Building the Bridge: Launching Heartland's East Madison Campus

Devotional

Day 1: From Brainstorm to Obedience: When Prayer Turns Ideas into Calling

A church’s vision often begins as a practical solution—more space, better parking. But when prayer shifts strategy into surrender, “not moving forward feels like disobedience.” This moment marks the difference between human plans and divine assignment. Prayer doesn’t just clarify decisions; it aligns hearts with God’s stubborn love for the lost. What starts as brainstorming becomes a costly yes, a step into the unknown where faith outweighs fear. The call to build bridges begins here. [32:35]

“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.”
(Acts 13:2-3, ESV)

Reflection: When has a practical idea in your life become a spiritual calling? How did you discern the difference between fear and faithful obedience?

Day 2: The Shepherd Leaves the 99: Seeing People, Not Crowds

Jesus never saw faceless crowds—only individuals with names, stories, and eternal value. The parable of the lost sheep rebukes religious pride, revealing God’s heart to pursue the one. A church exists not for the comfort of the 99 but the rescue of the one. This truth reshapes priorities: budgets, buildings, and volunteer teams exist to welcome those still wandering. Every muffin, parking spot, and smile matters because love moves toward people. [42:53]

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”
(Luke 15:4-5, ESV)

Reflection: Who is your “one” right now—someone far from God who needs you to pursue them? What practical step will you take this week to show them they’re seen?

Day 3: 200 Builders: Creating Room for the One Who Feels Invisible

Launching a campus isn’t about replicating services—it’s about creating spaces where the lonely find belonging. Two hundred builders aren’t spectators; they’re welcomers who make first-time guests think, “There’s room for me too.” Setup crews, greeters, and small group leaders become the face of Jesus to those convinced they don’t fit. This isn’t church growth strategy—it’s fighting isolation with intentional community. Every volunteer role answers the question, “Does God have space for me?” [46:02]

“But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.”
(1 Corinthians 12:18-20, ESV)

Reflection: What gift, skill, or story has God given you to help someone feel less alone? How could using it change a stranger’s experience of church?

Day 4: Jerusalem to Samaria: Starting at Home, Stretching Beyond Comfort

The Great Commission begins where you’re planted. Jerusalem—your workplace, neighborhood, or current ministry—is the training ground for reaching Samaria’s unfamiliar terrain. Staying or going both require courage: building deeper roots here or starting fresh there. Neither is “safe”—both demand trusting that God multiplies sacrificial yeses. Whether holding the bridge or crossing it, every role fuels the mission. [53:50]

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
(Acts 1:8, ESV)

Reflection: Where is your “Jerusalem” right now? How might investing there prepare you for future steps into your “Samaria”?

Day 5: Open Hands: Letting Go to Build What God Loves

Surrender isn’t resignation—it’s trading control for collaboration. Holding plans loosely allows God to rebuild dreams bigger than personal preferences. The parking lot purchase and campus launch aren’t victories to claim but gifts to steward. An open-handed church prays, “Use this, move this, or take this,” trusting that what God loves—people finding hope—will always outweigh what we cling to. [01:06:49]

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.”
(Psalm 24:1, ESV)

Reflection: What dream, resource, or routine do you need to hold more loosely this season? How might releasing it create space for God’s “more”?

Sermon Summary

Prayer turns an idea into a calling. Forty days of focused seeking shifts expansion from “a nice, practical idea” into obedience, the sense that “to not move forward would feel like disobedience.” Build the Bridge takes concrete shape with two pillars. Extend Beyond serves Sun Prairie by adding parking and tackling debt so more dollars drive ministry. Follow the Call sends Heartland into East Madison as one church in two locations, a Sunday video venue with live worship, kids, hospitality, and streamed teaching so more people can be awakened to Jesus.

Generosity becomes the down payment on faith. Land behind the current building is purchased free and clear, planning begins, and a real location with a real team and a real launch date comes into view. Yet the story remains open-handed; God rarely writes the whole story in the first chapter, so the church keeps trusting, praying, and giving.

Luke 15 names the reason. Jesus never looked at a crowd and saw a crowd; he saw faces, stories, names. The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine for the one, not because the one is a project, but because the one is loved. Love moves toward people. Love makes room. Love builds bridges.

This is the invitation: two hundred sent, not as spectators but as builders. Two hundred carries culture from day one, shares the load across kids, production, hospitality, setup and teardown, creates momentum that feels alive, and even frees seats back in Sun Prairie for those not yet here. The ask is not to leave Heartland, but to be Heartland somewhere else, to put the serving towel over an arm, to welcome those risking a first step, to carry the heart of Jesus into a new neighborhood.

Acts 1:8 frames the map. Mission starts at home but rarely stays there: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. East Madison may not know Heartland exists yet, but it is about to. Vision never moves without people saying yes.

Leadership matters, so a campus pastor is named. God has already provided a culture carrier in Brent Decker, whose own complicated church past was softened by welcome, who found himself inviting before he even realized it, and who now invites others to come be part of someone else’s story. A Madison Kids Director, Terren Malmstadt, steps in to plant a kids ministry with the same heart. A December first-Sunday public launch is targeted, with interest meetings and preview services ahead. The word for the year stays the posture for the move: prayer. Hands stay open as God sends some to cross the bridge and others to hold it strong.

