Pocket Theology

REPLAY: What the Church in Haiti Taught Me About Church in America • S3E11

What does the global church have to teach the American church? Probably more than we'd like to admit. In this episode, Jason sits down with Paul Parisian, director of Mission Haiti, for a conversation that starts with Paul's story — growing up in Haiti, losing family in the 2010 earthquake, finding his way back to faith — and opens up into something much bigger. They dig into the role of voodoo and syncretism in Haitian church culture, the gang violence that forced Mission Haiti to shut down operations and flee, and what it looks like to rebuild. But the most convicting part of this conversation is the mirror Paul holds up to the American church. The obsession with time. The isolation. The vices we've made peace with. The way we give God an hour a week and call it enough. Paul isn't pointing fingers. He's got a foot in both worlds — and a lot of love for both. Questions or feedback? Email us at podcast@zionclearlake.org [podcast@zionclearlake.org]

REPLAY: You Don't Have to Reconcile to Forgive • S3E9

Forgiveness and reconciliation aren't the same thing. Most of us have been told they are, and it's caused a lot of damage. In this episode, the guys tackle one of the hardest questions in the Christian life: what does it actually look like to pursue reconciliation with someone who's unsafe, abusive, or just won't budge? Is ghosting them unchristlike? Are you failing God if you keep your distance? And what does the Bible actually say — versus what the church has taught us to assume? They dig into the difference between forgiveness (which you're called to) and reconciliation (which takes two), why boundaries aren't walls, what it means to be an ambassador of reconciliation without putting yourself in harm's way, and how the story of Jonah is really a story about exactly this. This one's honest. One of the hosts shares his own 20-year struggle with unsafe family members. There are no tidy answers here — just real theology, hard questions, and a lot of grace. Questions or feedback? Email us at podcast@zionclearlake.org [podcast@zionclearlake.org]

When Worship Becomes a Business | Jeff Deyo • S3E14

What happens when worship stops being about God and starts being about the stage? Jason sits down with Jeff Deyo — Dove Award winner, Grammy nominee, and former frontman of Sonic Flood — for an honest conversation about the state of modern worship. They dig into the difference between performance and presence, how the secret place shapes everything (and what happens when leaders lose it), and why the celebrity pastor problem is a two-way street. Spoiler: the congregation wants the show too. Jeff also shares how his journey from Baptist hymns to running around his house worshiping God in Nashville led to one of the most influential worship movements of the late 90s — and what he thinks the church got right, and wrong, with all of it. This one's warm, funny, and quietly convicting. Questions or feedback? Email us at podcast@zionclearlake.org [podcast@zionclearlake.org]

PT feat Art of Growth • S3E13

Your Enneagram type is not who you are—it’s where you start." Today on Pocket Theology, we’re joined by Joel Hubbard and Jim Zartman of The Art of Growth to discuss why self-awareness is crucial for following Jesus. We tackle the tough questions: Why are many Christians resistant to personality tools? What is "spiritual bypassing," and how do we use religious language to avoid doing our inner work? From Jason’s journey as a Type 7 to Leah’s experience as a Type 5, we explore how opening our eyes to our "default settings" allows us to encounter God’s grace in the places we usually try to hide. Whether you're an Enneagram nerd or a skeptic, this conversation is an invitation to move from "propositional knowledge" about God to a "participatory relationship" with Him. Highlights include: • The Purity Mindset: Why we obsess over origins and miss the truth that belongs to God. • Hunters, Farmers, & Teamers: A look at the instincts that nuance our personality. • The Way of the Cross vs. The Sword: Why picking up your cross means releasing your need for superiority. To connect, email podcast@zionclearlake.org [podcast@zionclearlake.org] • zionclearlake.org/pockettheology [http://zionclearlake.org/pockettheology]

Discipled by social media • S3E12

Is the constant stream of global tragedy and social media comparison literally re-wiring our brains? Today on Pocket Theology, Jason, Jaden, and special guest Amanda Farmer tackle the "biocschosocial" phenomenon of modern stress. We’re diving into the heavy stuff—suicidal ideation among teens, the "body morphing" trends of digital identity, and the rise of AI as a tool for therapy and theology. But it’s not all doom and gloom. We discuss: • The "Purist Movement": Why kids are returning to paper Bibles, highlighters, and analog spaces. • Redeeming the Feed: How creators like Forest Frank and Bryce Crawford are using social media for the Gospel. • Rhythms of Grace: Moving away from "subjective truth" and back toward the timeless traditions of the church. Stay tuned for a hilarious debate on "Hot Pocket Theology" (think Hot Ones, but with scalding pizza snacks) and a look at why we need to be a "non-anxious presence" when the world feels like a crazy train. To connect, email podcast@zionclearlake.org [podcast@zionclearlake.org] • zionclearlake.org/pockettheology [http://zionclearlake.org/pockettheology]