Who Am I?
Genesis 1–3 provides the foundational narrative for understanding human identity, purpose, and the brokenness we experience. In Genesis 1:26–28, God creates humanity in His own image and likeness—a unique status not given to any other creature. This "image of God" (imago Dei) bestows intrinsic value, moral capacity, relational design, and creative purpose on every human being. Genesis 3 introduces the fall, where humanity rebelled by trying to "be like God" apart from God—the root of all false identity. Understanding our identity requires starting at the beginning of the story, not in the middle of our own feelings or cultural moment.
Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?
This sermon is the third in a "Big Questions" series designed to help people logically work through foundational truths. Week one addressed whether God exists; week two examined whether the Bible is trustworthy. This week builds on those foundations to address the cornerstone of Christian faith: the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. The sermon draws primarily from 1 Corinthians 15, where the Apostle Paul recounts the eyewitness testimony of Jesus' post-resurrection appearances and grounds the entire Christian faith on this historical event. Written ~20 years after Jesus' death 1 Corinthians appeals to living witnesses who could still verify the claims. Pastor Nate also references John 11, where Jesus declares to Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life"—a claim that demands a response.
Can I Trust the Bible?
The Bible claims two extraordinary things about itself: it presents the way of salvation, and it is literally "breathed out by God" (2 Timothy 3:15-16). If these claims are true, then the Bible is the most important book in human history. If they are false, Christianity collapses. The Bible is a historical document that can be evaluated with the same tools we use for any ancient text—manuscript evidence, archaeological confirmation, internal consistency. The confidence that these means of critique provide us forces us to address claims of the Bible’s spiritual authority. The Apostle Peter, an eyewitness to Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, anchors his testimony not in "cleverly devised myths" but in the reliable, Spirit-inspired Word of God that leads people to salvation through faith in Christ; thus, so should we.
The Bible's testimony about Jesus—that He is the Savior, that He died and rose again, and that salvation comes through faith in Him alone—is trustworthy. This is not cleverly devised mythology but documented, verified, Spirit-inspired truth.
Is there a God?
Romans 1:18-20 is part of Paul's introduction to his systematic presentation of the gospel. Before explaining how people are made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ, Paul establishes universal human accountability before God. He argues that God's "invisible attributes—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made." This means general revelation (what we can know about God from observing creation) leaves humanity without excuse for rejecting Him. This passage forms the theological foundation for natural theology and apologetic arguments for God's existence.