Madison Church

Sarah and her husband, Chris, recently had the incredible experience of purchasing a new home, and they couldn't believe the many blessings that came their way throughout the process. From finding a wheelchair-accessible house to trusting God in providing the perfect space for their needs, it's been quite the adventure. But life isn't always smooth sailing – temptation often rears its ugly head, and let's face it, we're not always as strong as we think we are. In this episode, Sarah shares her personal struggles with temptation and discusses a fascinating study from Northwestern University that reveals just how bad we are at anticipating the power of our urges.The battle between flesh and spirit is real, and we're here to help you navigate it. Join us as we dive into the Holy Spirit's transformative power, setting us free from our base desires and guiding us toward our deepest longings. As we continue our series on the Holy Spirit, we invite you to ponder your own truest des

Do you ever feel like you're missing out on something powerful and transformative in your life? On this special Memorial Day weekend and the day of Pentecost, we're uncovering the incredible role of the Holy Spirit and how you can experience its fullness in your own journey. From the Holy Spirit's presence in creation to its encounters with various individuals throughout the Old Testament, we'll explore the unique experience of Pentecost and share a touching story of a woman named Amanda, whose connection to her late mother will prompt you to ask yourself if you're open to hearing from the Holy Spirit in your life.Over the next few weeks, we'll delve into the power of the Holy Spirit, discussing how it can help us avoid hurting others, convict us of sin, and lead us to Jesus. Additionally, we'll explore practical ways to connect with God, such as reading the Bible, praying, and participating in baptisms. By learning to become more attuned to the whisper of God and making con

We take an introspective look at how suffering and pain can affect our faith through the trials of biblical figures like Naomi, Job, and Habakkuk. Our conversation highlights the importance of embracing our imperfect faith and exploring the complexities of believing in God's goodness even amidst injustice. Ponder the impact these biblical stories have on our own families, communities, and relationships with God.Let's also discuss the power of free will and its role in our lives. We'll uncover what it means to truly love, along with the idea that pain and suffering were not part of God's original creation plan. As we wrap up, find solace in knowing that Jesus is with us through our pain and suffering, understanding our struggles as someone who has experienced them himself, and offering us the promise of resurrection.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, consider subscribing to Madison Church on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback means the world to us, so please take a mome

Does worry and anxiety seem to consume you, even when life is good? Discover how Jesus' wisdom in Luke 12 can help you overcome these feelings and live a more peaceful life. In the first part of this episode, we explore why worry and anxiety grip us so tightly and how Jesus' teachings can provide relief. We discuss how the worries we carry can crush us if we let them, and how reflecting on Jesus' words can help us battle worry in our personal lives.As we continue, we delve into the impact that worries and anxieties have on our relationships and our tendency to self-medicate as a coping mechanism. We also examine how a short-term perspective and overestimation of our own power feed into our anxiety. But fear not! Jesus offers us something more significant to live for – his kingdom, which is much bigger than our worries. Join us on a journey of faith as we learn how to seek and accept this life-changing gift.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, consider subscribing to Madison Church on yo

Can you imagine starting a church in one of the most post-Christian cities in the U.S.? That's exactly what Megan and Stephen did when they moved to Madison, Wisconsin, with a mission to create a community that fights loneliness and isolation while connecting people with God and each other. Despite being told that a fast-growing or large church would never work here, they believed Jesus goes to the dark places and wanted to be his hands and feet in the city.One common belief we encounter is that if people simply read the Bible, they'll become believers. However, an atheist lawyer from the Freedom from Religion Foundation disagrees, arguing that the road to atheism is littered with Bibles that have been read cover to cover. So, we dive into the importance of not just reading the good book, but understanding how to approach it. We share a simple three-step model for Bible reading: read, reflect, and respond, as well as the significance of picking the right translation and not relying solely on paraphr

