Everything I Need to Know about God I Learned from My Toddlers
1/6/19 – 6/9/19
Shortly after becoming a father, Pastor Evan observed that God seemed to be teaching him things through his newborn child: things about a Father’s love, things about grace, things about forgiveness – and God was doing all this through a little child. In this worship series, Pastor Evan is exploring some of the things that God has taught him about God and who God is through his toddlers.
Dig In
January 6, 2019
Faith is not the kind of thing that works best with just a surface level amount; no, in order to be a person of faith, one must dig in and really internalize what they believe. In this message about digging in to our faith, Pastor Evan leads us through some of the things Jesus had to say about casual followership and challenges us to dig in and grow.
Born Liar
February 10, 2019
At the core of their being, are people essentially good or essentially bad? In this second part of the series, “Everything I Need to Know about God I Learned from My Toddlers,” Pastor Evan dives into the idea of a sin nature and why it is that no person can be perfect, apart from Jesus Christ.
You Don’t Tug on Superman’s Cape
March 10, 2019
What is the power behind a dream, an aspiration? Are these dreams something that God gives us, even when we are very young, so that we can understand our purpose and how God may be leading us? Continuing the series, “Everything I Need to Know I Learned from My Toddlers,” Pastor Evan explores the power of dreams and how we should look to what is behind them in order to understand what God may be trying to do in our lives.
Desperately Wanting
March 17, 2019
For those of us without untold wealth, we may think that we’re immune from the negative spiritual impact of greed. But greed is about more than just money, as Pastor Evan explains, because greed can also be about our time, our talents, and how freely we allow grace and gratitude to be a part of our lives.
Come, As You Are
March 24, 2019
So often it can seem like we can only come to God if we know just the right words, just the right formula, as if praying in just such a way will really make God listen to us. But is that true? Continuing the series, “Everything I Need to Know about God I Learned from My Toddlers,” Pastor Evan helps us to realize how much God puts a premium on authenticity in coming to him, versus saying fancy words or appearing as if we had our lives all put together.
Imago Me!
March 31, 2019
Genesis says humanity was created in the image of God, the imago dei as it goes in Latin. But instead of imago dei, people have a tendency for imago me, that is creating God in our own image, so that everything about God is to our liking. The danger, when we do this, is we set up a false god who is devoid of power and presence in our lives. In this message, Pastor Evan explores the human tendency for imago me and gives some ideas for how to combat this tendency.
The Green-Eyed Monster
April 7, 2019
Jealousy is extremely detrimental to our spirits, as it makes us ungrateful, harms relationships, and corrupts our character. Looking at the story of Joseph being sold into slavery, Pastor Evan talks about the dangers of jealousy and then gives guidance on how to respond when we become aware of the green-eyed monster in ourselves.
Shame Shame Shame
April 14, 2019
As soon as sin entered the world at the fall, so did shame. Shame is a powerful emotion that can drive us to flee from the very one who is capable of relieving that shame and bringing healing. In this message about how God can use shame, Pastor Evan talks about the importance of relationships and how God may use shame to get us to do the hard work of reconciliation.
A Father’s Love
April 21, 2019
The concept of the resurrection can be so large and difficult to fathom that it’s much like grappling with the ocean. In this Easter message, Pastor Evan talks about a Father’s love, the resurrection, and how belief often begins with this hopeful question: could it all be true?
Playing Operation
April 28, 2019
There are things in our lives, be they past wounds or obstacles to our growth, on which we need God to intervene and operate so that we can be healed and free. In this message, Pastor Evan talks about playing operation on his son’s foot, in removing a splinter, and how God too will operate on our spirit’s in order to help us be the person God is calling us to be.
More Than Meets the Eye
May 12, 2019
How often do we prioritize the things of this world rather than the things that have eternal worth? By examining the story of the prophet Elisha being surrounded by the armies of Aram, Pastor Evan talks about having a Godly perspective and our own need to reprioritize our lives by God’s priorities.
Red & Yellow, Black & White
May 26, 2019
It is natural to prefer that which is most like ourselves, but this can also lead us down paths that tolerate discrimination and bigotry, which have no place in the kingdom of God. Looking at Revelation 7, Pastor Evan talks about race and God’s vision for what heaven and earth should be like.
Absalom, Absalom
June 2, 2019
Absalom, the third son of King David, launched a rebellion against David to take over the kingdom of Israel. We too rebel against our Father when we sin, that is when we choose our ways over God’s ways. By looking at the story of Absalom, Pastor Evan examines the nature of rebellion and how it is that God’s greatest gift to humanity, through which we can grow in faith, is also the means by which we can rebel against our Creator.
I Hope You Dance
June 9, 2019
God cares a great deal about our joy, because it gives him joy for us to know joy, but God cares even more about our maturing and growing in holiness. In this sermon about the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday, Pastor Evan talks about how the aim of the spiritual life is to learn to receive joy in the things that make us holy, so that we can grow in both joy and holiness.