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Reversal #4: From Critical Mass to Critical Yeast
Posted on: Tuesday September 01, 2026

Pre-Order Pete Scazzero's forthcoming book, Emotionally Healthy Success, at www.emotionallyhealthy.org/success and get a free chapter.

For years, I measured ministry impact by one word: bigger. I remember walking into one of the largest churches in America, watching thousands of people fill the room, and thinking, this is it, this is critical mass. A staff member who'd been there since it was a thousand people told me something shifted at 7,500. Point people in a direction, he said, and it felt like a tidal wave.

Jesus never built his kingdom that way. He picked twelve. Pulled three in closer. Sent seventy out two by two. The crowds came last, if they came at all. He called it yeast, a small amount, buried deep, working quietly until the whole loaf rises.

In this episode, I walk through the fourth of four reversals from my new book: the move from critical mass to critical yeast. If you've ever measured your ministry by the size of the room, this episode will show you a slower, harder, far more fruitful way to measure it.

A leadership formation intensive for pastors and leaders. Grow in practical EHD skills such as incarnational listening, clean fighting, and understanding your family of origin to build honest, life-giving relationships rooted in the love of Jesus.


Learn more about the 2026 FALL SEMESTER School of Emotionally Healthy Leadership https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leadershipschool/


Archives:
Tuesday May 26, 2020

In this podcast I talk about one key, often overlooked, ingredient of mature leaders – prudence. As Proverbs says, "…she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.   Prov. 3:13-15

A leadership formation intensive for pastors and leaders. Grow in practical EHD skills such as incarnational listening, clean fighting, and understanding your family of origin to build honest, life-giving relationships rooted in the love of Jesus.


Learn more about the 2026 FALL SEMESTER School of Emotionally Healthy Leadership https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leadershipschool/


Monday May 18, 2020

In this podcast, we begin with the reminder that success is becoming the person God has called us to become and doing what God calls us to do. In other words, detaching from the outcomes and circumstances we want, and surrendering to God and his will, is success -- regardless of where that takes us.

A leadership formation intensive for pastors and leaders. Grow in practical EHD skills such as incarnational listening, clean fighting, and understanding your family of origin to build honest, life-giving relationships rooted in the love of Jesus.


Learn more about the 2026 FALL SEMESTER School of Emotionally Healthy Leadership https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leadershipschool/


Tuesday May 12, 2020

This podcast addresses another critical biblical theme for leaders during this Covid-19 pandemic– detachment, that we might follow Jesus, allowing him to birth what he desires in and through us. God has revealed, through this present crisis, our attachment to our plans, our need for security and control, etc. and our strong self-will.

 

A leadership formation intensive for pastors and leaders. Grow in practical EHD skills such as incarnational listening, clean fighting, and understanding your family of origin to build honest, life-giving relationships rooted in the love of Jesus.


Learn more about the 2026 FALL SEMESTER School of Emotionally Healthy Leadership https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leadershipschool/


Tuesday May 05, 2020

Discerning what season you, your family, your ministry, and the world are in right now may be our most important leadership task. Discerning properly our season will determine our priorities, decisions, and pace – for ourselves and our teams. Failing to discern properly will result in all kinds of internal anguish and wasted energy.  That is the theme of this podcast.

A leadership formation intensive for pastors and leaders. Grow in practical EHD skills such as incarnational listening, clean fighting, and understanding your family of origin to build honest, life-giving relationships rooted in the love of Jesus.


Learn more about the 2026 FALL SEMESTER School of Emotionally Healthy Leadership https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leadershipschool/


Monday April 27, 2020

In this podcast, Geri and Pete introduce a foundation spiritual practice called the Community Temperature Reading (CTR for short). This is especially relevant as so many of us are under particular relational pressures during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A leadership formation intensive for pastors and leaders. Grow in practical EHD skills such as incarnational listening, clean fighting, and understanding your family of origin to build honest, life-giving relationships rooted in the love of Jesus.


Learn more about the 2026 FALL SEMESTER School of Emotionally Healthy Leadership https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leadershipschool/


Monday April 20, 2020

In this podcast, Pete shares a message from Isaiah 36-37 when Israel found herself under enormous pressure surrounded by the armies of Assyria.

A leadership formation intensive for pastors and leaders. Grow in practical EHD skills such as incarnational listening, clean fighting, and understanding your family of origin to build honest, life-giving relationships rooted in the love of Jesus.


Learn more about the 2026 FALL SEMESTER School of Emotionally Healthy Leadership https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leadershipschool/


Monday April 13, 2020

Pete is joined by his wife Geri as they address one of the great challenges we face during COVID-19  The prolonged, stay-at-home time in which we find ourselves – our relationships.  

In this podcast, they introduce a life-changing skill called "Clarify Expectations."

A leadership formation intensive for pastors and leaders. Grow in practical EHD skills such as incarnational listening, clean fighting, and understanding your family of origin to build honest, life-giving relationships rooted in the love of Jesus.


Learn more about the 2026 FALL SEMESTER School of Emotionally Healthy Leadership https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leadershipschool/


Tuesday April 07, 2020
In this week's podcast, Pete applies John of the Cross' extraordinary work on the dark night written almost 500 years ago to the unique situation in which we find ourselves – a global, collective dark night of the soul. 
We may not know what God is doing, where He is going, how He is getting us there, or when this will be over. But the truth is-God is doing something extraordinary in us. 
Pete shares with us a list of 7 things that God might be doing in us.
A leadership formation intensive for pastors and leaders. Grow in practical EHD skills such as incarnational listening, clean fighting, and understanding your family of origin to build honest, life-giving relationships rooted in the love of Jesus.


Learn more about the 2026 FALL SEMESTER School of Emotionally Healthy Leadership https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leadershipschool/


Tuesday March 31, 2020

In this week's podcast, Pete's wife Geri joins him in sharing with us four ways to transition from surviving to flourishing during this COVID-19 pandemic. Using the framework of a "Rule of Life", they share ways to structure our days amidst our involuntary isolation. May this podcast be a blessing for you during this time.

 
A leadership formation intensive for pastors and leaders. Grow in practical EHD skills such as incarnational listening, clean fighting, and understanding your family of origin to build honest, life-giving relationships rooted in the love of Jesus.


Learn more about the 2026 FALL SEMESTER School of Emotionally Healthy Leadership https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leadershipschool/


Tuesday March 24, 2020
In part 2 of this week's podcast, Pete applies more fully and specifically last week's message from the story of Job on the three biblical phases of grief – to us personally and to our leadership.
Pete gives us three main approaches to the enormity of grief around us and our loss of control. May this podcast be a blessing to you during these chaotic times.
 
 
 
A leadership formation intensive for pastors and leaders. Grow in practical EHD skills such as incarnational listening, clean fighting, and understanding your family of origin to build honest, life-giving relationships rooted in the love of Jesus.


Learn more about the 2026 FALL SEMESTER School of Emotionally Healthy Leadership https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leadershipschool/