Chasing After Jesus

Foundations | The Chicken or the Egg

Matt Parsons — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -0400

The Creation Account in Genesis is a regularly debated topic. How was everything created? Evolution? Big Bang? In a day by God? In a literal day? Well that's what we're talking about today. You can't talk about foundations without talking about the beginning.

Foundations | Same God?

Matt Parsons — Wed, 15 May 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Do all religions worship the same God? Is the Christian God the same god as the Jewish God? The Mormon god? The Hindus? Muslims? Etc.? This is a question that comes up a lot. But the answer is very simple. No. They are not the same. We will talk about the specifics in today's episode.

Foundations | The Identity of Jesus

Matt Parsons — Wed, 01 May 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We are starting a new series today called “Foundations.” I wanted to do this series to help us understand, and remind us of, what we claim to believe. I think a lot of us say we believe certain things, but haven’t really established WHY we believe those things. I think for lots of people, our education in regard to our faith is either incomplete or, at the very least, somewhat forgotten and dim. I’m hoping this series will help us all establish a good foundation of our faith and lead us, not only to a more solidified conviction of what we believe, but also to a more prepared state to share the Gospel with others.

Team Topics | Stress and Procrastination

Matt Parsons — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 11:30:28 -0400

It's an overwhelmingly desirable thing, procrastination. The lure of pushing off the difficult or undesirable to let our tomorrow-selves deal with the issue is a very strong temptation to fight. Today we are reading an article (link below) that deals very well with our propensity to procrastinate, and looking at how the Bible addresses it.

LINK: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/maybe-tomorrow

Team Topics | Reputations and Repentance

Matt Parsons — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We always see the Pharisees as the the people we don’t want to be like. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees more than any other group we see in the Bible. But what if we were just like the Pharisees? When Jesus rebukes the churches in Sardis and Laodicea in the third chapter of Revelation, it’s very similar to his rebuke of the Pharisees. And the church in the U.S. today is very similar to the churches he rebukes. Today I want us all to evaluate ourselves. Hopefully not, but maybe, we’ll find out that we’re more like the Pharisees than we think. And we might be more like the churches that Jesus rebuked than we hope to be.

Team Topics | Idols/Idolatry

Matt Parsons — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We might not have little statues in our house made of wood or gold or silver that we worship, but there are plenty of things we elevate above God. If you have settled for a “relationship” with Jesus where He is more of an afterthought or obligation, rather than a passionate desire and pursuit, rather than Lord — if you’ve settled for that and you have fully embraced the culture of hustle and success and habit stacking and traveling sports and ______, you have an idol (maybe even many idols) in your life. And it’s time to dethrone them. All of them.

Team Topics | God's Perfect Timing

Matt Parsons — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 05:00:00 -0400

God's perfect timing is something I think we all struggle with. We are not a patient people and Amazon Prime proves that. Today we're talking about the problem with our impatience and how to be content with God's perfect timing.

Team Topics | Trusting God

Matt Parsons — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We are continuing our series "Team Topics" with a very relatable topic. Trusting God. We're going to get into what we really mean when we say "I trust God," as well as what it ACTUALLY means to truly trust Him.

Team Topics | The Law

Matt Parsons — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 05:00:00 -0400

There’s a misconception that Jesus opposed and replaced the Law by substituting it with grace. People will often read Scriptures that seem to show Jesus’ disdain for the Law and those who uphold it (like honoring the Sabbath) and mistakenly assume that they understand what Jesus was doing, thinking He was separating Himself and His followers from the Law. But that’s not the case. Today we will briefly talk about how we, as New Testament believers, can see the value in the Law and how it applies to us today.

Team Topics | Consistent Relationship

Matt Parsons — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 05:00:00 -0500

Today we start this new series with one of the most common issues among Christ followers. Having a consistent relationship with God seems like an easy thing to do, unless you've ever actually tried to do that. There are a lot of things that contribute to our inconsistency, some of which we will deal with today, that need to be taken to God so that the Holy Spirit can help us. I pray that's exactly what you will do.

https://www.gotquestions.org/focused-on-Christ.html

https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-consistency.html

Feeding the Fire of Faith | Faith Killers/Fire Quenchers

Matt Parsons — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -0500

Today is the last episode of our series, "Feeding the Fire of Faith." We are talking about what kills our passion -- the things that quench our fire. If anything jumps out at you, take it to Jesus, repent, and receive His forgiveness.

Feeding the Fire of Faith | Community

Matt Parsons — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -0500

This is our 5th week in our series, "Feeding the Fire of Faith" and today we are talking about community. We definitely live in an age where isolation has become more prevalent than ever before which means we are more prone to the detriments that a lack of community brings. Don't do faith alone.

