Calvary Monterey Podcast

Title: Responding to the LightSpeaker: Nate HoldridgeOverview: In this message on John 1:9–13, Pastor Nate Holdridge continues our series, Light in the Darkness, by examining the pivotal response humanity must make to the coming of Christ. We explore the profound tragedy of those who reject their Maker and the surpassing treasure found by those who receive Him. We unpack the theology of regeneration and the incredible privilege of being given the right to become children of God, inviting us to see the Incarnation not just as a historical event, but as a personal invitation to a new life and eternal identity.Link to Sermon Notes

Explore the profound truths about Jesus as the Light of Life! Discover how this light is essential to human existence and illuminates our path through creation. Learn about the victorious nature of this light, shining amid darkness and sin. Delve into the role of John the Baptist as a witness, directing us to trust in Jesus for life. This message beautifully ties the arrival of Christmas to God's victory over darkness, reminding us that the light we truly need is here to rescue us.

Delve into the profound meaning of the Logos in John 1:1-18, where the eternal Word transforms into flesh. Discover how Jesus confronts human darkness through miraculous encounters—from turning water into wine to healing the blind. Experience the contrast between Mary’s extravagant worship and Judas’s cold calculation. Engage with themes of spiritual sight, grace over condemnation, and the powerful message of life after death. This enlightening exploration challenges listeners to respond wholeheartedly to the Light that has come.

Title: The Upside Down KingdomSpeaker: Nate HoldridgeOverview: Pastor Nate Holdridge teaches Matthew 4:12-25, revealing how Jesus' ministry location, personnel choices, and healing demonstrations preview the radical nature of God's kingdom. This message explores why Jesus established his headquarters in marginalized Galilee rather than religious Jerusalem, how he called ordinary fishermen to immediate and costly discipleship, and what his comprehensive healing ministry reveals about the kingdom's power to overturn every form of brokenness—physical, mental, spiritual, and relational. Link to Discussion QuestionsLink to Sermon Notes

Title: The Upside Down KingSpeaker: Nate HoldridgeOverview: In this Sunday sermon from Calvary Monterey, Pastor Nate Holdridge examines Matthew 4:1-11 and Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. Pastor Nate reveals how Jesus' forty-day testing reversed Israel's forty-year failure, demonstrating what kind of King he would be—one who lives by God's Word, trusts the Father's care, and maintains exclusive loyalty rather than taking shortcuts to glory. Through careful exposition of each temptation, Pastor Nate shows how Jesus fulfilled Israel's story as our representative, teaches us how to endure temptation through Scripture, and models the servant-King leadership that defines his entire ministry. The message offers practical guidance for pursuing satisfaction God's way, developing trust-based relationships with God through remembrance and worship, and rejecting idolatrous crowns to receive the imperishable crown from God. Pastor Nate concludes with a clear gospel invitation, calling listeners to trust in the Upside Down King who conquered sin, Satan, and death through his perfect obedience and sacrificial love.Link to Discussion QuestionsLink to Sermon Notes

Manny Collazo explores how enduring pressure can build spiritual strength, likening it to bench-pressing. He discusses how trials can be seen as opportunities for joy, deepening endurance and faith. The episode dives into the concept of hupomone, emphasizing self-examination of desires over blaming God for temptations. Personal anecdotes enrich the discussion on avoiding misconceptions about God during suffering, while practical steps such as prayer and community support guide listeners to trust in God's unwavering generosity.

Title: The Participationist KingSpeaker: Nate HoldridgeOverview: In this sermon from Calvary Monterey, Pastor Nate Holdridge examines the profound significance of Jesus' baptism in Matthew 3:13-17. Why would the sinless Son of God submit to a baptism of repentance? Pastor Nate reveals how Christ's baptism was an act of complete identification with humanity—a deliberate choice to participate fully in our story so we could participate in his. Through the Trinitarian authentication at the Jordan River, we discover three transformative realities: we participate in Jesus' life (the "in Christ" union that brings redemption, new creation, and freedom), we participate in the Spirit's anointing (what Pastor Nate calls "dove power"—gentle yet authoritative strength), and we participate in the Father's delight (the eternal love spoken over the Son now extended to us through adoption). This message challenges believers to embrace their identity as beloved children who represent Christ with both truth and tenderness, understanding that salvation is far more than forgiveness—it is union with the Triune God. Part of the series "The Promised King and His Good Kingdom."Link to Discussion QuestionsLink to Sermon Notes

Title: The Joy of Preparing for the KingSpeaker: Nate HoldridgeOverview: In this week's teaching from Calvary Monterey, Pastor Nate Holdridge examines the dramatic arrival of John the Baptist in Matthew 3. While John's message to "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" can sound harsh, this sermon uncovers the profound and surprising joy found in preparing our lives for King Jesus. Pastor Nate explains how John's call leads us into the liberating joy of true repentance, the refreshing joy of authenticity before God, and the deep joy of expiation—the complete cleansing from sin that only Jesus can provide. This is a foundational teaching on what it means to clear the way for the King to work in our lives.Link to Discussion QuestionsLink to Sermon Notes

Title: The King in Humble GlorySpeaker: Nate HoldridgeOverview: In this week's teaching from Calvary Monterey, Pastor Nate Holdridge examines Matthew 2:13-23, a passage filled with divine guidance, dangerous threats, and deep sorrow. Follow the young Messiah's family as they flee to Egypt, witness the fulfillment of prophecy in the midst of Herod's horrific cruelty, and discover the significance of their return to the obscure town of Nazareth. This sermon illustrates how Jesus is our true exodus from sin, our real return from spiritual exile, and the ultimate embodiment of a humble, servant King.Link to Discussion QuestionsLink to Sermon Notes

Title: Responding to the Legitimate KingSpeaker: Nate HoldridgeOverview: The arrival of a mysterious star and a group of foreign travelers in Jerusalem was more than a celestial event; it was a cosmic confrontation that forced a response. In this sermon, Pastor Nate Holdridge examines the explosive question asked by the Magi—"Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?"—and the three starkly different reactions it provoked from a paranoid ruler, an apathetic religious establishment, and a group of pagan seekers. This teaching from Matthew 2 challenges us to see that the birth of Christ is the arrival of the one legitimate King, demanding that every heart decide how they will respond: with worship, resistance, or indifference.Link to Discussion QuestionsLink to Sermon Notes