Advertise on podcast: The Grove | Evergreen Church

From a young age, Matt and Keeva felt a call to ministry—a calling that ultimately brought them together in college. Their journey is unique in their willingness to choose walking in faith, not sight, when it came to moving, jobs, children, and whatever else came their way. Their story encourages others that trusting leads to freedom in knowing God is ultimately in control and He can use every piece of your story. “When God said jump essentially, it wasn’t hard because we had learned early on to live with the our hands open. I didn’t have to know the answer right then but it was God asking, ‘do you have the faith to know that I’m a good God and that I’m going to take you on the right path?’” - Matt O’Mealey

This Evergreen couple's lives were transformed through community and discipleship after coming to Evergreen. Through that experience, they realized they had not yet fully surrendered their lives to Jesus and desired to follow Him with everything they had. Hear the story of their journeys to Christ and how He is now calling them to leave the comfort of home and family to share the Gospel in another part of the world. “A healthy missionary is doing something they were already doing in their home. It’s just being the same person with a different address.”

Phil and Susan met as young teenagers. Both had some exposure to church and knew that being involved was something they wanted to prioritize in their lives. After marrying young, they found a church with strong teachers who in time helped them develop a true relationship with Christ. After that, life wasn’t easy. In fact, their road became difficult—marked by a shocking cancer battle that taught them to trust God and lean on their community during life’s trials. “I strongly believe whatever it is we are going through, God is using it for a better outcome. We must believe and trust there is something better coming. And community can help people remember that.” - Phillip McCoy

Grace grew up attending church with her family and was saved at the age of 9. Because of her faith she realized as a teenager she was struggling with secret sin. In the midst of guilt and shame she wasn’t sure how she could ever get free of this burden, until God convicted her to say it out loud. Grace’s story is a powerful reminder that confession is not meant to shame us but to free us. When Christians confess their sin, they open the door to hope, accountability, and the freedom that comes through Christ. “I was so deep into that (sin) that I started hating myself instead of hating my sin” - Grace Boswell

Jon and Kristin grew up in Christian homes and each experienced God’s provision through college and singleness into their 30s. After marrying, they longed for a family but faced over nine years of infertility, ending with surgery that meant they couldn’t have biological children. Yet God brought children into their lives by adoption in His perfect time. Through each difficult circumstance, God gave Kristin dreams to show He was sovereign over all which was significant when Jon suffered a life-changing heart attack. Their story will encourage anyone walking through singleness, infertility, or serious health trials to trust that God is in control and you are always under His sovereign care.

Claudia grew up in Mexico in a large family, raised by a single mother. By 19, she found herself pregnant and in an abusive marriage. Even in the midst of those difficult circumstances, she found a church that introduced her to Jesus. Eventually, she made her way to Tulsa with her two boys, free from that relationship. In this episode, hear how Claudia built a new life in Tulsa, how she found Evergreen, and how God convicted her to bring her desires to Him in prayer rather than simply weep over them. Her testimony will encourage you to pray and trust our redeeming Father, who can take a broken situation and make it more whole than we could ever imagine. “One night I was crying and crying and the Lord told me, ‘why do you sit here and cry? Why don’t you ask me what you need?’ And that was beautiful!”

Channing was raised in a family of teachers overseas. He was taught to obey authority and follow the rules. It wasn’t until his interaction with other believers that he thought more seriously about having a faith in God. Eventually with a move to Tulsa, he met another believer who hosted him in his home and shared his faith. Channing’s testimony is a great reminder that the word of God can change you from the inside out and that discipleship is a gift from God to help us in our faith walk. “True peace and contentment is from obeying God. God is preparing you for a better version of yourself.”

When Jeremy and Amy got married, they knew God had called them to ministry. In preparation, they went to seminary together to gain experience in marriage and family counseling. They had no idea that the skills they learned would prepare them for ministry to families dealing with pediatric cancer. This testimony will remind you that God is our provider. He can sustain you even in the hardest moments, prepare you for your toughest battles, and sometimes call you to do things you never thought you could do. “You’re going to see a scarlet thread through our story of God’s provision and God’s sovereignty in the way He lays out our lives.” Want to know more about what they shared? Click here.

