Church is messy podcast recorded at Autumn Ridge Church in Rochester, MN
Church is Messy
Claim This Podcastby Rick Henderson and Svea Merry
4.6(32 reviews)
146 episodes
Updated Bi-weekly
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸
Podcast Overview
Church is messy podcast recorded at Autumn Ridge Church in Rochester, MN
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
3/30/2022
3 verified contact emails on file for Church is Messy
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Recent Episodes
June 10, 2026
Church Is Messy: Church in the Wild - Leader Abuse
<p>In this season finale of Church Is Messy, Rick and Svea reflect on the close of both the podcast season and Autumn Ridge’s long journey through 1 Corinthians. The conversation centers on 1 Corinthians 16 and Rick’s message about how churches relate to leaders—not as a grievance or self-serving topic, but as a willingness to talk honestly about what the text actually says. </p><p><br></p><p>Rick revisits four unhealthy mindsets that can shape how people respond to leaders: <strong>strongman Christianity</strong>, <strong>scoreboard Christianity</strong>, <strong>pep rally Christianity</strong>, and <strong>consumerism Christianity</strong>. He explains how these mindsets often grow out of fear, insecurity, tribalism, comparison, or the subtle desire to place ourselves at the center.</p><p><br></p><p>A significant part of the episode focuses on the difference between looking to strong leaders for certainty and learning to trust Jesus with our circumstances. Rick and Svea also spend time unpacking consumerism in the church, especially how easy it is to recognize in others and how difficult it can be to see in ourselves.</p><p><br></p><p>The conversation then turns toward practical ways to return to a grounded identity in Christ: being honest with ourselves, naming what is true out loud, bringing it to Jesus in prayer, and walking honestly with trusted people who love us and love Jesus.</p><p><br></p><p>Rick and Svea also touch on submission, leadership, and trust—especially what it means to follow leaders in a broken world while keeping our ultimate allegiance to Jesus.</p><p><br></p><p>The episode closes with a look ahead. Church Is Messy will take a short summer break and return in August alongside a new series called <strong>The End?</strong>, which will explore end times questions, where history is headed from a biblical perspective, and what Christians can expect about heaven.</p><p><strong>Topics discussed in this episode:</strong></p><ul><li>00:00 — Intro</li><li>01:37 — Why Rick Chose to Preach on 1 Corinthians 16</li><li>07:50 — The Four Dysfunctional Mindsets (Recap) </li><li>10:01 — Which Mindsets Are Most Dangerous Today</li><li>15:58 — Deep Dive: Consumerism Christianity</li><li>21:41 — Consumerism in Marriage & Relationships</li><li>23:28 — The Antidotes: Grounding Identity in Christ</li><li>27:37 — Submission to Leaders (Healthy & Unhealthy</li><li>34:36 — Upcoming Break & Preview of Next Series</li></ul>
June 3, 2026
Church Is Messy: Psalm 58 - Wisdom in Wicked Psalms
<p>In this episode of Church Is Messy, Rick and Svea reflect on Svea’s recent message from Psalm 58—one of the imprecatory psalms, where God’s people cry out for divine justice against evil and oppression.</p><p><br></p><p>They talk about why passages like this can feel uncomfortable, violent, or hard to reconcile with Jesus’ command to love our enemies. Svea shares how studying Psalm 58 helped her recover a deeper appreciation for parts of Scripture many people tend to skip over. Rather than seeing these psalms as permission to seek revenge, Rick and Svea explore how they teach us to bring even our darkest, most honest thoughts and emotions to God.</p><p><br></p><p>The conversation also touches on the difference between honesty and endorsement. The psalms give language for pain, anger, fear, and longing for justice—not so we can nurture revenge, but so we can surrender those desires to God. Rick and Svea discuss how Jesus fulfills these psalms through the cross, where mercy and justice meet, and how followers of Jesus are called to pursue what is right without taking vengeance into their own hands.</p><p><br></p><p>Ultimately, this episode invites listeners to read difficult parts of the Bible with curiosity, humility, and trust—looking for Jesus even in passages that feel prickly, dark, or unsettling. </p><p><strong>Topics discussed in this episode:</strong></p><ul><li>00:00 — Intro</li><li>01:58 — Backstory: How Svea Chose This Psalm</li><li>05:29 — How to Read Difficult / "Prickly" Passages of Scripture</li><li>13:49 — Honesty With God & the Value of Dark Psalms</li><li>23:19 — Listener Question: How Are Imprecatory Psalms Fulfilled in Jesus?</li><li>27:02 — Peter's Story Arc as a Picture of Transformation</li></ul>
May 27, 2026
Church Is Messy: Church in the Wild - Don't Flirt
<p>In this episode of Church Is Messy, Rick and Svea continue the 1 Corinthians series by unpacking Paul’s teaching on idolatry, allegiance, wisdom, and life with people who do not share our faith.</p><p><br></p><p>The conversation begins with a look at how modern idolatry often shows up less through statues and temples and more through the things we rely on for security, significance, and satisfaction. Rick and Svea discuss what it means to give Jesus our full allegiance—not as an accessory we reach for when life gets hard, but as Lord over every part of life.</p><p><br></p><p>They also explore Paul’s practical instructions about eating food sacrificed to idols and what those instructions teach us today. Rather than living in fear of guilt by association, followers of Jesus are called to love people well, remain clear about their allegiance to Christ, and pursue wisdom in messy relational situations.</p><p><br></p><p>Along the way, Rick and Svea talk about learning from the lives of others, the importance of wise counsel, the difference between avoiding compromise and avoiding people, and how Jesus was never afraid to be present with people others misunderstood or rejected.</p><p><strong>Topics discussed in this episode:</strong></p><ul><li>00:00 — Intro</li><li>01:37 — Overview of the sermon's two parts</li><li>04:07 — Learning from others' experiences (Paul's use of Israel's stories)</li><li>08:01 — "Imitate me as I imitate Christ"</li><li>09:57 — Total allegiance to Jesus vs. treating Him as an accessory</li><li>11:43 — Modern idolatry: security, significance, and satisfaction</li><li>14:32 — Meat sacrificed to idols — navigating the flowchart</li><li>17:34 — Relational application: being with people in messy situations</li><li>19:18 — "Avoid the appearance of evil" — does it apply here?</li><li>22:39 — Guilt by association — Jesus as the model</li><li>25:06 — A real-world question about what to do when a friend of another faith prays before a meal</li></ul>
146 total episodes available
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This podcast updates bi-weekly.
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