The Connection Corner
A daily source of encouragement and inspiration to connect your heart to hope and faith.
Daily Devotional
Proof that’s Still StandingJune 4, 2026 - 7:00 am- Faith After the FalloutJune 3, 2026 - 7:00 am
- Longing Less, Living MoreJune 2, 2026 - 7:00 am
- Running Home to RestJune 1, 2026 - 7:00 am
- When Joy Fills RoomsMay 31, 2026 - 7:00 am
- The Dinner Table DiscoveryMay 30, 2026 - 7:00 am
- Love That Didn’t Look AwayMay 29, 2026 - 7:00 am
- Discipline, Desire, DelightMay 28, 2026 - 7:00 am
- Loved Louder than LabelsMay 27, 2026 - 7:00 am
- Rest for the RingmasterMay 26, 2026 - 7:00 am
Heart of the Artist
- When Joy Fills RoomsMay 31, 2026 - 7:00 am
- Paddleboards and PraiseMay 24, 2026 - 7:00 am
- When Silence Finds a SongMay 17, 2026 - 7:00 am
- The Blood-Bought Glow UpApril 26, 2026 - 7:00 am
- Peace is Still PreachingApril 19, 2026 - 7:00 am
Stories About Songs
- When Joy Fills RoomsMay 31, 2026 - 7:00 am
- Paddleboards and PraiseMay 24, 2026 - 7:00 am
- When Silence Finds a SongMay 17, 2026 - 7:00 am
- The Blood-Bought Glow UpApril 26, 2026 - 7:00 am
- Peace is Still PreachingApril 19, 2026 - 7:00 am
Truth Always Triumphs
Daily Devotional, Heart of the Artist, Stories About SongsPhil Wickham sat in his favorite corner of the coffee shop. The hum of espresso machines and quiet chatter around him were, strangely, a comforting soundtrack.
You see, he had noticed something lately, something that weighed on his heart.
People were searching. Everywhere he looked—at his church, in his family, among his friends—he saw it. Questions bubbling up, doubts creeping in, faith being tested. Some were stepping away hoping to find answers somewhere else.
And Phil understood.
The world felt confusing. What was “true” seemed to shift faster than social media trends. He remembered his own storms. Times when life felt like it was tilting, when doubt whispered louder than hope, and battles felt far greater than he could face alone.
In those moments, God had taught him something that changed everything: speak the truth of Him out loud. Say it until it drowns out the lies. Let it anchor your soul. There was nothing magical about it—just the simple, steady power of God’s Word, alive and unchanging.
Later, Phil sat across the table from Jonathan Smith and Chris Davenport during a songwriting session. As they talked, he realized his friends had been seeing the same thing he had: this swirl of doubt and ache for something real.
They did not even have to discuss the goal for the song. They wanted to write a declaration of faith in Jesus—something joyful, life-giving, and unshakable. A song the Church could sing together and mean every word.
They prayed. They wrestled with lyrics and melodies. They poured themselves into it. When the song was finished, they called it “I Believe.” Its chorus said everything they wanted the Church—and their own hearts—to hear:
“I believe there is one salvation
One doorway that leads to life
One redemption, one confession
I believe in the name of Jesus Christ”
This is not just a song to sing on Sunday. It is a declaration that can hold you steady on Tuesday night when the bills are late or Friday morning when the doctor calls with news you did not want.
It is a reminder that in a world where truth seems to change every day, God’s story stays the same. Phil sings it to remind himself. He sings it because it is true. And maybe—if you are in the middle of your own storm—you could too.
LYRICS
I believe there is one salvation
One doorway that leads to life
One redemption
One confession
I believe in the name of Jesus Christ
I believe in the crucifixion
By His blood I have been set free
I believe in the resurrection
Hallelujah His life is death’s defeat
All praise to God the Father
All praise to Christ the Son
All praise to the Holy Spirit
Our God has overcome
The King who was and is and evermore will be
In Jesus mighty name I believe
I believe I believe
I believe in the hope of heaven
He’s preparing a place for me
Far beyond what hearts imagine
Ears have heard or eyes have seen
I believe that a day is coming
He’s returning to claim His bride
Light the altar
Keep it burning
See the Lamb who rose a roaring Lion
All praise to God the Father
All praise to Christ the Son
All praise to the Holy Spirit
Our God has overcome
The King who was and is and evermore will be
In Jesus mighty name I believe
Oh I believe in You
No I’ll never be ashamed
Of the gospel of Jesus Christ
How could I ever walk away
From the One who saved my life
No I’ll never be ashamed
Of the gospel of Jesus Christ
How could I ever walk away
From the One who saved my life
Oh no I’ll never be ashamed
Of the gospel of Jesus Christ
How could I ever walk away
From the One who saved my life
All praise to God the Father
All praise to Christ the Son
All praise to the Holy Spirit
Our God has overcome
The King who was and is and evermore will be
In Jesus mighty name I believe
All praise to God Our Father
All praise to Christ the Son
All praise to the Holy Spirit
Our God has overcome
The King who was and is and evermore will be
In Jesus mighty name I believe
In Jesus mighty name I believe
I believe I believe
I believe I believe
Embracing God’s Grace
Daily Devotional, Heart of the Artist, Stories About SongsSeveral years ago, I realized I was keeping score. I was keeping a record of wrong that God wasn’t. Not for anyone else, but I was certainly doing this with my own sin.
