Longing for a Place Called Home
The problem is, my heart can’t decide where that is.

Mathew Hurst • Associate Pastor
March 3, 2025

5 Minute Read

The air is changing once again. It’s that “not-quite-Winter, but not-quite-Spring” atmosphere that seems to drum up something deep inside all of us. Suddenly, more children are biking in the streets. People are strolling in the parks, and the occasional green-thumb is preparing their garden for the coming season. It’s in this in-between period that I find myself longing for home. That vast yearning of the heart and soul that says, “This is where I belong.” The problem is, my heart can’t decide where that is.

There has always been this right-ness inside of me when I am in nature’s midst. I recall the first time I visited Colorado to see my dear friend, John. In that first visit and each time after, I would say to him, “I was born for the mountains.” There was something about the vast waves of stone topped with the timbers of the San Juan that resonated with me deeply. Likewise, when Jen and I honeymooned in the Arkansas Ozarks during Autumn’s peak, the serenity of the saturated hills and settling leaves left me feeling completely at peace. It felt right. Be that as it may, nature is not the only place that stirs my heart this way.

My wife, Jen, looking out at the sunset on the final night of our honeymoon.

As much as I like to think of myself as a Texas country boy, I am, at heart, a child of one of the largest cities in the United States. Though I didn’t grow up in Houston proper, the older I got, the more I came to appreciate metropolitan life. I adore historic city architecture. I love gazing at each spire of a skyline. Some of Jen’s and my favorite dates involve taking the train into downtown Fort Worth, simply wandering the streets, and admiring the variety of buildings. But more than the architecture, I am always in awe of the sheer diversity of people that make up a city—old and young, black and white, English and Spanish speakers, and countless other voices weaving together in a constant hum. Just as I feel at home in nature, I feel that same deep sense of belonging in the heart of the city.

Jen and I at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the heart of Indianapolis.

So, why does my heart feel equally at home in both nature and the city? Which one is right? I’ve come to believe that the answer is both. In fact, I think God intended it that way. I believe these deep seated yearnings are gentle reminders to all of us that this world is not our home. With “eternity in [our] hearts,” (Eccl. 3:11) these things point us to our future home with the Lord: Heaven.

The bookends of God’s Word gives us a two-sided image of a dwelling place untainted by sin. First, Heaven will be a return to the Garden, a place abundant with “every tree whose fruit contains seed” and “every green plant for food” (Gen. 1:29-30), and a place where “the river of the water of life, clear as crystal” will flow (Rev. 22:1). For believers, we have assurance that our Shepherd will one day lead us to “green pastures” and “quiet waters” (Ps. 23:2). The serenity and peace we experience in creation now are only a glimpse of the far greater beauty that awaits us in Heaven.

Second, Heaven will be the place where the City of God dwells. The diversity of any earthly city will pale in comparison to the “multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language” gathered in God’s city (Rev. 7:9). Its walls will be made of “jasper, and the city [will be] pure gold clear as glass” (Rev. 21:18), making even the grandeur of Dubai seem like a collection of mud huts in contrast. The hum of this city will not be a cacophony of noise and chaos. Instead, it will be a symphony of praise, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever. Amen” (Rev. 7:12).

But it isn’t the breathtaking beauty or the vast multitude that makes Heaven truly special. At its heart, the greatest joy of Heaven is this: our Lord—our Savior, Redeemer, Friend, and King—will be there.

Revelation 22:3-5: The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. Night will be no more; people will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will give them light, and they will reign forever and ever.

So believer, if you’re like me, searching for that place that feels like home, let me encourage you: stop searching here. This world only declares God’s glory (Ps. 19:1); it is not our final dwelling place. Instead, look ahead with patient joy to what is coming—when, with the keys to Zion City, you will walk beside the King in His glory.

_____________________________________________________________

Prudence: And what is it that makes you so desirous to go to Mount Zion?

Christian: Why, there I hope to see Him alive that did hang dead on the cross; and there I hope to be rid of all those things that to this day are in me an annoyance to me: there they say there is no death and there I shall dwell with such company as I like best. For, to tell you the truth, I love Him because I was by Him eased of my burden; and I am weary of my inward sickness. I would fain be where I shall die no more, and with the company that shall continually cry, Holy, holy, holy.”

Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan (1628-1688)

Stay connected by subscribing below so you never miss an update.

