The Connection Corner

Changed By God’s Presence

1 Peter 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

We always looked good on Easter Sunday. My mom was all about the details—fresh relaxer, a new shade of Estee Lauder lipstick, and those perfect shoes. My dad and brother weren’t so caught up in fashion, but my mom and I? We loved it.

We always made sure to look the part. Easter was about tradition, family, and looking your best for that Sunday service. But deep down, I knew there was more to Easter than just looking good.

Like crawfish by the lake that afternoon. Like the snowball stand just down the road—my favorite part of the day. I could already picture the wooden table, spicy fingers, and the sound of cousins laughing. That was Easter to me. I knew it was about Jesus, but honestly, I looked forward to the after fun.

We pulled into the church parking lot, and I was surprised. There were cars everywhere—lined down the road, packed in the grass. Inside, it was standing room only.

When the service began, it got loud. The orchestra was extra powerful, voices were raised high, and the worship team and choir didn’t hold back. And the preacher? Well, and my pastor? Well, he must have spent extra time with the Lord that day because He walked on stage with a mission.

That morning, my friends and I sat together, but instead of playing MASH on the back of the bulletin, we were all a little quieter. Something about this service felt important. It wasn’t just the music or my pastor’s words, but something deeper. I felt the power of the Holy Spirit.

As the service came to an end, I watched in awe as people moved toward the altar. Some knelt, some lifted their hands in worship, and some just bowed their heads in prayer. There was a sweet presence in that room, and I remember looking around and thinking, This is different.

Sitting later that day, with the sweet taste of snowball syrup still on my lips and crawfish shells piling up by my side, I couldn’t shake it.

Easter wasn’t about the outfits, or the traditions, or the food. It was about what happens when people experience the hope of Jesus.

So this Easter, when you show up, take a look around. The person next to you might not be waiting for a good sermon. They might be waiting for the kind of hope only Easter can bring.

Let’s not miss that. Because Jesus is here, and His presence still changes everything.

April 15, 2025/by Bri Dunn

Layers of Love

Daily Devotional, Lisa Williams

Galatians 6:10 – “Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone — especially to those in the family of faith.”

I was digging through an old box when I found a photo I had not seen in years.

There I was: second grade me, with the biggest smile and standing in a green dress, white cardigan, and the tallest, most over-the-top Easter bonnet you have ever seen. It kind of looked a little bit like a birthday cake on top of my head. One with many layers and a ribbon that tied it under my chin.

I laughed out loud. “Wow, Mama… you really outdid yourself.”

And she did.

Our class was having an Easter parade, and every kid was supposed to make a bonnet. But I didn’t make mine. Instead, my mom stayed up at the kitchen table and tirelessly worked cutting and sewing, layering ribbon and lace until it was completed.

I was so proud to wear that bonnet. I felt like the queen of the Easter parade.

And now, looking at that picture as a grown woman, it is obvious to me what that Easter bonnet meant to me. I knew that I was loved by my mom.

It made me wonder how many people are walking through life without anyone making them feel cared for like that. Without anyone going the extra mile just to say, “You matter to me.”

We have the chance to be that for someone: to show up, to do more than is required, and to speak worth over someone’s life.

Because love that costs you something—even if it is just your time—is the kind people remember. And sometimes, the simplest things we make or give or do in love end up being the things they carry with them forever.

April 14, 2025/by Lisa Williams

Jesus Knew and He Came Anyway

Daily Devotional

“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Hebrews 12:2

I want you to think about all that He went through in that last week of His life for you. It was a week where everything changed in the history of the world and in the trajectory of all of our lives.

It started with Palm Sunday. He rode into Jerusalem for you. He knew that when He got there the same people that were cheering for Him would be the same people—just days later—demanding that He be put to death. But He did it for you.

He came into Jerusalem and there were people that were so excited because this guy who was the Messiah they finally expected. They didn’t know whether or not He could redeem them from their sins. They didn’t know about all that stuff. But what they did think was that He was coming to restore political glory back to them. They had been so ravaged by the Romans that they were expecting this was the guy that was gonna restore Israel to her former glory.

So they laid down their palm branches and they shouted, “Hosanna! King of the Jews!” They had been conquered by everybody at that point—the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and the Romans. They were zero for five, and they were excited that somebody had finally come to give them political victory.

They didn’t realize that that’s not why Jesus came. He didn’t come to Jerusalem to kick out the Romans. He came to kick out sin. He came to make sure that none of us had to pay our own wages for our sin. Aren’t you glad about it?

That’s not what they expected. It’s not even what they wanted.

Palm Sunday represents all the times that we get really excited because of all the things we expect Jesus has come to do for us. We’re so excited because we have predetermined expectations of what He desires to do in our life. We think He has come to bring miracles with no requirements, no dying, no suffering, but this Jesus came to lay down His life.

He survived brutal whippings and beatings and mocking. He was dressed in purple, a robe just to mock Him. And there was a crown of thorns that was not lightly placed upon His head. It was driven into His skull for you and for me.

There was no bleaker moment in all of human history. The people who had just celebrated Him now they were demanding His death. He knew that going in, but He did it for you and He did it for me.

They hung Him high. They stretched Him wide. He hung His head, and for me and for you, He died. That’s love.

— Priscilla Shirer

April 13, 2025/by David Hall