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
Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you havestruggled with God and with humans and have overcome" (Genesis 33: 28). Oh no! Did you hear? Grandma is coming in hot. Your cousin is being a drama llama. And did you check that voicemail from your sister? It's only May but Christmas is already ruined! Maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration...
Keep ReadingBut Jacob said to him, "My lord knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and herds before me and the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in...
Keep ReadingBut Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neckand kissed him. And they wept (Genesis 33:4). If you have ever played with a toddler, you are likely familiar with two of their favorite words. "Mine" and "No." It's fascinating really when you think about it. We don't have to learn to be self-centered and selfish. It comes quite naturally! We ...
Keep ReadingEsau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his armsaround his neck and kissed him. And they wept (Genesis 33:4). One time when I was seeking wise counsel from a friend about some "messy" family issues, she reminded me that even the first families in the Bible dealt with all kinds of family dysfunction. Unfortunately, these patterns were often passed down from gener...
Keep ReadingBut Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his armsaround his neckand kissed him. And they wept (Gen.33:4). As part of our Messy, Beautiful Families, we're looking at the reunion in Genesis 32-33 of twin brothers estranged for twenty years. Jacob and Esau, born to Isaac and Rebekah, are grandsons of Abraham, whom God chose to be the father of the nation Israel....
Keep Reading"All the king's officials and the people of the royal provinces know thatfor any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtwithout being summoned, the king has but one law: that they be put to deathunless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives.But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king" (Esther 4:11). She won th...
Keep Reading"If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise fromanother place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knowsbut that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4: 14). When exploring the vastness of outer space, astronomers often make discoveries by focusing on a force they cannot see directl...
Keep Reading"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for thr...
Keep ReadingMordecai urged Esther to go into the king's presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people (Esther 4:8). How easily do you accept advice from your parents? Easier if it's your grandparents? What about from your adult child? Or a relative who's been absent from your life for years? Does that advice make your family messier or more beautiful? Esther, an Israel...
Keep ReadingEsther 4 Does an "older generation" know some things that a younger generation needs to learn? What might a "younger generation" understand that an older generation is having a hard time with? Welcome to a new week, and the next week, of our My Messy, Beautiful Family series. This week's passage is complicated, so let's kick off the week with an overview. We find oursel...
Keep ReadingWhere you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.Your people will be my people and your God my God (Ruth 1:16). There's an old song whose lyrics go: Should I stay or should I go now? If I go, there will be trouble. And if I stay, it will be double. For those familiar with this earworm and now have it stuck in your head, you're welcome. But for those unfamiliar ...
Keep ReadingBut Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go,and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me,be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me." When Naomi realizedthat Ruth was determined to go with he...
Keep ReadingNaomi: "Return home, my daughters[-in-law]. Why would you come with me?"Ruth: "Don't urge me to leave youwhere you go I will go" (Ruth 1:11,16). Mother-in-law. Cue the eye roll, guffaws, and knowing nod of the head. Sure, mothers-in-law can make family dynamics messy when they offer "meaningful" advice on your parenting skills or pot roast, or they resent you "taking away...
Keep ReadingWhen Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her (Ruth 1: 18). Yesterday we looked at Naomi and the bitterness that engulfed her following multiple losses and tragedies. While the Book of Ruth is definitely about Ruth, it is also the story of how God works in Naomi's life to heal her deep bitterness. And the role that choosing to "be fam...
Keep ReadingRuth 1 and 4 When it comes to our families, at times the beauty might blind us to the mess; at other times, the mess keeps us from appreciating and receiving the beauty. As we continue looking at Your Beautiful, Messy Family, we come this week into another of the Bible's many "family dramas," the Book of Ruth. And "messy" is far from a strong enough word for what happens...
Keep ReadingThen he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother" (Mark 3: 34-35). My sister is an amazing teacher. She's dedicated to her students' education, but it's a challenging job, and often it gets a little crazy. I recently sent her a little plaque she put on her desk ...
Keep ReadingThen Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you." "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is ...
Keep ReadingWhen the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to Him, "They have no more wine" ...His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever He tells you" (John 2:3,5). "Here, let me do that for you." "Let me talk to your teacher for you." "I can pay that bill for you." "Text me when you get there." Aww, the helicopter parent. It's natural to help, even hover over our babies and toddlers...
Keep ReadingMark 3:20-34 (please take a few moments to read this passage now) Our second mother-and-son passage for this week is in Mark 3. Jesus' mother and brothers have become concerned that Jesus has gone more than a bit overboard. Mark is straightforward: His family says, "He is out of his mind." It's a tense scene: Jesus is being mobbed by eager listeners, and is at the same ...
Keep ReadingJohn 2:1-12 (please take a few moments to read this passage now) This week, as we continue looking at Your Messy, Beautiful Family, we'll be listening to two stories of Jesus with his mother (and Happy Mother's Day ahead to all our moms, grandmoms, spiritual mothers and all Important Women!). With two passages for this week, we'll do a Part One today on John 2 and a Par...
Keep ReadingThe Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father" (Romans 8: 15). As a father, sometimes the family language in the Bible can be a bit tricky for me. Relationships with our families, especially fathers, can often be messy. When Paul bri...
Keep ReadingThis resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to usan unbelievable inheritance! We g...
Keep Reading"For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirshei...
Keep Reading