Upside-Down Savior - Pastor Nathan Nass

You’re lovely because God loves you!

Jesus didn’t come down to show you the steps you have to take to get to heaven. Jesus is the steps to heaven. He’s not your role model. He is the Way! Jesus didn’t come to give you some pointers on avoiding sin in your life. Jesus came to take all your sins away by dying for you on the cross. He isn’t your coach. He’s your Savior! Jesus doesn’t sit back and see if you are naughty or nice. He comes...

No matter what your earthly father has been like, good or bad, alive or dead, you still have a Father! You’re not alone. In those moments when you just need a hug, Jesus is there. In those moments when you just need someone to talk to, Jesus is there. “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him” (Psalm 103:13). I hope you can listen to this Advent...

Life usually isn’t a day at the beach. But even when your life feels like the driest, deadest desert, God can make deserts bloom. God can make deserts be glad. He has the power to heal and save here on earth, and, because of Jesus’ victory on the cross, he promises everlasting joy for you in heaven. So what is it you need to preach to your soul? “ Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that...

Jesus is our “Mighty God.” Do you believe that? That’s not always what we want. When we sin, we pretend that Jesus is small. That he doesn’t care. When the troubles of life overwhelm us, we think that Jesus is powerless. That he can’t help. But that’s not true! Jesus is the Mighty God that we need. More powerful than our sin. More powerful than any evil or danger or trial of life. When you see the...

Hope. Need some? God’s Word calls out to you a message of hope. You might feel in the depths. You might see your sins piling up. The devil is going to tell you to give up and give in. But there’s a voice that’s singing. “With God there is forgiveness. In his Word I put my hope. With God there is forgiveness. In his Word I put my hope.” The devil has tried, but he can never silence that song of hop...

Jesus is our “Wonderful Counselor.” I need counseling. You do too. Did you know that? We need someone to sit us down and tell us the truth about ourselves. And, even more, we need someone to comfort us with God’s grace to us. Jesus does both. As you prepare your heart this Advent season, I hope you can listen to this Advent sermon about Jesus: “Wonderful Counselor.” God bless you!

As we enter Advent, I want you to notice something: We often treat Jesus like he’s still a baby, and it’s not a good thing. Sometimes, we ignore Jesus and his Word. He’s just a baby anyway, right? Other times, we doubt Jesus and his power. He’s just a baby anymore, right? No! At the end of the Bible, Jesus let his disciples John see him as he really is: Eyes like fire, a voice like rushing waters,...

This Thanksgiving, remember this: “The Lord has let us live another day.” Do you realize that? Our Savior God has let us live another day by redeeming us through Jesus and providing absolutely everything we need and have by his grace. When you’re at your very best, remember, “The Lord has let me live another day.” When you feel like you have nothing, remember, “The Lord has let me live another day...

“How long, O Lord?” Have you ever prayed that? I bet you have. I bet you have over and over again. “How long, O Lord? How long will I have to suffer? How long will life be so unfair? How long will you let all the wrong people be successful? How long will your people seem to be trampled and ignored? How long?” Did you know that Christians in heaven are praying that same prayer? “How long?” God comf...

“How are you doing?” That’s probably the most commonly asked question. It’s also probably one of the hardest questions to answer. Do you ever tell the truth? “How are you doing?” What do we say? “Good. Pretty good. Okay.” There’s another option: “I’m blessed.” Can you say that with me? “I’m blessed.” That doesn’t mean everything’s going great. It means you know what Jesus has done for you at the c...

What’s a Lutheran? I bet some of you ask that. I bet people ask you that. What do you say? “What’s a Lutheran?” October 31st is Reformation Day—the birthday of the Lutheran church. Lutherans confess, “The biggest problem in my life is my sin.” And Lutherans believe, “I am saved by grace alone, by faith alone, by Scripture alone, through Christ alone.” As a Lutheran pastor, I’m a little biased, but...

There are no better stories than stories of lost and found. The Bible is full of them. Like Zacchaeus. Remember him? He’s the “wee little man” that the children’s song sings about. But he was lost. Lost in sin and doubt and fear. And Jesus rescued him. All by grace. “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Did you know that Jesus has done the same for you and me? He came to...

There is something so impossible, a camel will fit through the eye of a needle before it happens. Do you know what it is? Save yourself. “Come on,” we say. “That doesn’t sound so hard. I’m a pretty good person. I try my best…” In our sermon this Sunday, we heard about a young man who did just that. He thought he was a pretty good person. He claimed he always tried his best. And he walked away from...

When you’re anxious… When you’re thankful… When you’re alone… When you’re happy… When you’re worried about the future… When you’re grateful for today… In all of those moments, Jesus encourages you to do something: “Always pray and never give up” (Luke 18:1). On good days, it’s easy to think that we can handle life on our own. “I don’t need to pray!” On bad days, it’s easy to think that God doesn’t...

It’s tempting for us to think that faith in Jesus means going to church on Sundays—or once in a while. That couldn’t be further from the truth! Trust in Jesus as our Savior is meant to impact every area of life: “The righteous will live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). Jesus described three ways that faith in him impacts our daily live: A life of faith takes sin seriously. A life of faith always forgives...

Will everyone be saved? Just about all people are hoping to end up in a better place after death. Just about everyone wants to go to heaven. Will everyone be saved? No. The Bible says, “Whoever believes in him [Jesus] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:18).I hope you can listen to thi...