The Connection Corner

A daily source of encouragement and inspiration to connect your heart to hope and faith.

Jesus Seen Through Us

Daily Devotional, Heart of the Artist, Stories About Songs

Ephesians 5:1-2 — Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

I can still see her face.

She was a young girl from Venezuela—quiet, reserved, sitting among a crowd of American teenagers who barely noticed her.

She had come with a visiting missions team to help us prepare for a trip to her country. Later, I learned she didn’t even own proper clothes for the journey. Someone had to buy her something suitable to wear.

That Wednesday night, she slipped into our youth group meeting and took a seat in the back. Hands folded neatly in her lap. Eyes down.

No one greeted her. Not one person leaned over to ask her name. Conversations carried on like they always did—some girls whispered about what others were wearing, others laughed about their plans for Friday night.

And there she sat—still, quiet, listening. Then, when the music started, she watched as all those same girls who had ignored her moments before raised their hands high in worship.

It’s funny—Ephesians 5:1–2 tells us to “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.” That night, I realized how easy it is to worship with our lips but forget to love with our actions.

Later, her team leader invited her to speak. She walked to the front, her steps soft but sure, and began to pray in Spanish. Her voice trembled—not with fear, but with reverence. Every word seemed to hum with sincerity, filling the room. Even without a translation, we could feel it.

Then she began to speak in English—clear, gentle, and steady. And the room went still. That’s when it hit us: she had heard everything said earlier. Every careless word. Every unkind comment.

Yet there she stood—with grace.

Her voice was warm. Her message hopeful. She spoke of love, of faith, of service, and invited us to come to her country.

That moment changed me. I saw how easy it is to talk about God’s love without actually showing it. Her faith wasn’t something she wore—it was something she lived.

Real faith isn’t proven by what we say or sing. It’s proven by how we love the person standing right in front of us. Because when we love like that young woman did, we’re imitating the heart of Jesus Himself—the One who loved us first and offered Himself completely for us.

That’s where people begin to see Jesus for who He really is.

— Mark Hall, Casting Crowns

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Have you ever missed an opportunity to show love because you were focused elsewhere? How might God be calling you to slow down and see people this week?
Ephesians 5:1–2 invites us to “live a life filled with love.” What does that look like in practical terms in your home, workplace, or church?
When was the last time you saw someone live out Christ’s love in a way that challenged or inspired you?
How can you make your faith visible through kindness, humility, or inclusion today?
Who in your life might need to feel God’s love through your actions right now?

L Y R I C S

It’s crowded in worship today
As she slips in trying to fade into the faces
The girls’ teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know

But if we are the body
Why aren’t His arms reaching?
Why aren’t His hands healing?
Why aren’t His words teaching?
If we are the body
Why aren’t His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
‘Cause there is a way

A traveler is far away from home
And he sheds His coat and quietly sinks into the back row
The weight of their judgmental glances
Tells him that His chances are better out on the road

‘Cause Jesus paid much too high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
We are the body of Christ

If we are the body
Why aren’t His arms reaching?
Why aren’t His hands healing?
Why aren’t His words teaching?
If we are the body
Why aren’t His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
Jesus is the way
Ooh, ooh
Jesus is the way
Ooh, ooh

Writers: Mark Hall

November 8, 2025/by David Hall

Hold on a Little Longer

Bri Dunn, Daily Devotional

1 Peter 5:10 — And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

Growth can be uncomfortable. I am learning this from my eight-month-old son, Lennox. His teeth are popping up seemingly out of nowhere. He is usually a happy baby, but lately, I have noticed him needing more comfort than usual.

He gnaws on his toy, fusses against my shoulder, and cries though nothing seems to help. Watching him struggle is so hard, and as a mom, I wish I could take the pain away.

Deep down, I know that this discomfort is actually good for him in the long term. It means something new is coming. Teeth! And as I look at him, I see myself.

Because sometimes faith can feel just like this.

You pray for change, and it comes, but not the way you expect. It comes through stretching, through waiting, and through unexpected pain.

In those moments, I think of what 1 Peter 5:10 promises: “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

I pick Lennox up, rock him gently, and hold him close. His small body is tense, but gradually he begins to relax. Watching him finally fall asleep, I think about how growth is not always easy, but the struggle is part of the process.

So, let this be your reminder that the discomfort you feel might actually be a sign that you are about to breakthrough. Something is pressing and happening, slowly but surely, just beneath the surface of the struggle.

If you are in that place now, tired from all the stretching and aching, hold on a little longer. Sometimes discomfort really means “you’re almost there.”

Growth hurts but it matters. And your breakthrough is right around the corner.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

What kind of “growing pains” are you walking through right now—spiritual, emotional, or relational?
How does 1 Peter 5:10 encourage you to see your current struggle as part of a greater story of restoration and strength?
When have you experienced God “holding” you through a painful season, much like Bri held her son?
What might “trusting the process” look like for you this week, even if you can’t yet see the purpose behind the discomfort?
Can you think of a time when what once hurt deeply later became a place of strength or testimony?

November 7, 2025/by Bri Dunn

Seeing God in Closed Doors

Daily Devotional, Sarah Hall

Proverbs 16:9 – The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

I thought I knew exactly what God wanted me to do. Bible school—it made perfect sense. I had the passion, the calling, the dream.

I could already see myself there sitting in class, buried in Scripture, and surrounded by people who wanted to serve God too. It felt so right.

So I chased it. I filled out the forms, picked up extra shifts, and prayed the kind of bold prayers that come trembling out of the heart, and for a while, everything seemed to be falling into place.

Until it wasn’t.

One thing after another began to unravel. A door closed. Then another. And another. The dream that once felt close enough to touch now seemed a thousand miles away.

I told myself it was just a delay, not a denial. But deep down, I was frustrated. I’d done everything “right,” and it still fell apart. People would say things like, “It must not be God’s timing.” I knew they meant well, but it didn’t help much.

One night, I sat on the front steps in the quiet, staring at the streetlights, just trying to make sense of it all. I had no words left to pray. My heart ached from wanting something so good so badly.

And then, somewhere in that stillness, a thought came that changed everything.

Maybe God wasn’t holding back or punishing me.

Maybe He was protecting me.

Maybe what felt like the end of a dream was really the beginning of trust.

It took time for that truth to sink in. But when it did, I began to see how those closed doors were good. God wasn’t ignoring me. He was redirecting me toward something better than I had planned.

And truth be told, nearly a decade later, God did open the door for me to attend Bible school at just the right time.

Something I have learned through all of this is that surrender isn’t giving up. It’s simply making room.

That’s why I really love what the book of Proverbs teaches. “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

And maybe that’s what faith really looks like—not clinging to what we think should happen, but trusting that even our disappointments are being folded into something good.

If you find yourself staring at a door that won’t open, too, take heart. The God who closed it hasn’t gone anywhere. He still writes better stories than we do, and sometimes the best ones begin with a “not now.”

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Think of a time when your plans didn’t go the way you hoped. Looking back, can you see how God might have been protecting or redirecting you?
Proverbs 16:9 reminds us that while we make our plans, it’s the Lord who establishes our steps. What steps are you trying to control right now that you might need to release to Him?
“Surrender isn’t giving up—it’s making room.” What would it look like for you to make more room for God’s direction in your daily decisions?
When disappointment hits, what helps you remember that God’s “not now” doesn’t mean “never”?
Is there a door in your life that’s currently closed? What might it look like to trust that God still has His hand on the handle?

November 6, 2025/by Sarah Hall