitted by Damaris Chajon

Psalm 25:9 (ESV)

 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

Reflection

In Psalm 25, David is talking to God. He is speaking of the trust he has in God and asking God to guide him and show him His ways. He is showing his humility to God, and he is proclaiming God as his Savior. In verse 29, David says that not only does God guide the humble in what is right, but He also teaches them His way. This reveals more than just simple guidance. This verse states that the humble can be taught the ways of God. 

This verse highlights an important lesson in humility for all who seek a relationship with Christ.  Although we must want to live and serve in a way that pleases God, we must remember to avoid the sin of being prideful. We must not prioritize our own desires and achievements over God’s will. This Scripture shows us that being humble is not a sign of weakness, but rather a key to living in these ways that God teaches us.  If we can practice humility in our everyday lives, we can be rewarded with God’s guidance and teaching.

Food for thought

• What does humility mean to you?  
• In what areas of your life do you struggle with being humble? 
• How has someone else’s humility impacted you?
• How have you seen or felt God’s guidance when you have been practicing humility and living in a way that avoids prideful sin?

Prayer

 Dear Lord, we thank You for the many ways that You teach and guide us. We thank You for the gift of humility, and for helping us avoid prideful behavior.  Please continue to humble us, especially when it is most difficult for us, so that we can live out Your purpose in all aspects of this life You have given us.

 It’s in Your Son’s most holy name we pray. Amen.

Submitted by Cameron Jackman