Subscribe to From the Well Updates

By subscribing, you agree to receive email communication from First Baptist Watauga. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Up Next
From this Author: Mathew Hurst
May 8, 2026 • 4 Minute Read
It Is Done
I have been rereading C.S. Lewis’ allegorical works, The Chronicles of Narnia. As I have read, my appreciation for these stories has been renewed, with little snippets piercing my heart and mind in ways they had not before. There is a particular moment in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe that I wish to briefly share and reflect on, for in it, I think we can find an encouragement that we can so easily forget. “You have a traitor there, Aslan,” said the Witch. Of course everyone present knew that she meant Edmund. But Edmund had got past thinking about himself after all he’d been through and after the talk he’d had that morning. He just went on looking at Aslan. It didn’t seem to matter what the Witch said. You see, Edmund was a traitor. He sold out his own blood and kin to the White Witch, who wished to imprison them forever in stone. He thought the Witch would make him a king, one with pleasures eternal at his fingertips. What he discovered instead was slavery, a trench in the endless cold at the behest of a harsh and cruel master. What’s worse is that Edmund chose this journey. He could have ventured on with his brothers and sisters to the place where Aslan, the great Lion, was—a place of warmth, safety, and assurance. Yet, he decided a way in the cold and darkness. But Alan rescued Him regardless. Edmund was free. Once enchained and forced to toil in the snow, now he gets to walk freely beside Aslan. After reconciling with his family, there was nothing more to be said. It was done. Not even the Witch’s taunts could cause Edmund to lose heart. Do you know, Christian, that when Christ saves you, it is done? You need not rehash, relive, and dwell on what used to be anymore. The old is gone, the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17). Heed not the temptations from the enemy to think, “I am still a traitor, a sinner, condemned.” In Christ, you are free! What the enemy throws at us matters no more. What we used to be is gone. When Christ says, “It is done,” there is nothing more to be said. Because of this, we can lay aside every sin and hindrance that ensnares us and confidently look to our King who saves us (Heb. 12:1-2). Completely saved, the work is done The curse, the grave is overcome For with that dawn, there rose a King Now heaven's smile shines over me In Christ, Mathew Hurst THIS SUNDAY Growth Group Lesson: The Futility of Human Wisdom • Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 Order of Service Call to Worship • 1 Peter 1:13-16 Prayer of Adoration Only A Holy God Prayer of Confession Assurance • 1 Peter 1:17-19 Completely Known, Completely Loved Revelation • 1 Peter 1:20-21 Jesus Strong And Kind Prayer Message • In Him, We Have Purpose • Ephesians 1:4-6 His Mercy Is More Benediction NEXT STEPS & EVENTS These are highlights from our Church Center Bulletin. See the full calendar and more at www.fbcwatauga.org. VBS Workday • May 16th at 9:00 AM VBS is coming soon, which means you have an opportunity to help out even now! Join us at 9:00 AM in the Chapel to make crafts, assemble decorations, and more as we prepare for Vacation Bible School this summer. Church Family Meeting • May 17th at 6:00 PM Our quarterly family meeting will be at 6:00 PM in the Sanctuary. This is a great time to hear reports on how we are doing as a church missionally, financially, and more. All church members are encouraged to take part. How do I submit a prayer request? Want to pray for others in our church? Visit www.fbcwatauga.org, click Next Steps, and select “Pray With Us” to view requests, submit your own, or sign up for email notifications. SAVE THE DATE May 16 — VBS Workday May 17 — Church Family Meeting May 31 — Church Family Picnic Jun 15–19 — Vacation Bible School Jun 28 — Missions Dinner Jul 6–10 — Student Camp Jul 20–24 — Kid's Camp Jul 25 — Back2School Rally Jul 26–30 — Student Mission Trip

Mathew Hurst

Associate Pastor

April 3, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
A Blessed Friday
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” Blessed is He who not only became poor in spirit, but gave up His spirit on account of us. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Blessed is He who mourned for us lost sheep so that we might be forever comforted in Him. “Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth.” Blessed is He who humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross, so that every knee on the earth will bow to His name. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Blessed is He who filled Himself with our sin, the sour wine, so that we might be filled with His righteousness. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Blessed is He, the all-merciful One, who instead of scorn, cried out, 'Father, forgive them, they know not what they do!' “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Blessed is He who was the purest in heart, so that those with hearts defiled may be made clean and stand before God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” Blessed is He who made peace between us and God so that we might be adopted in His family. “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” Blessed is He who was despised and rejected by men so that we may be with Him in paradise. “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Blessed is He who has earned the due reward for His suffering - power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing! Oh, glorify Him crucified! It is finished. Amen. Today is Good Friday, and we will remember, mourn, and rejoice in the cross of Christ with Northside Church at 6:30 PM at their place of worship (6750 Denton Hwy, Watauga, TX 76148). Today is Good Friday, but Sunday is coming. Let us rejoice and be glad for this saying is trustworthy: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again! Blessings to you all, Mathew Hurst

