Madison Reformed Church

Gen. 3:14–21  Isa. 55  Lk. 24:36–49  Acts 17:16–34  What's the difference between the law and gospel? In this final message in a short summer series, Ben Phelps shows how the law is woven into the nature of things, but the gospel of the Lord Jesus can only be found in the holy Scriptures.

How can those who are filthy from their sin stand before the God of all holiness? They must be cleansed of their filth and clothed in righteousness. Ben Phelps opens to Zechariah 3, and the amazing prophetic vision in which the high priest Joshua shows us how sinner gain access to the heavenly council through the grace of God.

Lev. 4:13–21  Ps. 50  John 1:1–18, 29–34  Heb. 9:22–10:18  Moving from the section of the catechism that explains our guilt on to the "grace" section, we learn what God Himself has done to pay the sinner's debt on their behalf. Ben Phelps preaching.

Lev. 26:9–13  Isa. 40:1–2  Matt. 10:26–33  Rom. 14:7–9 Rev. Nick Alons ( Lynwood United Reformed Church ) opens to the beautiful first question of the Heidelberg Catechism and shows us from Scripture where the exclusive, extensive, and enduring comfort we all need comes from.

Joseph is still in prison, but is given the gift of dream interpretation for two of Pharaoh's officers, and is vindicated when his interpretation comes true. His role as the mistreated prophet of God previews for us our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the true revealer of God's will, and who calls us to trust Him when we face downturns and mistreatment.

Exod. 24:3–8  Prov. 17:15  Matt. 26:26–29  Rom. 6:15–7:6 If we are now—because of sin—unable to keep God's law, then why are we still held to that standard? The answer has to do with the justice of God. In this doctrinal sermon, Ben Phelps opens up the concepts of mercy and justice, and how these are manifested in the cross of Jesus Christ.

Temptation sometimes feels unbelievably strong and you feel very alone. In the story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife, Joseph stand up under an intense temptation, which is impressive enough—but the question is how ? The answer is that the Lord was with him. In this message, we learn that that we are not on our own in the face of temptation, but that our strong Savior stands with us. And because He H...

Genesis 1:26–31, 2:15–17  Jeremiah 17:9–10  John 8:31-47  Galatians 3:7–14 Ben Phelps helps us see the the heights of our creation by our good God, the depths of our fall into sin, and the heights once again of our re-creation by the Holy Spirit.

* Recording begins after Scripture reading * Continuing on after the summer series in Ruth, pastoral intern Ben Phelps looks into the family history of Jesus Christ from Matthew 1, showing that our faithful God has worked throughout every generation to bring about His saving purposes.

*Recording begins midway through* Genesis 6:5–8  2 Samuel 12:1–15  Mark 10:17–22  Romans 3:9–20  What's the difference between the law and the gospel? This sermon kicks off Ben Phelps' short summer series, guided by the Heidelberg Catechism, that answers that question. In this message, we learn what the law reflects when sinners like us look into it.

Gen. 28:10–17  Isa. 6:1–7  Luke 15:1–10  1 Peter 1:10–12  In the Bible, angels cause both terrible fear and deliver great comfort. Who are these mysterious figures? Tonight, we learn that because they are totally devoted to God, they are also totally devoted to the people of God. Next week, we look more closely at demons, but tonight, we learn what and who angels are, and what purpose they serve.

Pastoral intern Ben Phelps concludes his series in Ruth by focusing on Boaz, who in his role as redeemer gives us a beautiful picture of Christ the Redeemer. In this message we learn about the Redeemer's work that leads to the redeemed's welcome, and paving the way for a royal dynasty, all coming from the most unlikely of courses—a Moabite woman named Ruth.

Gen. 9:1–4  Prov. 30:24–28  John 1:1–5  Rev. 4:6b–11   Lots of theories about how the universe got here, and why. But Scripture speaks with clarity and simplicity that God alone has created all things, visible and invisible. In this message, we contemplate the glory of God in creation and learn that He has made everything out of nothing, by His Word, and so that His creation would be drawn back to...

Pastoral intern Ben Phelps opens to the touching story of Ruth approaching Boaz with a marriage proposal. Exploring the powerful image of Ruth being sheltered under the shadow of Boaz's "wings," Ben shows how God's people in every age are taught to gather under the protective care of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Gen. 2:5–7  Job 33:1–7  John 16:4b–15  1 Cor. 2:6–16  In a time of immense confusion about the Holy Spirit, Christians must come back to the basics. In this doctrinal sermon on the deity of the Spirit, we learn the Bible's clear but challenging way of showing us who the Third Person of the Trinity is. We learn that He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and He does this not as a force, but...

As the widows, Ruth and Naomi, make their plans for surviving a difficult chapter in life, Boaz emerges to meet their needs. Although their decisions and actions seem ordinary, through them the covenant God is showing His faithfulness to His people. Pastoral Intern Ben Phelps continues his summer series in the book of Ruth.

Pastoral intern Ben Phelps begins a series in the book of Ruth. The story begins during a time of judgment and suffering, and from this we learn that we can be patient in adversity because God is provides, and often in unexpected ways. Audio begins after the reading of the passage.

Gen. 1:1–5  Mic. 5:1–4  John 1:1–13  Heb. 1:1–14  There’s hardly a more important question than, Who is Jesus Christ? There are a lot of answers that have been tried out over the centuries. Our confession answers that question like this: “So then, [Christ] is the true eternal God, the Almighty, whom we invoke , worship , and serve .” In this message, we learn that Scripture describes Jesus as the...

Num. 16:25–32  Ezek. 13:1–11  Mark 12:18–27  1 Tim. 6:20–21  Scripture paints a challenging picture for our age. It shows that while the Church is a community of people who welcome others into it, it also has boundary lines. One of the boundary lines is the doctrine of the Trinity. In this message, we learn what Scripture says about those who teach false doctrine and highlight a few of the promine...

How do we grow in holiness? Is it through self-punishment and trying harder? Scripture says that the flesh can't accomplish this. It is only through the Spirit. Although Christ has wiped away our debts before God, we still owe an everlasting debt of gratitude to the Spirit. Why? He gives us Himself. And through Him, we put our sins to death. 

The Joseph story is interrupted by Genesis 38 and his older brother Judah's exploits. From Judah will come our Lord Jesus Christ. But first, he ruins his legacy and only begins a transformation when confronted by the righteousness of another. To use the language of the book of Romans—where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more. In this message, we learn that Christ redeems ruined lives an...

Gen. 1:26–31  Isa. 63:7–14  Matt. 3:13–17  2 Cor. 13:11–14  In this message, we learn how the Bible testifies about the Triune God and that our experience of Him agrees with that testimony. 

Christ lifted up His hands and "blessed them" and they, in response, "were blessing God." This back and forth pattern of blessing is what Christ has left behind for us at His ascension into heaven. In this message for our Ascension Day service, we remember this great work of God in Christ, and learn how best to respond.

Deut. 4:32–40  Isa. 42:5–9  John 10:22–30  Heb. 9:11–14  Many have wondered if the doctrine of the Trinity is really all the useful or practical. The moment you begin to go just a little deeper with it, you feel like you’re drowning. But the truth is that because we’re Christians, we also have to get used the feeling of being out of our depth. God is God, and He has revealed Himself. In this messa...

The jealousy of Joseph's brothers is a powerful picture of jealousy in the life of the Church. And in Joseph's story, we have one of the most extended and amazing pre-figurings of Jesus Christ in the whole Old Testament. Through Joseph, Genesis 37 highlights the humiliation of Jesus Christ, who alone can bring jealous sinners to their knees in repentance.