{"id":18801,"date":"2024-06-28T12:21:09","date_gmt":"2024-06-28T16:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/?p=18801"},"modified":"2024-06-28T14:39:32","modified_gmt":"2024-06-28T18:39:32","slug":"jonathan-evans-transforms-his-fathers-sin-into-a-message-of-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2024\/06\/jonathan-evans-transforms-his-fathers-sin-into-a-message-of-hope.html","title":{"rendered":"Jonathan Evans Transforms His Father’s Sin into a Message of Hope"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Jonathon Evans \/ Facebook | Inset: Oak Cliff Fellowship \/ Facebook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The son of Dr. Tony Evans recently delivered a message, telling the congregation at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship that his father didn\u2019t share the nature of his unnamed sin any more than he did with the entire church. Johnathan, who\u2019s helped his father in ministry, is a former NFL fullback and a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary. Tony Evans, who founded Oak Cliff in 1976, recently stepped down from ministry due to an unspecified sin he committed a \u201cnumber of years ago\u201d and that he was going to enter \u201ca healing and restoration process established by the elders.\u201d<\/p>\n

Church Leaders reported that during his message, Jonathan told the congregation, which has a weekly attendance of 10,000 people, that he was grateful for his father. Jonathan Evans, who serves as OCBF\u2019s Associate Pastor of the NextGen Ministry, said at the start of his\u00a0sermon<\/a>, \u201cMy dad has been there for all of my challenges. He\u2019s been there for a lot of y\u2019all\u2019s challenges. Whether it\u2019s counseling, preaching, radio, some of y\u2019all\u2019s YouTube, whatever medium has been, he\u2019s been there. So, it\u2019s an honor for me to return the favor.\u201d He shares that he has been asked several times about how he has felt since his father stepped down. Jonathan said, \u201cLet me tell you, I feel like we\u2019ve already won.\u201d<\/p>\n

He continued, \u201cI feel like we\u2019re on offense, not defense. I feel like we already have victory. I feel like [God\u2019s] Word is true. I feel like he\u2019s going to finish the work that he started. I feel like if it\u2019s not good yet, God\u2019s not done yet. All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purposes. I feel like just because it\u2019s a shock to you, it doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s a shock to him.\u201d Jonathan preached, \u201cI feel like we are\u00a0more than conquerors\u00a0in Christ Jesus. I don\u2019t feel conquered. I feel like we have already won. And so I have to go, not based on just the circumstances, but based on the reality of the Savior because [God\u2019s] Word is true.\u201d<\/p>\n