Mathew Hurst

Associate Pastor

March 13, 2026 • 5 Minute Read
Remain
Sometimes when we read God’s Word, we have to actively look for things that stand out to us. And other times, by the Spirit of God, things just seem to leap off the page and straight into our hearts. That was the case for me earlier this week as I studied 1 Timothy. After Paul greets Timothy, he encourages the young pastor to “remain in Ephesus” (1 Timothy 1:3b), to correct the false teachers there and continue to shepherd the local church. Timothy was dealing with all kinds of issues in the church of Ephesus: false teachers (1:3), petty arguments and discussions (1:6), disorderly church conduct (2:1-16), and even demonic influence (4:1-4). Timothy had his hands full as a young elder! Yet, Paul urges Timothy to remain there in the thick of it, to endure it. Timothy was challenged to face the mire head-on despite his youth (4:12) and illnesses (5:23). He was to feed the sheep that would bite him. In light of this, my eyes turned inward, and I asked the Lord, “When things get hard, Father, do I remain with You and what you called me to, or do I try to take the easy road?” It is so easy for me, and I believe all of us, to want to avoid conflict or think that when things are hard, that is the time to move on, to get out of a situation, to flee, or even to distract ourselves. The only thing Timothy was called to flee was the greed and love of things of this world (6:9-11). Too often, those are the very things we run to instead. Life challenges us, so we pursue distractions on social media, numbing our minds. It often is easier to complain or argue about the political or social lives of other people rather than take stock of how we are living ourselves. We pay attention to so many other things, just to find temporary fulfillment rather than resting in eternal hope. Friends, our flesh longs for comfort, ease, and distraction, but the Christian walk is one with a cross on our backs (Luke 9:23). Each day is a fight to “pursue godliness, faith, hope, endurance, and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11). Every day, we are to flee that which takes our eyes off of Jesus. We are called to remain in this fight, but not without hope, for though we bear our cross, we follow the Savior who bore our sins. We train and fight in godliness “because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe” (4:10). You may think yourself weak today. The fight at hand may seem too great. The truth is, you are weak, and the fight is too much for us to bear alone. But just as God strengthened Paul to suffer for the Gospel (1:12), so too does He strengthen us to endure and go on, to remain in Him. Whatever your age, your health, or whatever the challenge may be, let’s keep fighting the good fight, friends. Soli Deo Gloria, Mathew Hurst Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17). THIS SUNDAY Growth Group Lesson: Stay Strong • 2 Timothy 3:1-17 Order of Service Call to Worship • Psalm 115:1-3 The God We Love (Nicene Creed) Confession & Assurance • Psalm 115:4-8; Romans 8:29-39 The Steadfast Love of Christ Dedication • Psalm 115:9-13 Psalm 34 (Taste & See) Prayer Message • Acts 19:21-41 | Don't Let Greed Control You I Surrender All Benediction • Psalm 115:14-18 NEXT STEPS & EVENTS These are highlights from our Church Center Bulletin. See the full calendar and more at www.fbcwatauga.org. Provo, Utah Mission Trip Interest Meeting • March 29th Is God calling you to the mission field this August? Join us immediately after our service on March 29th for a vision meeting about our trip to Provo, Utah, where we'll bring the Gospel of Christ to the Mormon community alongside our partners at Mosaic Church and the Walker family. Whether you feel led to go or to support those who do, come hear the vision and seek the Lord. Giving Focus of the Month: Annie Armstrong Easter Offering Each month, we spotlight a different giving focus tied to our Acts 1:8 mission — reaching our community, state, nation, and world. This month, we're giving to the Annie Armstrong Offering, which has supported North American missionaries since 1895. Every dollar goes directly to missionaries spreading the Gospel across North America. If the Lord leads you to give above and beyond your regular offering, you can do so at www.fbcwatauga.org/give. SAVE THE DATE National Day of Prayer • May 7th at Keller City Hall Church Family Meeting • May 17th Church Family Picnic • May 31st at Northfield Park Vacation Bible School • June 15th - June 19th Missions Dinner • June 28th Student Camp • July 6th - 10th Kid's Camp • July 20th - 24th Back2School Rally • July 25th Student Mission Trip • July 26th - July 30th

