Calvary Monterey Podcast

Title: How We CollideSpeaker: Nate HoldridgeOverview: In this Sunday message from Matthew 10:16-25, Pastor Nate Holdridge examines what it means for Christ's people to collide with darkness as they carry his life and light into dead and dark places. Jesus sends his disciples out as sheep among wolves, calling them to an intentional vulnerability marked by the wisdom of serpents and the innocence of doves. Pastor Nate walks through the church's realistic expectation of opposition—from courts and synagogues to governments and even families—while pointing to the Spirit's promised help in the hour of trial and the steadfast endurance that marks true disciples. Ultimately, this teaching calls us to behold Christ, the suffering Shepherd who not only models faithful endurance but became our substitute, bearing rejection and hatred for our sake.Link to Sermon Notes

Title: Upside Down WorrySpeaker: Nate HoldridgeOverview: In this week's sermon from the Sermon on the Mount series, Pastor Nate Holdridge walks through Matthew 6:25–34—one of Jesus' most famous and most challenged teachings on anxiety. Jesus commands His followers not to worry about food, clothing, or tomorrow, and supports that command with four vivid arguments drawn from birds, wildflowers, human limitations, and pagan behavior. But rather than offering a shallow "just stop worrying" message, Jesus exposes anxiety as the emotional residue of misplaced allegiance and calls His disciples to a radical reorientation: seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and let the Father handle the rest. We try to answer honest objections to the text—including the reality of clinical anxiety, the suffering of devout believers, and the necessity of hard work—and show how each objection, when examined carefully, actually reveals a deeper layer of what Jesus is saying. This sermon is for anyone navigating the relentless anxieties of modern life.Link to Sermon NotesLink to Discussion Questions

Teaching today at our Women's Gathering is Leanne Tuggle on the topic of Mary and Martha.

Title: The Upside Down Spiritual LifeSpeaker: Nate HoldridgeOverview: In 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.Link to Sermon NotesLink to Discussion Questions

Title: Upside Down Interior LifeSpeaker: Nate HoldridgeOverview: In 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.Link to Sermon NotesLink to Discussion Questions

Title: Upside Down Interior LifeSpeaker: Nate HoldridgeOverview: In 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.Link to Sermon Notes

Title: How God Forms UsSpeaker: Pastor Nate HoldridgeOverview: Men, we all know the challenges we’re up against—pressure from the world, temptations that tug at our hearts, and trials that test our faith. But we weren’t meant to walk this road alone. God, in His grace, not only walks with us but surrounds us with brothers who are on the same journey. Together, we’re being shaped—FORMED—into the likeness of Christ. This year, at our men’s conference, we’re diving into what that formation really looks like. Through worship, teaching, and times of fellowship, we’ll be encouraged and challenged to become the men God has called us to be—for our families, our churches, and our communities. Make plans to join us. You’re not alone, and your story isn’t finished. Final session of our Men's Conference with Pastor Nate teaching on how God forms us.