Month: September 2025

Genesis 50:20 (ESV)
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant if for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 

Reflect
The story of Joseph is a powerful reminder that God often develops our character through seasons of hardship, betrayal, and waiting. Even when Joseph’s circumstances didn’t reflect the dreams God gave him, he remained faithful, choosing integrity over compromise and resilience over defeat. Despite being sold into slavery, falsely accused, and forgotten in prison, Joseph never let bitterness take root. Instead, he allowed God to refine his heart, trusting that every setback was part of a greater plan. His life teaches us that following God doesn’t exempt us from trials, but it actually prepares us to steward purpose through them.

In Genesis 50:20, Joseph tells his brothers, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” This truth anchors us when life feels unfair because what others mean for harm, God can transform for good. When we hold fast to integrity and lean into Jesus for strength, we become vessels of light and hope in a dark world. No pain is wasted in God’s hands. He is always working behind the scenes, turning your trials into testimony and your wounds into a witness. God will always get the glory out of our story if we keep our eyes on Him when life throws things at us, trusting that there is an inner work being done and our character is being refined. 

Food for Thought

• Where are you being called to show resilience today?
• Are there places where your integrity is being tested?
• Do you feel that you have Joseph-like faith to believe that even what was meant for harm, God will use for good?

Prayer
Heavenly Father, Thank You for the story of Joseph, which reminds us that even in the darkest seasons, You are still at work. When life feels unfair or we’re wounded by others, help us to respond with integrity and faith. Teach us to trust Your timing and to believe that every trial is shaping us for greater purpose. Give us the strength to remain resilient when we feel weary and the courage to choose righteousness when it’s hard. Let our lives reflect Your goodness, even in the waiting. May our pain become a platform for Your glory, and may we, like Joseph, see the day when what was meant for harm is revealed as part of Your perfect plan. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Submitted by: Diamond McBride

James 1:2—4 (ESV)
Count it all as joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 

Reflect

James does not say if we face trials, he says when. Hardship is part of life, even for those who walk closely with God. What makes this passage so powerful is the upside-down

perspective: trials are not setbacks; they are sacred ground for spiritual growth. When we

persevere through pain, through delay, through frustration, something begins to shift in us. It’s something holy. Our faith gets tested, yes, but it also gets fortified. Joseph’s story is a living testimony of this. Betrayed by his brothers, falsely accused, forgotten in prison. He had every reason to give up. but he didn’t. He trusted God’s timing. Through each setback, God was developing in him a resilience that would one day support a nation. In the same way, James reminds us that resilience isn’t just about making it through it, — it’s about becoming something more on the other side. Let perseverance finish its work in you, because God’s not done yet.

Food for Thought

• Where in your life right now is perseverance being tested?
• Can you look back on a difficult season and now see how God used it to strengthen you?
• How can you encourage someone else who is walking through a tough moment to stay faithful?

Prayer

Father, help us see trials not as obstacles, but as opportunities. Teach us to trust Your process, even when it is painful. Grow our resilience so that we become more complete, more faithful, and more like Your Son. Let our perseverance become a testimony to Your goodness and grace. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen. 

Submitted by: Jon Housholder

Romans 5:3—5 (ESV)
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Reflect

In this passage from Romans, Paul encourages the believers in Rome, and us, to rejoice even in the midst of problems and trials. That’s a challenging command, especially when we’re facing real pain, sorrow, or uncertainty. Rejoicing in hardship can feel unnatural or even impossible, but when we choose to do it anyway, we declare our trust in God’s faithfulness.

One simple, powerful prayer we can offer in those moments is:
“Thank you, God, for this opportunity to lean on You. Please guide me through this.”

We may not always get the outcome we desire, but we can rest in the assurance that “God works all things together for the good of those who love Him” (Romans 8:28). When we bring our worries to Him and surrender to His plan, we receive “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

As we continue the rhythm of praying, trusting, and rejoicing, even in difficulty, God builds resilience in us. He uses our trials to increase our spiritual endurance and deepen our character. According to Oxford Languages, resilience is “the capacity to withstand difficulties.” In Christ, it’s even more than that, it’s the ability to rise, hope, and keep going because we know we are not alone.

Each day we can choose joy, not because of our circumstances, but because of who God is. The Lord is our strength. He is our constant, and we can always depend on Him.

Food for Thought

• How has God shown up for you in past challenges?
• In what parts of your life might God be inviting you to trust Him more deeply?
• What truths about God can you celebrate today, even in difficulty?
• What is one specific prayer you can pray today to surrender control to God?
• Who can you pray for today who may also be walking through trials?

Prayer
Lord, I love You. Thank You for this opportunity to lean on You. Please guide me through this challenge. I know I can trust You. Equip me with Your strength and use me as a tool for Your Kingdom. Help me rejoice in the process, knowing You are with me.
Amen.

Submitted by: Carolyn Bickers

2 Corinthians 8:20-21 (ESV)
We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us,for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man.

Reflect

In this passage Paul is talking about his concerns of how a generous gift was given to help the poor Christians of Judea.  He wants to avoid any potential criticism or blame regarding this gift.  He wants to make sure that they are acting with honesty and integrity.

How does this passage relate to the church today? As a church it is very important to act with honesty and integrity. The church must be wise and discerning where they should distribute charitable donations. It is important to pray and listen to God about where He would like for the Church to give His money. It’s also important to have accountability, so we can avoid criticism and temptations that go outside of God’s will and what He is asking the church to do with certain funds.

