Parker Ford Church's Podcast

We are looking at UP this week from our mission statement...  A People Following Christ: UP, IN, & OUT.  What does it mean to be A People Following Christ UP? Is this something that I can do on a regular basis? Also, we will look at what Scripture says about what it means to  “tend” to His presence, and how we go about doing that.

God has designed the local church to be a community of families and individuals who pursue the Lord's presence together. This means that we are called to love and care for one another, share one another's burdens, and pursue one another relationally. This is possible because God has first pursued and loved us. In response to God's love, we love one another.

We are a people following Christ UP, IN, and OUT.  Today we’ll focus on the OUT component of this mission and unpack the assignment that Jesus has given to all His followers. Matthew 28:16-20 makes it clear, following Christ means making disciples. We’ll talk about what that means, clear up a couple of misconceptions, and then learn a couple of simple ways to make disciples as we go about our everyday lives. WE ARE disciple-makers!  

Everyone must at some point wrestle with the foundational question: Does life have purpose, or is it all just a meaningless experience? In Christ, we believe that we have been created for a beautiful purpose. This purpose gives our lives meaning. Jesus has created us to know God intimately, walk with Him closely, and reveal Him to the world. - Pastor DJay 

This is a wrap-up of our brief study of this amazing ancient church in Antioch. We’ll be challenged by the outpouring of their generosity in response to a local need. These were people who had an abundance mindset and believed to their core that it is truly more blessed to give than receive. How may God be wanting us to grow in this area of generosity as well?    

This week we are going to be looking again at the church of Antioch. Antioch was a church with open hands: a church that received, appointed, and sent. What does this  look like practically for our faith family at PFC? - Pastor Brandon

This week we look at the church of Antioch, focusing on how they dealt with conflict and tension within their body. We will take note of the implications this has for our church as well as discuss tangible ways we can embrace tension in our relationships and lives. - Pastor Brandon

Today we’re all first-time guests at Antioch Community Church. Welcome! :) You’re all invited as we gather with these folks over the next few weeks from the book of Acts and discover how this ancient church had such a huge impact. This church was key in helping spread the message of Jesus all throughout the Roman region and in many parts of the world. What was their secret sauce? What can PFC learn from this church in Antioch? Let’s learn together!  - Pastor Dave Hakes

As we engage the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead in Luke 24, allow yourself to be drawn deeper into the story using your imagination. You probably know the story well. You can probably recall many of the recorded details and events of the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. But this isn't just a story to recall, it's a story meant to be embodied and lived. Let the wonder and majesty of these events come alive in a new way today as you step into the story and put yourself in the shoes of Mary, or of Peter, or of Cleopas. Taste and see that the Lord is good. 

As we wrap up our midweek teaching series on the Bible, we're ending with a simple thought: the Bible is most faithfully read when it is read within the context of community. The Bible was composed and written by many different authors who were in conversation with one another. The Bible has always been interpreted and read by Christians throughout Church History in the context of community. In our individualized culture, it's good to remember that this is a book meant to be read together. 

We have the Bible available to us - literally at our fingertips! Whether it’s with your phone, your iPad, your smart home speaker, or your computer, reading and studying Scripture has never been more accessible and convenient. Learn about some online Bible study tools that you can use anywhere and anytime! No more excuses! 

From Genesis to Revelation, the Scriptures reveal a unified story. Not only does the Bible, with all of its complexities, tell one overarching and beautiful story; the interpretive key to that story is the life, teachings, example, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The Scriptures exist to lead us deeper into knowledge and intimacy with Jesus. In this week's midweek teaching we explore this vital truth. Regarding Scripture: The Whole Thing is About JesusFrom Genesis to Revelation the Scriptures reveal a unified story. Not only does the Bible, with all of its complexities, tell one overarching and beautiful story; the interpretive key to that story is the life, teachings, example, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The Scriptures exist to lead us deeper into knowledge and intimacy with Jesus. In this week's midweek teaching we explore this vital truth. 

Listen in as Dave Hakes helps us discover some approaches to interpreting Scripture that help us arrive at God’s intended meaning for our lives today. 

If you've ever walked into a Christian bookstore with the goal of picking out a new Bible, maybe you have had the experience of being completely overwhelmed by the amount of translations available in English. Perhaps you even asked yourself (or a trusted friend), "Which one is best?" Or, "Which one should I avoid?" In this week's midweek teaching we take time to talk about our English language Bible translations and some of the major translation approaches that lead to our various translations.  

The Bible can often seem overwhelming and difficult at times to determine its meaning. One practical approach to studying Scripture is a 3-part process of observation, interpretation, and application. In this teaching, we’ll briefly explain and unpack these 3 steps so that we can better understand Scripture and experience life transformation.  

Do you sometimes struggle to stay focused when reading the Bible?  Or do you ever feel like it doesn’t apply to your current circumstances or experience?  Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is living and active…which means it has the ability to make a tangible difference in our lives—but it can only do that if we allow it to shape our hearts.  Join us as we continue our series Regarding Scripture as we discuss how to read the Bible to form our hearts. 

Redemptive curiosity is a gift from the Lord. Curiosity fosters lifelong learning, keeps us appropriately humble, opens relational doors of intimacy with God, and teaches us how to walk as pilgrims through the journey of life. Join us for this week's teaching as we continue our midweek series on the Bible.  

This past weekend I sat down with my three year old son and spent an hour playing Play Doh with him. It was all about horses! He pulled out a toy barn and we filled it with newly formed horses of every shape, color, and size. The Bible says that God is a master potter who forms us like clay. Everytime we come to the Scriptures, inviting the Holy Spirit to illuminate His Word we place ourselves in God's shaping and reshaping hands. Read the Bible to form your soul deeper into the image of Jesus. 

The Holy Spirit illuminates the truth of God’s Word as we read, mediate, and study. However, we need to make sure we are coming in with the right posture so we can hear from God’s Spirit. The Bible is alive and God is speaking through it but are our eyes and ears open to receive it? 

The Bible contains many different genres of writing including laws, prophecy, wisdom literature, history, biography, prayers, songs, poems, apocalyptic literature, personal letters, and more. As with different genres in modern literature, each style of writing requires a different, or nuanced, form of reading and interpretation. The more we can learn to distinguish the genres of the Bible, and learn how to read them, the more equipped we become to better understand what they are saying.