FOLLOW

Plum Creek Church

What does rearrangement sound like? The FOLLOW podcast offers steady companionship in the long, quiet work of discipleship, creating space for honest, unhurried conversation where faith moves from the margins to the center of everyday rhythms and relationships. Spiritual formation is approached as life architecture—through the intentional rearrangement of all of life around the way of Jesus—so that belief becomes embodied, practiced, and lived. This is what rearrangement sounds like: honest voices and steady steps—following Jesus fully. Meet your hosts, Eric Parks and Steve Carter Eric Parks  Eric is an Executive Pastor at Plum Creek Church in Castle Rock, Colorado, who cares deeply about helping people rehearse the way of Jesus in everyday life—and holds firm as a Denver Broncos fan, no matter how often Steve brings up the Bears. Steve Carter  Steve is the Lead Pastor at Christ Church in Oak Brook, Illinois, offering a thoughtful and honest voice to the deeper work of formation and calling—and remains a devoted Chicago Bears fan, even with Eric representing Broncos country. Explore all of FOLLOW We’re all following something—habits, expectations, ambition—but Jesus offers a different way. A way marked by love, presence, trust, and a life that actually leads somewhere good. Not perfectly, but increasingly, we begin to shape our lives around his. We believe that if Jesus is right—about God, about life, about the soul—then is only makes sense to rearrange your life around what he says is true. Follow isn’t a program to complete or a path to master, but a way of life centered on Jesus. A way of living that takes shape over time through a steady rearrangement of our lives—our priorities, our rhythms, and the things we trust most.

  1. 1d ago

    What are we missing when no one really knows us? /// FOLLOW with Luke Peach

    Episode 012: What are we missing when no one really knows us? In this episode of the FOLLOW podcast, we explore why following Jesus was never meant to be a solo project. In a culture shaped by hurry, curated identities, and digital connection, it is possible to be constantly seen without ever being truly known. We can stay busy, stay connected, and still keep the deepest parts of ourselves hidden. But spiritual formation requires more than private belief. It takes time, honesty, risk, and relationships strong enough to hold both the beauty and the mess of who we are. Community is where we are encouraged, challenged, supported, and slowly formed into the people God intended us to become. Being known comes with risk. But avoiding relationship carries a cost too. Following Jesus means learning to step toward community, make room for others, and allow ourselves to be fully seen. Meet your hosts, Eric Parks and Steve Carter Eric Parks Eric is an Executive Pastor at Plum Creek Church in Castle Rock, Colorado, who cares deeply about helping people rehearse the way of Jesus in everyday life—and holds firm as a Denver Broncos fan, no matter how often Steve brings up the Bears. Steve Carter Steve is the Lead Pastor at Christ Church in Oak Brook, Illinois, offering a thoughtful and honest voice to the deeper work of formation and calling—and remains a devoted Chicago Bears fan, even with Eric representing Broncos country. Explore all of FOLLOW We’re all following something—habits, expectations, ambition—but Jesus offers a different way. A way marked by love, presence, trust, and a life that actually leads somewhere good. Not perfectly, but increasingly, we begin to shape our lives around his. We believe that if Jesus is right—about God, about life, about the soul—then is only makes sense to rearrange your life around what he says is true. Follow isn’t a program to complete or a path to master, but a way of life centered on Jesus. A way of living that takes shape over time through a steady rearrangement of our lives—our priorities, our rhythms, and the things we trust most. Links Follow: https://www.followtheway.church/ Plum...

  2. Jul 1

    Why doesn’t God answer every prayer? /// FOLLOW

    Episode 011: Why doesn’t God answer every prayer? Prayer often begins with asking—but what if that’s not where it should begin? In the final episode of this five-part prayer series, Steve Carter and Eric Parks explore petition: bringing our requests, desires, and longings before God. Together they wrestle with why asking matters, how naming our desires forms us, and what it means to trust God even when the answer isn’t what we hoped for. Along the way, they share stories from childhood prayers for baseball cards, bikes, elections, and first girlfriends before turning toward the deeper questions every follower of Jesus eventually faces: What do you do when God says no? How do you release the things you want most? And why might adoration, confession, lament, and thanksgiving reshape the very prayers we pray? Rather than treating prayer as a way to get what we want, this conversation reframes petition as an act of relationship, trust, and surrender. Whether you’re praying for healing, direction, your children, or simply trying to understand why some prayers seem unanswered, this conversation offers a thoughtful framework for bringing your deepest desires before God while learning to trust Him with the outcome. Meet your hosts, Eric Parks and Steve Carter Eric Parks Eric is an Executive Pastor at Plum Creek Church in Castle Rock, Colorado, who cares deeply about helping people rehearse the way of Jesus in everyday life—and holds firm as a Denver Broncos fan, no matter how often Steve brings up the Bears. Steve Carter Steve is the Lead Pastor at Christ Church in Oak Brook, Illinois, offering a thoughtful and honest voice to the deeper work of formation and calling—and remains a devoted Chicago Bears fan, even with Eric representing Broncos country. Explore all of FOLLOW We’re all following something—habits, expectations, ambition—but Jesus offers a different way. A way marked by love, presence, trust, and a life that actually leads somewhere good. Not perfectly, but increasingly, we begin to shape our lives around his. We believe that if Jesus is right—about God, about life, about the soul—then is only makes sense to rearrange your life around what he says is true. Follow isn’t a program to complete or a path to master, but a way of life centered on Jesus. A way of living that takes shape over time through a steady rearrangement of our lives—our priorities, our rhythms, and the things we trust most. Links Follow: https://www.followtheway.church/ Plum...

