Parker Ford Church's Podcast

Jesus teaches that fasting should be done in secret, not for show, as a way to humbly seek God and grow in dependence on Him. Historically, fasting was tied to repentance, seeking God’s help, and spiritual renewal—not performance or ritual. True fasting draws us closer to God through discipline, dependence, and devotion, clearing distractions so we can realign our hearts with His presence and purposes. 

Recently PFC welcomed Dave Wiedis to share some insights from his new book The Spiritually Healthy Leader. In his teaching Dave Wiedis talked about the idea of "ruling passions". Every person has a ruling passion. This is part of God's good design. But our ruling passions can become idols when they are not focused on Christ. Using this framework, we will explore the power of the Lord's Prayer to recenter us on Jesus and his glory. 

Jesus is taking us on a journey to understand and practice what it looks like to live in His upside-down Kingdom. This week we will be looking at both generosity and prayer. How was the culture of the time engaging these and how should we be doing so now?

Perhaps this is a silly question … but do you know some people that don’t like you? That have even hurt you, taken advantage of you, or humiliated you? We all have “enemies”. And this Sunday, Jesus is going to show us a better way to respond to these people. Instead of responding in kind to evil and escalating the situation, we respond - not passively or as doormats but as people who are ingenious in offering creative goodness and sacrificial love in action. We’ll end our time by praying for our enemies. 

We're so excited to have David Wiedis with us at PFC today. Dave will be sharing insights from his brand new book, "The Spiritually Healthy Leader." Dave is the Founder and Executive Director of Serving Leaders Ministries, with decades of ministry experience and leadership. 

This week, we’ll be exploring a third case study of inward-based righteousness: the power of our words.  We’ll look at the historical significance of oaths and how Jesus takes the law one step deeper. 

The resurrection of Jesus gives us the hope and promise that the new creation is coming! Things won’t always be this way. Jesus physically died and physically came back to life and what God did 2,000 years ago, He will do for the whole world! Easter is a true taste of what’s to come! 

The "Triumphal Entry" was the public declaration that Jesus viewed himself as the Messiah, and the promised King of kings. He rode into Jerusalem accepting the title of "Son of David" and the shouts of praise, "Hosanna!" He then entered the temple and called it "My house." Jesus was forcing the people to either crown him or crucify him (and he knew which the religious leaders would choose). With Jesus, there is nothing in between. We must know him as King or do our best to get rid of him.

In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tackles two uncomfortable topics. He addresses lust and divorce. In every culture, in every place, throughout all human history men have dehumanized women through lust and misuse of power. The example and teachings of Jesus draw us back to the Garden of Eden, back to God's creative design - male and female God created us in his own likeness and image. When we learn to see and treat one another as God's image, children of the same Father, and kingdom siblings, we live out the ethical vision of Jesus' upside down kingdom.

This week we are continuing to look at Jesus’ teaching in Mathew 5. As Pastor Dave shared last week, over the next few weeks we are going to be looking at examples of inward-based righteousness. The first example is anger. Anger is a valid emotion when something we care about isn’t the way it should be.  But there are proper and improper ways to express anger. Learning to express anger appropriately is critical to becoming more like Jesus. 

Get ready! Jesus is raising the bar for those who follow Him. But the good news is that He has done all the heavy lifting! What the first half of the Bible points forward to and the momentum it created, Jesus comes and fulfills. But He is calling us into deeper ways of right living that is marked by inside-out obedience. This Sunday we’ll dive into the very beginning of the main part of Jesus’ sermon on the mount as He sets the stage for 6 case studies to follow. 

Did you know that God has flavors and colors that he wants to bring into this world through you? Join us this Sunday as we unpack what Jesus meant by these metaphors of salt and light as we continue learning about the ‘Upside Down Kingdom.’ 

Jesus wraps up the 9 Beatitudes with two corresponding blessings given to those who are persecuted, insulted, and spoken of poorly because of righteousness. Throughout church history God has used persecution to strengthen the Church and spread the gospel around the world. The Lord is doing the same today. 

Biblical peace is not the absence of conflict, but it's also not the seeking of conflict. Peace in the Scriptures is about wholeness and harmony. The compound word used by Jesus in Matthew 5:9 is an active word. Peace is made. We are called to join in Jesus' work of making peace. There are many forms of counterfeit peace, Jesus has something better for us to participate in. 

In the middle of Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount, he tells us that if we ask, seek, and knock, we will receive, find, and experience open doors from heaven. How are our lives responding to that invitation? Let’s explore what it looks like to pursue God and all that he wants to offer us.  

What protects a life from becoming a sham? What provides a life with clearer vision of God? Jesus provides instruction in the 6th beatitude that’s on tap for us this Sunday. Jesus is forming people whose behavior matches their beliefs. People whose life’s actions are synced with pure motivations … are in a good place!

Christians, to the extent that we live out the teachings and example of Jesus, are a sneak preview of eternity. And perhaps, as much as any other Christian trait, mercy is the ultimate sneak peek into the Kingdom of Heaven. One way to understand mercy is "extravagant kindness". There's no reason God has to be so extravagantly kind to us...but he is! And we get to live in the same way towards others. 

Have you ever been hangry? Have you ever been around someone else who is hangry? Hangry, if you're not familiar with it, is the state of being angry...because you're hungry. It's not just toddlers who get a little grumpy when they have an empty stomach. In Matthew 5:6 Jesus says that those who are hangry for righteousness will be satisfied. This week we explore the hunger and thirst that points towards the righteousness and justice of the Kingdom of Jesus.

“Blessed are the meek.” This Sunday as we take a look at Jesus’ next statement in Matthew 5:5, we’re going to see just how fortunate are those who humbly live outside of centers of power and influence, who are even squashed under the thumb of the wicked, yet humbly wait on God and look to Him for ultimate deliverance and justice. Join us as we continue to learn about the ‘upside-down kingdom’ that Jesus brings. 

This week, we are going to look at the second beatitude. Remember, at the start of this teaching, Jesus is talking specifically to his followers and trying to show them what it looks like to be in his Kingdom, which is often “upside down” from the world. Matthew 4:17 says, “Repent for the Kingdom of heaven has come near.” Jesus is now going into further explanation on what his Kingdom looks like. We are taking the time to slowly walk through these principles... it helps us understand not only our call as a follower of Christ, but also the flipside... the pitfalls that we can find ourselves in.