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

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?

November 2, 2025/by David Hall

Telling Troubles to Take a Hike

Daily Devotional, Stories About Songs, Tammi Arender

2 Thessalonians 3:3 — But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

Some mornings test your faith before the coffee’s even brewed.

It was Sunday. I had been invited to speak at Stark Baptist Church, and I wanted to show up calm, confident, and put together. But my new old house had other ideas.

I had only moved in the night before, and as I stood in the bathroom with my curling iron in hand, I realized there was no outlet. Not one. And to top it off, there was not even a mirror.

I stared at the empty wall like it had betrayed me. Then I texted my friend Leslie, who is a hairdresser. She’s the kind of woman who can fix anything.

“Bring every tool you own,” I told her. “I’m getting ready at the church.”

She sent back about ten laughing emojis, and I tried to laugh too. But that laugh stopped when I walked outside. My car tire was flat as a pancake.

I stood there in my driveway, looking at it like it might un-flatten out of guilt.

“Really?” I said. “This is how we’re starting the day?”

Leslie called. “Girl, you better start singing that song ‘Get Behind Me.’”

So, I did. Right there, still in my driveway, I sang Emerson Day’s lyric’s out loud. I even threw in, “Not today, Satan. Not tomorrow either. Move along, Sparky.”

And just like that, something in me unclenched. The morning didn’t change. I still had a flat tire, no mirror, and a talk to give, but my heart did feel peace. The worry lost its grip, and the humor came back.

Sometimes faith looks like standing in your driveway with a flat tire, choosing to laugh instead of panic. Sometimes it looks like telling trouble to take a hike.

I made it to church that day. But more than that, I made it through the morning without losing my peace—and that, I think, is the kind of victory worth holding onto.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 says, “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.”

So, friend, when your day starts falling apart, just take a breath. Find your footing and tell trouble where to go. And keep your peace right where it belongs.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Think about a recent morning or moment that didn’t go as planned. How did you respond—panic, frustration, or peace?
2 Thessalonians 3:3 reminds us that “the Lord is faithful.” How have you seen God’s faithfulness guard or steady you when things felt chaotic?
When life feels like one thing after another, what helps you keep your peace anchored in God rather than your circumstances?
Humor played a big role in Tammi’s story—how might joy and laughter be an act of faith in your own challenges?
What practical “not today, Satan” step could you take this week when things start to fall apart—something that helps you pause, breathe, and choose peace?

Lyrics:

When fear like a viper strikes
And worry starts to creep
I know that ain’t my Father’s voice
I could only be
That liar in my ear
Trying to make me believe
But I’m calling him out in the name of the Lord
Listen when I speak

Devil get behind me
Run on home
Back to the grave where you belong
In case you forgot
Let me tell you the truth
You’re stuck under my blood-bought boots!
Devil get behind me
You got no hold
I’ve been changed by the Holy Ghost
Try all you want but it ain’t no use
You’re stuck under my blood-bought boots

Get behind me!
Get behind me! Devil get behind me!

The same power that raised my Savior
Is the power that lives in me
So if you wanna pick a fight
You better think twice
Cause He’s got an angel army!

Get behind me!
Get behind me!
Devil get behind me!
In the name of the Lord
In the name of the Lord

Devil get behind me in the name of the Lord
Devil get behind me in the name of the Lord
Devil get behind me in the name of the Lord
In the name of the Lord!

Devil get behind me
Run on home
Back to the grave where you belong
Just in case you forgot the truth
You’re stuck under my blood-bought boots!
Devil get behind me
You got no hold
I’ve been changed by the Holy Ghost
Try all you want but it ain’t no use
You’re stuck under my blood-bought boots

Get behind me!
Get behind me!
Devil get behind me!
In the name of the Lord!

November 2, 2025/by Tammi Arender

God Is Always in Your Story

Daily Devotional, Heart of the Artist, Stories About Songs

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

I have loved singing for as long as I can remember. Music was always my dream, but life had other plans that led me through twists I never expected.

I was born with congenital scoliosis, a rare and progressive condition that stacked the odds against me early on.

Because of everything I went through, I thought I would make an impact through the medical field. That seemed like the best way for me to make a comfortable life that also helped others in pain.

When I was fourteen, I had back surgery to correct my spine. Doctors placed metal rods and screws along my back to straighten it. They told me it had a high success rate, but when I woke up, I was in excruciating pain.

The physical pain was unbearable, but the emotional weight was worse. Anxiety and depression became this smoke cloud I could not see through. I started to believe this would be my life forever.

One day, I reached for a bottle of pills and thought, “It would be that easy.”

I told God I just wanted to be with Him where it was safe and I did not have to hurt anymore. But as I carried that bottle to the bathroom, it fell from my hand and spilled everywhere. In that moment, I felt God’s presence so strongly. It was as if He whispered, “Hold on, I am not done yet.”

I threw the pills away and clung to those words. I had nothing left but a tiny seed of faith to hold onto, and that faith kept me alive.

I held tightly to Jeremiah 29:11 on a tattered prayer card that reminded me God’s plan was still good. It says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

After countless appointments, my surgeon offered a risky option—to remove the rods and screws. I said yes. When I woke up from that second surgery, the dark cloud was gone and light returned to my world.

I went on to finish my medical assisting certification, but deep down, something had changed.

Comfort no longer felt like the goal.

God was calling me to trust Him instead of my plans. So, I started writing songs and leading worship so people could see a sparkle of God’s hope in their own stories, the way I found it in mine.

When I sing “God Is in This Story,” I mean it. I’ve lived it. If you’re walking through pain or uncertainty right now, please know this. God hasn’t forgotten you. Even when the chapters feel dark, His light is still there, waiting to break through.

You may not see it yet, but one day, you’ll look back and see that He was in every line and on every page because God can step into the darkest moments and turn them into something beautiful.

— Katy Nichole

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Think about a time when your life felt uncertain or overwhelming. How might God have been working behind the scenes in that situation?
How does Jeremiah 29:11 encourage you to trust God’s plan for your future, even when you cannot see the outcome?
What “tiny seeds of faith” do you hold onto during difficult seasons? How can you nurture them to grow stronger?
How could your story of perseverance and faith encourage someone else walking through pain or uncertainty?
Are there areas of your life where you need to release control and trust God’s plan more fully?

Lyrics:

There’s torn up pages in this book
Words that tell me I’m no good
Chapters that defined me for so long
But the hands of grace and endless love
Dusted off and picked me up
Told my heart that hope is never gone

God is in this story
God is in the details
Even in the broken parts
He holds my heart, He never fails
When I’m at my weakest
I will trust in Jesus
Always in the highs and lows
The One who goes before me
God is in this story

So if the storm you’re walking through
Feels like it’s too much, and you
Wonder if He even cares at all
Hold on tight to what you know
He promised He won’t let you go
Your song of healing’s written in His scars

If it reads like addiction
If it reads like disease
He’s the One who frees the prisoner
He’s the healer of all things
If it reads like depression
If it reads broken home
He’s the One who holds your sorrow
He won’t leave you here alone