FOLLOW x UP

Episode 003: What if formation is not about outcomes?In this episode of the FOLLOW x UP podcast, Steve Carter and Eric Parks are joined by Michele Cushatt, author, teacher, and seminary student, for a conversation about formation, suffering, truth, and the long journey of becoming more like Jesus.Together, Steve, Eric, and Michele explore the tension between growth and mystery, the inspired and acquired parts of formation, and why following Jesus cannot be reduced to outcomes or spiritual efficiency. They talk about suffering, lament, wilderness seasons, and how God often forms us in the places we would rather avoid.The conversation also wrestles with cultural expectations around success, productivity, and certainty. Instead of possessing truth as something to control, Michele invites listeners to pursue truth as a way of knowing Jesus more deeply and allowing his truth to shape us from the inside out.This episode is a reminder that formation is not quick, linear, or outcome-driven. It is a long, slow way of life rooted in knowing Jesus, staying present to tension, and allowing God to form us through solitude, community, suffering, Scripture, and honest conversation.In this episode Steve, Eric, and Michele discuss: Michele’s journey into seminary and local ministry  The inexhaustibility of God’s word  Why tension and mystery are part of spiritual maturity  The inspired and acquired parts of formation  Lament, suffering, and learning to stay present  Wilderness seasons as places of preparation  The difference between possessing truth and pursuing truth  Why formation is not about outcomes, but about a person  Solitude, community, and long-term rootedness  Resisting cultural definitions of success  Becoming more like Jesus over the long haulMeet your hosts, Eric Parks and Steve CarterEric ParksEric 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 CarterSteve 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 FollowWe’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.LinksFollow: https://www.followtheway.church/Plum...

Episode 002: What if following Jesus isn't about arriving?In this episode of the FOLLOW x UP podcast, Steve Carter and Eric Parks are joined by Doug Miller, Lead Pastor of Plum Creek Church, for a conversation about following Jesus over a lifetime.Doug reflects on 20 years of ministry at Plum Creek, the transformation he witnessed in his father, and why he often describes himself not simply as a Christian, but as a Christ follower. Together, they explore why life with Jesus is not about arriving, performing, or getting everything cleaned up, but about staying present to the ongoing work of formation.The conversation centers on rearranging our lives around Jesus as a relationship rather than a religious task. Like any meaningful relationship, following Jesus requires attention, effort, honesty, and continual reorientation. They discuss Dallas Willard’s framework of vision, intention, and means, the danger of compartmentalized faith, and how formation happens one step, one practice, and one honest conversation at a time.They also talk about vulnerability and community, including the need for spaces where people can speak honestly about what is happening beneath the surface. From marriage and money to calling, desire, accountability, and hidden struggles, this episode invites listeners to stop hiding, pay attention, and take the next faithful step.In this episode Steve, Eric, and Doug discuss: Doug’s 20-year milestone at Plum Creek Church  Why “Christ follower” can carry more clarity than “Christian”  The danger of seeing faith as something we eventually arrive at  Rearranging our lives around Jesus as an ongoing relationship  Dallas Willard’s vision, intention, and means framework  The difference between knowing about Jesus and growing with Jesus  Why faith cannot stay compartmentalized to church or quiet time  The role of remembrance in spiritual formation  How Jesus meets us before our lives are fully cleaned up  Taking small, concrete steps toward the way of JesusMeet your hosts, Eric Parks and Steve CarterEric ParksEric 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 CarterSteve 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 FollowWe’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.LinksFollow: https://www.followtheway.church/Plum...

Episode 001: What is forming you?In the first episode of the FOLLOW x UP podcast, Eric and Steve begin with a simple but weighty idea: your life is always being formed—whether you realize it or not.What starts as a conversation about how their friendship began quickly moves into something deeper. They reflect on shared experiences, the influence of the past, and the ways formation happens beneath the surface of everyday life.Together, they explore the difference between knowing the way of Jesus and actually living it. Formation isn’t just about learning more—it’s about rehearsal. It’s about allowing what we believe to take shape in our bodies, our habits, and our relationships.This episode also introduces a core conviction of the podcast: if Jesus was right about God, life, and the human soul, then it makes sense to rearrange our lives around what he said is true.In this episode Eric and Steve discuss: Why formation is always happening (whether you choose it or not)  The difference between information and transformation  How your past continues to shape your present  The role of surrender, trust, and intentional practice  What it means to “let your life speak”  Why rehearsal—not just knowledge—is essential to following JesusMeet your hosts, Eric Parks and Steve CarterEric ParksEric 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 CarterSteve 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 FollowWe’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.LinksFollow: https://www.followtheway.church/Plum...

What does rearrangement sound like?The FOLLOW x UP 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 CarterEric ParksEric 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 CarterSteve 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 FollowWe’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.LinksFollow: https://www.followtheway.church/Plum...