I love the transparency of CTK Church. The church is open and honest about what God has laid on their hearts and how they plan to move forward in faith and act in obedience. They pray as a team and as a congregation. Then, they present to the church any missions, outreaches, or expenses that God has laid on their heart to give to. As a congregation we are blessed to be able to join in prayer and see the fruit of the distributed funds. I love how they share the fruit of generously giving. For example, if you give to and support the Youth Auction Dinner, the Build the Church campaign in Guatemala, VBS, local and international missions, and many other outreaches the church supports, then the church shares the impact—showing how lives were impacted by your giving. You see pictures, hear testimonies, we hear updates and see lives transformed. I believe this is a great way to earn trust and show integrity.  It’s also a great way to be held accountable before man and before the Lord.  

I love this passage because it also helps me to look at my own life and evaluate how I am doing in this department.  I can pray and ask God where I am being loyal and trustworthy and where I can improve. I know that the way I live my life and how I handle the gifts of money and time represents Jesus. This passage gives me the opportunity to reflect and ask myself if people see Jesus in me. Are my actions – actions of integrity and honesty? Does my action prove myself as a trustworthy person? I know as a Christian my behaviors and actions are always being watched whether I know it or not. I must ask myself whether believers and non-believers are watching a person that is transparent and honest, or a phony and fake. I want to live a life that brings people to Jesus and not push them away from Him. If my actions are not actions of honesty, I will not represent Christ well, and it will be a lot harder to make heaven crowded! I believe in the expression behavior of, “caught not taught”. I want my family, friends, and all people around me to see behaviors of loving Jesus with my whole heart and soul and know that I can be trusted to live a life of integrity. 

Food for Thought

• How does financial integrity—both personal and within the church—affect our witness to others about who Jesus is?
• Are there areas in your life (money, time, or influence) where God may be asking you to grow in transparency and accountability?
• What are some practical ways you can reflect Christ’s integrity in decisions others may never see—but God always does?

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for all the ways you have blessed us as individuals and as a church. May You always guard our hearts and let our lives and actions be a life of honesty and integrity even when it is hard. Help us when temptation comes our way, help us to always live a life that represents You well, with a pure and an honest heart. I pray we seek You in all the ways we handle the gift of money and time. Thank you, Jesus, we love You! In Jesus’ name, Amen

Submitted by: Angela Locke

Psalm 101:2 (ESV)
I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house;

Reflect

Before David wore a crown or sat on a throne, he sat with his thoughts. In Psalm 101:2, we don’t hear the voice of a king making royal decrees—we hear a man quietly wrestling with the call to live right when no one is watching. “I will walk with integrity… within my house,” he says. Not the battlefield. Not the palace court. Home. 

That’s where integrity begins: in the quiet, ordinary rhythms of daily life. David knew that the strength to lead others starts in private—how he treated his household, how he spoke in the kitchen, how he handled solitude. David’s biggest failure began during his lonely moments at home!

We often think character is proven in public. However, the truth is that it’s revealed in public and forged in private. This verse reminds us to slow down and ponder—to think deeply about the path we’re on and the kind of people we’re becoming when no one else is in the room but God. This prepares us for the moments of consequence— our private pondering of God’s ways and how they may replace our own. 

The question isn’t just, “Am I doing the right things?” It’s, “Am I becoming the right kind of person?” This isn’t just a question about our integrity, but also about our ongoing spiritual formation. 

David recognizes in his plea (“When will you come to me?”) that his integrity and his intellectual desire to find righteousness mean nothing without God’s righteousness.  Our private integrity matters, and our pondering of God’s way matters, but of most importance is God’s presence in our lives. This forms us and refines us, in public and in private. 

Food for Thought

• What small, unseen habits are shaping your integrity today?
• Do you regularly pause to “ponder the way that is blameless”?
• What would it look like to invite God further into your daily routines, not just your public faith?
• What is meant when David asks, “Oh when will you come to me?” Can we achieve lasting integrity without God’s power?

Prayer

King Jesus, you see every corner of my life, especially the parts no one else does. Teach me to walk with integrity when no one is watching. Shape my heart to reflect Your truth in the quiet places of home, in my thoughts, my words, and my habits. Help me to pause and ponder the path I’m on, and to choose what is blameless, not for appearances, but for Your glory. Come near, Lord, and make my house a place where You are honored. Amen.

Submitted by: Pastor Russell

Proverbs 10:9 (ESV)

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. 

Reflection

Genesis chapters 37-50 tell the story of Joseph, his family and their difficult departure from Egypt. Joseph was hated by his brothers, sold as a slave, was wrongly accused of sleeping with Potiphar’s wife, and thrown in jail because of it.  He had every opportunity to follow a crooked path but instead chose to walk with integrity.  He refused to sleep with Potiphar’s wife, even though no one would know.  He refused to retaliate against his brothers, even though they sold him as a slave because they hated him. Integrity is defined as a “firm adherence to a code of moral values.” In Joseph’s case, that meant doing what was right, even when there was pressure to do wrong. Joseph could walk safely in his life because he did what was right.  

Food for Thought

• In what small, unseen areas of your life is God calling you to practice integrity right now?
• How does Joseph’s story challenge your response to unfair treatment or injustice?
• What spiritual habits or truths can help you stay steady when doing the right thing feels costly or unnoticed?

Prayer
Father, please help us to make our decisions and base our actions on what you say is right, not because we’re hurt, wounded or wronged by someone else. Help us to trust You to care for us and provide for us when decisions are hard, or when we have to make sacrifices to do what is right.  Give us Your perspective and strength to live as You would have us live. Amen.

Submitted by: Don Simon