What does it mean to be faithful when your plans fall apart? Eleven years ago, Madison Church launched with meticulously researched strategies, countless prayers, and 200 empty chairs. Only 20 people showed up that first Sunday—half of them family members visiting from out of town. The humiliation was crushing, but looking back now reveals how God was writing a better story than anyone could have imagined.

This anniversary reflection draws powerful parallels to Paul's experience in Athens, where he confronted a city so filled with idols that historians noted it was "easier to find a god than a person." While we don't have marble statues to Zeus or Athena in Madison, our modern idols are perhaps more dangerous because they're less visible. We worship comfort through convenience, achievement through success, busyness through hustle culture, and find our identity in politics and consumerism.

The most concerning pattern emerges when we don't reject God for these idols but recruit God to serve them alongside us. We pray, but only so our lives become more comfortable. We worship, but only so God blesses our hustle. We've reduced the living God to a lowercase assistant for our agenda rather than the center of everything.

Through examining the idols of security, worth, and control, we discover how these false gods promise peace but deliver anxiety, promise love but produce exhaustion, and promise order but result in frustration. The invitation stands today as it did for the early Christians who were radically called to forsake all other gods: Will we turn from our idols to serve the living God?

The next chapter of Madison Church won't be built on comfort, busyness, politics, or spiritual highs, but on becoming a community where faith is not shallow but deeply rooted. What felt like failure then has become a testimony of God's faithfulness now—a story of changed lives, deep friendships, answered prayers, and hope rising in unexpected places. Join us as we surrender to the story God wants to tell.

Support the show

If 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 moment to leave a review and share the podcast with your friends and family.

For inquiries, suggestions, or collaboration opportunities, please reach out to us at help@madisonchurch.com.

For the latest updates and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on social media:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube

New episodes are released every Monday, so mark your calendars and join us weekly!

If you'd like to support the show, you can make a donation here. Your generosity helps us continue to bring you meaningful content.

This podcast is intended for general informational purposes only. The views expressed by the hosts or guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Madison Church. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. For detailed information regarding our terms of use and privacy policy, please visit our website.

Thank you for being part of the Madison Church community! We appreciate your support.

What if your personality is secretly sabotaging your generosity? This eye-opening exploration of the "shadow sides" of our giving profiles reveals why some of us hesitate when opportunities to give arise—and it's not always about money.

Through a fascinating examination of the DISC personality assessment and six distinct generosity profiles, we discover that our weaknesses are actually intertwined with our strengths. The pioneering spirit that makes some of us visionary can also make us stubborn. The analytical mind that helps others make wise financial decisions can also make them overly cautious with giving.

Whether you identify as a Cause Mover struggling with control, a Budget Keeper battling risk aversion, a Faith Stretcher overwhelmed by busyness, a Disciplined Doer fighting isolation, a Community Grower dealing with frustration, or a Legacy Builder wrestling with worry—this message offers specific biblical guidance for your unique challenge.

At its heart, this message confronts the scarcity mindset that our culture constantly reinforces. "The minute we leave this place," the pastor notes, "we're told and sold that we don't have enough and we're not enough, but God says otherwise." The ultimate question becomes: who will you believe?

Drawing inspiration from 2 Corinthians 8, we're reminded of Christ's ultimate example—he who was rich became poor so that we could share in his riches. He left heaven for earth so we could leave earth for heaven. The only proper response to such generosity is to live worthy of this calling.

Take the challenge to identify your shadow side, memorize your corresponding Bible verse, and watch as God transforms not just your giving, but your entire approach to life's resources.

Support the show

If 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 moment to leave a review and share the podcast with your friends and family.

For inquiries, suggestions, or collaboration opportunities, please reach out to us at help@madisonchurch.com.

For the latest updates and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on social media:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube

New episodes are released every Monday, so mark your calendars and join us weekly!

If you'd like to support the show, you can make a donation here. Your generosity helps us continue to bring you meaningful content.

This podcast is intended for general informational purposes only. The views expressed by the hosts or guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Madison Church. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. For detailed information regarding our terms of use and privacy policy, please visit our website.

Thank you for being part of the Madison Church community! We appreciate your support.

Do you ever feel like you're on a spiritual treadmill with God? Running faster, praying more, serving more—yet somehow not moving forward in your relationship with him? You're not alone.

Pastor Stephen Feith tackles this universal struggle head-on, revealing how our performance-driven culture shapes our approach to faith. When we treat God like a boss to impress or a coach deciding if we'll make the team, we transform what should be a loving relationship into an exhausting quest for approval we can never quite catch.

Through the powerful story of Jesus calling Matthew—a despised tax collector—and then dining with "sinners," we discover how Jesus redefined holiness. While the Pharisees built walls to keep "unclean" people out, Jesus built tables and invited everyone in. His revolutionary message, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice," challenges everything about performance-based religion.

This message speaks directly to anyone caught in the cycle of religious striving. Whether you're feeling spiritually inadequate, struggling with perfectionism, or simply exhausted from trying to earn God's favor, Jesus offers a liberating alternative: "Healthy people don't need a doctor—sick people do." The greatest spiritual sickness is thinking we don't need help.

Discover how mercy changes everything—how we approach God when we feel unworthy, how we relate to difficult people, and how we function as a church community. As C.S. Lewis wrote, "The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because he loves us."

Ready to unplug from the spiritual treadmill? Join us as we learn to receive God's mercy and let it transform us from the inside out. The Pharisee in us says "prove yourself," but the Savior before us says "receive my mercy." Which voice will you follow?

Support the show

If 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 moment to leave a review and share the podcast with your friends and family.

For inquiries, suggestions, or collaboration opportunities, please reach out to us at help@madisonchurch.com.

For the latest updates and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on social media:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube

New episodes are released every Monday, so mark your calendars and join us weekly!

If you'd like to support the show, you can make a donation here. Your generosity helps us continue to bring you meaningful content.

This podcast is intended for general informational purposes only. The views expressed by the hosts or guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Madison Church. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. For detailed information regarding our terms of use and privacy policy, please visit our website.

Thank you for being part of the Madison Church community! We appreciate your support.