Fresh Start in Christ with Viroqua Nazarene

Have you ever talked with someone, used exactly the same words but it was like you used a different dictionary? Apologetics is the study/practice of defending the faith, often through charitable discussion and debate. But what if someone challenged or maybe even asked you what you believe, what your church believes? Would you be able to explain the most important or distinctive beliefs? In this me...

Have you ever looked at a task and said, “That’s too hard for me! It’s too difficult.” Maybe we camouflage it in pointing out our lack of skills or abilities to complete the task. “I’m not really handy with tools.”  “I don’t think I’ll be of any help, I’m not strong enough to lift that thing!” Perhaps we are right. We are lacking something. Empowerment. Purpose. Support. That's exactly what Je...

It's highly likely that at some point in your life, you've made a promise or two. Maybe when you were a kid, you "promised" to clean up your room "later." (shockingly, later never came...) Perhaps you were on a sports, music, or academic team and you promised to practice, do your best, and show up to practice on time. It could be that you took out a loan from your bank...

When you open up the bible, what are you looking for? Some sage advice from someone long ago? Some tales of morality? Action and Adventure, pitting Good vs. Evil? There is only one main character in the Bible. This is His Story.

It’s our job as believers, to show what we believe by living it out…otherwise it’s all just theory. So what do we believe? We believe The Holy Spirit is Given by God, for the good or benefit of others, bringing about New Life.

Putting away childish things, or the ways of childhood. Paul talks about this in 1 Corinthians 13:11. In the grand scheme of this chapter and this book, what is he talking about? Not playing pretend? It's all about moving from Past to Present. From Then to Now.

When you think of any of the moms in your life that have had a positive impact on you, what quality do they share? In this podcast we'll look at the main quality that key moms of the bible all shared in their unique ways, How Jesus himself reflected this quality and how we can live it out in our own lives, even if we are a mom. Happy Mother's Day!

Prophets in all generations hold a solemn duty: relay the Word of the Lord. But what happens when a prophet shares his own advice? Might someone think it was prophecy? In this final message in the series about spotting True and False Prophets, we look once again at the "Signs of Prophet Ability" and see when the Bible says about Nathan, prophet to King David and King Solomon. I conclude...

Beauty and the Beast, Bonnie & Clyde, Georg and Maria von Trapp, and Romeo & Juliet. All complicated love stories with varying outcomes. One of the most complicated love stories is illustrated in the pages of the book of Hosea. Listen in to this podcast. You might discover something about your relationships that you hadn’t thought about before.

Have you ever seen someone being attacked, their home being broken into...and done nothing? Could you imagine doing nothing if it was your relative's home? The Book of Obadiah laws down the consequences for Edom (descendents of Esau's) indifference when Jacob (Israel) was in need. It serves as a warning for us today. Editing note: in the recording I mistakingly state that the October 7 attacks on...

The story of the Resurrection of Jesus, that which we especially commemorate during the season known as Easter, can make us feel a great many things. We may be reminded of the sorrow and loss of a loved one, much like Jesus' friends and family felt at his crucifixion and burial. We may be confused by this story, because grief for the loss of Jesus is short lived: He didn't stay dead. Eithe...

When you watch a parade, where do you watch from? The Beginning? The Middle, where most of the big performances happen? What about the end of the parade? In Zechariah 9 we get a picture of God's plan, The King who would come showing his strength through peace. In Mark 11 we see Jesus fulfilling the prophecy, and many cheering Him on...until they didn't. What happens when the Triumphal Entr...

Why shine a light on the topic of the difference between true and false prophets? Because Jesus Warned us ...so we've got to be ready and know how to respond. In this message we will look at and example of a False Prophet and a True Prophet from the First Century.

This message is mainly a guide through how we can determine, through scripture, if a prophet is from God or not. I do tag on an application of Samuel (of 1 & 2 Samuel) however, in my presentation I made this sound like it was the center of my message. Sorry for the confusion but I welcome the feedback. Also I was a bit mistaken when I was recalling the story from Matthew when Jesus asked, &quo...

Have you ever wondered... how can I know God? In this podcast we look at the basics of getting to know God, accept the gift we prepared for the world, and how we might live like Christ.

If you had all Power and Authority in Heaven and on Earth, what would you do? In this message we wrap up our series on world missions. We also look at what it means to "take someone's name in vain." (And no, it's not what you think...) What does God want to do through you? To know, you've got to GO. And GO in His Name.

Do you ever feel guilty when people talk about evangelism and discipleship? Like you’re not doing enough or not doing it right? In this message we will look at two ways of discipleship, how they overlap, and Jesus’ litmus test to give us peace of mind as we make disciples.

God told people to GO. Jesus told his disciples to GO several times. An essential part of world Missions is…going into the World. But each time someone says yes to going where God told them to go…we see obedience to the will of God and submission of our own will. Going is all about obeying and trusting God.

Christianity has had a call from its very start to go into all the world and preach the good news of Jesus. A specific way we do this is referred to as World Missions. But..what is that exactly? What fuels the mission? How can you and I participate in missions? Do we have to go halfway around the world?

Solomon had one job: be a good king. Solomon was also smart enough to ask for the tools to accomplish that task: discernment to govern the LORD’s people. In this last sermon in “the Pursuit of Power” series, we aim to answer the question, “are we to pursue power at all?”

When you die, what do you want to be your last words? Do you want to go with a sense of peace, no unfinished business? 1 Kings 2, David is about to die and his last powerful words concerning his own unfinished business will have a lasting effect on Solomon’s reign as the new King of Israel.

Power or control is something most people seek. Maybe not control of a company or a country, but at least control over their own lives. But when does the pursuit of power get out of hand? Join us as we dive into this topic in a study of 1 Kings 1-3.

Happy Epiphany! Or what’s left of it. What is epiphany all about anyway?

I (Pastor Matt) was on sabbatical October through November of 2025. This message is a reflection on 3 things gleaned from this time that connects and applies to the pastor and the church.

Christmas Sunday message from our advent series.