The Connection Corner

Renovations of the Heart

Ephesians 2:10 — “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

They say every old house has secrets. Some are charming—like crown molding tucked behind drywall. Others are… less charming. And I have found a few in mine.

Before I bought this house knowing it would need love. The kitchen needs light, the bathroom needs plumbing, and don’t get me started on the wallpaper.

I hired a contractor to do a walk through with me. I needed to see what I had in my head versus what really needed to take place. As we explored the home, he pointed out things that needed fixing that I never would have thought about.

I’m just thinking, “Hey, you’re the expert.” But I’m also like, “Are you sure. Do we really have to take that out or go that route?”

As I walk through these rooms, I think about my own heart. How many times have I patched a crack instead of fixing the foundation? How many walls have I painted over, hoping no one would notice what was underneath? The truth is, both my house and my soul are in need of renovations—deep ones.

But here’s the sweet surprise: God doesn’t bulldoze us when He renovates. He points things out we need to grow in. He restores us. He works with us patiently and tenderly. One broken board at a time.

And He does it with a purpose in mind. “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10).

I don’t know what this house will look like when I’m through. I don’t know what I’ll look like when God’s through, either. But I do know both of us are in good hands, and I believe it will be worth it.

So if you’re in the middle of your own “demo day,” don’t despair. Beauty doesn’t come from skipping the hard work. Stick around long enough, and you’ll see beauty rise up from the inside out.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Where do you sense God is inviting you to let Him do some renovation work in your heart?
What “patch jobs” have you relied on that He may want to replace with deeper restoration?
How does remembering you are God’s masterpiece change the way you see your struggles and growth?

October 3, 2025/by Tammi Arender

My Pastor, My Story

Daily Devotional, Sarah Hall

1 Corinthians 11:1 – “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”

I was flipping through my wedding registry album when I had to stop and smile. My thumb traced a familiar signature, and memories came rushing back.

Suddenly, I was fourteen again, sitting in a metal chair at youth group, nervous and unsure, my sister beside me. He and his wife, Ashley, made us feel welcome, like we belonged before we even knew how. That was when Jonathan Barbo became my pastor.

I can still see the grin on Barbo’s face when I was accepted to college, as if I had won a gold medal. Later, when I returned to serve in youth ministry, I witnessed firsthand the time and energy he and his wife poured into students’ lives.

Through camps, lock-ins, and late nights filled with laughter and scripture, He just showed up and cared. That presence left a mark on me that I still carry.

The hardest memory is when my mom passed away too soon. And there they were again, Barbo and Ashley, standing with me in the hospital, carrying some of the weight I could not carry on my own.

Years later, he showed up in a new way—as my CrossFit instructor. Those workouts were brutal, but even then, he kept teaching me lessons about resilience that stretched beyond the gym.

Back in the present, I traced his name in the registry again, remembering him at the front of the church on my wedding day. He officiated the ceremony. Who else could have filled that role?

Barbo had been my pastor. He was there in the mess, in the victories, in the losses, and everyday in between.

Looking back, I realize what his example taught me: life is not about grand gestures. It is about walking with people. It requires time, energy, and sometimes sacrifice. And yet, it leaves a mark that does not fade.

Paul once told others to follow him because he followed Christ. I see that now. Barbo’s name is in that album because he chose to follow Jesus, and that made all the difference in my life.

Maybe that is the quiet question worth asking today: whose life are you walking alongside? And whose album might someday carry your name, remembered with a smile because you showed up?

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Who has walked with you through life in a way that pointed you closer to Jesus?
How has their example shaped the way you live out your faith?
Whose life might you be called to walk alongside right now?
What small, consistent ways could you show up for someone this week—just as others have shown up for you?

October 2, 2025/by Sarah Hall

A Simple Place To Pray

Brenda Price, Daily Devotional

Psalms 145:18 – The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.

That kitchen table had lived a thousand lives. It held cereal bowls on rushed mornings, piles of homework, Sunday dinners that stretched into the evening, and more than a few hard conversations. The wood was scarred, the legs uneven. It was ordinary in every way.

But what happened there in the mornings was not ordinary. Before anyone else stirred, Mom sat at that table. A mug of coffee in her hands. A Bible spread in front of her. Quiet prayers whispered into the stillness. Some days she read. Other days she simply waited. But every day, she met God there.

Her children carried that picture with them, even if they did not know its weight at the time. Years later, one of those kids would find out.

She became a single mother herself, raising three children, juggling bills that outnumbered the dollars in her account. She felt worn down before the day even began.

She did not know what to do, so she did the only thing she remembered: she sat at her own kitchen table.

Coffee steaming. Scripture open. Her prayer was barely more than a sigh. And there, in the middle of her thin strength, she discovered what her mother had found.

“The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.” — Psalm 145:18

God’s mercy is new each morning. It’s available, and whether or not you feel strong enough or good enough, you can still find it.

So friends, remember the church is not the only place revival happens. Sometimes it happens at the kitchen table where bills are scattered and cereal spills. God wants to meet with us in the ordinary, everyday.

The truth is, every one of us has a table. The only question is, will we sit down and meet Him there?

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Where is your “kitchen table” — the ordinary place where you can pause and meet with God?
What small rhythms could you begin (coffee, prayer, Scripture) to invite Him into your everyday moments?
How does knowing God is near to all who call on Him change the way you see your ordinary life?

October 1, 2025/by Brenda Price