Mathew Hurst

Associate Pastor

February 27, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
DNOW Weekend
Hey friends, Starting tonight, our students are participating in DiscipleNow Weekend here at the church building. If you don't know what that is, it is basically two days filled with teaching on Scripture, fellowship, and praise to Jesus. It's a time for students who know Jesus to dig deeper into the Word and to build lasting relationships with each other. It is also a great opportunity for students who may not know the Gospel to hear of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. I am especially excited for this weekend. It was about 17 years ago, at a weekend just like this one, when the Spirit opened my eyes to my sinfulness and my desperate need for a Redeemer. I learned then that the Son was bigger than the nails that crucified Him, and that He is far, far greater than the sin that covered my heart. I would be lost and destitute if the Father had not shown mercy on me through the Son that weekend. All that to say, I am watching and praying expectantly for the Lord to save, just as He saved me in February of 2009. Would you join me in doing the same? THIS SUNDAY Growth Group Lesson: Stay Strong • 2 Timothy 2:1-13 Order of Service: Call to Worship • 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 In Christ Alone Build My Life Guided Prayer Oh, But God O Praise The Name Message: Transfer of Ownership • Colossians 1:9-14 Yet Not I, But Through Christ In Me Benediction NEXT STEPS & EVENTS These are 3 highlights from our Church Center Bulletin. See the full calendar and more at www.fbcwatauga.org. Week of Prayer for North American Missions (March 1st - 8th) The Southern Baptist Convention sets aside a week to pray specifically for the missionaries taking the Gospel to unreached communities across the U.S. and Canada. This year, that week is March 1–8. These missionaries depend on your prayers. Download the prayer guide to follow along with daily requests. Giving Focus of the Month: Annie Armstrong Easter Offering Each month, we spotlight a different giving focus tied to our Acts 1:8 mission — reaching our community, state, nation, and world. This month, we're giving to the Annie Armstrong Offering, which has supported North American missionaries since 1895. Every dollar goes directly to missionaries spreading the Gospel across North America. If the Lord leads you to give above and beyond your regular offering, you can do so at www.fbcwatauga.org/give. Weekly Prayer Meeting, Sundays at 8:50 AM Every Sunday morning, we gather in the sanctuary at 8:50 a.m. to pray before our worship service. We'd love for you to join us as we seek the Lord together, praying for our church and asking Him to save the lost among us. SAVE THE DATE Joint Good Friday Service with Northside Church of the Nazarene • April 3rd, at Northside Church National Day of Prayer • May 7th at Keller City Hall Church Family Meeting • May 17th Church Family Picnic • May 31st at Northfield Park Vacation Bible School • June 15th - June 19th Missions Dinner • June 28th Student Camp • July 6th - 10th Kid's Camp • July 20th - 24th Back2School Rally • July 25th

Mathew Hurst

Associate Pastor

December 20, 2025 • 2 Minute Read
A Care-Full God
“God doesn’t care.” This is a phrase I have been pruning from my vernacular. It has grown to be a common phrase amongst even the most mature of Christians. “God doesn’t care what church you attend. He cares about your faithfulness.” “God doesn’t care what job you have; He just cares how you work.” I myself said in a sermon earlier this year on Acts 2: “God doesn’t care about your age, but will freely pour out His Spirit on the young and old alike.” While all these statements touch on the truth, when we look at the Scriptures, I don’t believe we could ever characterize the Triune God as care-less in any form. We serve the God who pays attention to our cries. (Psalm 5:1-3) We serve the Lord who remembers and looks after us. (Psalm 8:4) We serve the supplicating Savior who prays for and advocates for us before God the Father. (John 17:20-26; Hebrews 8:1-6) How could we ever say that the God who feeds the birds, clothes the wildflowers, and fixed the boundaries of the earth does not care? (Matthew 6:26-30; Job 38:5) How could we speak of the God who, before the foundation of the world, loved us to the point of death on a cross as reckless or careless in any of His attributes or ways? (Ephesians 1:4; Philippians 2:8) Perhaps I am being dogmatic on what some view as semantics. Yet, as believers who should be truth-tellers of the God of truth, shouldn’t we be all the more careful how we speak of the counsel of God? God cares about what job you have. He cares about what music you listen to. He cares about the choices you make in life. He cares about YOU! What better comfort is there than that in our ever-increasingly careless world? God cares.

