Jesus Famous With Nate Holdridge

Here’s a quick update from Riley about some new stuff coming at you from the Jesus Famous Podcast. If you’re a listener to this podcast, then check it out! Link to Pastor Nate’s article about his recent Sabbatical:https://www.nateholdridge.com/blog/sabbatical-update-greatest-summer-of-my-life nateholdridge.cominstagram.com/nateholdridgetwitter.com/nholdridgecalvary.com

"He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers." (Psalm 1:3). The above verse describes the man who delights in the law of the LORD, meditating on Scripture day and night. He is not sucked into the course of this world, but instead lives a life filled with the things of God. He delights in the word of God and makes it his continual feast. What results from such a life of Bible love? What comes from a life which pursues righteousness by pursuing God? This person becomes like a tree, growing, alive, and fruitful. And the life they display never fades, for the leaf on this tree does not wither. Everything they do prospers. But focus for a moment on the description of the fruit. "He is like a tree...that yields fruit in its season." Most trees do not bear fruit year-round but have seasons for fruitfulness. Humans who walk with God, it seems, are the same. We have seasons of greater fruitfulness than others. Wisdom Abou

“Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.” (Jeremiah 1:6–7 ESV). Jeremiah might be my favorite prophet. With endurance and steadfastness, he pushed and pulled with the nation of Israel, but also with God. His road, like all the prophets', was hard. The people would reject him, over and over again, and he had to say hard words. His start began privately. God had recruited him. God spoke to him, telling Jeremiah he knew him from before he was even formed in his mother's womb. Jeremiah was alive at that moment and in that place and with that heritage by the sovereign planning of God. He was God's man to bring a hard message to a rebellious people. But Jeremiah didn't want to do it. Don't be so shocked. At times, you've felt similarly. Jeremiah's excuse was simple. "I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth

“Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.” (Acts 19:18–20 ESV). Over a million dollars worth chucked into the fire. New Ephesian converts took their magic books and paraphernalia, demonic stuff that it was, and destroyed it all. Someone took the time to count up the street value — 50K in pieces of silver, worth over a million in modern times. What was truly impressive, however, was not the evaluation of all they disposed of in those ancient fires, but the victory Christ had won in their hearts. People who had previously been all wrapped up in witchcraft, set free by the blood of Jesus. His love had melted away their excuses and won their hearts. Individual by individual, people of Ephes

"When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.” (Joshua 5:13–15). The Obstacle Joshua, the newly minted leader of Israel, was perplexed. Moses always knew what to do, but now he was gone. In recent days, God worked miraculously to bring nomadic Israel into the permanence of the Promised Land, parting the Jordan River's floodwaters so they could enter in. Forty years earlier God had split the Red Sea for their parents and grandparents, and now God showed this new generation his favor. H

"Be still, and know that I am God." - Psalm 46:10 He stood powerless in front of the people. Thousands had gathered. For them, life had become hopeless, and this man had told them to follow him. And follow they did, leaving everything to give him a shot. But now he stood, fearing he'd made a mistake. He might have led them straight to their demise. The more they stood, the more death felt bound to destroy them. The enemy, strong and fierce, bore down upon them. Weapons were drawn. Warhorses clamored for blood. Their end was in sight. The people looked to their once fearless leader. Complaints flowed from their mouths. So Moses said, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD" (Exodus 14:13). The people thought the Red Sea was their great doom, but in truth, it was God's great weapon. Soon, all would be well. God would take care of everything. "Be still," God said, "And know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). The words mean to let it drop, relax, or sink. Stop treading water in a vain attempt for your

"But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness." (2 Timothy 2:16) Keep talking, bro. Pretty soon nothing will be unholy. Everything will be sacred. No desire will be refused. Keep on babbling. Let the words twist and turn. Create arguments. Make it more complex than it has to be. If you keep at it, you'll hack down the whole tree. Soon, you'll be left with a stump of a belief system which will cohabitate nicely with your world's. Like chopping down a tree, "irreverent babble" chops away at the word of God until unholiness becomes a myth. Paul said, "it will lead people into more and more ungodliness." More and more. As in, increasing. The ungodliness gets bigger with the Youtube uploads. God is not feared, so the writer writes, the speaker speaks, and waywardness is on the rise! You can twist and turn your way into folly. Paul knew this. So he said, "avoid irreverent babble." The problem, though, is that many unknowingly engage in it. They talk and talk without any real k

