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Pleasant Grove
Church of Christ
Teaching People to Follow Jesus
Something New Made Newer
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Reunion
August 13, 2023
Parting from those we love is always sad. Whether it is due to death, distance, or duty, it is hard to leave those we cherish. Yet, God offers us comfort through the promise of His heavenly kingdom. On August 13, 2023, we will be challenged to trust that the Lord will bring all those who have washed themselves in Christ back together in His heavenly kingdom, and they will be children of God. Please join us in reading Revelation 21, 22 in preparation for this message: Reunion. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Vision
July 30, 2023
Life is filled with challenges. At least, that’s how we often see it. But perhaps we’re viewing it in the wrong light. Maybe life is filled with opportunities when God gives us the vision to see them. On July 30, 2023, we will be challenged to live according to the vision God has given to us, seeing the future as God orchestrated. Please join us in reading Acts 10 in preparation for this message: Vision. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Chosen
July 23, 2023
We sometimes have preconceived notions about who God can use and who He cannot. Sometimes that notion is that we are not good enough to share what God is doing in us. Yet, we are all called to spread the good news about what Jesus has done. On July 23, 2023, we will be challenged to use their spiritual gifts to further the kingdom of God. Please join us in reading Acts 9 in preparation for this message: Chosen. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Distressed Witness
July 16, 2023
Often, we allow the pressure we feel around us to stunt our witness, not wanting to offend. Yet, as Paul put it, “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” On July 16, 2023, we will be challenged to draw strength from the pressure we feel as followers of Jesus and allow it to make the light of Christ shine even brighter through our lives. Please join us in reading Acts 8 in preparation for this message: Distressed Witness. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Looking to Heaven
July 2, 2023
It’s easy to grow discouraged and lose heart when we look at the world around us. What is accepted as commonplace has certainly changed through the past couple of years. Now, more than ever, it is necessary to think about what is excellent or praiseworthy. On July 2, 2023, we will be challenged to fix our focus on the things of heaven, particularly Jesus, as we press on in our spiritual journey. Please join us in reading Acts 6, 7 in preparation for this message: Looking to Heaven. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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One Heart and Mind
June 25, 2023
We like to think everything can be cured with a pill. The pharmaceutical industry produces more than a half a trillion dollars each year in the United States. Much of which focuses on symptom relief rather than the root cause behind the symptoms. The root cause of our struggle with unity inside and outside the church today is our lack of Christlikeness. On June 25, 2023, we will be challenged to live by the heart and mind of Christ. Please join us in reading Acts 4, 5 in preparation for this message: One Heart and Mind. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Character and Work
June 11, 2023
What is your name? A person’s name is significant. But why is that? Because a name is more than an identifier. It represents who a person is and what they have done, their character and work. On June 11, 2023, we will be challenged to proclaim the character and work of Jesus through the way we live for him. Please join us in reading Acts 3, 4 in preparation for this message: Character and Work. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Made New by God
June 4, 2023
Who are you? If we were asked that question, most of us would probably respond with what we do for a living, or what we enjoy as a hobby, or maybe the role we fill in our family or friend circle. On the Day of Pentecost, the Peter answered that question for the crowd as to who they were, then offer them salvation through who Jesus is. On June 4, 2023, we will be challenged to accept the Lord’s call to be made by God into someone new. Please join us in reading Acts 2 in preparation for this message: Made New by God. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Renewed for God
May 28, 2023
Too often, we allow what we’ve done in the past to hinder our witness for Christ. We think because we did such and such that it somehow disqualifies what we have to say. Yet, after denying that he even knew Jesus three times, Peter took the Great Commission to heart, and shared Christ even to his death. On May 28, 2023, we will be challenged to allow our pasts to drive our witness to those around us. Please join us in reading John 21 and Matthew 28 in preparation for this message: Renewed for God. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Needed Resurrection
May 21, 2023
Death has a way of bringing our lives into focus. So it was for the disciples following Jesus’ death on the cross. If Jesus hadn’t risen from the dead, His disciples would have just gone back to their lives before Christ. Because of the resurrection, they were willing to die for what He started. On May 21, 2023, we will be challenged to live a life clarified by death through the resurrection. Please join us in reading John 20 in preparation for this message: Needed Resurrection. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Through the Eyes of a Mother
May 14, 2023
When we think of the relationship between a child and their mother, we probably don’t think of Jesus on the cross. Yet, it is perhaps the greatest story of a mother’s compassion for her son, and a son’s love for his mother. On May 14, 2023, we will be challenged to appreciate the crucifixion from the viewpoint of Jesus’ mother, allowing it to transform our lives as he thought of her, and us from the cross. Please join us in reading Luke 22-23 in preparation for this message: Through the Eyes of a Mother. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Escaping Temptation
May 7, 2023
We know that God is faithful to forgive us when we slip and fall into sin. Unfortunately, since that is true, many of us walk right into temptation with little to no hesitation. On May 7, 2023, we will be challenged to not simply pray for forgiveness after giving into sin, but to pray that we might overcome the temptations we face that often lead to sin. Please join us in reading Luke 22-23 in preparation for this message: Escaping Temptation. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Remember Me
April 30, 2023
Why did Jesus have to die, and why did he call on us to remember it? We often loose the significance of Jesus’ death on the cross when we define it according to our lives currently. On April 30, 2023, we will be challenged to remember Jesus’ sacrifice, allowing it to shape our day-to-day lives rather than our lives shaping his sacrifice. Please join us in reading John 13-14 and Luke 22 in preparation for this message: Remember Me. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Serve Others
April 23, 2023
