GOD’S PURPOSE PREVAILS: A 25-YEAR STORY OF GRACE
By Chris N. Braza, ACE – Soul Care Ministry Philippines
When a church reaches twenty-five years, people naturally look back at the programs, the photos, the milestones. But for me, this anniversary stirs something deeper. It brings me back to a single truth that quietly carried us through seasons of joy and seasons of breaking:
“Marami ang plano sa puso ng tao, ngunit ang layunin ng Panginoon ang siyang natutupad.” — Kawikaan 19:21
We plan. We dream. We try our best to shape the future with our own hands.
But over and over again, life reminds us: God’s purpose is stronger than our plans.
And nowhere is this more visible than in the life of Joseph.
BRAZAAR CHAIN/ CHRISTIAN MERCH
When Life Doesn’t Follow the Script
Joseph’s story never followed a clean and comfortable script. His life went through sharp turns—betrayal, abandonment, false accusation, and long seasons of waiting in the shadows. If we judge it by human standards, his path looked like a failure.
But as the years unfolded, we realize:
every painful chapter was actually a piece of God’s design.
He was not thrown into the pit to be destroyed;
he was positioned there for destiny.
He was not forgotten in prison because he was useless;
he was hidden there because the right time had not come.
And when the moment finally arrived, Joseph stood in the place God prepared for him long before his brothers ever sold him.
Then he declared words that only a survivor of divine purpose can say:
“You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.”
Purpose Bigger Than One Life
Joseph’s story wasn’t just about Joseph. It was about a family that would become a nation… a nation that would bring forth a Savior… a Savior who would bring redemption to the world.
Behind the chaos was Christ.
Behind the betrayal was preservation.
Behind every tear was God’s saving plan.
And this is exactly why Proverbs 19:21 speaks so powerfully today:
People may plan evil.
Life may detour.
We may get tired or confused.
But God’s purpose always moves forward. Always.
The Church That Purpose Carried
When I look at the 25 years of our church, I don’t just see history. I see fingerprints—the fingerprints of the same God who wrote Joseph’s story.
There were seasons when the church was strong and seasons when we were barely holding on.
There were transitions we didn’t expect and storms we didn’t choose.
There were nights when the future felt blurry.
But here we are. Still standing. Still worshiping. Still called.
Not because we had perfect planning, but because God had a prevailing purpose.
If the first chapters of Joseph’s life were preparation,
then the first twenty-five years of this church have been foundation.
And foundations are never the end—they are the beginning of something greater.
Stepping Into the Next Season
I believe the next years of this church will not be a repeat of the past.
They will be a fulfillment of everything God has been preparing all along.
The seeds planted in tears will return as harvest.
The prayers whispered in secret will rise as testimonies.
The young people growing in this house will carry a fire stronger than ours.
And the message of salvation—just like the message preserved through Joseph—will continue to flow from this place.
Because the same truth that held Joseph,
the same truth that carried Israel,
the same truth that brought Christ into the world…
is the same truth holding us today:
God’s purpose prevails. It always has. It always will.
And twenty-five years is just the beginning.
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