Key Takeaways

1. Prayer turns ideas into callings Prayer does more than bless plans; it clarifies obedience. When God presses a direction into a community, hesitation starts to feel like disobedience, not caution. Calling then carries the risk and the pace, because trust has replaced guesswork. [32:35]
2. Jesus pursues the one Luke 15 locates Jesus’ joy in the one who is carried home, not in the safety of the ninety-nine. The point is not labeling people as lost; the point is naming God’s love as personal and persistent. Jesus sees faces, not crowds, and love moves toward those faces. [41:26]
3. Love builds bridges, not walls Real love makes room. It crosses the street, opens a seat, and refuses to let comfort harden into an insider club. Building a new campus is not empire-building; it is relational hospitality scaled to a city Jesus already loves. [44:25]
4. Sent people make churches live A campus becomes a church when people show up to serve, carry culture, and welcome names at the door. Two hundred is not hype; it is health, load-sharing, and day-one momentum that signals “there’s room for you.” Builders, not spectators, create that feel. [47:41]
5. Mission starts at home, moves outward Acts 1:8 sets a widening circle that refuses to stall at “home base.” Jerusalem matters, but so do Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Faithfulness honors the starting point and follows the Spirit’s nudge to the next neighborhood. [53:50]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[32:04] - From idea to calling
[33:25] - Build the Bridge overview
[34:21] - Why East Madison campus
[35:20] - One church in two locations
[36:48] - Green light: land and launch
[39:28] - All about the one
[41:26] - The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine
[44:38] - The ask: 200 sent
[45:12] - Why two hundred matters
[46:44] - Be Heartland somewhere else
[53:05] - Jerusalem to the ends of earth
[56:22] - Campus pastor announcement
[63:22] - Launch timeline and next steps
[65:26] - Open-handed prayer for sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Luke 15:3-7 (ESV): “So he told them this parable: ‘What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.’”
- Acts 1:8 (ESV): “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Observation Questions

In Luke 15:3-7, what does the shepherd do when he realizes one sheep is missing, and how does this reflect God’s heart for individuals?
According to Acts 1:8, how does Jesus describe the geographic progression of the disciples’ mission? What does this imply about the scope of the church’s calling?
The sermon mentions that “200 people create momentum” for a new church campus. What specific roles or environments are highlighted as essential for this effort? [46:02]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Jesus emphasize joy over one repentant person in Luke 15:7, even when many others are already “safe”? How does this challenge common assumptions about spiritual priorities?
Acts 1:8 moves from “Jerusalem” to “the ends of the earth.” How might this progression apply to a local church’s strategy for reaching its city and beyond?
The sermon states, “Love builds bridges, not walls.” How does the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15 illustrate this idea of proactive love? [44:25]

Application Questions

What practical step could you take this week to intentionally “move toward” someone who feels spiritually disconnected or unseen, reflecting the shepherd’s heart in Luke 15?
If the mission starts at home but expands outward (Acts 1:8), how are you currently investing in your local community? What might it look like to say “yes” to a next step in serving or welcoming others? [54:46]
The sermon challenges believers to be “builders, not spectators.” In what area of your life (work, family, church) could you shift from observing to actively creating spaces where others feel valued? [47:41]
How can you cultivate an “open-handed” posture in prayer, finances, or relationships to align with God’s unfolding story, even when the outcome is uncertain? [38:12]
Reflect on a time when someone’s hospitality or invitation impacted your faith journey. How might you replicate that same intentionality for others in your current circles?

Sermon Clips

28s

#PeopleMakeChurch

“We need at least 200 people not just to attend but to go, to carry Heartland's culture and the heart of Luke 15 into a new community. Because a new campus becomes a church when people show up, when people welcome others, when people create a space where lives can be changed. It's not the building or the setup or the or the decorations or the muffins that make a church well, those are all good things, it's the people.”

30s

#MissionOverBuildings

“But the truth is is that we don't celebrate this because we have a land purchase, we don't celebrate this because we're gonna launch a campus. The win in all of this is the people who haven't encountered and met Jesus yet. Families who haven't found a church home, women and men and students who are still searching for purpose, and the neighbors that have yet to know that God is preparing a place for them. And that is why we're doing this. And so today we get to explore a little bit more of what that looks like together.”

27s

#BeHeartlandEverywhere

“Would you be a part of the 200 people that are sent out? And here's the important part, we are not asking you to leave Heartland. We are asking you to go be Heartland somewhere else because what we're really asking is for you to carry what makes Heartland Heartland, right? The culture, the relationships, the hospitality, the sense that no matter where you've been or what your story is, there is a place for you here.”

34s

#BuildTheBridgeTogether

“So whether you stay or whether you go, every single one of us is building this bridge. Some of us are gonna walk across it on that adventure and some of us are gonna stay here to make sure it holds. But our hope is that none of us are just standing on the sideline watching, That we need every single one of us jumping into a spot to continue to keep this place moving. In fact that's our vision statement that every single one of us would be doing something to advance God's kingdom. So let's do this together.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Heartland Church of Sun Prairie This sermon · AI assistant

Which parable illustrates God's pursuit of the one?

Why launch a second campus in East Madison?

How many people required to launch a healthy campus?