Feeding the Fire of Faith | Fasting

Matt Parsons — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -0500

Here's another log on the fire. Fasting is something I think we unintentionally neglect and misunderstand. It's time we change that and receive the benefits that it offers.

Feeding the Fire of Faith | Prayer

Matt Parsons — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -0500

This week we throw another "log" on the fire. Prayer, I think for most people, is something that happens not very often and when it does, it's more of a wish list than an intentional conversation with the Creator of the universe. As we dive into the content today, I'm going to be breaking down what prayer is and isn't as well as how prayer should look. For more information and resources, go to: https://www.gotquestions.org/content_prayer.html

Feeding the Fire of Faith | Bible Consumption

Matt Parsons — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -0500

There are many ways to feed the fire of our faith, none of which the least is regularly reading (consuming) the Bible. There are so many ways that regularly spending time in God's word benefits us, but beyond the benefit, God made it and protected it for the simple purpose of us reading it. Therefore we should honor Him by doing just that.

Feeding the Fire of Faith | Surrender

Matt Parsons — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -0500

Our passion for Jesus is our responsibility. Our faith won't grow on it's own. It will only dwindle as we neglect tending it. Today we're talking about how to feed the fire of our faith so that our passion for Jesus, and growing in our relationship with him, doesn't just fade into ash. The first step: surrender.

Good Times and Weak Men

Matt Parsons — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0500

Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times. There is something about the "good times create weak men" part that reminds me of American Christianity. I think the amount of comfort we enjoy has let to the weakening of our faith. So what do we do about it?

Old Shoes, New You

Matt Parsons — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0500

When Paul tells us "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation," we often think of the sin that has been taken away but forget that change comes with a new creation. We don't just clean up the old and call it new. Transformation must occur.

Be Still...and KNOW

Matt Parsons — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0500

Today is a little different. This will be an extended period of time to be still. Do your best to find a place to completely unplug and focus your full attention on the Holy Spirit with a quiet heart and mind.

Casual Faith

Matt Parsons — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 10:19:22 -0400

What does it mean to have a casual faith? Today we're going through the book of Matthew (and some from Revelation) to unpack what Jesus commands us.

Just a book?

Matt Parsons — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Most of us have an amazing resource at our fingertips — the Bible. But what do we do with it? How often do we read it? Why did God write this book? That’s what we’re talking about today.

What is Good?

Matt Parsons — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0400

You ever feel so tired that you just can't...anything? You can't wake up on time or you don't have the energy to exercise? Are you ever so tired that you can't even pursue Jesus? Me too. But even on the bleh days, we need to choose what is actually good instead of settling for what is simply enjoyable.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I Know.

Matt Parsons — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 15:27:58 -0400

How do we love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength? And what does it mean to love our neighbor as ourself? I'm talking about these in detail today because I think most of us, including myself, have really thought through them prayerfully and specifically.

Resting Pursuit

Matt Parsons — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -0400

One of the most important ways we pursue Jesus is through rest. It's easy to remember to read our Bibles and pray, but resting in Him seems to be something we often forget about.

Passive Pursuit

Matt Parsons — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Too many people that claim Jesus don’t realize that they have passive faith. Today we talk about what passive faith is and how to change from being passive to intentionally pursuing Jesus.

Pumpkin Spice and Broken Sights

Matt Parsons — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Fall is just around the corner and if you’re like my wife, you’ve probably already decorated the house and/or have, at least, been binging all the pumpkin-flavored things that are now available. Or, if you’re like me, you’re prepping for hunting season. Today I talk about my broken bow sight and how it reminded me that something so small, when left unchecked, can cause so much damage.

Faith Supplements

Matt Parsons — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0400

There are things that add to your faith and there are things that take away from it. Today we are looking at the qualities Peter tells us to add to our faith — the foundation of our identity in Christ — and what each quality practically means.

Plausible Arguments

Matt Parsons — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Since the Age of Enlightenment began, people started elevating logic and reason above everything else. Unless something could be empirically proven or logically concluded, it was not considered truth but nonsense, and not worth our time or attention. Not much has changed since then. People, even devout Jesus followers, still elevate logic and reason causing some to fall into “deconstruction.” But with all the differing “evidences,” where do we look for truth? What is considered reasonable or logical? How do we discern truth from deception?

Practical Faith

Matt Parsons — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Do you ever wonder if the church is what it’s supposed to be like? If the Church is not a building but is made up of believers, then what should the church look like? We really see a large picture of what the church should look like in the second chapter of Acts. The crazy thing is that it shows us what we should look like as individual believers as well.