For many of us, serving those around us is at best an afterthought. Occasionally, we might serve at a food shelf or soup kitchen, then pat ourselves on the back feeling we’ve done our part. But Jesus’ command to serve one another in love was meant to be more than a random occurrence. On April 23, 2023, we will be challenged to “take up the towel” regularly to serve those around us in love. Please join us in reading John 12-13 and Luke 21:1-4 in preparation for this message: Serve Others. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Marginalized
April 16, 2023
We would probably all agree that people need the Lord, but do we back it with action? Too often, we limit our witness to those who see Jesus the way we do. But what happens to those who see things differently if we abstain from telling them of Jesus? On April 16, 2023, we will be challenged to reach out to those in our lives with the love of Jesus, including the marginalized. Please join us in reading Luke 17-19 in preparation for this message: Marginalized. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Alive Again
April 9, 2023
Too often, we judge those in our lives unintentionally. We make preconceived decisions about who will accept Christ, and who will not. In the end, we don’t even look for those who are lost and searching. On April 9, 2023, we will be challenged to confess any elitist attitude, coming alive to God again as we celebrate new life with Him. Please join us in reading Luke 15 in preparation for this message: Alive Again. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Trouble is Coming
April 2, 2023
We often think we don’t have time to spend with God. Our lives are too busy with family, friends, work, and the good we do for God to invest quality time with God. The result: we’re ill-prepared for the trials in our lives. On April 2, 2023, we will be challenged to step away from the busyness of life and ministry to bask in the greatness of God. Please join us in reading Luke 10 in preparation for this message: Trouble is Coming. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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March 19, 2023
Who is willing to hear about Jesus? We might just be surprised. Yet we tend to make up our minds as to who will listen before we ever give them the opportunity to meet Christ in us. On March 19, 2023, we will be challenged to broaden our focus by breaking down the self-imposed barriers that hinder our witness for Jesus. Please join us in reading Luke 10 in preparation for this message: Left for Dead. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Walking by Faith
March 12, 2023
All four of the Gospels tell the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand, yet we often wonder what He can do about the situations in which we find ourselves. Can Jesus really do something about what with which we’re dealing? On March 12, 2023, we will be challenged to trust Jesus to handle what we are facing in our lives. Please join us in reading Matthew 14 in preparation for this message: Walking by Faith. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Mountains that Move
March 5, 2023
Most of us have a preconceived idea of faith and what it is all about. But could it be that there is more to faith than we initially thought. What does faith that moves mountains look like? On March 5, 2023, we will be challenged to live by faith, unleashing the power of God in our lives. Please join us in reading Matthew 8 & 9 in preparation for this message: Mountains that Move. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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You Have Heard
February 26, 2023
What do we do when something we have heard seems to conflict with God’s word? During Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, time and again he told the people, “You have heard… but I tell you…” Jesus wasn’t teaching something new. He was simply interpreting Scripture in the light of Scripture. On February 26, 2023, we will be challenged to allow our understanding of God’s word to color the way we live our day-to-day lives. Please join us in reading Matthew 5-7 in preparation for this message: You Have Heard. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Follow Me
February 19, 2023
Have we ever thought about the example that we’re emulating? Jesus called his disciples to him and gave them authority, but what did they do with it? They modeled Christ for others to follow. On February 19, 2023, we will be challenged to live in such a way that we are worthy of those around us following our godly example. Please join us in reading Matthew 4:18-22; 9:9; 10:1-4 in preparation for this message: Follow Me. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Doing Things God's Way
February 12, 2023
Too often, we try to write our own rules as to how we want to live our lives. Yet, when our desires conflict with the desires of those around us, whose rules do we follow? On February 12, 2023, we will be challenged to follow God’s leading expressed in his word. Please join us in reading Luke 3:1-22 in preparation for this message: Doing Things God’s Way. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Everyone's Lost
February 5, 2023
Where do we turn when we feel lost in our circumstances? For many of us, we turn to a friend, a coworker, or a family member. For others of us, we go deeper into our work, our hobbies, or ourselves. But what can any of these really do for us? On February 5, 2023, we will be challenged to seek God, the one who can truly help, when they feel lost in the mire their situation. Please join us in reading Luke 2:41-52 in preparation for this message: Everyone’s Lost. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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The Gift of God's Guidance
January 22, 2023
Most of us, at some point in our lives, will question what God’s will is for us. Are we living according to his desire or choosing our own path? In the story of the Magi, and what follows, God reveals how he leads those who follow him. On January 22, 2023, we will be challenged to live according to the revelation of God’s word. Please join us in reading Matthew 2 in preparation for this message: The Gift of God’s Guidance. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Just as We Have Been Told
January 15, 2023
How many times have we been told one thing only to discover things are different? Unfortunately, situations like these have bred uncertainty in us, and our uncertainty has grown into a reluctance to share what God is doing in our lives. On January 15, 2023, we will examine how we respond to the fulfilled promises of God and be challenged to allow them to flow through our witness to those around us. Please join us in reading Luke 2 in preparation for this message: Just as We Have Been Told. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.
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Hello World
January 8, 2023
When we’re expecting the birth of a new baby, we can’t wait to tell those closest to us the good news. So it was for both Elizabeth and Mary about their expected sons in the book of Luke. So it should be for us as we live for Jesus who was born of God to Mary. On January 8, 2023, we will be challenged to live according to whom God has blessed us and share the message of what he has done with those around us. Please join us in reading Luke 1 in preparation for this message: Hello World. Click on the image to watch. Click here to listen.