Church is Messy

What if heaven is not somewhere we escape to, but the place where God finally makes all things new?

In the final conversation of The End? series, Rick and Svea unpack the biblical picture of heaven as a renewed creation—heaven coming to earth when Jesus returns. They talk about what happens when a follower of Jesus dies, why Scripture points toward resurrection and restoration rather than an eternal disembodied existence, and how that changes the way we imagine eternity.

They also explore why so many Christians have inherited a...

What are we really looking forward to when we think about heaven?

Rick and Svea continue the conversation around The End? by focusing on heaven—not as an escape from this life, but as the fulfillment of our deepest longing to be with Jesus. They talk about why even the best things in this life eventually come to an end, why heaven is ultimately about who is there more than what the place is like, and how growing in our relationship with Jesus now can deepen our capacity to enjoy Him forever.

Trying to figure out exactly when Jesus will return can be fascinating—but it can also distract us from the kind of people Jesus is calling us to become right now.

In this episode of Church Is Messy, Rick and Svea continue the conversation from Autumn Ridge’s series on the end times. They reflect on church cultures that emphasized decoding prophecy, predicting the rapture, and connecting current events to biblical timelines—and contrast that approach with a simpler question: What does it look like to live faithfully if we really believe Jesus is coming...

Church Is Messy is back for a new season! Rick and Svea begin with a few summer updates before turning to Autumn Ridge’s new message series, The End?—and why conversations about the return of Jesus should lead to preparation, not prediction.

They explore several Christian perspectives on the end times, why fear and speculation have shaped so much modern thinking about the subject, and what Scripture actually calls followers of Jesus to do while we wait. Rather than obsessing over charts, dates, and decoding current events, Paul points Christians toward character, community, faith, love, encouragement, and...

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. 

Rick revisits four unhealthy mindsets that can shape how people respond to leaders: strongman Christianity, scoreboard Christianity, pep rally Christianity, and consumerism Christianity. He explains how these mindsets often grow out of fear...

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.

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 tea...

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.

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 l...

Rick and Svea reflect on Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9 about running “in such a way as to get the prize,” exploring what it means to live with courage, focus, and love. They talk about how sharing faith doesn’t have to be driven by pressure, guilt, or argument, but can flow naturally from love for people and a desire to share what Jesus has done in our lives.

Through stories about hunting, cross-cultural mission, ordinary acts of kindness, and the impact of kids ministry, they reframe “witness” as something deeply relational: noticing people, honoring them, moving at their pac...

Rick and Svea talk about modern-day idolatry—not necessarily bowing before statues, but looking to accomplishments, relationships, finances, status, or other good things to tell us we are enough. They reflect on the freedom that comes from knowing our deepest identity and security are found in Christ, not in what we achieve or what others think of us.

The episode also explores Paul’s words that “knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” Knowledge matters, but Christian maturity is not measured by how much we know. It is measured by how we love—how we love Je...

In this episode of Church Is Messy, Svea sits down with Pastor Caleb Smith to unpack a challenging passage from 1 Corinthians dealing with slavery, singleness, marriage, and what it means to find true security in Christ. Caleb reflects on the importance of reading Scripture in its original context, helping listeners understand the complexities of first-century slavery and Paul’s deeper message about resisting the temptation to build our identity and security on status, relationships, or life circumstances instead of Jesus. 

The conversation also becomes deeply personal as Caleb shares about the ongoing health challenges he’...

In this episode of Church Is Messy, Rick and Svea continue their walk through 1 Corinthians by tackling a topic that’s often misunderstood: sexuality in marriage.

They name two common extremes: treating sex as a tool for control or treating it as something spiritually suspect. Instead, they point to a better vision, seeing it as a good gift meant to be expressed within a marriage marked by trust, humility, and covenant love.

The conversation keeps coming back to this idea: marriage isn’t about getting what you want, it’s about seeking the good of the ot...

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Church Is Messy, Rick and Svea return to 1 Corinthians—specifically chapter 6—to tackle the complex and often uncomfortable topic of sexuality. They explore how the Corinthian church was shaped by its culture, where distorted views of the body and sex were normalized, and connect that to how modern culture similarly “disciples” us today.

