Christ Street Fellowship

This week, Pastor Nate continues our fall spiritual growth campaign through the Songs of Ascent with Psalms 122 and 123, reminding us that the Christian life is a pilgrimage that has a pattern we see repeated in these Psalms: Desperation, Dependence, Delight. Desperation because of the sin that permeates this earth, dependence on an all-sufficient God, and delight when we arrive home in His presence! 

In Psalm 122, King David rejoices to go to the house of the Lord, teaching us that worship is both our destination and our purpose along the way. Worship isn’t based on feelings but on truth the truth of who God is. We were created for worship, and every action we take should be a living sacrifice of praise.

Then, in Psalm 123, we find ourselves back at the beginning of our pilgrimage, crying out for God’s mercy. Like servants looking to their master’s hand, we lift our eyes in humility to the Lord. We will see that prayer is not about demanding our way but submitting to His will and trusting His justice.

Whether in joy or in trial, the journey continues: from desperation to dependence to delight. So keep walking, and remember, "Further up and further in!" 

This week, Pastor Gary continues our Ascent series, reminding us that following Jesus is a pilgrimage of the heart—a steady climb toward Christ and our true home in heaven.

Drawing from the Songs of Ascent (Psalms 120–121), Pastor Gary shows that the journey isn’t easy. It’s the narrow way Jesus spoke of, but the journey is worth it! Like the psalmist of Psalm 120, we must reach a point of wanting to leave the lies of the world and journey to a better place with God. On that pilgrimage, we are reminded by Psalm 121 that our help comes from the Lord, who never sleeps and keeps our steps steady.

Even when the path feels steep or lonely, God uses it to reveal His faithfulness and bring us peace that “surpasses understanding.” So keep walking—the Lord is your Keeper, now and forevermore.

This episode kicks off our Fall Spiritual Growth Campaign titled Ascent: Walking up the Pilgrims’ Pathway. As followers of Christ, we’re pilgrims, journeying from this earth to our true heavenly city, built by God Himself (Hebrews 11:16). Families, kids included, let’s take this journey together!

For the next two months, we’re diving into the Songs of Ascent (Psalms 120–134), sung by Jewish pilgrims trekking to Jerusalem for feasts (Deuteronomy 16:16). These songs lifted their spirits, gave comfort in tough times, and kept their eyes on God’s presence. This teaching unpacks three truths:

• The Journey’s Got Direction: Christ is our goal, now and in heaven (Philippians 3:13–14). Like C.S. Lewis says, it’s “further up and further in,” where every step toward Jesus brings more joy!
• It’s Hostile Terrain: The world’s not our friend (John 15:18–19), but these psalms will strengthen us. We’ll fast from music that doesn’t glorify God to stay focused.
• Jesus Leads the Way: He walked this path first and empowers us with His Spirit (Hebrews 12:2, Matthew 28:20).

If you would like to join us on this pilgrimage, we are asking you commit to 1. Worship and learn each Sunday, 2. Memorize a weekly verse (starting with Hebrews 11:16a), 3. Journal your walk (reflect: How’s my journey, and what am I hoping for with Christ?), 4. Incorporate a weekly psalm-based worship song, 5. Fast from secular tunes.

Are  you ready to go up with us this fall? 

In the final message of our Failure to Thrive series, Pastor Nate unpacks how relationships are vital to our spiritual growth. Just as children cannot thrive physically without love and care, we cannot thrive spiritually without healthy relationships. Where there is sin, conflict is inevitable—but healing comes through apology and forgiveness.

This message explores the five apology languages from "the 5 Apology Languages" by Gary Chapman and Jennifer Thomas—expressing regret, accepting responsibility, making restitution, planning change, and requesting forgiveness—and how each one helps restore broken relationships. It then turns to forgiveness, showing three biblical responses: true forgiveness when there is repentance and apology, loving our enemies when no apology is offered, and bearing with one another in daily grace. Together, these practices allow us to reflect the heart of Christ and move toward the abundant life He promised.