MC Asks: I want to give, but my spouse or partner doesn't... What do I do?This is a really great question because of how relevant it is. There are people worldwide who practice Christianity and follow Jesus, but the other person in the relationship doesn't. That can work out for a while, but when it comes to financial generosity, it can become a conflict because our incomes and expenses are often shared in these relationships.Talking about the giving aspect of our faith involves the other person in ways we're not necessarily used to including them. The other person may not want to donate for several reasons. They may not have any religion or different beliefs than you. You might attend church together but interpret biblical financial stewardship differently.Sometimes, your spouse or partner might have grown up in and around the church and experienced abuse and/or neglect. Reasonably, it will be tough for them to tolerate giving money to the local church.When conversing about giving, the convers

As someone who once lost faith in the Bible during his time in seminary, Stephen knows firsthand the struggle many face when it comes to trusting this sacred text. Surprisingly, his journey to find faith in Jesus without the Bible led him to a strong confidence in its reliability. With a significant decline in trust amongst Americans, Stephen shares with us how he found answers to his questions and ultimately came to believe in the Bible's reliability.Join us as we explore the epic story of the Bible, composed of 66 books written over 1500 years by 40 different authors in three languages. We'll discuss the Reformation's impact on allowing ordinary people to access the Bible and the process behind determining the Canon of the Bible. Furthermore, we'll examine the historical reliability of the Bible, specifically the four Gospels, which were based on firsthand accounts of Jesus' life and ministry.Jesus invites us to test the Bible for ourselves and see if it's reliable. When we app

Ever found yourself grappling with faith and culture, or facing doubt in your faith journey? Join us as we explore how the church can transform into a sanctuary of acceptance for everyone, instead of acting as a gatekeeper to God's love. We discuss the challenges in navigating the intersection of faith, politics, and culture, and the need for a safe haven to express doubt, ask questions, and engage in genuine conversations about subjects like biblical interpretation, sexuality, and racial reconciliation.Discover how to embrace doubt in order to deepen your faith, as we share practical steps in working through doubt and maneuvering the tension between certainty and uncertainty. Learn how trusting Jesus with your doubts can guide you towards authentic faith and how small groups and prayer play a vital role in the process. Let's dive into this crucial conversation and remember – God isn't put off by our doubts, but instead, wants us to explore him more fully.Support the showIf you enjoyed this epi

Are you struggling to find your true purpose in life? Do you ever wonder if there's something more out there for you? In our latest podcast episode, we dive deep into these pressing questions and embark on an exciting journey to find the answers you seek. We'll explore how a good God could allow pain and suffering, where the Bible came from, how to read the Bible, and how faith and doubt can coexist.As we continue our search for meaning, we ponder why we were created and what our God-given purpose might be. Join us as we discuss the idea that we are God's masterpiece, created to fulfill the good things he has planned for us. We'll also examine how our identity as followers of Jesus, as well as our race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity, contribute to our overall purpose and calling in life.Lastly, we'll delve into the concept of our assignment with God, which comes secondary to being a follower of Jesus and a child of God. Inspired by Paul's advice in Colossians

The day before the first Easter was a day before there were any Christians. It was a day before churches. The Bible didn't exist yet. There was no reason to celebrate that first Easter Sunday, which is worth discussing today.In the afternoon after Jesus's crucifixion, two men go to Pontius Pilate and ask permission to remove his body from the cross. After retrieving Jesus's body, they prepare it for burial according to Jewish custom. Then they placed him in a cave and sealed it with a stone. Both these men, along with many others, had hoped Jesus was who he had been claiming to be. At this moment before Easter, they concluded clearly Jesus was not.There were no Jesus followers anymore. Nobody believed that Jesus was the Son of God. He wasn't the Savior. He couldn't even save himself...Not only had Jesus died, but so did his movement. Nobody was planning on keeping the movement moving. Why bother? Jesus wasn't who he claimed to be, which was the whole point of the movement. His fo

