The Connection Corner

Running to Rescue

Ephesians 2:8-9 — God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

I’ll never forget the first time I heard “Rescue” by Desperation Band.

I was in high school, sitting in a youth service, trying to look like I had it all together. But inside, it felt like every little mistake disqualified me—like every wrong thought or reaction meant I had let God down again.

Week after week, I carried it.

This pressure to be perfect. To finally get it right.

I remember thinking I’d never be the “perfect Christian.” And the truth is—I wasn’t then, and I’m not now. But somewhere along the way, something shifted.

I began to understand that I don’t have to beg to be in God’s good graces. I don’t have to beat myself up to earn my way back to Him. What I thought was distance from God was really a misunderstanding of His grace.

We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. He already paid the price—so salvation is a gift I could never earn. And that heaviness? That constant wondering, Did I mess up too much this time? It doesn’t have to steal my confident hope.

Because His grace never runs out—it rescues us again and again.

So now, that’s what I think of when I hear that song on replay.

I don’t know if you’ve experienced that kind of rescue yet, but know that you don’t have to be perfect to get in His presence. You don’t have to beg the Lord to love you, and you don’t have to earn your place at His table.

What Jesus did was more than enough. He paid the price so grace could be given freely, meeting you right where you are.

Receive it. Walk in it. Let it be enough today.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Have you ever felt like you had to earn God’s approval? What did that feel like?
How does understanding that salvation is a gift—not a reward—change the way you see your relationship with God?
Are there areas in your life where you’re still trying to “be good enough” instead of resting in grace?
What does it look like for you to actually receive grace, not just understand it?
How would your daily life change if you truly believed that what Jesus did was already enough?

Lyrics

You are the source of the life
I can’t be left behind
No one else will do
I will take hold of you

I need You Jesus
To come to my rescue
Where else can I go
There’s no other name by
Which I am saved
Capture me with grace
I will follow you

You are the source of life
I can’t be left behind
No one else will do
I will take hold of you (yeah)

I need you Jesus
to come to my rescue
where else can I go
There’s no other name by
which I am saved
capture me with grace

I need you Jesus
to come to my rescue
where else can I go
There’s no other name by
which I am saved
capture me with grace
I will follow You

This world has nothing for me
I will follow You
This world has nothing for me
I will follow You

May 3, 2026/by Bri Dunn

The Fire That Forms You

Brenda Price, Daily Devotional

1 Peter 1:6-7 — So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

Everyone wants growth. It’s universal. It’s a desire planted deep within every human heart.

The desire to move forward—to grow in what matters—is strong within you. You don’t want to waste time. You yearn to use every gift God has given you and long to lay down more of yourself and take on more of Jesus.

But also—remember—worthwhile progress requires humble surrender. Growth isn’t neat. It isn’t quick. It’s the slow decision to stay when everything in you wants to run.

Growth often comes from learning to stay when things feel uncomfortable.

You want a faith that’s tested by fire—like gold. Not to destroy it, but to prove and refine it. That is what reveals what is real and what only looked real before things got hard.

For a little while, there is grief in all kinds of trial, but what comes out on the other side is something so much better. Something that lasts.

The more mature your faith becomes, the more you start to see it. Escaping the circumstance was never the answer. Quick exits don’t form deep roots. Staying does.

Standing firm does.

More of Jesus—that’s the goal. And that kind of transformation doesn’t happen in comfort zones. It happens when pride loosens its grip, when control is handed over, and when you trust that God knows exactly what He’s doing—even when you don’t understand the process. You weren’t meant to be undone by the fire—you’re being formed through it.

So, keep going.

Not by striving harder, but by surrendering deeper.

Not by chasing comfort, but by trusting refinement.

Let the pressure shape you instead of scare you. LLet the fire do what God will use it to do. So, stay steady, stay surrendered, and stay rooted in Him.

Because you are not being burned up.

You are being made new.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

When you think about growth, do you tend to expect progress through ease or through challenge?
How have past trials shaped your faith in ways comfort never could?
Is there a situation right now where you’re tempted to “exit” instead of stay and trust God?
What might God be refining in you through your current circumstances?
What would it look like today to surrender deeper instead of striving harder?

May 2, 2026/by Brenda Price

Kindness in the Crossfire

Daily Devotional, Tammi Arender

Ephesians 4:31-32 — Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

You know, there’s a different kind of sting when someone doesn’t just hurt you, but they actually criticize you to a boss, coworker, or friend.

They didn’t come to you first and say, “Hey, I didn’t like the way you handled that.”

They went around you and over you.

I experienced that recently. And I have to tell you, I felt it deeply. I felt blindsided. Betrayed. It got to the point where I didn’t even want to be in the same room with them.

But here’s what the Holy Spirit keeps whispering to my heart:

“You don’t have to win this. Just represent me.”

He reminded me that as a Christian, I’m called to put away the things that grow sharp inside me—bitterness, anger, and offense. And in their place, choose a different way—a way that looks like kindness when it’s not deserved.

Jesus understood what it meant to be misrepresented too.

People twisted His words. They questioned His motives and talked about Him instead of to Him. And still—He didn’t lash out. He didn’t scramble to protect His image. He stayed anchored in something deeper than public opinion.

So, here’s the hard truth I’m learning: you can’t control how they handled it, but you can control what it grows inside you.

Being Christ-like doesn’t mean pretending it didn’t hurt. It means refusing to let the hurt harden you. You’re choosing to stay free instead of becoming bitter. Because when you honor God, the victory shows up in the moments you refuse to plant bitter seeds.

So today, if something happens that stings, I want to encourage you to pause before reacting. Let the wave of emotion pass. Then deliberately choose who you are going to represent in that moment. Even at the heart level.

Lay down the need to be right and pick up kindness… tenderhearted… forgiving—just like you’ve been forgiven. Lean into compassion. Choose forgiveness—even if it’s one step at a time.

Because the real victory isn’t proving a point. It’s protecting your heart.

When you refuse to plant bitterness, you make room for something better to grow.

And that changes you.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

When someone hurts you, what tends to grow in your heart first—bitterness or grace?
Is there a situation right now where you feel misunderstood or misrepresented?
What would it look like to “represent Christ” in that situation instead of defending yourself?
Are you holding onto offense that is beginning to harden your heart?
What is one practical step you can take today toward kindness or forgiveness?

May 1, 2026/by Tammi Arender