Mathew Hurst

Associate Pastor

Currently Reading
March 3, 2025 • 5 Minute Read
Longing for a Place Called Home
The air is changing once again. It’s that “not-quite-Winter, but not-quite-Spring” atmosphere that seems to drum up something deep inside all of us. Suddenly, more children are biking in the streets. People are strolling in the parks, and the occasional green-thumb is preparing their garden for the coming season. It’s in this in-between period that I find myself longing for home. That vast yearning of the heart and soul that says, “This is where I belong.” The problem is, my heart can’t decide where that is. There has always been this right-ness inside of me when I am in nature’s midst. I recall the first time I visited Colorado to see my dear friend, John. In that first visit and each time after, I would say to him, “I was born for the mountains.” There was something about the vast waves of stone topped with the timbers of the San Juan that resonated with me deeply. Likewise, when Jen and I honeymooned in the Arkansas Ozarks during Autumn’s peak, the serenity of the saturated hills and settling leaves left me feeling completely at peace. It felt right. Be that as it may, nature is not the only place that stirs my heart this way. My wife, Jen, looking out at the sunset on the final night of our honeymoon. As much as I like to think of myself as a Texas country boy, I am, at heart, a child of one of the largest cities in the United States. Though I didn’t grow up in Houston proper, the older I got, the more I came to appreciate metropolitan life. I adore historic city architecture. I love gazing at each spire of a skyline. Some of Jen’s and my favorite dates involve taking the train into downtown Fort Worth, simply wandering the streets, and admiring the variety of buildings. But more than the architecture, I am always in awe of the sheer diversity of people that make up a city—old and young, black and white, English and Spanish speakers, and countless other voices weaving together in a constant hum. Just as I feel at home in nature, I feel that same deep sense of belonging in the heart of the city. Jen and I at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the heart of Indianapolis. So, why does my heart feel equally at home in both nature and the city? Which one is right? I’ve come to believe that the answer is both. In fact, I think God intended it that way. I believe these deep seated yearnings are gentle reminders to all of us that this world is not our home. With “eternity in [our] hearts,” (Eccl. 3:11) these things point us to our future home with the Lord: Heaven. The bookends of God’s Word gives us a two-sided image of a dwelling place untainted by sin. First, Heaven will be a return to the Garden, a place abundant with “every tree whose fruit contains seed” and “every green plant for food” (Gen. 1:29-30), and a place where “the river of the water of life, clear as crystal” will flow (Rev. 22:1). For believers, we have assurance that our Shepherd will one day lead us to “green pastures” and “quiet waters” (Ps. 23:2). The serenity and peace we experience in creation now are only a glimpse of the far greater beauty that awaits us in Heaven. Second, Heaven will be the place where the City of God dwells. The diversity of any earthly city will pale in comparison to the “multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language” gathered in God’s city (Rev. 7:9). Its walls will be made of “jasper, and the city [will be] pure gold clear as glass” (Rev. 21:18), making even the grandeur of Dubai seem like a collection of mud huts in contrast. The hum of this city will not be a cacophony of noise and chaos. Instead, it will be a symphony of praise, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever. Amen” (Rev. 7:12). But it isn’t the breathtaking beauty or the vast multitude that makes Heaven truly special. At its heart, the greatest joy of Heaven is this: our Lord—our Savior, Redeemer, Friend, and King—will be there. Revelation 22:3-5: The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. Night will be no more; people will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will give them light, and they will reign forever and ever. So believer, if you’re like me, searching for that place that feels like home, let me encourage you: stop searching here. This world only declares God’s glory (Ps. 19:1); it is not our final dwelling place. Instead, look ahead with patient joy to what is coming—when, with the keys to Zion City, you will walk beside the King in His glory. _____________________________________________________________ Prudence: And what is it that makes you so desirous to go to Mount Zion? Christian: Why, there I hope to see Him alive that did hang dead on the cross; and there I hope to be rid of all those things that to this day are in me an annoyance to me: there they say there is no death and there I shall dwell with such company as I like best. For, to tell you the truth, I love Him because I was by Him eased of my burden; and I am weary of my inward sickness. I would fain be where I shall die no more, and with the company that shall continually cry, Holy, holy, holy.” Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan (1628-1688)

Mathew Hurst

Associate Pastor