Chapter 3 — Have a Vision for the Gathering (Psalm 122) “A SONG OF ASCENTS. OF DAVID. I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!” Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together, to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! “May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!” For my brothers and companions’ sake I will say, “Peace be within you!” For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.” (Psalm 122). Our ancient Hebrew pilgrim, readying himself for the journey to Jerusalem, wanted God in his life. He wanted God every day, not only during the three annual feasts at the temple. He understood, though, how limited his everyday experience with God would be if he didn't go to J

"A man's spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?" (Proverbs 18:14) "I cannot go," John said. "No, strike that, I could go, but I won't." "But why not?" Alexis was confused. "I just can't handle it right now. I am so torn up and broken and tired. I'm afraid I just might meltdown in front of everyone. I don't want to go postal in front of all my friends." "I think you need to get out," Alexis countered. "It will be good for you to get some fresh air and be around others. I mean, I know you're hurting, but..." John interrupted. "Oh, you know I'm hurting! Wow. Well, that's great to know. I mean, it is so reassuring to know you know I'm a hurt person! 'Poor little John, he needs our help!' It that what you think, Alexis?" Alexis didn't know how to respond. John had battled through some trials as of late, but his response seemed entirely out of place. He had stopped attending church, wouldn't respond to texts, and never accepted an invitation to anything. He was so down. She knew he wa

“Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,” (Revelation 1:12 ESV). None of the gospel writers tried to do it. They could have, but Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John never attempted to describe Jesus' outward appearance. Jesus' words, actions, and passion all elicited full detail, but not his looks. We might try to imagine him, and many ancient and contemporary artists have rendered him, but it is all speculative, and usually quite off. But there is one moment Jesus' physical appearance is recorded. In the first chapter of Revelation, John had a vision of the exalted and glorified Christ. It is the book of Revelation after all, and Jesus is the one whom it reveals. And when John saw him, he fell at his feet as dead (Revelation 1:17). He was astounded at the power and beauty of King Jesus. Zechariah said, "How great is his goodness, and how great his beauty!" (Zechariah 9:17). John would agree. We are often tempted to paint a caricature of Jesus, our own li

“Thus says the LORD to you, O Baruch: You said, ‘Woe is me! For the LORD has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.’ Thus says the LORD: Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up—that is, the whole land. And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the LORD. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go.” (from Jeremiah 45:1–5). I like to run trails, but I'm not fast. I'm friends with some runners I could never keep up with and, if they wanted to, they could leave me behind in the parking lot. Jeremiah was an awe-inspiring prophet, a true man of God. He labored and preached and prophesied with endurance. He was a tough guy to keep up with. Baruch's Fatigue He did, however, have a co-laborer. Baruch wrote down Jeremiah's dictation. One day, Baruch began to say to himself, "Woe is me! For the LORD has added sorrow to my pain.

Hebrews 6:18 says we can "have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us." You might immediately think of a hope or a dream. As the author tells of Abraham and how he clung to God's promise, you might find the strength to hold onto promises you think God has personally made to you. The author, though, isn't trying to connect you to your dreams, but God's. He wants you to know the promise God made Abraham is one Christians are recipients of today. We are meant to believe the promise Abraham believed. If we understand the promise God made to him, we will have an anchor for our lives today. So what was the promise God made Abraham? 1. God Made a Promise (6:13-14) For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you." (Hebrews 6:13-14) God chose Abraham, who lived in the aftermath of the Noahic flood. God looked for someone to give and fulfill his purposes through. He had planned to rede

God can save anybody. If you are a Christian, you know it's true. God can reach into any life and heal their brokenness and forgive their sin. Often, though, what we know disconnects itself from how we act. We say God can save anyone, but do we believe it? The way the church in Philippi started is a beautiful reminder for modern believers. We need to recall how grace can reach anywhere. Up, down, out, or in, the gospel of Jesus Christ is for all of humanity. 1. The Affluent And Succesful -- Lydia (Acts 16:11-14) When Paul arrived in Philippi, he sought out the local synagogue. He was a "to the Jew first, and also the Greek" kinda guy, but this European town's Jewish population was too small to have a synagogue. Paul knew, though, that if there were any devout Jews at all in Philippi, they'd at least find a space in nature where they could gather. And by a riverside, Paul discovered them, a handful of Jewish women. After sharing the gospel with them, one woman in particular believed. She became Paul's first co