Do I Really Want HIS Will?

Matt Parsons — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0400

When we pray we often feel like if God doesn’t say yes, then we can’t accept that or be satisfied with that, or even that God has let us down. We may even worry about what we’ll do if He says no. But when God says no to us, what really happens is that it gives us the opportunity to say You are Lord and I am not; to say Your will and not my own.

Who Said That?

Matt Parsons — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 05:00:00 -0400

What’s the point of prayer if we don’t hear from God? Do you give time during your prayers to listen for his voice? Do you start by asking him if he has anything to say to you? What if you are missing the voice and direction of God simply because you forgot, as most of us often do, to take time and listen? Or what if you’re not hearing (or mishearing) because you don’t recognize God’s voice?

Be Encouraged

Matt Parsons — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 05:00:00 -0400

“Be encouraged, your sins are forgiven.” I think it’s safe to say that we are only encouraged when we are comfortable. Can you separate the two? Can you be uncomfortable and still be encouraged? How much encouragement do we expect out of this life in this body? Are we living for this world or Heaven? I’ve been praying that God would make Heaven the most real thing in my heart. I don’t want it to seem like a fairytale land that only exists in my mind with false promises of a better future. I want it to be, in every way, a reality that puts everything else in it’s place — a reality that puts all of my circumstances in the correct perspective.

The Real Self-Care

Matt Parsons — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 05:00:00 -0400

In a culture where self-care is such a buzz word and such a priority, we have to understand that most of us get it wrong. Self-care does not mean self-indulging. But that’s how we often treat it. Self-care, on the contrary, is simply caring for yourself. You do this the same way you would care for a patient, or your child, or a friend. It’s about making yourself better. Indulging your every desire to try and lick your emotional wounds back to health is not only ineffective and couterproductive, but damaging and sinful.

I'll Never Let Go, Jack.

Matt Parsons — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -0400

We tend to desire the things of this world more than we desire God or what God wants for us. And we tend to be blind to the blessings that come from truly giving our lives over to him like Jesus commands us to in Matthew 16. The problem is that by holding onto our life or the things in our life, we are trading the blessings of God for the false blessings of this world. We need to let go and give our full lives to Jesus.

In Memory of David

Matt Parsons — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -0400

It’s difficult to lose a friend. We can't help but miss them and the ways they impacted our lives. Memories fill our minds and interrupt our days with laughter and tears. We struggle with the “why” behind them leaving this earth sooner than we want but there’s something we need to remember in situations like this. In our mourning, we need to remember hope.

Tongue Tied

Matt Parsons — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -0400

As a Christian, there has historically been a list of words that we can’t, or shouldn’t, say. But why? Does the Bible specifically mention those words? Do those specific words possess an inherent evil? Does society play a role in those words? That’s what we will talk about today.

A Throne in a Landfill

Matt Parsons — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -0400

We all drive cars. We all wear clothes. We all use technology. We all shop at the grocery store. We live in houses. We use the English language. We utilize electricity and running water. Etc. There are SO MANY ways we look like “the world.” So what does it mean to be IN the world but not OF the world?

Adjust Your Grip

Matt Parsons — Wed, 31 May 2023 05:00:00 -0400

The only thing worse than going through difficulties in life is going through them alone. The great thing is that one of God’s promises is that He will always be with us, especially in difficult times. Don't waiver. Hold tight. Trust God.

What Prayer Says About How You See God

Matt Parsons — Wed, 24 May 2023 05:00:00 -0400

This is from a daily devotion of Craig Groeschel called “Dangerous Prayers” found in the YouVersion Bible App. It was so good that I wanted to share it and since I can’t articulate it any better, I’m reading it verbatim (with some commentary of my own). You can find the devotional at: https://www.bible.com/en/reading-plans/18063

The Strength of His Might

Matt Parsons — Wed, 17 May 2023 05:00:00 -0400

We all have strengths; things we’re good at. And it’s fine to use those strengths. God gave them to you. But they should not be your default mode of operation. If they become your default mode then you will operate in a far less effective way than if you operated in God’s strength. And we can really only do that through prayer.

I'm Just in a Season...

Matt Parsons — Wed, 10 May 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Seasons start and seasons end. They all have their purpose. And during each season, we need to focus on the good things that come despite the difficult things that might accompany them.

Rhythms of Jesus

Matt Parsons — Wed, 03 May 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Rest only comes when you are in regular communion with Jesus. This takes discipline and routine. It takes being yoked with Jesus and following the rhythms he modeled for us.

