The Connect Devotional - a daily devotional with CCC

The connect devotional is a great way to stay connected spiritually to what our community is learning about God right now.  It is in step with the current sermon series, studying the scripture through the lens of life application.

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Archives for December 2022

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Listening Is More than Waiting to Speak

Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this?" (Luke 1: 18) Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and realized the other person wasn't so much listening to you as waiting for their turn to speak? When I first read through this passage, I felt bad for Zechariah. He had just received some incredible news from an angel, and then seconds later he is stru...

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Obedience Brings Joy

Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." The angel said to him, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will co...

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A Two-For-One Special

What Will God Do Next? Elizabeth Lynberg And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God. Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea. All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, "What then will this child turn out to be?" For the hand of the Lor...

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Dreams Deferred

They had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; they were both well along in years The angel said, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son" (Luke 1:7, 13). In 1951, Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes wrote the poem "A Dream Deferred." Specifically referencing the long-delayed dream of racial equality, Hug...

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Which One?

The angel said to Zechariah, "Do not be afraid; your prayer has been heard " (Luke 1:13). [Editor's note: we welcome Elizabeth Lynberg to our CD writers' team! Look for her initial contribution later this week.] Things quiet down a bit, in this week between Christmas and New Years' as 2022 winds down to its last few days. This is the last of our Unspeakable Joy series, a...

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Speakable Joy

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now,you believe in him and are filled with an unspeakable joy (1 Peter 1:8). As we approach Christmas and the culmination of our Unspeakable Joy series, let's notice the noise of the story, as we're given it in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The first Christmas, the real one, had its unique...

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Good News for All of Us! Yes, Even You!

"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the peoplea Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. (Luke 2: 10-11)" Sometimes I like to think "what if?" when reading passages from the Bible. Imagine this: The heavenly host has given great tidings of joy to the shepherds outside Bethlehem. Amazed by the news, the shepherds dec...

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Angelic Encounter

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joywhich will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for youa Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10). Have you ever imagined what it would be like to encounter an angel? I believe I did once during my first year of college. On my way to an earl...

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Why the Rush?

"A savior has been born to you! The shepherds said to one another,'Let's gothey hurried offthey spread the word'."Luke 2:11, 15-17 What do you do first when you get good news? Savor it alone? Ponder how on earth you were so fortunate? Share it with someone? Myriad someones? I'm guessing the latter because good news needs to be, begs to be shared. And often, we just can't...

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Impossible to Miss?

In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken (Luke 2:1). Was the first Christmas impossible to miss? I'd venture that around 99.99% of people alive at the time missed it. I doubt Caesar Augustus, the most powerful man of the time, ever heard of Jesus of Nazareth. After all, Rome's first and arguably greatest Emperor died when Jesus was onl...

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Red Light? Green Light? Where do I turn?!

The rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness to guide our feet into the path of peace (Luke 1: 78-79). The red and green colors of Christmas often feel like they share more in common with traffic lights. Red means wait. I'm waiting for my vacation to start. I'm waiting for the Christmas parade. Maybe I'm even waiting for a Christmas mira...

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The Data Doesn’t Lie

...to guide our feet into the path of peace (Luke 1:79). The streaming app Spotify released its annual "Wrapped" info a few weeks ago. "Wrapped" is simply data on what music listeners have streamed throughout the year: total minutes listened broken down into genre, specific artists, and songs; even the type of music you listened to during different parts of the day! Sever...

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Salvation Brings Joy!

"And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins" (Luke 1:76-77). I wasn't raised in a Christian family, but my mom felt it was good for me to go to church. There was a volunteer from our local church who picked u...

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Peace in the Dark Times

"The rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darknessand in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."(Luke 1:78-79) Everywhere we drive now, homes we step into, stores we browse through are ablaze with lights. Lights adorn bushes; stars shine atop Christmas trees; twinkling lights showcase the gifts we should buy. Some di...

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A Path Prepared

The rising sun will come to us from heaven, to shine on those living in darknessand the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace (Luke 1:78-79) Zechariah has some things to say, but he's had to wait a long time to say them. One must learn to watch one's words when responding to the seemingly impossible angelic announcement that two quite senior citizens w...

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It’s Okay to Feel Joy

Luke 1:39-45 It's okay to feel joy. The headlines are what they are, and the political climate istypical. Sickness, violence, and loss are always present. Events of the last few years seem to have magnified our sense of danger and loss, and the media certainly never lets us forget that tragedy abounds. Sometimes the heartache is closer to home, and it can feel wrong to a...

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Belief in God’s Promises Brings Joy!

"Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her!" (Luke 1:45) Is it possible to have joy even in the midst of difficult circumstances? Do you think that there is a joy available that can prevail, even amidst hardship, turmoil, and even despair? I remember a time when I learned the answer to those questions. It was one of the hardest times...

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Double the Writing, Double the Joy!

Editor's note: there are two Connect Devotionals this morning! We hope you enjoy both pieces from Bella and Lana. ******************** Promises Joy Bella Segnere Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, "God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, t...

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Permajoy

Luke 1:39-45 My daughter is expecting a baby in less than a week! My daughter-in-law is expecting in two months. While they don't see each other frequently, it's wonderful to watch them when they do. They excitedly talk, non-stop, to each other about their pregnancies. Of course they do; they have a shared joy, a shared expectancy, a shared experience. I definitely don't...

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What Time … or Whose Time?

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to the hill country of Judea (Luke 1:39). If you ask me what time it is, my answer comes easily: I look at my watch, a calendar, my phone, my microwave, car dashboard, time and temp signs outside banks. It's always easy to know what time it is! Or is it? What happens if we change the question, from what time is it? to whose time i...

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Joy in Taking a Breath

"After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star thatthey had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the placewhere the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary, his mother, and they fell downand worshiped him. Then, opening their treas...

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Worshiping Jesus Brings Joy!

"But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel."(Matthew 2:6) Back when I was in college, I fell in love with the Scriptures. I was still young in my faith when I read the book of Isaiah for the first time. At the time, I didn't even know it was a prophetic book...

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