The Connection Corner

Life Lessons from a Leak

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”

Proverbs 4:23

The water leak was so small, I hardly noticed it at first. It was a slow drip, hidden away in the basement bathroom my kids used. Out of sight, out of mind.

It was easy to ignore—until the water company sent a letter. That “no big deal” was costing me a lot more than I thought. Suddenly, that slow drip had turned into an expensive issue I could not ignore.

We called a plumber, and within ten minutes, the leak was fixed. The bathroom was dry, and everything seemed normal again. But standing there, I could not shake the thought: how often do I let small problems slide until they grow into something much harder to handle?’

Fixing the leak in the bathroom was simple, but it reminded me to pay attention—not just to my home but to my heart. The truth is, life is full of “small leaks.” Little compromises, unhelpful habits, and unchecked attitudes. I want to face these things head-on before they spiral out of control.

Maybe you need that reminder too. What in your life could use your focus right now? Take some time today to stop, reflect, and make a change before the drip becomes a flood.

January 18, 2025/by Andy Youso

Ignite Your Spiritual Life

Daily Devotional

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:13

My spiritual life needed a spark. You see, I was raised in church from the time I was two weeks old. My family was there every time the doors were open.

I could recite all the stories, knew the songs by heart, and even sat up straight in Sunday School. But if you asked me back then why I was a Christian, I would have stared at you like you had three heads.

That changed during my junior year of high school. My Bible teacher, Gary Blackshear, stood before our class one day and said, “You need to figure out what you believe—and why you believe it. You can’t just coast on what someone else believes.”

That one statement hit me like a lightning bolt. He was teaching us to study God’s Word like it mattered. He was challenging us to not just skim through our Bibles or settle for knowing the “right answers.”

So, I started digging in scripture. At first, it felt like work, but over time, the Bible came alive to me. Faith stopped being a checklist and became a relationship. By the end of that class, I was not the same.

Looking back, I know this: faith is not a spectator sport. And it all started because someone challenged me to wake up. It takes effort, questions, and sometimes even a little discomfort. But it is worth every moment.

So, if your faith is feeling dim, ask yourself: are you coasting or digging? Seek God with all your heart. When you do, you will discover it changes everything.

January 17, 2025/by Linda Meyers

Find New Life in Jesus

Daily Devotional, Heart of the Artist

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me,though he die, yet shall he live.”

John 11:25

THE HEART ❤️ OF THE ARTIST:

Have you ever thought about the fact that the primary way that God chose to reveal Himself to us is through story? I think God chose to do this because He knows us best.

One of my favorite stories comes from the dramatic scene in John where Jesus finds Himself at the tomb of His best friend, Lazarus. By the time Jesus got there, Lazarus had been dead for four days.

In Jewish tradition, the soul would hover over the body for three days, but on the fourth, there would be no more hope for any reversal of the loss. This little cultural detail sets up the story to show Jesus faced with an impossible situation.

Surrounded by weeping family and friends, Jesus calls out…'”Lazarus, come out! Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

This is our story! Apart from Jesus, you and I are without hope, without life, and without promise. No matter how far gone we think we are, we can all still hear the powerful and authoritative voice of Jesus calling out to us.

“(insert your name here), come out! Take off the grave clothes and be free!”

Because, just like Lazarus, He has called us back to life!

– Phil Wickham –

January 16, 2025/by Linda Meyers