  3. Jun 24

    How do you access the access? /// FOLLOW

    Episode 010: How do you access the access? Prayer is one of the most common spiritual practices, yet many of us only know one way to do it: asking God for what we need. In this first conversation of a five-part series on prayer, Eric Parks and Steve Carter explore a different starting point—adoration. Before requests, before confession, before thanksgiving, prayer begins by remembering who God is and allowing that reality to reshape our own. Rather than seeing prayer as another religious task, Eric and Steve invite listeners to see it as the foundation of spiritual formation and a relationship that grows over time. Along the way, they unpack why adoration changes our perspective, what neuroscience suggests happens in our brains when we focus on God’s greatness, and how learning to “access the access” we’ve already been given can transform the way we pray. Meet your hosts, Eric Parks and Steve Carter Eric Parks Eric is an Executive Pastor at Plum Creek Church in Castle Rock, Colorado, who cares deeply about helping people rehearse the way of Jesus in everyday life—and holds firm as a Denver Broncos fan, no matter how often Steve brings up the Bears. Steve Carter Steve is the Lead Pastor at Christ Church in Oak Brook, Illinois, offering a thoughtful and honest voice to the deeper work of formation and calling—and remains a devoted Chicago Bears fan, even with Eric representing Broncos country. Explore all of FOLLOW We’re all following something—habits, expectations, ambition—but Jesus offers a different way. A way marked by love, presence, trust, and a life that actually leads somewhere good. Not perfectly, but increasingly, we begin to shape our lives around his. We believe that if Jesus is right—about God, about life, about the soul—then is only makes sense to rearrange your life around what he says is true. Follow isn’t a program to complete or a path to master, but a way of life centered on Jesus. A way of living that takes shape over time through a steady rearrangement of our lives—our priorities, our rhythms, and the things we trust most. Links Follow: https://www.followtheway.church/ Plum...

  4. Jun 16

    What are you still defending? /// FOLLOW

    Episode 009: What are you still defending? In this episode of the FOLLOW podcast, Steve Carter and Eric Parks explore the prayer of confession—not as shame, performance, or merely admitting what someone already knows, but as a courageous act of vulnerability before God and others. Together, they unpack why confession is one of the least practiced spiritual muscles in many Christian communities, especially in a culture shaped by image management, self-protection, and curated versions of ourselves. Steve reframes confession as going first into the unknown—bringing what is hidden into the light and trusting that God, and trusted community, can hold it with us. The conversation moves through the difference between defending our intent and owning our impact, the role of examination in prayer, and why true confession creates a pathway from rupture to repair. Steve also shares a personal leadership story about words that unintentionally hurt someone on his team, and what it required to own the impact, seek repair, and receive grace. This episode is an invitation to stop hiding, stop managing, and begin practicing the kind of honest confession that leads to healing, integration, and deeper trust. Meet your hosts, Eric Parks and Steve Carter Eric Parks Eric is an Executive Pastor at Plum Creek Church in Castle Rock, Colorado, who cares deeply about helping people rehearse the way of Jesus in everyday life—and holds firm as a Denver Broncos fan, no matter how often Steve brings up the Bears. Steve Carter Steve is the Lead Pastor at Christ Church in Oak Brook, Illinois, offering a thoughtful and honest voice to the deeper work of formation and calling—and remains a devoted Chicago Bears fan, even with Eric representing Broncos country. Explore all of FOLLOW We’re all following something—habits, expectations, ambition—but Jesus offers a different way. A way marked by love, presence, trust, and a life that actually leads somewhere good. Not perfectly, but increasingly, we begin to shape our lives around his. We believe that if Jesus is right—about God, about life, about the soul—then is only makes sense to rearrange your life around what he says is true. Follow isn’t a program to complete or a path to master, but a way of life centered on Jesus. A way of living that takes shape over time through a steady rearrangement of our lives—our priorities, our rhythms, and the things we trust most. Links Follow: https://www.followtheway.church/ Plum...