The conversation highlights a biblical vision of sexuality as something good, sacred, and deeply connected to our spiritual lives—not separate from them. Rick and Svea clarify that while the Bible may not function l...

Rick and Svea unpack a challenging (“rugged”) passage from 1 Corinthians 14, focusing on orderly worship, spiritual gifts (like speaking in tongues), and a difficult line about women in the church. Rather than avoiding tension, they model how to engage it—encouraging listeners to interpret unclear passages through what’s clear, use context, and patiently wrestle toward understanding. 

The conversation moves beyond the text into formation: following Jesus means honesty, not performance. They challenge “performative spirituality”—using religious language or practices to impress rather than connect—and call the church to authenticity, humility, and clarity, especially for the sake of t...

In this episode of Church Is Messy, Rick and Svea revisit 1 Corinthians 13 following Svea’s weekend sermon—looking beyond its reputation as a wedding passage to what Paul was actually addressing in a deeply dysfunctional church. What emerges is a clear picture of spiritual maturity shaped by love.

Svea shares how her understanding of the passage grew as she studied it, alongside a six-stage framework of spiritual growth—discovering, learning, doing, contemplating, becoming, and loving—and the experience many encounter as “the wall,” where faith can feel uncertain or stalled. Rather than signaling failure, this season may be an invita...

This episode of "Church Is Messy" unpacks the sermon Rick preached on 1 Corinthians 12 and the topic of spiritual gifts. Rick opened that message with a reflection on mortality — the "dash" between a person's birth and death date — prompting a lively discussion about whether they'd want to know their end date in advance (both say yes, though they acknowledge they're in the minority). This leads into the central theme: how an awareness of limited time should motivate intentional use of the gifts God has given each person.

Rick and Svea explore several facets of spiritual gifting: how to disc...

In this episode of Church Is Messy, Rick and Svea explore the second half of 1 Corinthians 11, where Paul sharply rebukes the Corinthian church for their divisive behavior during communion. Paul’s warning reveals how seriously God takes unity within the church.

Rick explains that unity is not just a goal for Christians—it reflects God’s very nature as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The problem in Corinth wasn’t personal sin before communion, but pretending to be unified while practicing division, as wealthier believers feasted while the poor went hungry.

Rick and Svea discuss what tru...

In this episode of Church Is Messy, Rick and Svea tackle one of the most notoriously difficult passages in the New Testament: 1 Corinthians 11, which discusses head coverings and gender roles. The conversation centers on how people tend to retreat into fundamentalism—grasping at simplistic, dogmatic answers—when facing uncertainty or complex biblical texts. Rick explains that this impulse appears across the theological spectrum, from those who dismiss difficult passages entirely to those who impose rigid, literalistic interpretations without acknowledging the real complexities involved.

The heart of their discussion explores why 1 Corinthians 11 is so challenging to i...

Rick and Svea continue their challenging journey through First Corinthians, tackling Chapter 6 which addresses conflict within the church. They explore Paul's confronting question: "Why not rather be wronged?" and discuss how the Corinthian believers were taking each other to court instead of resolving disputes within the community.

They examine three key perspectives: theological (understanding our eschatological identity in Christ), ecclesiological (recognizing we're one body and conflict hurts us all), and leadership (accepting that being misunderstood comes with the territory). They share personal vulnerabilities about their own "insecurity cards"—Rick's struggle with being misunderstood and Svea's feelings of in...

In this episode of Church Is Messy, Rick and Svea tackle one of the most uncomfortable passages in the New Testament: 1 Corinthians 5. They discuss a shocking situation in the Corinthian church where a man was sleeping with his stepmother, and the congregation was doing nothing about it.

Rick and Svea explore the tension between creating a church where people feel safe in struggling with sin while still maintaining biblical standards. They unpack what it means to address sin within the church versus judging those outside it, and why Paul's instruction to "hand this man over to Satan"...

In this episode of Church Is Messy, Rick and Svea dive into Paul's letter to the Corinthians, exploring how the early church struggled with the same tribal divisions we see today. Using a clever Jelly Roll analogy, Rick illustrates how easily Christians can align themselves with personalities and influencers rather than keeping Jesus as their foundation.