I was not accepting His grace for me, just for everyone around me. I wanted to try to move past my mistakes, but I constantly attached shame to every sin. Over time, as God grew and matured me, I knew I needed to receive and accept His grace, mercy, and hope for me first.
It’s kind of like the airline’s emergency rule: put on your oxygen mask first and then help everyone else. In the same way, because I was a youth pastor, I needed to accept being a child of God before doing ministry.
I had to practice what I was teaching the students in my care. Even as an adult with adult responsibilities, I had to be His child first. As I got older and became a husband and father, my reliance on God’s grace had to go even deeper.
Because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, we never have to hold ourselves to some unattainable personal standard.
We confess and give it all to God, and He lifts that burden off us with His atonement and sacrifice. Then, we are not left with guilt and shame, but His righteousness and the reminder that Jesus loved us enough to see our sin, step into our lives, and offer His grace. It’s the divine exchange of our sin for His forgiveness.
We deny God and rob ourselves when we do not allow His full gift of forgiveness. Whether for the first time, or the first time in a long time, God wants you to be able to say, “I see grace … for me.”
— Micah Tyler
Lyrics:
I’ve seen shame
The kind that comes from mistakes
The kind that won’t go away
When I turned around
They were right there to remind me
I’ve seen regret
The kind that messes with your head
The failures and the can’t forgets
But standing here now
I’m thanking God it’s behind me
Cause I’ve seen nail scarred hands
Reach out and wipe it all away
Now I see grace
Hallelujah I stand amazed
I’m staring at an empty grave
And the stone that You rolled away
When I was a prodigal
You saw a son
When I left the 99
You saw the one
And just like that
All my past has been erased
When I look back
I see grace
I still hurt
Fall short of what You say I’m worth
And that devil says I don’t deserve
What You did on the cross
And he’s right cause I don’t
But You did it anyway
I see grace
Hallelujah I stand amazed
I’m staring at an empty grave
And the stone that You rolled away
When I was a prodigal
You saw a son
When I left the 99
You saw the one
And just like that all my past has been erased
When I look back
I see grace, grace
God’s grace
Grace that is greater than all my sin
Thank God almighty
Gonna sing it again
Oh grace, grace
God’s grace
Grace that is greater than all my sin
I see grace
Hallelujah I stand amazed
I’m staring at an empty grave
And the stone that You rolled away
I was a prodigal
You saw a son
When I left the 99
You saw the one
And just like that all my past has been erased
When I look back
I see grace, grace
God’s grace (I see grace)
Grace that is greater than all my sin
Thank God almighty
Gonna sing it again
Grace oh grace
God’s grace
Grace that is greater than all my sin
The Simple Secret of Prayer
Brenda Price, Daily DevotionalI’ve got a story to tell you. It’s about an old man who kept an empty chair next to his bed.
He didn’t have many visitors, except for the nurse and a young pastor who stopped by once a week. On one visit, the pastor noticed the chair and asked gently, “Were you expecting company?”
The old man smiled. “That chair is for Jesus,” he said. “Years ago, a friend told me that prayer isn’t complicated. It’s just talking to Jesus like He’s sitting right next to you. So, every day, I pull up a chair and talk out loud.”
He chuckled and added, “It might sound a little silly, but I’ve never once felt alone since I started doing it.”
The pastor was quiet for a moment, moved by the man’s honesty. Over the next few visits, they would pray together that way—like Jesus was right there in the room. And somehow, it changed the way the pastor prayed, too.
Then one morning, the man passed peacefully in his sleep. The nurse said he was found with his hand resting on that empty chair.
Now we don’t know much else, but maybe we don’t need to, because that is the kind of friendship Jesus invites us into. Real, near, and present.
So, friend, if today feels heavy or quiet or lonely…pull up a chair.