  5. Jun 9

    Did someone teach you how to grieve? /// FOLLOW with Chad Bruegman

    Episode 008: Did someone teach you how to grieve? In this episode, Steve Carter and Eric Parks are joined by Chad Bruegman, Lead Pastor of River Pointe Church in Houston, for an honest conversation about grief, lament, and the prayers most of us were never taught to pray. Drawing from personal seasons of church hurt, disappointment, and loss, Chad reflects on how forced positivity and spiritual performance can keep us from genuine healing. Together, the three explore why lament isn’t a failure of faith but one of its most courageous expressions. Through stories, Scripture, and practical wisdom, they discuss the importance of naming pain, bringing difficult emotions to God, and learning to trust that honesty is not something God fears. If you’ve ever wondered what to do with grief, disappointment, or unanswered questions, this conversation offers a framework for bringing your whole self before God and discovering that honest prayer may be the beginning of healing. Meet your hosts, Eric Parks and Steve Carter Eric Parks Eric is an Executive Pastor at Plum Creek Church in Castle Rock, Colorado, who cares deeply about helping people rehearse the way of Jesus in everyday life—and holds firm as a Denver Broncos fan, no matter how often Steve brings up the Bears. Steve Carter Steve is the Lead Pastor at Christ Church in Oak Brook, Illinois, offering a thoughtful and honest voice to the deeper work of formation and calling—and remains a devoted Chicago Bears fan, even with Eric representing Broncos country. Explore all of FOLLOW We’re all following something—habits, expectations, ambition—but Jesus offers a different way. A way marked by love, presence, trust, and a life that actually leads somewhere good. Not perfectly, but increasingly, we begin to shape our lives around his. We believe that if Jesus is right—about God, about life, about the soul—then is only makes sense to rearrange your life around what he says is true. Follow isn’t a program to complete or a path to master, but a way of life centered on Jesus. A way of living that takes shape over time through a steady rearrangement of our lives—our priorities, our rhythms, and the things we trust most. Links Follow: https://www.followtheway.church/ Plum...

  6. Jun 2

    Why is “enough” is so hard to say? /// FOLLOW with Michele Cushatt

    Episode 007: Why is “enough” is so hard to say? In a culture that constantly urges us toward the next achievement, experience, purchase, or milestone, gratitude can feel surprisingly difficult. Why is it so hard to believe that what we have—and where we are right now—is enough? In this episode, Steve Carter, Eric Parks, and Michele Cushatt explore the prayer of thanksgiving and why gratitude is much more than a fleeting feeling. Together, they discuss the difference between chasing dopamine hits and cultivating contentment, the role suffering plays in shaping our capacity for joy, and how being fully present can transform the way we experience God’s goodness. Through conversations about coffee, memorable meals, social media, Psalm 23, and the neuroscience of gratitude, they unpack what it means to adopt a posture of thanksgiving in both the beautiful and difficult moments of life. Rather than ignoring pain or pretending everything is fine, gratitude becomes a way of recognizing God’s faithfulness in the middle of real life—and learning to say, even in uncertainty, “Thanks be to God. Enough.” Meet your hosts, Eric Parks and Steve Carter Eric Parks Eric is an Executive Pastor at Plum Creek Church in Castle Rock, Colorado, who cares deeply about helping people rehearse the way of Jesus in everyday life—and holds firm as a Denver Broncos fan, no matter how often Steve brings up the Bears. Steve Carter Steve is the Lead Pastor at Christ Church in Oak Brook, Illinois, offering a thoughtful and honest voice to the deeper work of formation and calling—and remains a devoted Chicago Bears fan, even with Eric representing Broncos country. Explore all of FOLLOW We’re all following something—habits, expectations, ambition—but Jesus offers a different way. A way marked by love, presence, trust, and a life that actually leads somewhere good. Not perfectly, but increasingly, we begin to shape our lives around his. We believe that if Jesus is right—about God, about life, about the soul—then is only makes sense to rearrange your life around what he says is true. Follow isn’t a program to complete or a path to master, but a way of life centered on Jesus. A way of living that takes shape over time through a steady rearrangement of our lives—our priorities, our rhythms, and the things we trust most. Links Follow: https://www.followtheway.church/ Plum...

