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.
Clicking here to subscribe and receive the Connect Devotional in your inbox
To see past posts, click the "All Posts" button above
"Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this mancame to Jesus by night and said to Him, 'Rabbi, we know that You have come from Godas a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him'."(John 3:1-2) As we enter the season of Lent, we have been invited to "Step into the Story." These next several weeks, we will...
Keep ReadingJohn 3:1-17 Between now and Easter (April 9), we're in a series called Step into the Story. "The Story" into which we are invited to step is, of course, the story of Jesus. It is a very, very big story, much larger than we know! This week we step specifically into a story about a late-night meeting between two rabbis. One, Nicodemus, is older and a member of the Jewish r...
Keep ReadingBut He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone,but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God'" (Matthew 4:4). Who remembers AWANA? You know, the ministry whose mission it is to reach children with the Gospel. AWANA is an acronym for Approved Workman Are Not Ashamed based on 2 Timothy 2:15. This verse exhorts us to be "a worker...
Keep ReadingThen Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:1-4) ...
Keep ReadingThen the devil left him, and angels came and attended him (Matthew 4:11). Imagine that! You just spent 40 days in the desert, hungry and alone. The first interaction you have following your abstention from society is with the devil! You are tempted toward sins of various kinds that would quickly bring you nourishment, attention, and power. But you, child of God, are stro...
Keep ReadingJesus' refusal was curt: "Beat it, Satan!" Matthew 4:10a (The Message) Parks and Recreation is one of my favorite shows. I discovered it several years after it actually aired, and thanks to streaming, I was able to binge the entire show during those magical months we were all at home due to Covid. Leslie Knope is the cheerful, outgoing, liberal, and always-working deputy ...
Keep Reading"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desertand the tempter came to Him."Matt. 4:1,3 We read about Jesus' experience in the desert (or wilderness) in Matt. 4:1-11, but is a desolate location the key? No. Satan could have tempted Jesus anywhere. Certainly, though, isolation matters, for Satan quickly capitalizes on Jesus being alone. Have you ever felt alone even whe...
Keep ReadingSo Jesus replied to him, "Let it happen now, for it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness."(Matthew 3:15) I love baptism Sundays at church. Usually, my cheeks hurt from smiling while tears of joy roll down them. My hands hurt as I clap and cheer on my brother or sister-in-Christ as they come up out of the water. It takes courage and commitment to take this step. It...
Keep ReadingThen Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him.But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You,and do You come to me?" (Matthew 3:13-14) I have read the account of Jesus's baptism many times, but this time I was struck, for the first time, by John's humility. John the Baptist truly led a supernatural life. It...
Keep ReadingThen Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk him out of it. "I am the one who needs to be baptized by you," he said, "so why are you coming to me?" But Jesus said, "It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires." So John agreed to baptize him And a voice from heaven said, "This is my dearly loved Son, who ...
Keep ReadingAnd along with the Spirit, a voice: "This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life." Matthew 3:17 MSG Every few weeks I have the pleasure of doing the stage announcements at our Pittsboro campus. I was first asked to fill in when the original announcer couldn't make it at the last minute, and I haven't been able to get out of it since. Ha! The first sev...
Keep ReadingAnd a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well-pleased" (Matt. 3:17). Raised in a society which tells us we have to earn our way to good grades and then to a paycheck, we naturally expect a rewards system to be in place everywhere else. Some parents expect us to earn their acceptance and love. Some partners and spouses expect us to keep the...
Keep Reading"We all have different gifts. Each gift came because of the grace God gave us " (Romans 12:6, ERV) Have you ever wondered why God gave us the gifts that He did? Do you think God's gifts were given to merely improve our personal lives, or could there be a more significant purpose? Paul shares that we all have different gifts that were given to us by God's grace. He said w...
Keep ReadingBe devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality (Romans 12:10-13). "Thank you for praying, we had a breakthrough this week!" "I am grat...
Keep ReadingLet love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality (Romans 12:9-13 ESV). When ...
Keep Reading"Love must be sincerebe devoted to one another in brotherly love."Romans 12: 9,10 I don't mean to brag - after all, in our scripture passage, Paul cautions "not to think more highly of yourself than you ought" (v.3) - but my small group at Chatham Community Church is supernaturally empowered. What do I mean? I've seen every one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit Paul discus...
Keep ReadingWe have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. Romans 12:6 We're about to wrap up at our house what we call "birthday season." Most of the family's birthdays fall near the holidayseven the dog's! These months are filled with celebrations, cakes and special foods, friends, and, yes, gifts! The teenagers enjoy making birthday lists which mostly includ...
Keep ReadingJesus could not do any miracles there And he was amazed at their lack of faith (Mark 6:5-6). Wait, what? Jesus could not do any miracles on this particular visit to his hometown of Nazareth? How could you tell if someone was living supernaturally or not? Would there be some kind of holy glow or aura about them? A halo? Angels hovering all around? CGI-type waves of energ...
Keep ReadingThey came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind manand begged Jesus to touch him (Mark 8:22). We are completely spoiled with our on-demand lives, aren't we? There's so much we've become accustomed to getting at the flip of a switch or the tap of an app. Don't get me wrong: I am forever grateful for the existence of on-demand running water and electricity in my hom...
Keep ReadingTaking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, "Do you see anything?" And he looked up and said, "I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around." Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly (Mark 8...
Keep Reading