Monthly Update

As we enter into March, I am filled with hope and joy regarding God's work here on the Monterey Peninsula. I believe he is working in powerful ways, and some of the testimonies I've been exposed to this last month have only solidified that belief. I often feel I have a front-row seat to God's grace as he pulls men and women out of the darkness and into the light. Sometimes it is hard to see where God is working, but this is not one of those times for me. He is pushing back on the powers that be and delivering people from the ruts and routines our world offers.

To me, these are exciting times to be alive. The gospel, and the Scripture which accompanies it, offer a counter-narrative to the broken moral framework our society is holding onto right now. But when people build their lives on a foundation of sand, they eventually crumble, and it is in those moments Jesus' church can rush in with relief. We can show a better way. This is a significant part of what love is, holding out the truth, truth that is good and wholesome and helpful, to a generation blinded by lies. And, as I watch people come out of the darkness and into the light, my soul is encouraged.

God is on the move!

Article 600!

I recently posted my 600th article here at nateholdridge.com. It seems like yesterday that I sensed a conviction to begin regularly writing and posting articles, devotionals, and teachings to this site. And it certainly is (and was) a conviction. I concluded, during the winter and spring of 2016, that I needed to take writing more seriously, and began posting here that fall. So in 3.5 years, we've gotten up to 600 articles. I hope and pray for many more.

Plans: nateholdridge.com

With that in mind, thank you so much for reading some of the archival posts we push out twice per week (Mondays and Fridays). With so many fresh articles going out, sometimes older posts get lost in the shuffle. I have noticed many people have interacted with these reposts, and for that, I am grateful. Thanks for reading!

This month, I am going to pick up where I left off in my Guide For The Climb e-book series. This series is a 15-installment tour through the songs Israel sang when they climbed up (and back down) from Jerusalem for their various feasts. I believe they are an excellent template for our own Christian life of pilgrimage today. This month, we will get into Psalm 129, learning how to Become Steeled For Pilgrimage. It's a treatise on trials, and God's faithfulness within them. Look for the post on March 11.

I will also continue with fresh posts, mostly devotional, on Tuesdays and Thursdays this month. My own heart has been so uplifted by Scripture lately, and these devotional thoughts have come out of my time in the word. I hope they impact you as they have me.

Of course, I will also continue to post my Sunday and Tuesday night teaching notes. My prayer is that these would aid you in your understanding of the word today, but would also be a resource you can lean on tomorrow.

Mark & Genesis

As for teaching, this month, I will continue trucking through Mark on Sundays and Genesis on Tuesdays. By the time we get to April, I will have finally finished Mark 2. It has been a joy to take a slower pace through Mark so far. Slowing down to learn from Jesus is a good thing. I have especially enjoyed thinking about the kingdom he brought and how it was manifested in those early days of his ministry. It has increased my longing to be an extension of his kingdom today.

On Tuesdays, when I'm teaching, I will continue in Genesis. Now that we've completed Genesis 1-3, I have picked up the pace. The Tuesday teachings are longer, so I am still able to give the text solid treatment, but through March, we should finish through Genesis 13 or so. I am looking forward to getting into the life of the patriarchs, especially Abraham. Such rich Scripture.

Personal Update

I am happy to report that, at least at this point, I don't have any ministry or personal travel scheduled for the month. March is often a month I'll have a men's retreat or some other event to speak at, but after a bit of ministry and personal travel in January and February, it is great to be in town for the whole month.

As far as travel goes, you might've guessed from the picture above that our family went to Disneyland last month. The girls love that place, and I love it with them. They are growing up too quickly for my taste, and Christina and I savor time with them. This quick little trip was no different! We had such a good time together.

For March, Christina and I look forward to reuniting with our Life Group. We meet on Wednesday nights, and we cherish the relationships we've formed there.

Christ Unites

I know I've talked about it for a couple of months now, but it looks like this will finally be the month we get my next book out. Christ Unites: How Jesus Unites His People With His Purpose will be available on Amazon later this month. I will certainly send out a notification once it's online. Here is an excerpt:

Our world is fragmented. Nature is divided and at war with itself. Classes of people are at constant odds with one another. Nations wage war against others. Ethnicities hate and attack others. Religions battle. Genders clash. The spiritual dimension is divided between light and dark, good and evil. Even human nature itself is divided, for each individual is a dichotomy of good and evil.

Most of all, God and humanity are divided. But the plan of God in Christ is to crush all this fragmentation. Jesus is the only one who can. His cross is the only place that will. Someday we will see this deep cosmic renewal, but we are now part of His deep plan, living it out for His glory. -- from chapter 1.

And here is part of the back cover description:

In Christ Unites, Nate Holdridge will take you on a journey through Paul's letter to the Ephesian church. There, Jesus is seen as the head of the church, the originator of a new humanity designed to carry out His will. Each chapter tackles a different dimension of Christ's work at unifying all things to Himself, at His purpose and plan for His people.

Book Recommendation

This month, I would like to recommend the book Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions About Life And Sexuality by Nancy Pearcey. From abortion to the homosexual narrative, transgenderism to euthanasia, Pearcey highlights how the biblical view of the body should inform the Christian worldview. Her premise is that our society has embraced a low view of the body, which leads to unhealthy, unhelpful, or even abhorrent practices. As believers, the body is a gift from God, designed by him, and used to honor him. If you need help formulating and articulating a Christian/Biblical worldview on many hot-button ethical issues of our day, or if you have a hard time seeing how it's loving to hold a Biblical ethic, this book is for you.

Here are some excerpts:

Scripture treats body and soul as two sides of the same coin. The inner life of the soul is expressed through the outer life of the body.

In one sense, our bodies even have primacy over our spirits. After all, the body is the only avenue we have for expressing our inner life or for knowing another person's inner life. The body is the means by which the invisible is made visible.

As we face the social ills of our own day, we must move beyond denunciations that can sound harsh, angry, or judgmental and instead work to show that the biblical ethic is based on a positive view of the body as part of the image of God. The goal is not to win a culture war or to impose our views on others but to love our neighbor, which means working for our neighbor's good.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0741FFW4R/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

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Prayer Requests

• For God to open the doors for the expansion of the Calvary Monterey facility. We are running out of space!
• For wisdom in structuring our family schedule. With Sunday nights, Tuesday nights, and Life Group, our plate is full.
• For the emerging generations on the Monterey Peninsula, that their hearts would be opened to the gospel of Jesus!