the Church Podcast

Welcome to the Church, we are a community of Christ followers in the Madison, WI area. In this weekly podcast you will hear the Pastor's message as given at the Church on Sunday mornings. Join us live on Sunday mornings in Fitchburg, or check us out online at www.livelifetogether.com

Exile & Return W2: Hope in Exile 04/29/2026

Exile & Return W2: Hope in Exile Focus: Even in exile, in the midst of the consequences for rejecting God, He is with His people. God especially blesses Daniel, and as He raises him up He encourages Daniel and Israel though His prophets and a promise that there is a future where they are restored. There is no where God’s people can be sent or where they can go where God will not be with them. Jeremiah 29; Daniel 1 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/41062475

Exile & Return W1: The Rise and the Cry 04/21/2026

Exile & Return W1: The Rise and the Cry Focus: David’s son, Solomon, started out so well, seeing his need for wisdom to rule God’s people. God honored and blessed Solomon. And still, Solomon’s heart was slowly drawn away from God. From Israel’s most financially prosperous and peace-filled 40 years, to the judgment that Israel would be split and exiled, we see what happens when God’s people choose to worship something other than the only true God. And once again we see God remaining faithful to His promises. 1 Kings 3–12; Isaiah 6 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40958595

Kings & Longing W3: A Heart Like God's 04/13/2026

Kings & Longing W3: A Heart Like God's Focus: Long before Jesus came, God told Samuel that He looks not at outward appearances, but at the heart. In choosing David, God revealed that the kind of leadership He desires flows from trust, humility, and devotion. In the light of Easter, we see that Jesus is the true Son of David, the King whose heart reflects the Father’s. This week invites us to examine our own hearts and to ask what it means to live as people shaped by and reflecting the character of the risen King. 1 Samuel 16 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40860705

Kings & Longing W2: He Is Risen! 04/08/2026

Kings & Longing W2: He Is Risen! Focus: Aren’t you glad that God’s grand story does not end at the cross? On the third day, the grave is empty! Death itself is defeated! The risen Christ fulfills the ancient promise that God will swallow up death forever and wipe away every tear. Easter declares that Jesus is not only the crucified Savior but the living King who holds the keys of death and life. Because He lives, hope is no longer a wish. Hope is a certainty grounded in the victory of God. Isaiah 25:6–9; Matthew 28:1–10; Revelation 1:17–18 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40774485

Kings & Longing: Wounded for Our Healing 04/08/2026

Kings & Longing: Wounded for Our Healing Focus: The cross reveals the depth of humanity’s brokenness and the greater depth of God’s love. The promised Servant King bears the weight of sin, suffering, and injustice, fulfilling Isaiah’s ancient prophecy that “by His wounds we are healed.” What looks like defeat becomes the turning point of humanity’s redemption. Good Friday reminds us that God does not stand distant from human pain. He enters it, carries it, and redeems it through the sacrifice of Christ. Isaiah 53; John 19 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40774415

Kings & Longing: Love That Serves and Saves 04/03/2026

Kings & Longing: Love That Serves and Saves Focus: On the night before the cross, Jesus reveals the heart of His kingdom. The King kneels to wash His disciples’ feet and gives them bread and wine as a new covenant. Echoing the Passover story of rescue and deliverance, Jesus shows that His mission is not only to rule but to serve and save. Maundy Thursday invites us to receive the love of the Servant King and to reflect that same sacrificial love toward others. Exodus 12:1–14; Luke 22:7–20; John 13:1–17 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40724440

Kings & Longing: The Humble King Arrives 03/30/2026

Kings & Longing: The Humble King Arrives Focus: The King God promised finally arrives, but not as the kind of king the crowd expected. Riding on a donkey instead of a war horse, Jesus reveals a kingdom built on humility, peace, and surrender rather than force and power. Palm Sunday invites us to recognize that the King we truly need may not be the one we imagined. As the crowd cries “Hosanna,” we are confronted with a question that echoes through every generation: Will we welcome the humble King on His terms? Zechariah 9:9–10; Luke 19:28–40 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40670005

Presence in the Wilderness: Woven into Memory 03/30/2026

Presence in the Wilderness: Woven into Memory Focus: God calls the Israelites to obey everything He has commanded, to teach their children to obey, and to regularly remember how God delivered them from Egypt and how He gave them the cities and land they live in. Remembering and repeating what God has done is necessary. People are so quick to focus on circumstances and ourselves that God’s people need to have these things woven into their memories. Deuteronomy 6 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40669950

Presence in the Wilderness: Threads of Fear, Threads of Faith 03/17/2026

Presence in the Wilderness: Threads of Fear, Threads of Faith Focus: God is with His people and leads them to the lands He promised to give to them. But the scouting party returns divided. 10 are afraid of going against the inhabitants of the land, while 2 believe that God will be fighting for them and will deliver on His promise, so they have nothing to fear. How commonly do we switch our perspective from what God is doing, to what I can’t do? Numbers 13–14 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40514125

