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Can you drift away from God without ever deciding to leave Him? In this message from The Big Picture, Pastor Bart Howell explores the life of King Solomon, a man blessed with extraordinary wisdom whose heart gradually turned away from God. Through 1 Kings 3–11, we discover how small compromises can lead to spiritual drift and why guarding our hearts matters in every season of life.Solomon's story ultimately points us to Jesus, the greater King whose faithfulness never fails. No matter how far we've wandered, God invites us to recognize the drift, turn from sin, and find forgiveness and restoration through Jesus.

What makes a good king, and where do we place our hope when leaders fall short? In this message from The Big Picture, we explore the lives of Saul and David, Israel's first two kings. From Saul's outward appearance to David's courage, failures, and repentance, their stories reveal that God looks beyond appearances and continues working through imperfect people.Through David's family line, God's plan ultimately leads to Jesus, the perfect King who gave Himself for imperfect people. While earthly leaders and systems will always fall short, Jesus offers forgiveness, redemption, and lasting hope in a broken world.

What does it look like to remain faithful to God through every season of life? In this message from The Big Picture, Pastor Bart Howell explores the life of Samuel in 1 Samuel and what his story teaches us about listening to God, having the courage to obey, and remaining consistent in the ordinary moments of life. Samuel's faithfulness endured even through disappointment, reminding us that following God doesn't guarantee the outcomes we want. But our ultimate hope isn't in our ability to remain perfectly faithful. It's in Jesus, the promised King who perfectly obeyed the Father and made forgiveness and new life possible through His death and resurrection.

Have you ever felt stuck in the same habits, struggles, or mistakes, no matter how hard you try to change? In this message from The Big Picture, Pastor Bart Howell explores the book of Judges and the destructive cycle Israel repeatedly experienced. Through the stories of Deborah, Barak, and God's continued faithfulness, we discover why our greatest struggle isn't always what's happening around us, but what's happening within our hearts.The judges could deliver Israel from its enemies, but they couldn't change the human heart. Jesus is the only King who can break the cycle. Through Him, we can experience forgiveness, redemption, and the freedom to move forward. You don't have to stay stuck.

What do you do when you know life is changing but you cannot see what is waiting on the other side? In this message from The Big Picture, Pastor Bart follows Israel to the edge of the Jordan River as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. God does not give them every detail about what comes next. Instead, He teaches them how to walk forward with faith. Through Israel’s story, we discover four practices for facing life’s threshold moments: follow, stand in awe, prepare, and remember. When the future feels uncertain, we can look back at God’s faithfulness, remember our rescue through Jesus, and trust the One who goes with us into whatever comes next.

How good is good enough for God? Do we obey Him so that He will love and accept us?In this message from The Big Picture, Pastor Bart follows Israel from the Passover to Mount Sinai and points to an important detail in the order of the story: God rescued His people before He gave them the rules.The Ten Commandments were not a way out of slavery. They taught people who had already been rescued how to live in freedom. Ultimately, the Law reveals our need for an even greater rescue through Jesus, the Lamb of God.The Gospel still follows the same order: rescue comes before response.

Have you ever felt like God had the wrong person? Pastor Bart follows Moses from the palace to forty years in the wilderness and eventually to his encounter with God at the burning bush. Moses saw his failures, fears, and weaknesses, but God saw someone He was preparing to use. Moses kept saying, “I can’t,” while God kept reminding him, “I will.” His story reminds us that our confidence does not come from being strong enough, qualified enough, or fearless enough. It comes from knowing the God who promises to be with us.

Have you ever walked through something you never would have chosen and wondered, “God, where are You?” This follows Joseph from betrayal and the pit to prison and eventually a position of influence in Egypt. Joseph could not see the purpose while he was living through the pain, but God never left him.Joseph’s story ultimately points us to Jesus and reminds us that nothing in our story is beyond the redemptive reach of God. Even when we cannot see what He is doing, we can anchor our faith in what does not change: God is good. God is with us. God is sovereign.

What are you wrestling with? In this message from The Big Picture, Pastor Bart walks through the life of Jacob, a man who spent years trying to control outcomes, manipulate circumstances, and grab what he wanted for himself. But when Jacob finally wrestled with God, everything changed. Jacob discovered that the blessing he had spent his life chasing could only be received from God. His story points us to the Gospel, where Jesus was wounded so that we could receive by grace what we could never earn. Sometimes God changes our circumstances. Other times, He changes the wrestler.

Twenty-seven years ago, EVC began with nine people gathered in a living room asking, “What would happen if we actually became the kind of church we read about in Acts?” In this State of the Church message, Pastor Bart celebrates what God has done, reaffirms the biblical convictions that continue to shape EVC, and shares where we believe God is leading us next. From reaching the next generation and bringing hope to hurting people to multiplying churches and advancing the Gospel, the future is filled with opportunity. But it all begins where Acts 2 began: ordinary people devoted to Jesus and His mission.

The Church is more than a building we attend. It is a people called by God and built together around Jesus. Looking at Matthew 16 and 1 Peter 2, we discover that every believer is a living stone with a unique place in what Christ is building. We saw this through the stories of Logan, Ella, and Austin, who shared how serving at EVC has helped shape their faith and deepen their relationship with Jesus. As we connect with one another and use our gifts to serve, God works through us to impact others while continuing to transform us into the people He has called us to be.

Pastor Bart follows God's call to Abraham and the promise that would eventually bring blessing to every nation. From leaving everything familiar to waiting years for God's promise to be fulfilled, Abraham's story reminds us that faith means trusting God even when we cannot see the whole road ahead.Through Genesis 15, we also discover that God's promises rest on His faithfulness, not ours. Abraham failed, Israel failed, and we fail too, but Jesus remained faithful and bore the curse our sin deserved. Through Christ, the blessing promised to Abraham has reached the nations, including us.

The Bible isn't a collection of disconnected stories. It's one incredible story pointing to one Savior. In the first message of The Big Picture, Pastor Bart walks through Genesis 1–3 to show how humanity was created for relationship with God, how sin brought separation, and how the promise of Jesus began in the Garden. Discover how every page of Scripture reveals God's plan to pursue and redeem His people.

What are you convinced of? In this message, EVC Elder, John Abendschan, walks through the life of Paul to show how a deep confidence in God's love changes the way we respond to suffering, uncertainty, and hardship. When we are convinced that nothing can separate us from Christ, we can live with faith, hope, and an eternal perspective—no matter what life brings.

Where do we find comfort when life is difficult? In 2 Corinthians 1:3–7, we discover that God is the source of all comfort. As He meets us in our suffering, He also equips us to comfort others with the same grace we've received. Whether through our presence, encouragement, service, or the hope of Christ's return, God uses His people to bring His comfort to a hurting world.