The Connection Corner

Spark the Change, Sister

Luke 6:38 — “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

It was day one of the Live Original Conference. The covered plaza outside the Monroe civic center buzzed with the sound of women gathering, all coming to experience Jesus.

Knowing it would be a long day, I jumped into the concessions line to grab a drink. A few feet away, I spotted my friend Jade, and we started catching up.

The line moved slowly, but the conference was about to begin. When we finally reached the counter, the cashier told Jade they did not take Apple Pay. Her face fell. To get her drink, she would have to leave the line, find her debit card, and likely miss part of the opening event.

So I said, pulling out my card, “Don’t worry about it.”

She tried to say she would pay me back, but something inside nudged me to just help her—no strings attached.

I shook my head. “No, really. It’s on me.”

The next day, I found myself circling the merch booth, eyeing a hat I liked. I picked it up five times, then set it down again. Then I ran into Jade—already wearing that same hat.

I told her how much I liked it, and she smiled. “Do you want one?” she asked. Apparently, someone had gifted hers, and she wanted to do the same for me.

As I held that hat, I thought back to the concession line. It felt like a full circle moment.

No one planned it. No one kept score. But somehow, the kindness I gave away found its way back. That is the power of generosity—it does not stay in one place. It travels. It multiplies.

And it is never wasted. Sometimes the smallest spark can light up a whole community. God can use one act of generosity to cause a domino effect that shows back up when you least expect it.

This is the best part. You do not have to plan it. Someone just has to start it.

So why not you?

September 2, 2025/by Sarah Hall

Letting Go To Let Life Grow

Bri Dunn, Daily Devotional

Psalms 90:12 — “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

Sometimes, when the house is quiet and Lennox is napping, I find myself scrolling through my phone. My feed is full of “mom content”—sweet little videos of babies laughing or taking their first steps, with soft music and captions playing in the background.

At first, it feels comforting—a brief escape from responsibilities. But then the captions hit: “They’ll never be this little again.” “You only get eighteen summers.” “You’re going to miss this.”

And there it is—that sinking, anxious feeling in my stomach. I came here to relax, but instead I’m face to face with the truth that time is slipping through my fingers.

Then all the questions start: Am I doing enough? Am I making the most of these moments I will never get back?

It sounds so dramatic, but it honestly makes me sad.

The joy I feel playing with Lennox slowly shifts into a panic. Things will never be the same. But in one of those moments, God spoke to my heart.

“He’s supposed to grow. He’s supposed to change.”

I sat with that truth. Lennox growing and changing is proof that he is alive. Thinking about how the good times don’t last always ever steals the beauty of the “right now.”

I want to encourage you with the same thing too. Change is scary, but I believe the best thing we can do is surrender all the good things back to Jesus.

So, I’m practicing open hands.

I take in the sweetness, I thank God for it, and then I release it back to Him. I choose to love Lennox today, and to trust God with His tomorrow.

And maybe years from now, when he is taller than me, I’ll understand this better. The best way to keep a moment is to fully live it.

September 1, 2025/by Bri Dunn

Our God Is Still Stronger

Daily Devotional, Heart of the Artist, Stories About Songs

Romans 8:31 — “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Chris Tomlin had written worship songs before—plenty of them. Some had topped charts. Others quietly made their way into small-town churches and across campgrounds, sanctuaries, and stadiums alike.

But this one didn’t start with him.

One day, producer and songwriter Ed Cash sent over a chorus—just a rough draft. “Our God is greater, our God is stronger…” No polish, no bridge. Just a line that wouldn’t let go.

Chris couldn’t explain why, but something in him leaned forward when he heard it. He knew it wasn’t meant to simply sound good or get a crowd on their feet. It was meant to be deeper. These weren’t lyrics for show. They were words for anyone who had ever wondered if God had forgotten them.

As time went on, the team built more lines around the chorus. “God, You are higher than any other.” The song took shape fast. In ministry, not everything does, but this one did.

In the weeks leading up to the young adult conference, Passion 2010, there were flights, rehearsals, and last-minute changes. The usual. The work was constant, but Chris kept circling back to the same prayer—Let them see You, not me.

When the band took the stage in that packed arena, the energy was high. Lights, movement, sound, but what hit hardest wasn’t volume—it was clarity of the chorus.

“Our God is greater. Our God is stronger. God, You are higher than any other.”

That wasn’t just a moment for college students overwhelmed by the weight of their futures. No, it is something that still reaches people now. People like you—who’ve been doing your best to stay faithful in the small, hidden places. Who have carried prayers for years with no answers in sight. Who wonder if God is still paying attention.

So maybe today, instead of mustering up your own strength, you just need to lean on what’s already true:

“And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?”

Not because you feel strong, but because He is.

Not because everything is clear, but because He is still certain.

And, like Chris and his friends that day, I hope you’ll find that the same words to sing as God carries you forward.

OUR GOD

Verse 1
Water You turned into wine
Opened the eyes of the blind
There’s no one like You
None like You

Verse 2
Into the darkness You shine
Out of the ashes we rise
There’s no one like You
None like You

Chorus
Our God is greater
Our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is healer
Awesome in power our God our God

Bridge
And if our God is for us
Then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us
Then what could stand against
And if our God is for us
Then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us
Then what could stand against
(Then) what could stand against

—
CCLI Song # 5677416
Chris Tomlin | Jesse Reeves | Jonas Myrin | Matt Redman
© 2010 sixsteps Music (Admin. by Integrity Music)

August 31, 2025/by David Hall