Upside-Down Savior - Pastor Nathan Nass

Just like in America today, politics in ancient Israel were complicated and divisive. In fact, Jesus’ enemies tried to use politics to get Jesus to sin. Of course, it didn’t work. Even in the realm of politics, Jesus knew exactly what to say. When asked whether believers in God should pay taxes, he said, “ Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s ” (Matthew 22:21). When Jesus...

Weddings are a one-in-a-lifetime event, especially when they involve someone you love. If your son or daughter or grandchild is getting married, you’ll take off work, fly across the country, and do whatever is necessary to be part of their special day. You don’t want to miss the wedding of someone you love. So don’t miss God’s wedding invitation to you. The whole Bible is a love story whose grand...

God is patient. Incredibly patient. In fact, you could say that God is almost recklessly patient. He is patient with us beyond the limits of human patience. But even God’s reckless patience doesn’t last forever. He wants us to repent of our sins, trust in Jesus, and produce good fruits of faith in our lives. I hope you can listen to this sermon about one of Jesus’ parables: “Reckless Patience.” Wh...

It’s easy to say we’re going to do something. Do you know what’s hard? Actually doing it. Would you agree? It’s easy to say we’re Christians. It’s easy to say we follow Jesus. Do you know what’s hard? Actually doing what Jesus says. So the Bible gives this encouragement: “ Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says ” (James 1:22). Jesus told a parable about that....

One of the hardest things for us to truly understand is God’s grace. Grace is God’s undeserved love for sinners. Why is that so hard to understand? Because we always think we do something to deserve it. “I’m better than she is because…” “God should love me because…” “If anybody’s going to make it into heaven, it’s me because…” So Jesus tells us a story—a parable. When you hear it, it’s probably go...

It’s hard to forgive. Would you agree? It’s easy to be bitter. It’s easy to harbor grudges in our hearts. It’s easy to be angry. It’s hard to forgive. At least it was for Peter. Peter once asked Jesus how many times he needed to forgive his neighbor. There’s got to be a limit, right? Instead, Jesus taught Peter that a Christian forgives every time. How? Well, because that’s how often Jesus has for...

God loves you so much that he tells you when you’re wrong. God cares about you so much that he’s willing to tell you, “No!” Contrary to the popular idea today that love accepts everything, that love praises everything, the Bible teaches us that true love means confronting sin, so that we and others can repent, turn to Jesus for forgiveness, and be saved. God says, “As surely as I live, declares th...

The cross proves that Jesus knows you, and he still loves you. Do you believe that? Jesus knows what you’ve done to him. Jesus knows what you’ve said about him. Jesus knows what you’re really like, and he still loves you! Jesus knows what you’ve done to others. Jesus knows what you’ve said about others. Jesus knows what your heart has wished against others. And he still loves you! God has seen you...

Jesus does it all. Some days your heart is filled with guilt. Regret. Sin. Where can you turn? Jesus. He died for you. He’s your Priest! Other days your heart is filled with worry. Fear. Doubt. Where can you turn? Jesus. He reigns for you. He’s your King! The One who reigns over everything loves you enough to die for you. The One who loves you enough to die for you reigns over everything. The One...

It’s easy to feel discouraged and depressed. It’s easy to doubt God’s love and care for us. It’s easy to wonder if we’re all alone. If things will ever get better. Do you ever feel like that? God’s people often did in the Bible, especially in the days of the prophet Zechariah. So do you know what God did? He gave them one beautiful promise after another. You are not alone. You are loved. You are s...

Who is your shepherd? According to the Bible, all of us are sheep. Every one of us is following someone. Who is your shepherd? How much is your shepherd worth to you? According to the Bible, there are lots of false teachers in our world, who preach their own ideas for their own personal gain. They encourage us to build our lives on sand. But then there’s Jesus. He didn’t come to be served, but to...

“He restores my soul” (Psalm 23:3). Isn’t that what all of us need? Restoration? Restoration for our hearts. Restoration for our souls. Restoration for our lives. Sin is like a tornado that leaves a trail of destruction both inside us and outside us. Jesus came to restore our souls. In fact, the Old Testament is filled with “restoration promises.” Beautiful promises that God will restore his peopl...

Does the food we eat impact our relationship with God? That’s a question that believers in God have asked over and over again. Do we need to fast (not eat for periods of time)? In the Old Testament, God gave his people a powerful answer: “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigne...

Our God is so big that he loves to make himself small for us. Like a baby in a manger. What’s smaller than a baby in a manger? Yet, that’s how God become one of us. Our God is so big that he loves to make himself small for us. Like at the cross. What’s more insignificant than a man being executed? Yet, that’s how God saved us. I know it might not look like God is doing anything in your life right...

You are no accident. You are no animal. You are not worthless. You are God’s special creation, whom he formed and created and redeemed and loved. “In the beginning God created…” It’s hard to think of more important words in the world. Whether you believe those five words will impact your entire perspective on life. And then add this: “And when I think that God, his Son not sparing, sent him to die...

It’s tempting for us to take credit for what God has done. To make it seem like at least part of our salvation depends on us. To make sure some of the glory goes to us for the good things in our lives. Do you know whom we’re forgetting? The Holy Spirit! The Bible says, “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3). Faith doesn’t come from our decision. It’s by t...

We too often live our lives under the clouds. Life can seem so dark and gloomy. On Ascension Day, Jesus wants to give us a glimpse behind the clouds. God wants you to see the hand of Jesus ruling the world. God wants you to see the hand of Jesus ruling in his church. God wants you to see the hand of Jesus ruling in your life. Jesus wants us to see behind the clouds. It’s so much better! There you...

This past Sunday was Mother’s Day. We all thought of ways to show our moms that we love them: Flowers, cards, brunch, phone calls… After all that our mothers have done for us, of course we want to show them our love. Isn’t it the same with Jesus? Jesus has done even more for us than our moms have, like dying on the cross for our sins and rising from the dead to give us eternal life. After all that...

There are so many different paths in life. So many decisions to make. So much uncertainty about the future. How can we know the way? Here’s what Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus is the Way. It’s by believing in him that we have eternal life. It’s through his blood shed on the cross that we have forgiveness. It’s...

Listen to your Good Shepherd’s invitation: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Isn’t that great to hear? When we go to people for help, how often don’t they point us in another direction? “Go to the doctor.” “Go see a specialist.” Not Jesus. What does he say? “Come to me.” The devil’s going to tell you to run. He’s going to tell you to hide f...

Nothing lasts forever. Isn’t that the truth? Cars wear out. Money disappears. Health comes and goes. So many of the things we depend on in life let us down. So many of the things we focus on are so temporary. Do you want something more? Do you want something that really lasts? Listen to what the Bible says: “You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living...

There’s something that we all need every day: Hope. To know that today is leading to something better tomorrow. That’s hope! To believe that no matter what the present is like, you can look forward to the future. That’s hope. Do you need hope? God wants to give you a “living hope” through Jesus and his resurrection. “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resur...

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). This is the gospel: Jesus died for all your sins. Jesus rose after three days to give you eternal life in heaven. There is nothing...

At the heart of Good Friday is this verse: “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Why did Jesus die on the cross? For you. Every action. Every suffering. Every pain. For you. So you can say, “Jesus was pierced for my transgressions, he was crushed for my iniquities...

The Lord’s Supper is the very best medicine. We have some powerful medicines in our world today. Medicines that God uses to heal diseases. But when you fill a prescription for a medication, it’s illegal to share that medicine with anyone else. Why? Isn’t medicine a good thing? Yes, but only when it’s used in the right way! The same medicine that saves your life could end the life of someone else....