Nathan Burd Sermon Archive

We often picture Jesus as distant from our mess — too holy, too clean, too far away to reach into the hard, complicated parts of our lives. But the story of Hagar in Genesis 16 tells a different story.

Hagar was a pregnant, abused foreigner running for her life in the desert. And it's there, in the middle of her pain, that God meets her — not from a distance, but up close. She's the only person in Scripture who gives God a name: El Roi, "the God who sees me."

In this message, we look honestly at a hard passage, wrestle with the tough questions it raises, and land on this truth: God is not too good for your brokenness. He wants to be close to you, right in the middle of it.

0:00 Intro – 124 days till Christmas0:47 What Christmas teaches us about Jesus2:14 Is Jesus too good for our mess?4:28 Turning to Genesis 165:56 Abram, Sarai, and Hagar's story9:47 Reading Genesis 16:7-1611:38 The hard side and the cool side12:01 Wrestling with a hard question16:36 Free at last – Hagar and Ishmael's promise19:00 Born in the mess – God up close20:34 Prayer – inviting God in25:10 Abiding vs. manufacturing fruit29:01 Elroi – the God who sees you

What defines you? Father. Husband. American. Republican. Pastor. Our culture is drowning in identity labels.

In this message from 1 Peter 2:4–10, Nathan digs into one of the most powerful identity passages in all of Scripture and asks the question we all need to wrestle with: Which identity gets the highest place on your flagpole?

Speaking to believers who had lost everything — family, community, cultural identity — for following Jesus, the Apostle Peter delivers words that were meant to fill an empty cup. But Nathan challenges us with a different problem: what happens when your cup is overflowing with too many identities, and Jesus is asking to be first among all of them?

In this episode you'll discover:

• Why you are the temple — not the building you worship in
• What it actually means to be a "living stone" and a "royal priesthood"
• How your identity directly shapes your behavior and your choices
• Why the whole rest of 1 Peter hinges on the decision you make in chapter 2
• What it looks like to stop inviting people to church — and start being the church

This one will challenge you, convict you, and remind you of who God says you are.

📖 Scripture: 1 Peter 2:4–10 | Psalm 34:8 | 1 Corinthians 6

#Identity #1Peter #LivingStones #RoyalPriesthood #Church #ChristianIdentity #BibleTeaching #Sermon #Denver #Ecclesia

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67% of Christians are not discipling anyone. But what if the reason isn't laziness — it's that nobody ever showed them how? In this sermon, Nathan breaks down what discipleship actually is, dismantles the most common obstacles that keep believers on the sidelines, and makes the case that making disciples is simpler — and more urgent — than most of us think.

From a little old lady making peanut butter sandwiches in Pennsylvania to a new believer named Ali in one of the most unreached places on earth, this message will show you that your small act of faith is never just one.

In this sermon, Nathan covers:

• The 6 common features of discipleship that every believer needs to understand
• Why discipleship is NOT a lifelong commitment — and why that's actually good news
• How to find the time to disciple someone even in a busy season of life
• The difference between discipleship and sanctification
• How to find your "who" — even if you're shy or feel unqualified
• Why it's never just one person, one conversation, or one peanut butter sandwich

Did Jesus ever claim to be God? It's one of the most famous challenges in religious debate — made popular by Muslim apologists Zakir Naik and Ahmed Deedat — and in this message, Nathan breaks down exactly why that question is a logical fallacy AND how Jesus clearly, undeniably claimed to be God.

In this powerful teaching from Matthew 26:57–68, Nathan walks through Jesus' trial before the High Priest Caiaphas and unpacks one of the most overlooked titles in all of Scripture: the Son of Man. Rooted in Daniel 7, this title isn't just a claim to humanity — it's a claim to an eternal kingdom, divine worship, and equality with God the Father.

In this episode you'll discover:

• Why "I am God, worship me" is a false standard of proof
• What Daniel 7 reveals about the Trinity in the Old Testament
• Why the High Priest tore his robes — and what it proves
• How Jesus fulfilled multiple Old Testament prophecies in a single hour
• The beautiful truth that an incomprehensibly great God chose to make Himself known to us

Whether you're a skeptic, a seeker, or someone who grew up in church and needs these truths to hit differently — this one's for you.

📖 Scripture: Matthew 26:57–68 | Daniel 7:9–14 | Isaiah 53:7 | Psalm 110:1

Most people know Jesus as gentle, compassionate, and merciful — but what do we do with the passages where Jesus speaks hard truth?In this message from Matthew 22–23, we look at Jesus’ final public confrontations with the religious leaders and uncover a powerful truth: even His strongest rebukes came from love.

Why does Matthew say Jesus “would be called a Nazarene”—when there’s no clear Old Testament verse that says that? Is this a mistake… or something deeper?

In this message, we walk through Matthew 2:19–23 and uncover why Jesus growing up in Nazareth was not accidental, but central to God’s redemptive plan. Drawing only from accessible study Bibles, we explore how “Nazarene” carried the weight of rejection, insignificance, and contempt—and why the prophets consistently pointed to a Messiah who would be despised and rejected.

This Sermon connects theology to real life. If you’ve ever felt overlooked, written off, ashamed of your past, or wondered if you’re too far gone for God, this message is for you. Jesus not only understands rejection—He entered into it. And He still moves toward the rejected today.

We also wrestle with what this means for us:
• How Jesus’ rejection brings comfort when we’re rejected
• Why no one is beyond God’s redeeming power
• And who Jesus is calling us to go to in a dark and broken world

Jesus was despised and rejected—so that no one who feels despised or rejected would ever be alone.

What does real faith look like—not just belief in our minds, but a faith we actually practice? In this message, Nathan Burdick walks through Hebrews 10 and 11 to uncover the kind of faith God calls His people to live every single day.

In this message, Nathan Burdick walks through Paul’s powerful words in Philippians 3:1–11, where Paul counts everything as loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. This passage challenges us to examine what we are trusting in, what we are pursuing, and what we consider “gain.”

A message on Acts 3

A message on spiritual multiplication