Presence in the Wilderness: God Moves In 03/17/2026

Presence in the Wilderness: God Moves In Focus: After delivering His people, God agrees to go with them to the promised land. Even though He knows that the people will sin, and will kindle His anger, He is with them. Exodus 25–40 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40512960

Covenant Threads: Marked by Grace 03/04/2026

Covenant Threads: Marked by Grace Focus: The covenant promise expands as God delivers His people from slavery and claims them as His own. From the burning bush to the Passover to Sinai, we see that God rescues before He instructs, saves before He shapes, and marks His people with grace before calling them to obedience. This week anchors us in the truth that covenant identity flows from deliverance, not performance. We are not saved by keeping the law; we are given the law because we have been saved. Exodus 3, 12, 20 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40317325

Covenant Threads: Tested and Tied 03/04/2026

Covenant Threads: Tested and Tied Focus: Covenant faith is not only received, it is tested. In Genesis 22, Abraham is confronted with a moment that threatens to unravel the very promise he was given. Yet God proves Himself faithful, providing what Abraham could not. This story reminds us that God never tests in order to destroy, but to deepen trust and reveal His provision. This week invites us to wrestle honestly with faith under pressure and to discover that God remains faithful even when obedience is costly and understanding is incomplete. Genesis 22 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40317170

Covenant Threads: Return and Be Renewed 03/04/2026

Covenant Threads: Return and Be Renewed Focus: Ash Wednesday calls us to return, not out of fear, but out of hope. The God who binds Himself to His people also invites them back when they stray. Through confession, repentance, and humility, we are reminded that covenant life includes honest reckoning with sin and confident trust in God’s mercy. This service grounds us in the truth that renewal is possible because God’s steadfast love never loosens its grip. Even marked with ashes, we are held by grace. Joel 2:12–13; Psalm 51 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40317115

Covenant Threads: A Thread Begins 03/04/2026

Covenant Threads: A Thread Begins Focus: God’s redemptive work moves from promise spoken to promise embodied as He calls Abram by grace alone. God’s covenant begins with a call and is sealed with a new name. In Genesis 12, God invites Abram into a promise that will bless the world; in Genesis 17, God confirms that promise by renaming him Abraham, marking not just a future, but a transformed identity. This week reminds us that God’s promises do not simply point us forward; they reshape who we are. To be called by God is to be claimed by Him, and to receive a new name rooted in grace rather than achievement. Genesis 12:1-9 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40317080

The Frayed Edge: Stitched with Promise 03/04/2026

The Frayed Edge: Stitched with Promise Focus: In the very moment sin enters the story, God speaks a promise that reshapes the future. Genesis 3:15 reveals that the fracture will not be permanent and the serpent will not prevail. What was torn is not discarded, but stitched with hope. This first Gospel promise points forward to a Savior who will enter the brokenness, absorb the wound, and ultimately defeat evil. This week anchors us in the assurance that grace is older than our failure and that God’s redemptive plan was already being woven at the frayed edge of creation. Genesis 3:15 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40317005

The Frayed Edge: Every Thread Torn 02/20/2026

The Frayed Edge: Every Thread Torn Focus: No thread remains untouched by sin. Romans 3 strips away illusion and comparison, revealing a universal truth: all have fallen short, and no one stands righteous on their own. This is not condemnation for its own sake, but clarity that levels the ground beneath us all. By naming the depth of the rupture, Scripture prepares us to see grace more clearly. This week invites us to release self-justification, face the truth about our condition, and discover that honest confession is the doorway to hope. Romans 3 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40181370

The Frayed Edge: Unraveled 02/20/2026

The Frayed Edge: Unraveled Focus: Sin does not stay contained. What begins as mistrust of God quickly spreads into fractured relationships, escalating violence, and disordered communities. As the threads of creation unravel, from the first murder to the flood to the tower of Babel, we confront the sobering reality of sin’s reach. Yet even here, God remains present: restraining evil, preserving life, and refusing to let brokenness have the final word. This week calls us to honestly reckon with sin’s ripple effects while recognizing God’s persistent mercy amid the unraveling. Genesis 4–11 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40181340

Threads of Creation: Snapped Thread 02/20/2026

Threads of Creation: Snapped Thread Focus: Something snaps. A whisper of doubt, a subtle twist of truth, and suddenly the beautiful design begins to unravel. Today we are confronted with the moment everything changed, when humanity chose self-rule over trusting God, and the harmony of relationship gave way to the burden of brokenness. Yet even in the moment of unraveling, the voice of the Creator still calls. We acknowledge the reality of sin and its consequences…not as the end of the story, but as the moment when grace first breaks in. We hold space for grief and gratitude, confession and hope, as we remember that even the snapped thread is still held in the hands of the Master Weaver. Genesis 3:1-19 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40181295

