The Madison Church Podcast

People leave churches for reasons that sound small at first, until you’re living in the aftermath: a leadership change, a shift in culture, a relationship that breaks, a conflict that won’t resolve, a sense that something went genuinely wrong. When that happens, the question isn’t only “How do we fix this?” It’s “What actually holds Christians together when everything feels unstable?” Stephen Feit...

What if your stalled season is not a detour but your assignment? We open with a light story about choosing speed over quality, then step into Acts 24 where Paul stands before Felix, falsely accused and stuck for two years. Instead of bitterness, he models a clear conscience and a hope that does not hinge on a court date or a political swing. That tension—living faithfully while nothing seems to mo...

The story moves from miracles to misunderstanding—and that tension is where the deepest formation happens. We step into Acts 21 as Paul is accused, seized, and carried away under the shout of death, and we unpack why long obedience often collides with confusion before it bears any visible fruit. No instant vindication arrives, yet something more resilient takes root: steadiness under pressure and...

The thrill of a fresh start is easy to love. The quiet grind of staying when it’s ordinary, costly, or unclear—that’s where character is forged. We walk through Acts 20 to trace how a fragile young church learned to endure without fireworks, celebrity, or momentum: through a presence that steadies, a humility that tells the truth, and a grace that keeps working when the room empties. We start with...

Ever been sure you handled conflict “the right way” and still couldn’t land on the same page? We explore one of Scripture’s most honest moments: when Paul and Barnabas, two trusted leaders with years of shared wins, hit a sharp disagreement over John Mark and choose to part ways. Luke gives us no juicy motives and crowns no winner. Instead, he shows us what comes next: the mission doesn’t stall. I...

What if the clearest next step is simply to go—without a map, a timeline, or a promise of applause? We take you to Antioch, where an unglamorous team of teachers and prophets fasts, prays, and hears the Spirit say just seven disruptive words: “Set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work.” No itinerary. No metrics. Just obedience. That choice launches a shift from reaction to persecution toward intent...

What do you do when the results don’t match your prayers? We walk through Acts 12 with clear eyes and an open heart, tracing the jarring contrast between James’ execution and Peter’s surprising escape, then zooming out to ask what genuine faithfulness looks like when outcomes diverge. Along the way, we confront our cultural reflex to equate success with virtue and suffering with failure, and we tr...

Movements rarely grow the way we plan them. In Acts 11, we watch grace move ahead of structure as scattered believers carry the message of Jesus into Antioch, a bustling hub where cultural lines blur and new possibilities open. What happens next is not a victory lap but a blueprint for long-term faithfulness: leaders who refuse to grasp at control, a community that chooses slow formation over quic...

What if the thing you “protect” most is silently telling the world what you worship? We explore how Advent pressure exposes our true priorities and why the Magi’s long, ordinary journey reframes generosity as a truthful act of worship—not a performance. Outsiders notice the star and move; insiders cling to familiarity; Herod hears the same news and tightens his grip. That split-screen reveals a de...

The rush of the season tells us to hurry, upgrade, and control. We chose a different rhythm. Advent invites us to slow down and remember that generosity doesn’t start with our wallets or our willpower; it starts with God giving himself in love. From there, everything changes—our identity, our pace, and the way we hold our resources, relationships, and plans. We walk through the story of Mary to sh...

What if God is already at the table you’ve been avoiding? Acts 10 turns the insider–outsider story on its head as we follow a devout Roman centurion named Cornelius and a sincere, reluctant apostle named Peter. We walk through the rooftop vision that rattles Peter’s categories, the front-door threshold that tests his obedience, and the living room moment where the Holy Spirit rushes in before the...

What if healing is far bigger than the miracle headline? We follow Peter into the quiet rooms of Acts 9 where there are no stages, no microphones, and no grand speeches—only grief, prayer, and the kind of mercy that stitches a neighborhood back together. Aeneas walks. Tabitha rises. But the deeper story is how dignity is restored, belonging is renewed, and a community finds hope again. We share wh...

What if the moment your plans fell apart wasn’t the end, but the opening move of a better story? We dive into Acts 8 to trace a surprising pattern: the church goes from thriving to scattered, from safety to persecution, and somehow the mission doesn’t shrink—it expands. Stephen’s death mirrors the path of Jesus, not by explaining suffering away, but by revealing how love walks into it and turns it...

What if the quiet crisis in modern Christianity isn’t doubt, but distraction—a version of faith that sounds right and changes little? We go straight at the subtle Gnosticism that still haunts church culture today: the lure of secret knowledge, the shrug toward the physical world, and the fantasy of escape. Then we lay it beside Paul’s charge in Romans 12 to offer our bodies as living worship and J...

Have you ever felt at war with your own body? Perhaps you've tried to escape it through overwork, screen time, or numbing behaviors. Maybe you've obsessed over perfecting it, measuring your worth by fitness levels or appearance. Either way, the message is clear: your body, as it exists right now, isn't enough. This powerful message challenges that harmful narrative by exploring how...

Have you ever heard someone say "I'm spiritual but not religious" or "everything happens for a reason"? These well-meaning phrases attempt to bring comfort and order to life's chaos, but they often represent a blurred vision of Christianity—one that promises easy answers instead of genuine transformation. Pastor Stephen challenges us to consider whether we've red...

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 actua...

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...

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 Christia...

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...

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. Lik...

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,...

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...

Have you ever been terrified by end-times prophecies based on Revelation? You're not alone. Randy Knie vividly recalls sitting on his parents' bed at 13, trembling as he read a newsletter predicting imminent apocalypse—supposedly decoded straight from Revelation's pages. This traumatic experience mirrors countless others who've either become obsessed with this mysterious biblic...

What happens when following Jesus puts you at odds with everyone around you? When doing the right thing costs you something meaningful—comfort, relationships, or future plans? This transformative episode explores the courage of the early church in Acts 5, where ordinary believers faced extraordinary opposition yet remained steadfast in their mission. The apostles, once hiding in fear after Jesus&a...