Podcast
Through the Bible - Matthew
Hosted by Calvary Church · EN
Pastor Nate Holdridge loves Jesus and the Bible Jesus gave to the world. Since 1996, the Scripture has captivated Nate’s mind and heart, believing the entirety of the book points to the Son of God, Jesus Christ the righteous (Revelation 19:10, John 5:36).
26episodes
Episodes
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Matthew 6:7-15
Mar 500:40:48Tap to summarizeIn this week's Sunday sermon from Matthew 6:7–15, Pastor Nate Holdridge walks through one of the most familiar passages in all of Scripture—the Lord's Prayer. Rather than treating it as a rote recitation, we’ll unpack it as a template for a rich, structured prayer life: compact enough to pray in a minute, expansive enough to carry a lifetime of conversation with God. Working through the two halves of the prayer, we explore what it means to begin with the Father's honor, rule, and will before turning to our own needs for provision, forgiveness, and daily leadership. If your prayer life has grown mechanical, rushed, or shallow, this message is an invitation back to the closet and back to the Father who is already waiting.
Transcribe →Matthew 6:1-18
Feb 2600:37:15Tap to summarizeIn this sermon from Matthew 6:1-18, Pastor Nate Holdridge walks through Jesus' warning against performative religion — the danger of doing the right things for the wrong audience. Jesus gives three illustrations of this temptation: giving to the poor with a trumpet blast, praying on street corners for maximum visibility, and fasting with a disfigured face designed to advertise spiritual discipline. In each case, Jesus contrasts the hypocrite who has already been "paid in full" with human applause against the disciple who practices righteousness in secret before a Father who sees, knows, and rewards. Pastor Nate shows how the Fatherhood of God — mentioned ten times in this passage — is the controlling center that transforms our motivations, turning us from an audience of peers to an audience of One. This teaching includes practical guidance on biblical fasting, an honest look at why the contemporary church has been slow to teach on fasting, and a call for every believer to embrace the secret life of faith that Jesus assumes of all His followers.
Transcribe →Matthew 5:33-48
Feb 2200:41:42Tap to summarizeIn this week's sermon from Calvary Monterey's ongoing series through the Gospel of Matthew, Nate Holdridge walks through the final three of Jesus' six antitheses in Matthew 5:33–48 — the passage on oaths, retaliation, and enemy love. Under the title "The Upside Down Life With Others," Nate shows how Jesus was not abolishing the Old Testament but driving his listeners past the letter of the law to its deepest intention: a community of people so anchored in God that their trustworthiness needs no oath to confirm it, their security needs no retaliation to protect it, and their love needs no worthy recipient to motivate it. The sermon unpacks what it means to be radically trustworthy, radically surprising, and radically loving — and lands on the stunning closing command of Matthew 5, "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect," not as a burden but as an invitation to fix our eyes on the One who fulfilled every word of it on our behalf.
Transcribe →Matthew 5:21-32
Feb 1500:49:11Tap to summarizeIn this teaching from the Sermon on the Mount, Pastor Nate Holdridge explores Matthew 5:21-32, where Jesus begins to reveal the radical, internal transformation He desires for His people. By addressing the root issues of anger, lust, and marital unfaithfulness, Nate shows how Jesus moves beyond external religious checklists to claim authority over our interior lives. We see that the Kingdom of Heaven isn't just about avoiding murder or adultery; it’s about a radical devotion to reconciliation, a commitment to sexual purity, and a high esteem for the marriage covenant. Join us as we learn how Jesus’ "upside down" ethics provide a protective shield for the vulnerable and lead us toward a life of true flourishing grounded in the Gospel.
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Matthew 5:17-20
Feb 500:38:47Tap to summarizeIn this sermon from Matthew 5:17–20, Pastor Nate Holdridge examines one of Jesus' most striking claims: that He came not to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them. Walking through each verse, we’ll consider how Jesus is the destination of the entire biblical story—the One every sacrifice, prophecy, and promise was pointing toward. We’ll think about why the Old Testament still carries divine weight for believers today, how Jesus defines true greatness as living and teaching by Scripture, and why the impossible standard of righteousness that exceeds the Pharisees is actually an invitation to receive what only Christ can produce in us. This message is part of the ongoing series through Matthew called "The Promised King and His Good Kingdom," currently in part two: "The Upside Down Kingdom Arrives."
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Matthew 5:9-16
Jan 2200:34:49Tap to summarizeIn this Sunday sermon from Matthew 5:9-16, Pastor Nate Holdridge explores what it means to live "The Upside Down Life" as citizens of Christ's kingdom. Drawing from the final beatitudes and Jesus' powerful declarations about salt and light, we’ll examine four key aspects of Christian identity: imitating God as peacemakers, standing with the prophets through persecution, functioning as salt that preserves and flavors the world, and shining as light that cannot be hidden. Using examples from Abigail's peacemaking efforts and Jeremiah's suffering, this message challenges believers to embrace the central call of the Christian life—to simply be who we already are in Christ.
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Matthew 5:6-8
Jan 1500:38:24Tap to summarizeIn this teaching from the Sermon on the Mount, Pastor Nate Holdridge continues through the Beatitudes by examining Matthew 5:6-8. Jesus describes an "upside down heart" that contradicts the world's values: while the world says to hunger for success, Jesus blesses those who hunger for righteousness; while the world says to get what you deserve, Jesus blesses those who give mercy to others; while the world says to manage your image, Jesus blesses those who purify their hearts. Pastor Nate unpacks each beatitude by exploring what it is, what it isn't, what it looked like in Jesus, and the promised result for those who embody it. This sermon emphasizes that the Beatitudes are not moralistic commands to try harder but descriptions of the fruit Jesus produces in those who follow him—transformation from the inside out.
Transcribe →Matthew 4:12-25
Nov 2300:46:13Tap to summarizePastor 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.
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Matthew 4:1-11
Nov 1600:42:37Tap to summarizePastor 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.
Transcribe →Matthew 3:13-17
Nov 200:39:04Tap to summarizeIn 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."
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