Threads of Creation: Breath and Bond 02/20/2026

Threads of Creation: Breath and Bond Focus: Our Creator is not distant. He is a God who forms from dust and breathes in life. Notice the intimacy of God’s design. We learn not just how we were made, but why. God comes near. He shapes us by His hands and gives us His breath-the breath of life. We are not machines or mistakes. We are beings made out of His stuff. We are made for communion with God, with others, and with creation itself. In worship, we pause to inhale the truth that our worth is not earned, but infused. And we exhale gratitude for the God who knit us together with purpose and love. Genesis 2:4-7 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40181260

Threads of Creation: The Loom of Creation 02/20/2026

Threads of Creation: The Loom of Creation Focus: We begin this new year by returning to the beginning, where a good and beautiful world is intentionally woven by a loving Creator. Life is not accidental, rushed, or random. We are created with purpose, formed for relationship, and invited into belonging with God and one another. We are reminded that our identity flows from God’s design, not our performance. Our purpose is rooted in His goodness, not our productivity. And our belonging is established by grace, not achievement. In receiving God’s creative Word again, we are invited to live the week ahead grounded in who we are, why we are here, and whose we are. Genesis 1:1-2:4 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40181220

Loves to Try - Embracing Change: For a Time 02/19/2026

Loves to Try - Embracing Change: For a Time Focus: Everything has a season, a time. Seeing things this way frees us to let go and to embrace new things. A new thing isn’t necessarily a lifetime commitment, we can embrace it for a time, for its season. And we’re free to let go of things, because it may be that their season has passed. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40166405

Loves to Try - Embracing Change: Light in the Dark 02/19/2026

Loves to Try - Embracing Change: Light in the Dark Focus: The light of the world has been born! We don’t have to walk in darkness anymore. We can follow Jesus who is the light that leads to life. Embrace the light! Isaiah 9:2-7 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40166375

Loves to Try - Embracing Change: Prophecy Realized 02/19/2026

Loves to Try - Embracing Change: Prophecy Realized Focus: God’s people were waiting for things to change. They looked forward to a leader who would rescue them from their oppressors and lead them with strength into an era of peace and honor. The realized prophecy was not what they expected. Some would embrace and follow Jesus, and others would reject the change from what they expected. Micah 5:2-5 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40166315

Loves to Try - Embracing Change: New Thinking 02/19/2026

Loves to Try - Embracing Change: New Thinking Focus: Letting go of how the world tells you to think and what to want is part of the transformation that God brings about in your life as He replaces the world's values with His own. It might seem strange to refer to God’s Word as something new. And yet, as God transforms the way you think, your life and choices display something new for you that is different from your “old ways”. Romans 12:1-2 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/40166250

Loves to Try - Embracing Change: Letting Go 01/29/2026

Loves to Try - Embracing Change: Letting Go Focus: Change isn’t always easy. Change requires letting go of something. When God says He’s going to do something that eclipses something that we’ve been wanting, it’s an invitation to let go of what we’ve been focused on so we can embrace the new thing. Isaiah 43:14-21 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/39926275

Loves to Try - Persevering in Love: Patient Endurance 01/29/2026

Loves to Try - Persevering in Love: Patient Endurance Focus: Troubles and testing that we go through exercise and grow our endurance for the race of life. We can’t schedule this exercise like we can schedule time at the gym, but we can consider it an opportunity to grow, and take great joy in that. James 1:2-4, 12-18 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/39926215

Loves to Try - Advent Hymn Sing 01/29/2026

Loves to Try - Advent Hymn Sing /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/39926190

Loves to Try - Persevering in Love: Ever Hopeful 01/29/2026

Loves to Try - Persevering in Love: Ever Hopeful Focus: Imagine love without weight, without the burden, without the fear of disappointment. Our hope is in Christ. Our trust is in the Lord. And our love is ever hopeful because God will never let us down. We can love others with a love that doesn’t give up, because God doesn’t give up. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/39926160

Loves to Try - Thanksgiving Eve 01/29/2026

Loves to Try - Thanksgiving Eve At the Thanksgiving Eve service, people are given the opportunity to publicly share how they have been blessed and give God thanks and praise. /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/39925930

Loves to Try - Persevering in Love: Tenacious Blessing 01/29/2026

Loves to Try - Persevering in Love: Tenacious Blessing Focus: Obeying the law of Christ means loving even through challenges and continuing to try even when it’s difficult. We love because He first loved us. We love with the tenacious, persevering love that comes from God. Galatians 6:1-10 /episode/index/show/livelifetogether/id/39925865

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