  7. May 28

    Can getting lost get you found? /// FOLLOW

    Episode 006: Can getting lost get you found? In this episode, Eric Parks and Steve Carter explore the ancient practice of pilgrimage and why movement, disorientation, and embodied faith can become powerful parts of spiritual formation. Steve reflects on walking the Camino, the gift of traveling lightly, and a moment of forgiveness that helped him realize he was carrying things he no longer needed to carry. Eric shares stories from Italy, Vietnam, and everyday thresholds that have helped him see pilgrimage not only as a journey across the world, but as a way of moving through ordinary life with intention. Together, they talk about why Western Christians often separate spiritual life from the body, how pilgrimage creates “structured disorientation,” and why being lost can sometimes become an invitation to be found by the goodness of God. If something in you feels disoriented, interrupted, or uncertain, this episode is an invitation to see that space differently. Maybe being lost is not the end of the story. Maybe it is the beginning of being found. Meet your hosts, Eric Parks and Steve Carter Eric Parks Eric is an Executive Pastor at Plum Creek Church in Castle Rock, Colorado, who cares deeply about helping people rehearse the way of Jesus in everyday life—and holds firm as a Denver Broncos fan, no matter how often Steve brings up the Bears. Steve Carter Steve is the Lead Pastor at Christ Church in Oak Brook, Illinois, offering a thoughtful and honest voice to the deeper work of formation and calling—and remains a devoted Chicago Bears fan, even with Eric representing Broncos country. Explore all of FOLLOW We’re all following something—habits, expectations, ambition—but Jesus offers a different way. A way marked by love, presence, trust, and a life that actually leads somewhere good. Not perfectly, but increasingly, we begin to shape our lives around his. We believe that if Jesus is right—about God, about life, about the soul—then is only makes sense to rearrange your life around what he says is true. Follow isn’t a program to complete or a path to master, but a way of life centered on Jesus. A way of living that takes shape over time through a steady rearrangement of our lives—our priorities, our rhythms, and the things we trust most. Links Follow: https://www.followtheway.church/ Plum...

  8. May 20

    What if the story in your head isn’t true? /// FOLLOW

    Epissode 005: What if the story in your head isn’t true? In this episode, Eric and Steve explore the stories people live inside of—and how those stories quietly shape identity, grief, fear, ambition, and spiritual formation. Through personal reflection on seasons of betrayal, disappointment, rebuilding, and unexpected change, they talk about what happens when the narrative you thought would define your life suddenly falls apart. Along the way, they unpack the internal scripts that replay in our minds, the false beliefs we inherit about worth and achievement, and the slow process of learning to replace those stories with what God says is true. The conversation moves through grief, trauma, performance, healing, and formation, ultimately asking: what story are you allowing to tell you who you are? Meet your hosts, Eric Parks and Steve Carter Eric Parks Eric is an Executive Pastor at Plum Creek Church in Castle Rock, Colorado, who cares deeply about helping people rehearse the way of Jesus in everyday life—and holds firm as a Denver Broncos fan, no matter how often Steve brings up the Bears. Steve Carter Steve is the Lead Pastor at Christ Church in Oak Brook, Illinois, offering a thoughtful and honest voice to the deeper work of formation and calling—and remains a devoted Chicago Bears fan, even with Eric representing Broncos country. Explore all of FOLLOW We’re all following something—habits, expectations, ambition—but Jesus offers a different way. A way marked by love, presence, trust, and a life that actually leads somewhere good. Not perfectly, but increasingly, we begin to shape our lives around his. We believe that if Jesus is right—about God, about life, about the soul—then is only makes sense to rearrange your life around what he says is true. Follow isn’t a program to complete or a path to master, but a way of life centered on Jesus. A way of living that takes shape over time through a steady rearrangement of our lives—our priorities, our rhythms, and the things we trust most. Links Follow: https://www.followtheway.church/ Plum...

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About

What does rearrangement sound like? The FOLLOW podcast offers steady companionship in the long, quiet work of discipleship, creating space for honest, unhurried conversation where faith moves from the margins to the center of everyday rhythms and relationships. Spiritual formation is approached as life architecture—through the intentional rearrangement of all of life around the way of Jesus—so that belief becomes embodied, practiced, and lived. This is what rearrangement sounds like: honest voices and steady steps—following Jesus fully. Meet your hosts, Eric Parks and Steve Carter Eric Parks  Eric is an Executive Pastor at Plum Creek Church in Castle Rock, Colorado, who cares deeply about helping people rehearse the way of Jesus in everyday life—and holds firm as a Denver Broncos fan, no matter how often Steve brings up the Bears. Steve Carter  Steve is the Lead Pastor at Christ Church in Oak Brook, Illinois, offering a thoughtful and honest voice to the deeper work of formation and calling—and remains a devoted Chicago Bears fan, even with Eric representing Broncos country. Explore all of FOLLOW We’re all following something—habits, expectations, ambition—but Jesus offers a different way. A way marked by love, presence, trust, and a life that actually leads somewhere good. Not perfectly, but increasingly, we begin to shape our lives around his. We believe that if Jesus is right—about God, about life, about the soul—then is only makes sense to rearrange your life around what he says is true. Follow isn’t a program to complete or a path to master, but a way of life centered on Jesus. A way of living that takes shape over time through a steady rearrangement of our lives—our priorities, our rhythms, and the things we trust most.

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