Dora spent her early years in Cuba before her family moved to the United States. She was raised with a blend of Christian faith and the Santería religion. In this episode, hear how the Lord called Dora to turn fully to Him, how that choice transformed her life, and how Christ has carried her through the pain of a difficult marriage and single motherhood. Dora’s testimony is a powerful reminder that God is enough, even in hard times. Her story will encourage you to keep going and follow His calling—even when it feels impossible. “I was trying so hard to be enough for all my children, and the Lord quietly told me one day, ‘You are not enough, and it is supposed to be that way, because I am the one who is going to be enough for them.’”

Raised in a Christian home, life felt normal for Joe until one night everything changed after losing his Brother. Listen to the story of how a caring church community supported Joe and his family and helped him on his journey to commit his life to Christ. The son of a pastor and worship leader, hear how the Lord has used his unique experiences to equip him in service to the Church.

"If you're in the thick of it, and you feel like there's no hope, trust that all things, including the season of life that you're in right now, are working together for your good." - Nathan Carter Kristen and Nathan had upbringings that were very different, but the paths they took were similar enough that when they met, they had the most important factor in common - Jesus. As much as they had both settled their belief in Jesus as God's Son, their issues were far from solved. In fact, their journey had just begun. As our third season comes to a close, we welcome a couple with a story reminding us how we can model an "Abraham and Sarah" faith in our own lives. What self-serving sacrifices must we give up to have a faith that strong? What notions do we lay at the feet of Jesus? What addictions do we stop holding onto so the Lord can turn us into who we are meant to be?

"I think we all sometimes stumble or fall or break, and you have to have strong godly people around you to pick you up." - Ben Whipple Ben and Nina were an unlikely match when they first met. Both with a traumatic past, they knew they had obstacles they were determined to overcome. Soon, a firm, foundational friendship turned into more, and that bond ushered Ben toward a path he never knew existed. Once Ben made the eternal discovery that Jesus is the Light of the World, he became starving for The Word. He soon determined that he would never be the same, his family would never be the same, and the generations long after him would never be the same. Listen with us, as we hear a story of how two people discovered Jesus Christ as The Light of the word, The Breaker of chains - The Savior. When we discover Jesus, we discover His Church. What is it about the Bride of Christ that is so special that The Savior was willing to die for her? If you come from a past with darkness and generational sin, can Jesus sanctify even that?

"I didn't want to disappoint God in the sinful life that I was living. But yet that need to feel loved was great. It was so powerful; that need. I did not know at that time that God was the source of that love!" - Kimberly Slater Kimberly's upbringing did not foster a sense of belonging. After a lifetime relying on her own strength and merit, she thought love came with conditions. Eventually, self-reliance was how she attempted to find the unconditional love she craved. Things started to change when she found an unconditional love in her Savior - Jesus Christ. Trusting Jesus with her salvation was the best decision she ever made. But was trusting Him with more than that something she would be ready to do? When we realize God is a loving God who loves us, and cares about our circumstances unconditionally, we are faced with a choice. Do we fully surrender, or do we remain in what we perceive as a self-reliance form of control?

"When you accept Jesus into your life, you're free. You're free to live in what He wants for you and in His design for you." - Tony Stegall After both Tony and Breanna spent a lifetime looking for love in the wrong places, it was not apparent to them what true love was. Even more so, why did love always seem out of reach - or destructive? Coming from a past that faced childhood divorce, illness, love lost, broken promises, and disappointments, their search for true love seemed to lead to an empty road. Everything changed when they found themselves being courted by the One who is love. When the Lord revealed himself to Tony and Breanna, they became showered with the only love that ever mattered all along - the overwhelming, everlasting, eternal love in Jesus Christ. This testimony shows us how chasing Jesus leads to a changed heart. What happens when the sinful desires of your heart are brought to light? Can the heart's desires change? If so, can God fulfill the desires of your heart when the heart becomes surrendered to Him?

"You don't know how many years you're promised. So what are you going to do with it?" - Daniel Knowing Jesus is Lord, and knowing Jesus as Lord changes everything. After years of having the understanding that they knew Jesus, both Daniel and Megan tell us their story, and what followed when they fully surrendered to Jesus as Lord of their lives. After facing many of life's obstacles, we hear a story of loss, depression, sickness, anxiety, and global mystery. Being rooted in Scripture from a young age, Daniel and Magen knew that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him. This testimony shows us that sometimes, things are never as they seem. Sometimes our plans can be just that - our plans. Is the mission, the mission? Or is the mission simply obeying God with the next thing He puts in front of us?