In this week’s message, Pastor Nate continues our Failure to Thrive series with a focus on “Proper Exercise.” Just as our bodies weaken without movement, our spirits grow apathetic without servanthood. From Philippians 2:5–7, we see that following Christ’s example as a servant prevents apathy, builds perseverance, requires sacrifice, strengthens the church, and deepens our integrity. Servanthood isn’t easy, but it’s the workout that keeps our faith strong and helps us thrive in the abundant life Jesus promised.

In this week’s message from our Failure to Thrive series, Pastor Gary explores why so many of us struggle to live with the joy God intended for His children. Just as physical growth can stall when a child experiences “failure to thrive,” our spiritual growth can falter when we lack proper emotional health.

Jesus said in John 16:24, “Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” The normal Christian life is meant to be one filled with joy, peace, and growth in the fruit of the Spirit. But what happens when sadness or discouragement becomes our constant state?

Pastor Gary helps us see that God is daily inviting us into a life of joy—through simple moments, His creation, and His promises. Drawing on stories, Scripture, and even the playful “Di Da Day” dance of a child, we are reminded that joy is not something we stumble into but something we train for under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

In this message from our Failure to Thrive series, Pastor Nate unpacks the importance of a proper spiritual diet. Just as our bodies cannot thrive without food, our spirit cannot flourish without God’s Word. We explore two key practices for spiritual nourishment: Scripture Engagement—feeding daily on God’s Word, receiving weekly teaching, and rejecting spiritual junk food—and Fasting—learning to let go of distractions in order to draw closer to God.

Discover how to move from spiritual malnourishment to thriving in Christ, living the full life Jesus promised in John 10:10.

This week, we launched a new series called “Failure to Thrive.” In it, we are taking a look at why some of us aren’t growing spiritually the way God intended. Jesus came to give us life to the full (John 10:10), but many believers feel stuck, exhausted, or spiritually dry.

In this first message, we explored the importance of Proper Rest, beginning with the truth that Jesus is our Sabbath Rest (Hebrews 4:9-11). True rest isn’t about escapism or laziness. It’s about trusting in Christ’s finished work, slowing down to sit at His feet like Mary, and rooting our identity in who we are in Him.

We rest by:

• Letting go of self-righteous striving (Philippians 3:7–9),
• Slowing our pace to enjoy God’s presence,
• Standing firm in our God-given identity (Colossians 3:3).

If you're feeling spiritually depleted, don’t just try harder, learn to rest better. Sabbath Rest is where healing begins, and where thriving becomes possible.

Next week: Proper Diet—how to nourish your soul. Don’t miss it!

Welcome back to the Christ Street Fellowship podcast. This week wraps up our summer series, Get Smart!—a deep dive into the wisdom of Proverbs. In this final message, Pastor Nate unpacks the incredible power of our words.

Proverbs 18:21 reminds us that "Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” And throughout the message, we see how words can either wound deeply or bring healing and hope.

We explored three key areas of wisdom when it comes to speech:

• Understanding vs. Ignorance – Are our words grounded in knowledge and humility, or are we just venting opinions?
• Restraint vs. Venting – Are we speaking to be heard, or listening with self-control and grace?
• Timeliness – Are we learning to speak the right words at the right time, led by the Spirit and godly counsel?

The message also called us to be peacemakers with our words, just as God made peace with us through The Word made flesh, Jesus Christ. Using the acronym P.E.A.C.E., Pastor Nate gave practical tools for de-escalating conflict and speaking life into hard situations.

In this message from our Get Smart series, Pastor Nate explores the path of humility through the wisdom of Proverbs. Pride is a subtle but totally pervasive and destructive force—often hiding in insecurity, self-righteousness, and even our faith. But humility, rightly understood, is living in reality: God is God, and we are not. With Scripture, real-life examples, and practical steps, this episode shows how choosing the low place leads to joy, freedom, and wisdom.

Key Passage: Proverbs 11:2 – “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.”