The conversation tackles the tension between theological knowledge and spiritual maturity, the danger of evaluating Jesus through the lens of our preferred tribe rather than the other way around, and what it means to truly be the temple of God. Rick...

In this episode of Church is Messy, Rick and Svea discuss navigating faith and action during turbulent times. They explore how to respond to current immigration and ICE issues in Minnesota with both courage and love, examining the difference between principled protest and reactive behavior. Drawing from the Civil Rights Movement and biblical wisdom, They address how to process strong emotions, engage with law enforcement wisely, and maintain unity across diverse perspectives. They also discuss what it means to be a praying church that empowers its members to serve, and offer encouragement to those in our community who are...

In this episode of Church is Messy Pastor Caleb Smith (who gave this week's message) and Svea discuss Paul's teaching from 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 about the paradox of the cross - how God's "foolishness" is wiser than human wisdom and his "weakness" is stronger than human strength. Their conversation explores how this ancient message applies to modern Christians facing intellectual persecution and cultural rejection, emphasizing four key responses from Luke 18: reliance on God, humility, trust, and obedience as a framework for engaging with contemporary challenges while standing firm in faith and leading with love.

At about the 24 minute...

Rick and Svea discuss 1 Corinthians 1, focusing on how the human desire for acceptance creates division in the church through “fences” (in-groups and out-groups) and “ladders” (status and hierarchy). They show how the Corinthian church split around admired leaders like Paul, Apollos, and Peter, driven more by Roman culture’s obsession with prestige than by real theological differences. The episode draws connections to modern Christian identity, emphasizes unity and equality in Christ, and encourages humility, community, and finding true acceptance in God’s love.

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This episode kicks-off a 20-week series on 1 Corinthians. Today Rick and Svea dig into the series thesis and then look at "knowing your why."

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During the month of December Rick and Svea turn the microphone around and answer your questions on the podcast. Do you have a questions you'd like them to address in future episodes? Email your questions to podcast@autumnridge.church.

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During the month of December Rick and Svea turn the microphone around and answer your questions on the podcast. Do you have a questions you'd like them to address? Email your questions to podcast@autumnridge.church.

Topics discussed in this episode:

During the month of December Rick and Svea turn the microphone around and answer your questions on the podcast. Do you have a questions you'd like them to address? Email your questions to podcast@autumnridge.church.

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On this Love Is The Agenda weekend, Rick and Svea talk about our guest speaker, Dr. Walter Kim, and the message he had on living out the gospel.

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Rick and Svea close out the series on Acts of Leadership by looking at a powerful act of leadership: telling your story about your relationship with Jesus. No one knows your story better than you. No one will know your story unless you tell it.

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Rick and Svea spend much of the episode discussing Paul's warning to the church leaders in Ephesus as found in Acts 20:17-38: watch out for the wolves among you.

A warning from Rick about this episode: It may contain meandering conversation with points of lucidity in a forest of discontinuity and convoluted word salads, but it has been fun.

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This week the Acts of Leadership series takes us to Acts 15. Rick and Svea look at circumcision and the old covenant, the new covenant, and James' declaration in Acts 15:19, “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God."

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This week Rick and Svea look at Acts 10 and the story of Cornelius.

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Pastor Caleb Smith joins Rick and Svea to dig into the story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch.

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Today Rick and Svea talk about the challenges to developing authentic deep community and provide some ideas for developing this community.

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In today's episode Rick and Svea open discussion on our new series - a survey of the book of Acts: Acts of Leadership.

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In today's episode Rick and Svea have a discussion about loving our enemies and hating our enemies.

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We begin a new season of Church Is Messy on a very serious note: A response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

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In the final episode on our series on the mission, vision, and values of Autumn Ridge Church, Rick and Svea discuss values seven and eight: 7) take your next step and 8) trust the process.

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In this continuing series of looking at the mission, vision, and values of Autumn Ridge Church, Rick and Svea turn their attention to values five and six: 5) move toward the messes and 6) make generosity normal.

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In this continuing series of looking at the mission, vision, and values of Autumn Ridge Church, Rick and Svea turn their attention to values three and four: 3) Honor guests enthusiastically and 4) belong before you believe.

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