Our pilgrim has made his decision -- he will leave his home and embark on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship God. He has said enough is enough. The way of the world is an anathema to him now. He will leave his village and launch into sojourn. He has decided to go up to God's city. He will be one of those crazy Israelites who leaves everything three times each year to worship God. He will lay down his own will and plans and follow God’s. But as soon as he makes that decision the pilgrim has a question. It is the same question you might ask today. What will happen to me if I go on pilgrimage? What will happen to me if I am serious about the Christian life? What will happen to me if I decide to place God at the center of my life, giving Him His rightful position? If I choose the word of God will become the voice that I build my life and decisions and priorities upon, what will become of me? If I decide to make prayer a constant part of my daily life in Christ, what will become of me? If I begin loving the chur

In this episode of the Jesus Famous Podcast, we will have a conversation about Pastor Nate’s article entitled “God’s Systematic Destruction Of Our Self-Reliance". 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/gods-systematic-destruction-of-our-self-reliance-2-corinthians-1-8-9 nateholdridge.cominstagram.com/nateholdridgetwitter.com/nholdridgecalvary.com

“As unknown, and yet well known...” (2 Corinthians 6:9). Paul had a roller coaster relationship with the church in Corinth. They loved him. Then they hated him. They admired him. Then they belittled him. Like the ocean tide, the Corinthian believers were up and down in their estimation of the apostle. Paul's Paradoxical Ministry At one point in 2 Corinthians, Paul detailed his ministry to them. He wrote of various pains he'd endured: afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, and hunger. What fun! They had attached themselves to other teachers and leaders who wouldn't suffer a hangnail for the gospel's sake, so his list was a way to demonstrate the legitimacy of his apostleship. Christ had sent the guy, and he was willing to pay the price. After listing his hardships, Paul listed a few character traits. He wrote of different ways God shaped him: purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God. He was

"Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him..." (Acts 16:1-3) You know that good feeling you get when you just click with someone? When you "get" them and they "get" you? Me too. I have it whenever I read about Timothy. Once he joined Paul's second missions trip team, the kid never looked back. God had a bright future in store for him. Good thing he said "yes" to Paul's invitation. But I love Timothy and feel a connection to him, not so much for his successes, but his weaknesses. Funny how that goes, right? We love hearing of inadequacies, fears, and limitations in others, especially in people we admire, and I look up to Timothy. He served Christ with his whole life. He became a solid pastor. The guy could handle leading the church at Ephesus, which was no small task. He was a good man

In this episode of the Jesus Famous Podcast, we will have a conversation about Pastor Nate’s article entitled “Jesus Brings His People Into True Rest". 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/jesus-brings-his-people-into-true-rest-hebrews-4-1-13 nateholdridge.cominstagram.com/nateholdridgetwitter.com/nholdridgecalvary.com

“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3 NKJV). You used to like email: no more postage! Immediate communication! Every time-saving technology we introduce, however, ends up demanding more time than we ever dreamed. Humankind is good at many things. One of them is adding complexity to nearly everything. This can be good in many areas: we've got mouths to feed, after all. But one major area to war against complexity is our relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul worried about the Corinthian church. He had shared the gospel in their city for a couple of years. He wanted to present them to Jesus like a bride ready for her groom. He feared, though, that the serpent who deceived Eve would also deceive them. He hated the idea of their minds being corrupted "from the simplicity that is in Christ." From simplicity to complexity, that is the poisonous trend. The Corinthian church went there. A

In this episode of the Jesus Famous Podcast, we will have a conversation about Pastor Nate’s article entitled “Jeremiah Wasn't Always Alone -- Neither Are You". 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/jeremiah-wasnt-always-alone-neither-are-you-jeremiah-2620 nateholdridge.cominstagram.com/nateholdridgetwitter.com/nholdridgecalvary.com