I found the last sermon series (It All Goes Back in the Box) to be challenging and revealing for me in ways I never anticipated. I found myself wrestling with questions that I thought I had already formulated answers for! Questions like: Who really owns all my stuff? What am I putting my hope and security … Continue reading Leadership is Stewardship, Pt 2
Leadership is Stewardship, Pt. 1
Ever feel overwhelmed by the task of leadership? Or perhaps unprepared or unequipped for what it takes to lead others? That’s a good thing! The reality is: the task of leading others toward transformation into the likeness of his Son is overwhelming and quite outside the scope of our own capabilities. Leadership is not merely … Continue reading Leadership is Stewardship, Pt. 1
Saying the Hard Word…Pt. 2
As a leader you will at some point encounter a situation in which you have to say the hard word. That’s part of the task of leadership and an inevitable reality in group life. Building on the principle of balancing truth and grace laid out in Pt. 1 of Saying the Hard Word let’s take … Continue reading Saying the Hard Word…Pt. 2
Saying the Hard Word…Pt. 1
One of the most remarkable descriptors of Jesus Christ is that He came “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). What is so remarkable about the very nature of Christ is that it is so unlike our human nature. Everyone, including us Christians, tend to lean in either the “grace” camp or the “truth” camp. … Continue reading Saying the Hard Word…Pt. 1
Transparent Leadership: The Power of Sharing Stories Pt. 1
Contributions from Barb Condra (CG Leader) Several years ago Pleasant Valley started encouraging people to share their life story to emphasize the application of a sermon. These stories always made a powerful impression on everyone present. At about the same time we had a new couple join our class and as I got to know … Continue reading Transparent Leadership: The Power of Sharing Stories Pt. 1
Studying and Teaching the Scriptures Theologically (Pt. 1)
How someone views a piece of literature determines how they read it. If it is popular a magazine or newspaper, skimming is completely natural with only focus on those stories in which you are most interested. No one starts a novel in the middle, but instead reads it from the front to the back. A … Continue reading Studying and Teaching the Scriptures Theologically (Pt. 1)
The Art of the Follow-up Question…
Part of preparing every lesson we teach and/or facilitate during the course of our group meetings are questions for specific application. If we lead a Community Group, the last thing we want is to instruct our group members in the truth of God, only for them to fail to understand “how” that truth intersects with … Continue reading The Art of the Follow-up Question…
Living a Compelling Life
I hope the Challenging the Assumptions sermon series caused you, like it did me, to pause and consider the current state of our witness for Christ. The realities discussed hit painfully close to home! But more importantly, what was the outcome? Was it merely some temporary discomfort replaced by the latest attention grabber? Or was … Continue reading Living a Compelling Life
The Leader’s Edge
As I have been doing an in-depth study of the Old Testament the last couple of years in my personal study time, I have been amazed at the wide-range of effectiveness of God’s leaders as they led His people. In every circumstance, the spiritual direction of God’s people was inherently driven by the spiritual direction … Continue reading The Leader’s Edge
Getting Unstuck: Practicing the Presence
We’ve all experienced plateaus. Whether it was in our physical exercise regimen, our job skills, or even our spiritual lives, we have all had those seasons when we have felt stuck. We aren’t going backwards, but it seems that our forward progress and growth was very limited, if present at all. However, in time that … Continue reading Getting Unstuck: Practicing the Presence
PV GROUP LIFE 