The Connection Corner

My Pastor, My Story

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

Letting the Peace Drive

Daily Devotional, Lauren Kitchens-Steward

2 Thessalonians 3:16 – Now may the Lord of peace himself give you His peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.

Now, I don’t know if you’ve ever looked at a map, pointed to a dot seventeen hours away, and said, “Yes, that’s where I’ll be this weekend.” But that’s exactly what my daughter and I did.

The plan was simple: load up, drive, and make some memories.

Only the plan forgot to account for my hundred-pound dog who got sick the day before we left. She is a sweet creature, bless her heart, but I threw my back out taking her to the vet because my husband was out of town. I’m serious—it was like lifting a sofa by yourself.

And on the way to the vet, I noticed something was off with the car. It sounded like it was stuck in the wrong gear.

Now I had a sore back, a sick dog, and a temperamental vehicle. My brain started running wild with questions. Was God warning me not to go? Or was the enemy trying to sabotage the trip before it even started?

I needed wisdom, and maybe some jumper cables. So, I called my friend and spilled the whole story. She listened and then prayed with me over the phone.

Then she asked something that really stuck with me:

“Lauren, where do you feel peace? If Jesus is the Prince of Peace, do you sense more peace staying or going?”

Well, that is something I can usually answer in about three seconds.

In this case, the peace was in going. So, I ordered a rental car, and peace rode alongside me and my daughter the whole way.

Maybe that’s the thing. We don’t always know if the road will be easy, but we can know who is coming with us on the journey. And if it is the Prince of Peace, don’t stop there.

Give Him the keys.

September 30, 2025/by Lauren Kitchens-Steward