Evergreen Church Podcast: Recent Episodes
Phil McCallum
IS MONEY EVIL? Pastor Caleb explains the biblical perspective on money and the spirit of Mammon. He highlights the importance of not serving the spirit of Mammon but rather using money for good and eternal purposes.
"I know how to abound." Philippians 4:12.
Do you know how to abound? God is a God of abundance and is calling you to do something bigger than you!
There are so many people who live with a sense of shame, and condemnation because they don't have a clear understanding of God's grace. We aren't called to earn God's grace, love and mercy. All we do is believe in the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
Some say that tomorrow will grow darker while others say tomorrow will grow brighter and brighter. JESUS SAYS, the world will grow darker, but my church will grow brighter in a dark world. 2023 IS THE YEAR TO BE RADIANT!!
Are you shining or hiding, your light?? Pastor Elijah reminds us that Jesus has called us to bring hope and shine His light in a world that is dark and chaotic.
Fear has held so many people back from doing big things for God. Pastor Phil shares with us how we can overcome those fears and see God do big things in our life.
What does it look like to be a part of God's team? In Matthew 25, Jesus challenges us to be active and faithful with the gifts that God has entrusted to us. What could you do today to make a difference in what God is doing on the earth?
Success happens to those who hold on to vision longer than is fair. What would happen if you dropped self-pitty and held on to vision longer than feels good? Looking at the book of Job, Pastor Phil shows us
three tools to get through the long time vision God has for our lives?
1.Keep your Seat, and don't join the drama.
2.Sip Coffee with friends, but don't suck in the grounds
3.Don't Close your book until the last chapter.
What is Jesus’ Favorite Church? Jesus comes to a church that handles PEOPLE, PROBLEMS, and SOLUTIONS well.
Pastor Phil McCallum, Evergreen Church Bothell
@philipmccallum
What will you leave behind to make room for the new you?
You can choose a rerun of last year or a world premiere.
“Then John’s disciples came and asked him, ‘How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?’
—Matthew 9:14-15
What did Jesus do when he was criticized for not repeating what he did last year?
Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out, and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.
—Matthew 9:17
A wineskin is a flexible container that can stretch to hold something new.
A wineskin can be used only once because it hardens around the last new thing.
Wineskins can’t change, but Jesus can change you.
Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins.
—Matthew 9:17
- Don’t be a better you, let Jesus be himself through you.
22 …Put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
—Ephesians 4:22-24
If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out, and the wineskins will be ruined.
—Matthew 9:17
‘God wants us to have soft hearts and hard feet. The trouble with so many of us is that we have hard hearts and soft feet.’
—Jackie Pullinger
- Keep a soft heart and hard feet.
No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.
—Matthew 9:17
- Pour into people with soft hearts.
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR WILDERNESS
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him…
—Matthew 4:1-3
There are three common life failures, and only Jesus took uncommon steps around them.
Are you in a wilderness?
Are you making the most of the wilderness in your life?
The wilderness is where radiance begins.
The only words Jesus spoke on the wilderness were from the Bible.
The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
—Matthew 4:3
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
—Matthew 4:4
- OVERCOME THE TEMPTATION CHANGE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES BY ASKING GOD WHAT HE WANTS TO CHANGE IN YOU.
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down.
—Matthew 4:5-6
Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
—Matthew 4:7
- OVERCOME THE TEMPTATION TO LIVE SOMEONE ELSE’S LIFE BY BEING COMFORTABLE IN YOUR OWN SKIN.
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
—Matthew 4:8-9
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
—Matthew 4:10
- OVERCOME THE TEMPTATION TO ADDICTION BY ACCEPTING PAIN AS THE WAY TO JOY.
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
—Matthew 4:11
NEW YEAR’S PRAYER: Lord, change me first and then change my circumstances.
NEW YEAR’S PRAYER: Lord, I will live my destiny and be my real self with you and others.
NEW YEAR’S PRAYER: Lord, I reject shortcuts to success by taking up the cross as my way to joy.
Let’s Brighten the World This ChristmasHow do we move the light inside the church to the outside?
See what the blind man saw.
[Jesus] saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” —John 9:1-2“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. —John 9:3Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” —John 9:4-5After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. —John 9:6“Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. —John 9:710 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked. 11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” 12 “Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said. —John 9:10-12“The man answered, ‘Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.’ To this they replied, ‘You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!’ And they threw him out.” —John 9:30, 32-341. Rejection is acceptance.“Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ ‘Who is he, sir?’ the man asked. ‘Tell me so that I may believe in him.’ Jesus said, ‘You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.’ Then the man said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshipped him. —John 9:35-382. Criticism is success.24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” 25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” 26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?” —John 9:24-273. Messy is qualified.“God does not call the qualified. He qualifies those He calls.”
“A man with an experience of God is never at the mercy of a man with an argument.” —Leonard RavenhillInstead of trying to change others, tell them how God changed you.
“I don’t want this!” Ever felt like that in our new normal? One man in the Bible didn’t like his news headlines either. He asked God three hard questions. The answers he got back changed his life. Habakkuk is his name. His name means “to wrestle” and “to embrace.” That sums up his secret. Habakkuk wrestled with what he didn’t understand and he embraced the God he loved. Habakkuk was a practical prophet. No visions. No angels. No signs. Just the only man in the Bible with the courage to question God point blank on how he runs his universe. God answered him. He will answer you.
This year’s stories are filled with hope, purpose, pain, and God’s undeserved mercies. The stories highlight the faith journeys of Benjamin Watson, Prince Amukamara, and Nate Solder. The film will be hosted by Fox College Football Analyst Brock Huard, and will include players who are playing in this year’s Super Bowl, discussing the intersection of faith and football in their own lives.
Evading the dream snatchers of your life.
Do you have a dream? Do you have dream snatchers?
2020 can be your best decade yet. You have an idea that keeps growing back. Critics make sport of it. The bottom may drop out of it. In the pits you dream of it. Life purpose is a long journey. Joseph with his technicolor dream coat is your guide.
Jesus doesn’t like referees anymore than sports fans. Whenever we put on the black and white jersey, Jesus blows the whistle on us and makes the call.