The dawn’s mist settled in my beard. The trees looked different than in my memories. Something about the early morning hours made them more alive. To my left, movement startled me. I turned my head and watched two coyotes trudging through the adjacent field, one with a fresh kill in its mouth. As they glided away, I noticed a cluster of deer chewing on the wet grass. Birds sang. The sky awakened. As I walked, the day’s crispness whispered that a fresh opportunity was mine. The moment, beautiful, wonderful, one of trillions, was a gift from God. (3 Minutes / 500 Words)
Read moreHow Your Future Resurrection Can Impact Your Today (1 Corinthians 15:58)
Christ’s resurrection secured the future resurrection of his people. Believers have hope and confidence and surety and resolve that their bodies will experience redemption. We will put off the man of dust and put on the man of heaven. We will be remade, renewed, reformed in the image of our resurrected Savior. (4 Minutes / 800 Words)
Read moreHebrews 1:1-4 - Jesus Is Better #1 - Jesus Is The Ultimate Word
Teaching Outline: Hebrews 1:1-4 - Jesus Is Better #1 - Jesus Is The Ultimate Word
Read moreWalk In Your Father’s Love, part 2 (Ephesians 5:3-6)
Paul has just instructed his readers to imitate the love of God as demonstrated in the sacrificial cross of Christ (Ephesians 5:1-2). Our love is to be one which lays aside the self and lives for the betterment of others. It might seem odd, then, to hear Paul immediately move into an exhortation to flee sexual immorality, sexual impurity, and sexual covetousness. How is this an imitation of the love of God? (800 Words / 4 Minutes)
Read moreS3: Episode 10 - Marriage Principles From Non-Marriage Verses (Pt. 2)
In this episode of the Jesus Famous Podcast, we will have a conversation about Pastor Nate’s article entitled “Marriage Principles From Non-Marriage Verses (Pt. 2)". You can catch more episodes like this by subscribing to the Jesus Famous Podcast. If you’d like to read the entire article, then you can do so here.
Link to full article:
https://www.nateholdridge.com/blog/marriage-verses-the-spirit-transforms-us-2-corinthians-3-18
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Ease Today, Pain Tomorrow (Proverbs 20:21)
“An inheritance obtained too early in life is not a blessing in the end.” (Proverbs 20:21 NLT).
The wings strain. Push. Press. Push. The caterpillar has become a butterfly, but the struggle to extricate itself from the cocoon is violent. Force exerted. Energy expended. Pain, real and true. With all strength spent, the wings function. No more crawling along. A flier is born.
The proverb above communicates the idea well. Too much success, influence, or wealth without any struggle often leads to pain in the end. It is better, in the end, to fight, battle, and struggle your way to success.
I only want to work in my area of passion, says one. I want to find deep fulfillment in my work, says another. I want…I need…I wish…I hope. But I must die. You won't discover your passion if your life is not tested with hard work, devotion, and submission. We find fulfillment through sweat, struggle, and pain.
We must not forget that we are not our work, our influence, or our life’s successes. We are children of God, walking on the dust of the earth, surviving by grace. He walks with us through all we think mundane. But does he? Does he not love our work, our breaths, our perspiration? We ought not to think he is disinterested in the daily grind of life. He loves the process, the growth, the building up of strength.
If you are young — sure — find your passion. But also find work and labor. Find faithfulness and struggle. Find the joy which comes from paying the bill and feeding the belly. Sleep the slumber of the hardworking man or woman and you might discover passion isn't everything. Living out your dream is not everything. It can be hazardous to get it too early in life, the proverb says. Spill some blood. Shed some tears. Drip some sweat. And watch the living God make you fly.
Gleanings From Paul's Conversion Account (Acts 9)
Each week, the Calvary Monterey church staff meets for Bible study, worship, and prayer. Right now, we are making our way through the books of Acts. Recently we inspected Paul’s conversion (Acts 9). We gleaned a handful of principles from his story which would help us in modern-day ministry work. What follows are those points… (9 Minutes / 1700 Words)
Read moreWalk In Your Father’s Love, part 1 (Ephesians 5:1-2)
In other New Testament passages, believers are told to imitate God, to work towards godliness, because of the new nature Christ has implanted within them or because the Holy Spirit can enable and help them. Here, Paul takes a different angle. Believers are to imitate God because He is their Father, they are His children. It is because of this Father-child relationship that believers can expect a new life and way of being to flow. (3 Minutes / 500 Words)
Read moreS3: Episode 09 - The Point Of Life
In this episode of the Jesus Famous Podcast, we will have a conversation about Pastor Nate’s article entitled “The Point Of Life". You can catch more episodes like this by subscribing to the Jesus Famous Podcast. If you’d like to read the entire article, then you can do so here.
Link to full article:
https://www.nateholdridge.com/blog/the-point-of-life-romans-8-28-30
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Build Your Support Team Like Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:6-7)
Homefield advantage is a thing. Some athletes say they thrive on opposition, that they love playing in front of a hostile crowd. But, time and time again, it is a general rule that teams win a higher percentage of games when playing on their home field, ice, court, or turf. Many factors are cited, but one is the support of the fans. (4 Minutes / 800 Words)
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