Easter Sunday 2023—Dead & Alive—Romans 6:8-11

April 9, 2023 Nate Holdridge

Something has drastically changed about us, so we must consider ourselves to be radically connected to Christ's death and resurrection, making us dead to sin and alive to God (11). This consideration process makes the historical fact of the resurrection beautiful for life today. We must pause to consider who we are. What happened to Jesus changed us. The gospel has changed us. The true you is dead to sin and alive to God because Jesus Christ died and rose again.

When Jesus rose, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene in the garden outside the tomb. He told her to tell the other disciples that he was going to ascend to his Father and their Father, to his God and their God (John 20:17). It is his death and resurrection that secured God as theirs, making him their Father in heaven. And it is Jesus' death and resurrection that secure us that same position with God, that transfers us from the realm of sin to the realm of God. Every one of us here today—if we've trusted Christ—has been moved by the resurrection power of God into his realm.

Jesus' Transfiguration Highlighted a Different Mountain (Mark 9:1-13)

February 9, 2023 Nate Holdridge

I would like to conclude our three-part study of this transfiguration with one last observation. We've seen how the transfiguration on the mountaintop provided an encouraging preview and an important conference. But it also provides us with a different mountain, and this mountain is all-important to your life today. Let me explain. (4 Minutes/900 Words)

Archival Post: An Almost Unbelievable Truth

February 7, 2023 Nate Holdridge

An Almost Unbelievable Truth

Archival Post

Let me remind you of an almost unbelievable truth, one I say to myself a dozen times a day. "So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."

Believe the Right Things About Jesus (Mark 3:20-35)

June 8, 2022 Nate Holdridge

Mark sets up our next scene by pointing out two separate groups, Jesus' family and the scribes. But before looking at each group and their response to Christ, Mark is clear to point out why both of them reacted to Jesus at this time. The crowds. (14 Minutes/3600 Words)

Archival Post: 5 Facets of the New Covenant God Made With You

February 21, 2022 Nate Holdridge

5 Facets of the New Covenant God Made With You

Archival Post

I'm sure you always read the full agreement you make with various companies to use their software and hardware. A recent Apple software license agreement is 451 pages long. And when you clicked "I agree" I'm sure it's because you took the weekend to read through it. Or maybe your lawyer perused it. But did you know God has made agreements with humanity? The biblical word for these agreements is "covenant."

The Life of David: Loving Your Enemies (1 Samuel 24)

November 29, 2021 Nate Holdridge

Jesus taught hard, radical things. During his sermon on the mount, he said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’” (Matthew 5:43). It seems that, by the time of Christ, the religious leaders had taken the Old Testament command to ‘love your neighbor’ to mean one should also hate their enemy. Their teaching was, of course, a perversion of God’s word. Jesus corrected, and then addended their teaching. “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). (15 Minutes, 4000 Words)

Archival Post: The Unfortunate and Ugly Move From Spirit to Flesh

November 11, 2021 Nate Holdridge

The Unfortunate and Ugly Move From Spirit to Flesh

Archival Post

The Lord wants to move his people forward, upward, onward. He has a plan for each one of you. Recently, I've seen this in a fresh way in my own life. The fruit of the Spirit is love -- and there are many outworkings of that love. I believe the Spirit wants to produce heightened joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in me. And in you. He wants to move us forward, to take us further into the work and fruit of his Spirit.

Seth's Line (Genesis 4:25-5:32)

September 27, 2021 Nate Holdridge

PXL_20210918_171155210.MP.jpg — Seth's Line

(Genesis 4:25-5:32)

Here, when Adam and Eve have another son, they called him Seth. His name might mean something like seat or buttocks or new beginning or foundation. It's clear Eve felt there was something special about this son, saying, God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel. This is beautiful because of the clear hope found in Eve. (8 Minutes/2000 Words)

The Life of David: Shaped (1 Samuel 18)

June 7, 2021 Nate Holdridge

David was a God-hearted man, and his defeat of Goliath was evidence of his deep love and reverence for the Lord. David believed in God when no one else would and was willing to fight for God’s reputation and name. He trusted in the living God. (14 Minutes/3500 Words)

Love the Father – What Is the World? (1 John 2:15)

May 4, 2021 Nate Holdridge

what is.jpg — Love the Father What Is the World?

(1 John 2:15)

Sin and Satan wills to use our mortal bodies' passions as a way to take the throne. We must not allow it to occur. Even though, as we saw last week, we are forgiven by the Father, in a longstanding relationship with the Son, and victorious by the Spirit, there is still a challenger to the throne of our hearts. (6 Minutes/1600 Words)