Evergreen Church Podcast

God uses the wilderness to shape us into the people He’s calling us to be. In 1 Samuel 24 and 26, David has opportunities to take matters into his own hands and end his suffering, but instead chooses mercy, restraint, and trust in God. Through David’s time in the wilderness, we discover how God uses difficult seasons to develop our discernment, teach us restraint, and deepen our trust in Him.

What does it mean to be a true friend? In 1 Samuel 18–20, we see the contrast between Saul's jealousy and Jonathan's faithful friendship with David. Their story challenges us to build relationships rooted in encouragement, commitment, and love. Join us as we explore how meaningful friendships help us grow in faith, live with hope, and build a stronger church community.
 
NOTE: There were some recording issues that caused us to use a backup audio recording for this sermon. We apologize for any inconvenience. 

What if the way we see our circumstances isn't the whole picture? In 1 Samuel 17, the Israelites see an unstoppable giant in Goliath and an inexperienced shepherd in David. But David sees something different. His time spent faithfully tending sheep has prepared him for this moment, and his confidence comes not from his own strength, but from God's faithfulness. Through the story of David and Goliath, we're challenged to examine what shapes our perspective, where we place our trust, and whether we're seeing our circumstances through the lens of fear or faith. When we focus on who God is, we can begin to see things as they really are.

What matters most to God is our heart. In 1 Samuel 16, Samuel searches for Israel’s next king and discovers that God isn’t impressed by the same things we are. While people look at outward appearances, God looks at the heart. From tending sheep to serving in Saul’s court, David’s story reveals how God uses everyday life to prepare us for his work. Join us as we explore what it means to care more about the heart, serve faithfully where we are, and trust God’s process, even when we can’t see the bigger picture.

In 1 Samuel 14–15, we see a striking contrast between Jonathan’s faith and Saul’s fear, control, and pride. While Jonathan trusts in God’s power, Saul struggles to fully obey and surrender to Him.
Through their stories, we’re challenged to examine our own hearts: Are we trying to be king of our own lives, or are we surrendered to God? Because ultimately, obedience is better than sacrifice—it’s not just about what we do for God, but how well we listen to Him.

What do you do when trusting God feels harder than taking control yourself? Saul seemed to have everything he needed to be a successful king, and God was at work in his life in ways he didn’t always recognize. But when pressure and uncertainty came, Saul struggled to trust God. In this message, we’ll look at Saul’s story and what it teaches us about surrendering control, trusting God to provide, and choosing obedience even when life feels hard or confusing.

What happens when prayer becomes our first response instead of our last resort? Throughout the book of Acts, we see God’s people devoted to prayer—and God moving powerfully in response. In this message from Acts, we look at how prayer paved the way for the Holy Spirit to move and empowered the early church to boldly share the good news of Jesus. We’re challenged to make prayer a regular part of our lives: starting our days in prayer, praying together in community, and praying for those who don’t yet know Jesus. Together, we also take time to pray for our local schools, leaders, community, and people we long to see come to Jesus.

Biblical fellowship is more than simply spending time together—it’s shared participation in one another’s lives, including our pain, needs, joys, growth, and flourishing. When we live with open hands and genuinely care for one another, fellowship becomes an environment where life can flourish and we can truly say, “What’s mine is yours; what’s yours is ours.”

We were never meant to follow Jesus alone. In the first week of our new series, Gospel Community, we look at Acts 2:42–47 and discover God’s purpose for Christian community. The early church shows us a picture of people devoted to Jesus and deeply committed to one another—not simply attending church together, but living as a family. What could it look like for us to experience that kind of community today?

You can’t hinder the good news of Jesus. Throughout Acts, Paul faces rejection, imprisonment, threats, shipwreck, and even a snakebite—but the gospel keeps moving. In the final chapters of Acts, we’re reminded to keep sharing the good news, embrace the detours, look for people of peace, and trust that God is at work even when the path doesn’t go as planned.