We’ve gotten incredible feedback from our recent series, “I HEART MY FAMILY.” So, if you missed any part of it, please go back and catch it HERE. Now, this is whats coming next.

Our new series, starting this coming weekend, is called “I HEART MY VALLEY.” This will take us right up to The Big Serve on March 30th. No joke, I think this series is going to be something that will set us up for some amazing ways God is wanting to use us as a church family in this Valley.

If you’re tired of watching good people leave our valley. If you’re frustrated by watching a place you love turn into something you don’t like. This is the series for you! 

Let’s do this!!

While looking at one of Jesus’ most famous stories, your LifeGroup will look deeper into our own lives to see the true impact of this powerful story.  

Stepping In: Getting things started!

1-What are some of the key aspects of your own story of “returning” to God? 

2-What is something you heard from Tim’s message that really stuck with you?

Building Up: What is God Saying? 

Read Luke 15. Scan through these three parables that Jesus is telling. Why does He tell them (see vs. 1-2)? What do they all have in common (see vs. 7, 10, 24)?

Read Luke 15:11-16. What are some of the ways we “squander” our life even without going to a distant country?

Read Luke 15:17-19. What was a moment in your life that helped you come to your senses?

Read Luke 15:20-24. What are some ways we could be more like the father to people who are wanting to return “home” but maybe don’t know how, or aren’t sure how they’ll be received?

Read Luke 15:25-32. What are the dangers of acting like the “older brother” in this story? How can we ensure that we won’t?

Living Out: How do I obey?

1-What is one step you know you need to take to start or keep heading in the direction of God?

2-What is one thing you can do this week to help someone who might be wanting to return home?

3-Select your project for The Big Serve. It’s coming up on March 30^th!!!

Being with 60+ pastors and their wives this week has done two very distinct things for me (or maybe I should say IN me). Each make me seriously excited about the months ahead for us at Community.

The first thing I feel is an overwhelming sense of how blessed I am to serve at such a great church. It’s seriously quite humbling. Listening to stories from other pastors who are way ahead of me in many ways is always interesting and inspiring. I’ve sat with some amazing leaders this week and I’m completely humbled to even been in the same room as them.

I also feel an overwhelming sense of excitement for our future. I feel like I just got back from Cambodia and then was gone again. I guess it felt like that because that IS what happened. While the timing of these two things was a little close together, it turned out to be a very good thing for me. I’m now looking at the next few months and seeing some amazing stuff on the horizon for us in the San Jacinto Valley.

I can’t wait to see you all this weekend, and remember, my friend Tim Liston is going to be with us. Trust me on this…it’s gonna be GOOD!

Michelle and I are privileged to be at a Pastors & Wives retreat with several other couples from Christian churches like ours. The thing that makes this group unique is that all of us serve in churches that are a thousand or more in weekend attendance.

My roommate from college, yes I can still remember back that far, gave the opening talk at our first dinner. He hit it out of the park. The main idea? Well, yes, we’re all in the room because our churches have experienced a numerical kind of success. (Some of these guys pastor churches that run over 20,000!) Tim said there were a number of things we all shared in common. The last one was where we spent the bulk of our time.

The truth is, while we’re all in the room because our churches have grown and we’re experiencing some pretty amazing stuff, we are standing on SOMEONE ELSE’S SHOULDERS. There are countless ministers who’ve gone before us who did the hard work of ministry and maybe never served in a larger church. These are amazing men we all owe a debt too. As he talked, there were several people who came to mind, but one was clearly the ONE on whose shoulders I stand. My dad.

Thanks dad for showing me what it really means to love the Bride of Christ. Thank you for caring so much about people who were far from God that you were willing to be “unconventional” and creative in bringing God’s grace right to their front step.

One more person has been huge for me in recent years: my friend Tim Liston. He gave this talk, and I thought of him as well. Although we’re peers, he has been a huge influence in my life and ministry. This weekend, you’ll get to hear from him at Community. 

BE THERE!

This week I’ll have an opportunity to catch up with some friends from different places in the Country. We’ve all been friends for a long, long time and still keep in touch.

I am very aware of the importance of these friends in my life. All of us have people that God has brought into our lives that simply make us better people. The reason we still do everything we can to stay connected is because there is real value here in these relationships.

I get to see a few friends this week that mean the world to me. Who are you going to see? Who could you call? Who could use an email from you? Someone near and dear to you is in your life for many reasons. One of those reasons is for you to encourage and bless their lives. So, go “make their life better”!

That’s what friends do.