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:

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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.

What remains when we remove Christ from Christianity? A powerful exploration of how modern Christianity often betrays its namesake by replacing love with judgment, inclusion with exclusion, and grace with condemnation.

Through vulnerable personal stories and penetrating cultural analysis, we confront the uncomfortable reality that Gandhi articulated: "I like your Christ, but not your Christianity." From turning away from homeless people while claiming religious devotion, to Christians leading opposition against refugees and immigrants despite clear biblical mandates to welcome strangers, we see a faith that has lost its center.

The heart of this spiritual crisis lies in our desperate search for validation and worth. We collect "medals" of achievement, relationship status, and financial success, wearing them proudly until they're inevitably stripped away. But Jesus offers a different medal—the unchangeable identity of being God's beloved child—that never leaves our neck regardless of circumstances or performance.

Putting Christ back into Christianity requires two transformational moves: accepting Christ's unconditional love rather than frantically trying to earn it, and extending that same love to others—especially those who seem least deserving of it. The families of Emanuel AME Church shooting victims demonstrated this radical love when they looked at their loved ones' killer and said, "I forgive you."

What would happen if we were given the microphone to address those who have wounded us most deeply? Could we find the courage to bless rather than curse? When we choose forgiveness over vengeance and love over hatred, Christ returns to the center of our faith, transforming it from hollow religion into living relationship.

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 the beautiful flowers we showcase on social media were just the perfect frame hiding a garden overrun with weeds? That carefully curated image represents how many of us approach not just our online presence, but our spiritual lives as well.

In this deeply introspective exploration, we examine the concept of spiritual authenticity through the lens of Jesus's teachings in Matthew 6. Like those famous London townhouses with perfect facades hiding completely empty interiors, we're often tempted to craft a religious persona that looks impressive from the outside while remaining hollow within.

Jesus presents us with a profound choice: we can perform our good deeds, prayers, and generosity to receive immediate acclaim from others, or we can practice these disciplines privately and receive a lasting reward from God. "Your method points to your motivation," and that motivation determines which reward you'll ultimately receive.

The contrast is stark between serving others for social media content versus serving them simply because they matter. When we exploit vulnerable populations for photo opportunities or turn prayer into a performance art, we've chosen human applause as our payment. But Jesus invites us into something far more meaningful – a genuine relationship with God that doesn't require public validation.

This isn't about never serving publicly or praying corporately. Rather, it's about examining our hearts and asking uncomfortable questions: Would I still give if no one knew? Would I still pray if no one could hear except God? Would I still serve if I couldn't post about it afterward?

Though we'll all fail at maintaining pure motives sometimes, God's grace covers our shortcomings. The invitation remains: choose the reward that honors Him rather than ourselves. Will you accept the challenge to cultivate a life of authenticity, integrity, and presence with God, even when no one's watching?

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.

When confronted with a woman caught in adultery, Jesus faced a carefully crafted trap. The Pharisees, delighting in their judgment, expected him to either condemn her according to Mosaic law or reveal himself as a false teacher by showing mercy. Instead, Jesus turned their trap against them with eight powerful words: "Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone."

This sermon examines how easily we slip into the role of the Pharisee, justifying our judgment of others while overlooking our own failings. Four warning signs reveal when we've crossed into unfair judgment: being more upset with others' sins than embarrassed by our own, cutting off those who disagree with us, bonding with others by critiquing common enemies, and manipulating moral frameworks to justify predetermined outcomes.

The physical sensations of judgment work both ways - when judged, we feel tightness and isolation; when judging, we experience anger and negativity that oozes from within us. This reveals the heart issue at the core of judgment. St. Augustine described the conclusion of this story as "misery and mercy left alone" - the woman in her misery meeting Jesus, the embodiment of mercy. Rather than condemning her, Jesus commissioned her with "Go and sin no more."

How might our communities transform if we examined our own hearts before picking up stones to throw? As we receive communion, we remember not only Christ's mercy toward us but also our unity with one another. The question remains: Do we judge, or do we show mercy? Choose today to embody love that never gives up, never loses faith, and endures through every circumstance.

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.

Have you ever felt like you're doing all the "right" spiritual things but still missing something? This profound question opens our exploration of how we can unintentionally trade relationship with God for routines centered around God.

The Pharisees were devoted, serious about Scripture, and committed to living how they thought God wanted. Yet when confronted with God in the flesh, they completely missed him. This series holds up a mirror asking not "What's wrong with them?" but "Where is the Pharisee in me?"

In Mark 7, Jesus confronts religious leaders who were upset that his disciples weren't following traditional hand-washing rituals. What began as good intentions had evolved into burdensome systems where human traditions carried nearly the same weight as Scripture itself. Rather than defending his disciples, Jesus addresses the heart issue: "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."

While we might not hide behind the same religious traditions today, we create our own barriers through personal preferences and emotions. We develop spiritual checklists that make us feel righteous without necessarily transforming our hearts. We go through motions – reading scripture, praying before meals, attending services – while avoiding true surrender.

God isn't impressed by religious performance. He's looking for integrity, a surrendered heart, and a life that reflects his character. The invitation is clear: trade performance for presence. Let God have your heart, not just your habits. Read the Bible to listen, not check boxes. Examine whether your spiritual practices are drawing you closer to Jesus or helping you avoid surrender.

If you've felt burned by religion, this is good news: Jesus doesn't want your perfection – he wants your heart. You don't need to clean yourself up or learn all the rules; you simply come as you are. The question remains: Are you honoring God with your lips while keeping your heart distant?

Join us next week as we continue examining where the Pharisee lives in each of us, exploring how we judge others while failing to show mercy ourselves.

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.

The gap between knowing and living, between religious performance and authentic faith—this is where many of us find ourselves today. In this challenging and heartfelt message, Stephen Feith opens a new six-week series with a question that hits close to home: "Have you ever done the right thing for the wrong reasons?"

Drawing from Matthew 23, Stephen examines why the Pharisees—people who believed in Scripture, the Messiah, and resurrection—completely missed Jesus when he stood right in front of them. Their failure wasn't a lack of knowledge or even wrong practices; it was that they had substituted the appearance of righteousness for actual transformation.

The parallels to our modern spiritual experience are striking. We live in an age saturated with biblical knowledge and spiritual content. We know how to look and sound spiritual. Yet as Stephen powerfully puts it, "We are educated beyond our obedience." We know far more about God than we're willing to live out.

Jesus uses startling imagery like whitewashed tombs to illustrate this spiritual danger—appearing beautiful externally while harboring death within. This isn't just about personal hypocrisy; it's about how our focus on appearances rather than transformation can actually contaminate those closest to us.

But this message isn't about condemnation. After his strong rebukes, Jesus shifts to a maternal image of longing: "How often I've wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks." His desire isn't to shame us but to free us, not to punish but to gather us in love.

Whether you're exploring faith, returning to it, or consider yourself spiritually mature, this message offers a powerful invitation to move beyond spiritual performance to spiritual surrender. Because Jesus didn't die so we could learn the correct answers—he died to give us new hearts.

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.