Let's talk about Jesus' Kingdom. Jesus is a king of a different kind of Kingdom. He is the king of a Kingdom overflowing with goodness and perfect peace. It's the only Kingdom story that will not end in tragedy.Even when we pray for someone, and they're not healed, or when we pray for ourselves and don't get the promotion, or when we worship and don't feel God's presence, whatever it might be, something still happens. We should not forget that prayer is ultimately about connecting with God and having fellowship with him regularly. As we pray, we become changed.The disciples saw this happen when they saw Jesus pray. It wasn't just miracles and healing and peace. They saw something different about Jesus and wanted to be more like him. When following Jesus and picking up all of his habits, the one practice that they wanted to learn was how to pray like him. Jesus responded to his disciples by teaching them a prayer Christians have been reciting and using as a model prayer

There are a lot of spaces in our lives where we may think that evil has won. It's not just our world or our city; it's our lives. Our boss criticizes us. The doctor comes in and say says it's cancer. Your dream marriage becomes a nightmare. My kids make decisions that go against everything I've taught them. Our financial security is no longer secure.You think to yourself, evil has won. For those of us who have felt this, or feel this way now, Jesus offers us a lifeline in the form of a famous prayer that we've been studying here for the last few weeks. I want us to look at the very last line of this prayer: "Rescue us from the evil one" (Matthew 6:13).If God's ever going to rescue us from evil, there are some things we need to know. We need to know our enemy. You and I are at war, but the problem is that we've identified the wrong enemy. We think our boss or spouse is our enemy. We believe our friend who betrayed us or took advantage of us is our enemy. Some of us

None of us genuinely enjoy admitting when we’ve blown it. There’s a lot of shame when acknowledging that we’re wrong. This stunts our spiritual growth and connection with God.We’re in the fourth week of a series called Pray Like This… We’re taking The Lord’s Prayer and breaking it down line-by-line to learn about different tools and ways to pray. Today, we’re talking about confession. Which means we’ve got to talk about the s-word: “Forgive us of our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” (Matthew 6:12, NLT).Sin is the actions and thoughts that create space between us, God, and other people. Sometimes sin is objective. “Do not murder” is pretty objective. Murdering is a sin that creates space between you and God. Other times, sin is more subjective. The answer could be yes, depending on who you are; it could be no, depending on who you are.The Bible isn’t a giant cosmic rulebook. It’s the story of God. In that story are people and our sins. We need forgiveness. That’s the humble part of Christian

Today, we’re studying the line within the Lord’s Prayer where Jesus says, “Give us the food we need today…” This has been more commonly called “our daily bread.” It’s a phrase that doesn’t hold much meaning for most of us. “Giving us our daily bread” seems like the most insignificant part of the prayer.Petitionary prayer is the most commonly associated with prayer. Prayer means many things to many people, but at its most straightforward and apparent, prayer is about asking God for help. Petitionary prayer is simply asking God to meet our needs and, sometimes, our wants. What we’re talking about today is a tool that most of us have already been equipped with and are already familiar with. Still, we need to take the prayer further. Jesus instructs us to pray like that.When Jesus teaches us to pray for our “daily bread,” he instructs us to pray for the tangible, the immediate, and the insignificant things. It seems silly, or selfish even, to pray for something like a good night’s rest, or about that fight you ha

Prayer is, at its most basic, straightforward simply talking to God. And just like any other conversation or relationship, it has different aspects.We’re in part two of this series called Pray Like This… The disciples notice that prayer is a regular part of Jesus’ life. They saw prayer as a foundational practice to Jesus, so they came to him with a straightforward request: “Lord, teach us to pray.” Today we’re going to learn about a form of prayer called intercessory prayer.Intercession is the act of intervening on behalf of one another. It is the practice of coming to God with other people’s or our communities needs. Intercessory prayer is asking God to make right what is currently not right. It’s asking him to bring Heaven to Earth. God is very committed to bringing his kingdom into the places, communities, situations, and people where his will still needs to be done.God’s will is not yet fully realized on Earth. Everything that happens is not God’s will. Things that happen in this world are not God’s will.

