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
Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your Godwith all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and againto your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road,when you are going to b...
Keep Reading"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:25-26) When Jesus ex...
Keep ReadingSo Boaz said to Ruth, "My daughter, listen to me. Don't go and glean in another fieldand don't go away from here" (Ruth 2:8). Gleaning fields in ancient Israel was hard work with a lot of bending down and, hopefully, by when the work was done, coming up with an abundant armful of grain, sufficient for the needs of the day. The picture of Ruth bending down to glean remin...
Keep ReadingBut because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressionsit is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5). We have lots of choices in life. No matter our age, where we live, or our socio-economic situation. We get to choose how we think about ourselves, our upcoming day at school or work, etc. W...
Keep ReadingAnd he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19). Many of us have experienced the loss of someone who is very dear to us. In their absence remains a gaping hole. When we slow down to examine that space, we can feel deep sadness for the loss as well as joy at happy memories...
Keep Reading"My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (John 14:2-3). What was your childhood home like? Was it a ranch style in a suburban neighborhood with kids playing on the stree...
Keep ReadingWhen I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry (Nehemiah 5:6). The Jewish people had been through so much. Seventy years in captivity, the temple in Jerusalem destroyed, the walls of protection around their city lay crumbled. During the reign of King Cyrus, the Jews were finally released and allowed to return to their homeland. Ezra had already begun repair...
Keep Reading"Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom" (Daniel 6:3). This is a story about Thomas, a young man fresh out of college. (While I changed his name and a few details, the story is true.) After graduating, Thomas took a job working for a large home-buildi...
Keep ReadingBy this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." But he answered, "You give them something to eat" (Mark 6:35-37a). Have you ever come home famished after a long day a...
Keep Reading"Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see." Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.(2 Kings 6:16-17) My childhood home was warm and welcoming. Except for the baseme...
Keep Reading