Jack Hibbs Podcast

Episode: Forevergreen: Behind The Story
Date: February 26, 2026
Guests: Nathan Engelhardt (Animation Supervisor, Co-Director) & Jeremy Spears (Story Artist, Co-Director)

Episode Overview

This episode dives behind the scenes into the making of the Oscar-nominated animated short film Forevergreen. Host Jack Hibbs welcomes filmmakers Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears to discuss their creative journey, spiritual motivations, and the film’s deep gospel roots. The conversation explores the storytelling craft, the film’s profound allegories, and how animation can communicate the truths of grace, discipleship, and redemption to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Genesis of Forevergreen

[04:36–13:34]

• Six-Year Journey: The film was created over six years by a volunteer team of 200 people working in their spare time.

  “This film was actually made by 200 volunteers, everyone in their free time… After six years… we’re able to unveil it and share it with the world. We couldn’t be more excited.” – Nathan Engelhardt [04:36]

• Divine Collaboration: The initial idea evolved through prayer and collaboration. The project’s direction was affirmed by a “lightning bolt” moment of creative unity—both directors independently sketched the same bridge-cross image as a gospel representation.

• Spiritual Intentionality: The team regularly prayed for guidance, seeking to honor the Lord in every element.

  “We always give credit to the Lord. He’s our executive producer.” – Nathan Engelhardt [12:53]

2. Storytelling & Visual Metaphor

[13:34–22:19]

• Narrative Depth: The story visually presents the gospel (the fallen tree bridging the divide) and also discipleship, grace, and restoration.

• Stylistic Choices: Forevergreen emulates hand-carved wood, creating a tactile, Genesis-like world. Characters’ design reflects biblical allusions:

  • The bear symbolizes every person’s journey.
  • The tree is both a parental figure and a Christ-like sacrificial figure.

• Juxtaposition: The orchestration of wood vs. man-made materials visually drives home the theme of wandering from God, paralleling the prodigal son and the power of restoration.

• Intentional Animation: The look and feel, down to stop-motion nods and subtle “heartbeat” oscillations in the main characters, all serve to symbolize spiritual truths.

3. Layered Symbolism & Universal Connection

[22:19–34:00]

• Visual Cues: The crows, inspired by burnt wood, represent temptation and the allure of the world (“if you let yourself get burned by the fire…” – Jeremy Spears [19:56–22:19]).

• Portrayal of God’s Heart:

  “Where the bear is curious about the porcupine… the tree willingly turns instead of rescuing him from the pain. You could see the tree say, ‘I’m going to go through this pain with you. I’m not going to stop you, because you’ve got to learn from it.’ …That ministered to me about the heart of our God.” – Jack Hibbs [22:19]

• Universality: Intentionally, the film is accessible to any worldview, age, or background. The allegory is both specific (gospel) and broad (human experience as the bear).

  “I don’t care who you are, I don’t care what your worldview is, I don’t care if you’re an atheist—you cannot see this film without relating to it because everybody’s the bear.” – Jack Hibbs [24:55]

4. Gospel Integrity & Theological Care

[33:07–38:00]

• Authentic Allegory: The creators deliberated over the theological implications of every plot beat, ensuring the story points to “unmerited grace” and not works-based salvation.

  “If the bear climbed up the tree on his own, it could be construed as works righteousness… All these things are very much intentional.” – Nathan Engelhardt [33:07]

• Salvation as Gift: The tree’s sacrificial self-uprooting and bridge-formation matches Christ’s own sacrifice (“the act was all the tree, not the bear”).

• Audience Reaction: The most frequent viewer comment is “the bear did not deserve that”—exactly the window into grace the team hoped for.

  “That’s why we made the film… If there’s any perfect tee up to a conversation, it’s that.” – Jeremy Spears [34:26]

5. Storytelling as Parable & Evangelism

[39:05–46:28]

• Modern Parable: The film acts as a parable, as Jesus did—delivering doctrine in a narrative that judges the listener’s heart.

  “What you guys have done—you’ve created a modern-day parable... You have so perfectly honored the very nature of Jesus’ teachings in parabolic delivery.” – Jack Hibbs [44:00]

• International & Cross-Language Impact: Jack notes the power of visual gospel storytelling across language barriers.

  “Even if somebody’s deaf, they don’t even have to be able to hear, to get the gospel.” – Jack Hibbs [29:11]

6. Looking Ahead – What’s Next?

[46:28–49:36]

• Seeking God’s Lead: The team is open to future projects, aiming to create more faith-infused, universal stories as God provides direction and opportunities.

  “We’ve had a lot of conversations about what could be next… We’re just enjoying this moment right now.” – Jeremy Spears [46:28]

• A Call to Prayer & Sharing: The filmmakers request prayer and for audiences to help the film reach more people and spark meaningful conversations.

  “This film has been powered by prayer and we would like that to continue…” – Nathan Engelhardt [48:29]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• The Creative Spark:

  “I came across this image… there’s a tree that had fallen across a divide… that could represent what Christ did for us. It’s kind of the classic Bible tract image of God on one side, man on the other, a divide, and there’s a cross in between.” – Jeremy Spears [05:51]

• Prayerful Confirmation:

  “I had prayed, ‘Lord, even if you give Jeremy a completely different idea, just make that plain to me. I don’t have to be the guy…’” – Nathan Engelhardt [09:33]

• Visual Gospel:

  “If the bear climbed up the tree on his own, it could be construed as works righteousness, for example… It was all the tree, not the bear.” – Nathan Engelhardt [33:07]

• On Universality:

  “Everyone is either a parent or is a child of a parent… everyone can resonate or take something away from it because there are universal truths embedded in life.” – Nathan Engelhardt [37:30]

• Parable Effect:

  “A parable is the postmark of a tremendous message… Some receive and some don’t, the parable actually judges the listener.” – Jack Hibbs [44:00]

• A Vision for More:

  “The Bible is a big book and there’s a lot of amazing truth, and this is just one story of many… Lord willing, there’ll be other opportunities.” – Nathan Engelhardt [47:25]

Timestamps and Highlighted Segments

• [04:36] – Origins of Forevergreen and volunteer effort
• [09:33] – The “bridge” image and creative confirmation
• [14:55] – Choreographing visual metaphors and emotional beats
• [19:56] – The crows as tempters and the importance of visual symbolism
• [22:19] – The “porcupine” scene and the representation of God’s parental heart
• [33:07] – Ensuring gospel clarity and guarding theological accuracy
• [34:26] – Audience responses and undeserved grace
• [39:05] – Storytelling as a tool for evangelism; the power of parable
• [46:28] – The future: openness to more projects and prayer requests
• [48:29] – Prayer and sharing as ongoing needs

Final Takeaways

• Forevergreen uses animation to deliver a gospel-centered parable, engaging audiences across backgrounds in profound spiritual truth without overt preaching.
• Every aspect—from stylistic choices to narrative beats—was prayerfully considered to glorify God and point clearly to grace, discipleship, and the hope of restoration.
• The team asks for continued prayer and support so the film can be a tool for evangelism and deep spiritual reflection worldwide.

Watch Forevergreen and share the message!