What is this "yolk" you refer to?

Matt Parsons — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 05:00:00 -0400

What is a yoke, why is Jesus telling me to take it, and how will this give me rest? Today we talk, not about eggs, but about the rest that Jesus promises in Matthew chapter 11 when we come to him.

What is this new creation?

Matt Parsons — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 05:00:00 -0400

We’ve all probably heard the Bible verse that says, “if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old is gone, the new has come.” But have you ever wondered what exactly the old is and what the new is? What has been created new? That’s what we’re going to talk about today.

Now what?

Matt Parsons — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 05:00:00 -0400

It’s post-Easter Sunday. Jesus has died for our sins and come back to life. The movie is over and the main character triumphs. Except this is not a movie. It’s more like a series that never ends and adds new characters on a regular basis. In fact…it’s real life and it begs the question, now what? Jesus wins. We all win. But if it’s not the end, what’s next?

Unless I See...

Matt Parsons — Wed, 05 Apr 2023 08:33:42 -0400

How many of us can relate to Thomas? Why did Thomas not trust the rest of the disciples when they said Jesus was alive? Would you have believed them? How many moments have there been in your life where you needed to see something before believing it — especially in regards to your faith? John knew we needed reminding when he wrote his book, and I’m glad he did.

Heavenly longing

Matt Parsons — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 09:57:59 -0400

What does it mean to long for Heaven? We long for many things in this world, but do our hearts truly long for Heaven the most? Or do we simply want to avoid Hell? Where’s your heart?

Man-pleaser

Matt Parsons — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 05:00:00 -0400

One of the things most of us struggle with is the propensity to want to impress people. When our heart shifts from doing everything to please God to doing everything to please others — to gain the approval of other people, our motives and our loyalties — our heart — it all gets separated from God. It changes the reason we do everything and takes away the desire to please God and listen to Him.

All the feels...or not.

Matt Parsons — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 05:00:00 -0500

Do you remember a specific moment where you felt God’s presence? It’s one of the best things ever, but I’m not going to tell you how to experience God’s presence today. We’re talking about NOT experiencing God’s presence, speaking truth to your experiences, and in this case, speaking truth to your LACK of experience.

Blue Skies and Clouds that Lie

Matt Parsons — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 05:00:00 -0500

It’s easy for us to walk outside when it’s raining, hate that it’s raining, and let the experience make you forget that above the clouds, the sky is still blue. Above the clouds the sun is shining and it’s a beautiful day.

Governance and Provisions

Matt Parsons — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 05:00:00 -0500

We are in a battle. It’s a daily battle that we fight without realizing it. That battle is between the flesh and the Spirit, and the results of that battle is determined by who we choose to give authority to.

Building Bridges

Matt Parsons — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 05:00:00 -0500

There is more to our relationship with Jesus than what we GET from him. Following Jesus also means that there are things we are commanded to DO BECAUSE of our relationship with him. Today we talk about what we are commissioned to do and pray for the people we are to reach.

Solutions and Their Problems

Matt Parsons — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 05:00:00 -0500

We all have our own ways of solving problems that we face. But our best strategy to win over those problems isn’t found in our strengths. The best strategy, as we see if Proverbs 3:5-6, is to seek God’s wisdom first and simply do what He says.

Busy Bee-liever

Matt Parsons — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 07:50:38 -0500

There’s probably not a person that doesn’t want more time in their lives because, let’s face it, we all have too many things going on. Too much work; too many kids sports to attend; too many hobbies or ________. Our lives are full. And since they’re full all the time, when we do get some free time, we want to pour comfort into our lives and do something we enjoy. The problem is that, most of the time, the things we’re pouring into our lives are pretty toxic. Whether it’s hours on social media, or bingeing on ice cream and wine, or watching an entire series on Netflix. Yes. Those things are toxic. But because our lives are so busy and we have no margin, we crave comfort from things that barely get us to the next day. What we really need is something completely different. It’s stillness.

Abide in Jesus

Matt Parsons — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 08:13:57 -0500

What does it mean to “abide” in Jesus? Does he really mean that we can’t do anything apart from him? What is this fruit everyone is talking about? Hopefully we can answer these questions today.

Chasing After Jesus

Matt Parsons — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 10:40:06 -0500

In this first episode, I talk about what it actually means to follow Jesus. Chasing after Jesus isn't easy, but it's definitely a worthwhile pursuit.

Questions to ask yourself as you pray:

1. What is keeping me from fully following Jesus?
2. What am I holding on to and why?
3. What do I need to give up?
4. What am I afraid to lose?