This week in Connected, we step back into the very first story Luke tells in the Christmas narrative—not with Mary or Joseph, but with a quiet, faithful couple carrying decades of disappointment. And into that pain, God sends a promise through their son, John: to turn hearts back—to God, toward one another, and toward wisdom.

As Pastor Scotty unpacks the passage, we look honestly at the places where our own hearts have drifted this season: toward stress, toward screens, toward old hurts, or just toward getting through. And we discover the good news that God begins His reconnection story not out in the world somewhere, but right at home—in the relationships closest to us, and in the places where hope feels tired.

This message invites all of us, whether we’re in a season of joy or carrying something heavy, to consider one simple question: Which way is your heart turned right now? And how might God be inviting you to turn back—toward Him, toward someone you love, and toward the wisdom that can soften what life has hardened.