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 pie...

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 ano...

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 t...

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 Chr...

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 gav...

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 Ever...

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...

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 moment...

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 tha...

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...

"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 kn...

"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...

"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 d...

"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 ob...

“It was devastating for me to leave knowing that was the plan I had for my life. God has rescued us from things we couldn’t have predicted.” - Megan Schell When Justin met Megan, they were ready to take the Great Commission to the world. With the desire to “GO”, and a call to missions, they assumed their lives were completely mapped out. God continued to open doors for their family, but a looming...

“Prayer is very strong - a very powerful thing that affects lives. Just how it does, now that I don’t know." - Warren Good From a young age, Warren Good walked closely with the Lord. He aimed to live righteously, and looked to the Lord for guidance. Eventually, Warren enlisted in the military. Even in the military, his life looked different, and people noticed. It was clear Warren was in the...

“If we pray according to His will, He hears our prayers. He answers our prayers.” - Robert Devadhas As Christians in a Hindu country, Robert and Joy began their prayer life simply because they enjoyed being in God’s presence so much. Little did they know, God would show His favor toward them and their faith in miraculous ways.

“I remember just being absolutely broken over my sin, and that I could find myself in this place again.” - Zach Dietz Zach and Shanna Dietz are not strangers to the physical, emotional, and spiritual battles of this broken world. However, their story began as many do; happy - perfect - a picture of the all-American family. This story serves as a reminder that none of us are immune from the catastr...

“When we get to where the Lord wants us to go, and we turn around and look, the path is so clear.” - Joy Gabbert In our season opening episode, we hear from our podcast hosts, the couple bringing you ‘The Grove Podcast’, Andrew and Joy Gabbert. What happens when you find yourself battling lies from the enemy? How do we contain the spiral of self-doubt? If there’s one thing we’ve learned from each...

For our season finale, our podcast host, Joy Gabbert, joins a table talk discussion featuring Kailey Carter and Stephanie Eckman with returning guests Monica Allen and Olivia Watkins. Each of these women found themselves faced with circumstances that left them feeling hopeless, which led them to a quick decision bringing them to a place they never imagined. Join us for one of our most intense epis...

For Nigel and Monica Allen, it was love at first sight. In fact, it seemed as if they met at just the right time. Both with very different backgrounds, they met amidst a time of healing. With Nigel escaping a traumatic upbringing, and Monica facing some dark decisions in her past, they discovered unconditional love in each other when they needed it most. Surely the worst part was over. This was th...

After experiencing trials and pain starting as early as birth, joy was simply not something Olivia Watkins was too familiar with. Sure she grew up in church surrounded by loving people, but in other areas of her upbringing, joy was not her song. After walking through trials and addictions that eventually led to an abortion, Olivia felt she had no way out. Her outlook on the value of life - includi...

During various times in our lives, each one of us have been faced with the all too familiar choice of seeking solace in the world, or seeking Christ and His design. This is a situation Don and Patsy Akin are all too familiar with. In a testimony spanning the course of 59 years of marriage, we realize how important that choice can be in the face of grief again, again… and again. Even though Don and...

For Marilyn, life was going well. After knowing the Lord at a young age, being blessed with a supportive family, then going off to college and meeting a nice boy and great friends - life was certainly checking off all of her boxes. Little did Marilyn know, grief was coming upon her, and she would be faced with the tough question: is God still faithful, even in the dark? Listen to Marilyn tell the...