Title: His Presence Brings Strength
Speaker: Kelly Bell
Overview: Session 1 of our 2025 Women’s Conference on the theme of Psalm 27.

Title: His Identity and Purpose
Speaker: Nate Holdridge
Overview: In this sermon on Matthew 1:18-25, Pastor Nate Holdridge explores the most foundational question of the Christian faith: "Who is Jesus?" By examining the angelic announcement to Joseph, we discover that Jesus' identity is threefold: he is fully human, fully God, and the long-awaited Son of David. Pastor Nate explains how this unique identity is the necessary foundation for Jesus' purpose—to be Immanuel, "God with us," and to save His people from their sins. This teaching challenges us to find our ultimate identity not in our performance or affiliations, but in the person and mission of King Jesus.

Link to Discussion Questions

Link to Sermon Notes

Title: The New Beginning
Speaker: Nate Holdridge
Overview: In this teaching from Matthew 1:1–17, Pastor Nate Holdridge opens the Gospel of Matthew by exploring the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Far from a dry list of names, this passage proclaims the arrival of the Promised King and a new beginning for humanity. Pastor Nate highlights how Matthew intentionally connects Jesus to David and Abraham, includes outsiders and the broken in His lineage, and points to the fulfillment of God’s promises through the Incarnate King. This sermon encourages us to see Jesus as the one who brings mercy, justice, and hope—not only to Israel but to all nations.

Link to Discussion Questions

Link to Sermon Notes

Speaker: Nate Holdridge
Text: John 15:1-16:4
Overview: In this sermon from Calvary Monterey, Pastor Nate Holdridge examines John 15 to reveal the blueprint for a life of full and lasting joy. Jesus teaches that this joy is not a feeling we chase but the result of cultivating three essential relationships: an upward relationship of abiding in Him, an inward relationship of loving His people, and an outward relationship of resilient witness to the world. This teaching provides a clear and practical diagnostic for our spiritual health, inviting us to find our ultimate satisfaction in our connection to Christ and His body.

Link to Discussion Questions

Speaker: Matt Kehler
Text: Ephesians 3:14-21
Overview: This Sunday we have a special message from our Family Pastor Matt Kehler.

Link to Discussion Questions

Title: How can we partner with the Holy Spirit?
Speaker: Nate Holdridge
Overview: In this message on partnering with the Holy Spirit, Pastor Nate Holdridge examines the dramatic transformation of the disciples from fearful, self-focused men to bold witnesses empowered for global mission. We’ll explore how believers today can actively cooperate with the Spirit through earnestly desiring spiritual gifts and being filled with His power. Nate provides a comprehensive survey of biblical spiritual gifts—from teaching and exhortation to healing and prophecy—while maintaining that love must be the controlling principle for all Spirit-led ministry. Our hope is that you will be equipped to test spiritual expressions against biblical criteria while pursuing the desperate need for divine strength to face today's cultural and spiritual strongholds.

Title: Who is the Holy Spirit? | The Person and Power of God's Spirit
Speaker: Nate Holdridge
Overview: In this first message of a three-week series on the Holy Spirit, Pastor Nate Holdridge examines the fundamental question "Who is the Holy Spirit?" He addresses three common church errors regarding the Spirit—abuse, rejection, and neglect—while establishing from Scripture that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity, fully God and co-equal with the Father and Son. Through biblical evidence, he demonstrates the Spirit's divine attributes and personal nature, challenging believers to relate to him not as an impersonal force but as the divine Person who serves as our Helper, Comforter, and intercessor. The message calls Calvary Monterey to pursue biblical balance while maintaining genuine spiritual hunger for the Spirit's work in their lives and ministry.

Pastor Nate Holdridge concludes our study at our Women’s Gatherings this year in Hebrews chapter 12.

Title: Sing to Him a New Song
Speaker: Nate Holdridge
Text: Psalm 33
Overview: Pastor Nate Holdridge teaches through Psalm 33, an anonymous psalm that calls believers to sing a "new song" to the Lord. The sermon examines three central truths about God from this psalm: His power and goodness revealed through creation and His Word, His sovereign plan that supersedes human counsel, and His worthiness of our trust over earthly securities. Pastor Nate traces how the Book of Psalms progressively moves toward praise, explains the significance of God's steadfast love (chesed) throughout creation, and addresses the modern "false hopes" that compete for our trust. The message concludes with practical application for becoming worshippers who engage both exuberantly and sincerely in their faith.

Title: The Happiest People on Earth
Speaker: Nate Holdridge
Text: Psalm 32
Overview: In this week’s teaching, Pastor Nate Holdridge walks through Psalm 32, painting a vivid picture of the happiest people on earth—those who know their sin, know their Lord, and have experienced the joy of full forgiveness. Through David’s testimony, we see the misery of hidden guilt, the turning point of true repentance, and the beauty of God’s steadfast love that surrounds the forgiven. This message invites us to drop our self-made coverings, run to the Lord as our hiding place, and enter into the freedom, guidance, and joy that only he can give.