Madison Reformed Church

Every culture has its buzzwords that conjure up strong images in the hearts of those who know them. In Mark 11:9 we see such a word: “Hosanna,” which means “Please, save us!" But Jesus’ work of salvation is both different and better than expected, and because of this, we must fix our hope on him.

Gen. 2:15–17 Psalm 88 Luke 22:39–46 1 Thess. 5:6–11 We learn in the Creed that Christ suffered in both body and soul, and this suffering reached it's lowest point in his burial and descent into hell. In this catechism sermon, we learn what Christ's descent  means for our own dark nights of the soul.

Paul speaks of the power of the cross in 1 Corinthians 1:18. But in today's passage, Philippians 3:10, he speaks of the power of the resurrection. In this sermon on Easter 2023, the great reversal of the Resurrection is applied to the book of Philippians as we learn that Christ’s Resurrection not only demonstrates the power of God over death, but it also provides us with that same power over...

Deut. 21:22–23 Esth. 6:14–7:10 John 19:1–16 1 Pet. 2:18–25 At some point in your life, you will ask almost surely ask the question: Is God punishing me? The way you answer that question will determine a lot about how you get through it. Because if your suffering is God’s condemnation, then your grief and doubt will multiply. But if Jesus has already suffered the condemnation of God instead of you,...

Good Friday 2023: What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “the power of God”? In Scripture, God reveals his power through deeds. In 1 Cor. 1:18, “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the mighty deeds of God that expresses the power of God. What is its power? Tonight, we med...

This little story highlights a man who is kept from following Christ because of his weakness, who is then made a disciple by Christ’s authority. It teaches us that although our weaknesses create all kinds of obstacles to following Christ, his mercy is available to help us persevere. 

Gen. 17:15–21 Isa. 7:10–17 Luke 1:26–38 Heb. 2:10–18  In the “guilt” section of the catechism, we learned that the fall of Adam and Eve “has so poisoned our nature that we are all conceived and born in sin .” In Lord's Day 14, we are given a hope-filled solution to this desperate situation. Although our conception and birth are riddled with sin, Christ’s conception and birth covers us.

Exod. 15:13–21  2 Sam. 7:8–17 John 1:9–18 1 Pet. 1:13–21  Imagine auditioning for a play, and then through some impossible misunderstanding, you read the cast list wrong and memorized all the lines of a character you’re not even playing. That’s the cost of not knowing who you are. Those who have received Jesus Christ by faith and have been renewed by the Holy Spirit are called “sons of God.”  But...

“Power tends to corrupt," said one famous historian. Nearly everyone is entrusted with some authority at some point in their life. The question is, how will we use it?   For the sake of Christ and others, or for their own glory? Christians are called to a glory that is attained through self-giving. This passage in Mark 10 shows us that since Christ has given himself as our ransom, we may foll...

Deut. 18:15–22  Isa. 61:1–7 Matt. 21:1–5 Heb. 7:15–28 Many people feel unequipped about their walk with Christ. They feel like there are many things in Scripture they don’t have the tools to understand. Or they deal with constant guilt about failures in life. Or the battle against sin just feels too constant. Lord's Day 12 teaches that Christ is anointed one who makes us sharers in his anoint...

“What must I do to inherit eternal life?” This central question leads to a conversation between Jesus and his disciples. And what we find is that discipleship is a matter of dependence—dependence on Jesus, meant to be lived out with fellow co-dependents.

Rev. Zac Wyse opens the Gospel of Matthew to show Christ's compassion for the outsider.

Perfection is when something is complete and needs nothing added to it or taken away from it. And this describes our Savior, Jesus Christ. In this sermon guided by Lord's Day 11, we learn about the fullness of Christ being given to those who believe.

Rev. Brandon Burks of Westside Reformed Church opens God's Word to Revelation 17. He warns us of the allurement of the harlot Babylon and encourages us with the good news that Christ has conquered all.

Rev. Brandon Burks of Westside Reformed Church preaches the  doctrine of providence, showing us that God's wonderful control over all things is the source of our comfort in an unstable world.

Law: Gen. 1:1–5 Wisdom: Job 38:1–21 Gospel: John 17:1–5 Epistle: Rom. 8:12–17 Every act of God is the Father working through his Son by the Holy Spirit. And yet, the Bible shows the Father, the Son, and the Spirit each doing something that is particular to each one. Today, we see this in the Almighty Father. The catechism draws out of Scripture three ways in which God is the Father: he's the...

What does Jesus say about marriage, divorce, and children? Disciples of the Kingdom learn that since their King loves them and has laid down his life for them, they can take up their crosses and follow him in their most important family relationships, with their spouses and their children.

 We are always tempted to make ourselves seem greater than we actually are—less weak, smarter, more skillful. But Jesus shows that greatness is measured by Christ-like service. He, though great beyond measure, has made himself small in the eyes of the world. Through conformity to him, being great means that we must become little; being first requires that we become last. 

Law: Num. 6:22–27 Wisdom: Prov. 8:22–36 Gospel: Matt. 28:16–20 Epistle: 1 Cor. 8:1–6 A few hundred years ago it became popular among some theologians to say that the doctrine of the Trinity might be true, but it’s not useful , and so whether or not a person believes that there is one God in three Persons really doesn’t matter that much. Today, we’re going to being to grasp why the doctrine importa...

Law: Exod. 4:27–31 Wisdom: Prov. 3:1–8 Gospel: John 3:16–36 Epistle: Rom. 5:12–17  What is "true faith"? Pop culture is more than happy to tell us to have faith—it doesn't matter what, just believe in something. But true faith rests in Jesus Christ, and it consists of three main elements: Knowledge, agreement, and trust. In this catechism sermon, we unpack those three elements from...

It’s difficult to come down off of mountaintop experiences. But that is where we live most of our life—off the mountain, down in the valley, in a dark world. We fall into sin and into spiritual depression, and we think—if we could just get back up on the mountain where the glory and power are. Jesus teaches us that faith ascends the mountain, particularly through prayer.

Mark’s Gospel takes us to the Mount of Transfiguration here in ch. 9, and it is one of the rare instances in the NT when God the Father speaks directly from heaven. And he tells everyone to listen to his Son, Jesus Christ. Why must we listen particularly to Jesus? Because he is the glorious Prophet who speaks on God’s behalf. And because he has shown us to be the glorious Prophet of God, we must b...

Law: Gen. 3:8–20 Prophets: Jer. 23:1–6 Gospel: Luke 24:13–27, 44–49 Epistle: 1 Cor. 15:1–8  The law teaches you your misery. But the gospel teaches you about the mediator, Jesus Christ. What is this Gospel, and where exactly do we learn it? It is a the message of good news, and it is found in all of Scripture.

Passages: Leviticus 4:27–31 Psalm 49:5–12 Matthew 27:15–26 Romans 8:1–8 Here’s the thing about debt. Someone has to pay it. It doesn't just go away. In Scripture, our sins are the debts, we are the debtors, and God is the one whose justice must be satisfied. This situation raises several questions, and we find the only sufficient answer in a doctrine called penal substitutionary atonement .

“You are the Christ.”  This is the identity of Jesus means we must begin to behave differently. Knowing the Christ personally is the beginning of the truly spiritual life. The same question is posed to all people everywhere: Who do you say that he is? He is the Christ. And therefore, only he can lay out the life of true spirituality, the walk of godliness, and Christlikeness.