All of us have skills or abilities we wish we had. This includes the disciples of Jesus. We see all over the Gospels the disciples coming to Jesus and asking specifically for him to teach them something. The one we will talk about for the next month and a half throughout this Lent season is when they asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1)The disciples wanted to pray better. They’ve seen Jesus go away to pray often and have witnessed many signs, wonders, and miracles. This has prompted them to say they want to pray like him. They say, teach us how to pray.Prayer is a core practice for followers of Jesus. And yet, it’s something that many of us struggle to do regularly. We want to pray more, so why don’t we? It could be because you don’t know where to start. How do we know if we’re doing it? We’re distracted. We can be encouraged today by the disciples’ questions because they also knew what it was like to be busy.Jesus responds to their question in Matthew 6:9-13, “Pray like this: Our heavenly Father

Unlock the secret to a life of financial freedom and the heartfelt joy that comes with intentional generosity. Our latest episode invites you into a candid conversation about how the teachings of Jesus can illuminate the path to a deeper sense of fulfillment through giving. We share inspiring tales from our recent holiday gift drive, reflecting on the happiness that blooms from generosity and pondering how we can extend this spirit beyond the festive season.Tackling the discomfort that often surrounds talks of money, we delve into the cultural and personal hurdles that can impede the development of a generous heart. We contrast the prevalent scarcity mindset with the abundance mindset, drawing inspiration from the Macedonian church's example of giving joyfully despite their own lack. This spirited discussion will leave you contemplating how you might adopt a mindset of plenty, finding contentment and joy in every aspect of your life, financial and beyond.In wrapping up, we highlight the profound impact t

Can money truly buy happiness, or does it just complicate life with more zeros in your bank account? William Budd's story, a man whose lottery win was supposed to be a dream come true yet turned into a fiscal nightmare, reminds us that financial freedom isn't about wealth—it's about wisdom. This week's heartfelt episode peels back the layers of debt's effect on our lives, from straining relationships to diminishing our mental well-being. It's a journey through the pitfalls of poor money management, and a reminder that a fat wallet can quickly slim down without the right strategies in place.When the chains of debt tighten, they can ensnare more than just our wallets—they grip our spirits too. We dive into the emotional and spiritual toll of financial burdens, leaning on biblical proverbs that highlight the moral quandaries and ethical responsibilities of wealth. It's a candid conversation that balances the practicality of financial planning with the deep-rooted desire to live

Ever wondered what happens when a die-hard member of the Crappy Car Club gets the keys to a shiny new ride? I, Stephen Feith, take you on a comedic yet thought-provoking journey through my own transition to new car ownership and the surprising anxieties that come with it. From the fear of parking lot dings to the quest for financial peace, we'll explore how the state of our bank accounts affects not just our wallets, but our wellbeing and faith. As we confront the American millionaire's happiness paradox with insights from Harvard Business School, we'll challenge the adage that more money means more joy. Join us as we dissect the cultural chase for wealth and weigh it against what matters most: family, faith, and relationships. Get ready to shift your paradigm as we dig into the transformative power of 'less is more' and consider a biblical approach to true satisfaction and transformation.To cap off our adventure, we'll embrace the minimalist mindset, sharing personal tales of Ho

Have you ever seen the Disney movie "Finding Nemo?" "Finding Nemo" came out 20 years ago. For those who haven't seen the film in 20 years, it's about an overprotective dad clownfish whose son gets taken from him. The dad goes on the adventure of a lifetime across the ocean, looking for a son.Meanwhile, the lost son finds himself at a dentist's office in Sydney, Australia. The other fish freak out when Nemo, the little fish, is thrown into the fish tank at the dentist's office for the first time. Their home is not sterile anymore. The other fish scrub everything, including Nemo, because their space has been tainted by the ocean. After they clean everything up, they're actually happy Nemo's there. They're excited they've got a new friend in the tank.This scene is fascinating. How often is it that when someone comes into our "circle," we initially freak out? Think about the Christian Church. We have buildings, and they're lovely. Then som