A Conversation on Faith + Live Performance of “Parting Waters”

In this episode, I sit down with Christian artist Maddison Sharp to talk about faith, life, and a live performance of her song “Parting Waters.” Maddison shares a little about her personal journey and how God has been working through her music.

We discuss trusting God, stepping into your calling, and how we can be used to share the gospel and impact people’s lives.

If you enjoy real conversations about faith, personal testimony, and Christ-centered music, this episode is definitely one you won’t want to miss.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey guys, Robert the Realist back today with a special guest. And hopefully this sounds a lot better because we have cool podcast microphones and headphones. But as I always do this, I do have a few questions that we actually spark a conversation if we need to. But today, our special guest is Madison Sharp. She even brought her guitar. So if you guys are lucky, we might even figure out how to get her to play guitar. Hi Madison, how are you? Good, how are you? I'm good. I'm good. This is kind of different having somebody on the podcast instead of me just talking into a microphone and staring at the sauna.

SPEAKER_02 0:39

The sauna.

SPEAKER_00 0:40

Yeah. The sauna. So this is actually pretty fun. So, you know, to get this started, uh today I we her and I discuss what we talk about, and I I think today we're going to talk about Christianity. And I definitely think there are different ways people think about Christianity, uh, what brought them into Christianity. So let's start with the first question. We both can answer this, and I can answer first if you want.

SPEAKER_03 1:06

That'll work.

SPEAKER_00 1:07

But uh personal faith. When did faith become real to you personally?

SPEAKER_02 1:13

Faith came real to me personally. I actually went to Catholic school when I was a child and kind of wasn't really close with God after that. My family. I I grew up going to church, but um never like it's different when you have your spiritual breakthrough and you hit rock bottom and you give it all to God, and then when your faith really, really starts. And um mine was about two years ago, three years ago, and uh gave it all to God in my laundry room because I just I couldn't I couldn't handle life anymore. I didn't want to not be here, but I like wanted to kind of erase myself, you know what I mean? Right. And uh he came through and opened every door and yeah, got to go do some fun things.

SPEAKER_00 1:58

Yeah, that's I'd say my faith became real to me personally. Um obviously when I went to church the second time, first time I went to church, it was uh Baptist Church in Higby and I was baptized there. But when I got to church and start hanging around the same type of people that had the same type of mindset. Right. And I don't think that that's the end all be all and that's the fix. Um I think it's what you put into it. And so over the last you know, 14-15 years of going to church, obviously it changes the way you see God and the last two or three years, you know, reading reading the Bible all the way through, getting closer, learning more. Um, so personally, you know, one of my favorite things I like to talk about is God's always been there through my entire life. That's kind of my right testimony. Um that he's always been there. I didn't see him, but he's the reason that I'm still here because he's gonna be like waiting around the corner. Yeah. So that's where it comes at to me personally. Um second question. Was there a moment in your life when you knew God was working?

SPEAKER_02 3:18

When I I've I know God has always been working, but the real hit it moment for me was when I'm gonna cry. When I um got to New York and I went to, I was going to that um riding retreat. And I'm like driving through all these back roads and it's nice, and you know, it reminds me of home, you know. I'm like, oh, this is fun. And I turned the corner and it's just mountains, and I said, Whoa, I go, Oh my gosh, it's so pretty. I don't know. Um, but that was like the real moment I was like, God truly is moving mountains for me, and He can do it for you too. And it's just that was my real like, oh my goodness, moment.

SPEAKER_00 3:57

So well, yours is better than mine because I don't know if I necessarily have one. I feel like he's always working in my life. I mean, I can point back to different things, obviously, success in business and life, the goods and bads, you know, that I'm not dead and that I'm not in jail. Well, I guess I guess I went to jail uh before, but I'm not in prison for a long time or dead. Right. Um, so obviously it was working during those times. Um how has your faith changed over the years?

SPEAKER_02 4:28

It's just gotten stronger over the years. I think having my son and going I've always believed in God, and I think like I was just blaming God for things that weren't his his fault, you know what I mean? For a long time. And like just having to ask God, why like why is this happening? And now, like looking back, I'm like, it wasn't him. Like it wasn't his fault that the these were these things are happening, and that's been a big perspective change on my life is that God truly doesn't make the bad things happen to us. Like, yeah, we can get punished, you know what I mean? But Satan is the one that is always working, always working. And I think that's a big misconception that people have with Christianity is that God is just gonna, everything's gonna be fine, and butterflies and Matt, you know what I mean? And it it's to have him there for when times get hard, also, like good and bad.

SPEAKER_00 5:19

Yeah, Satan doesn't take a day off. Doesn't take an hour off, minutes off. Um, obviously, my qu if I answered that question myself, faith change over the years, it's just that it's grown stronger. Um, that word faith is is a is a big word, in my opinion, as far as Christians are concerned, because it's something we can't see. We just have to trust that it's there, and that's the whole part about faith. We have to have faith that Jesus did, you know, die on the cross for us and he was resurrected three days later, and God created everything that we stand on today, and they know what's gonna He knows what's gonna happen tomorrow, and He knows how many hairs are on, you know, it's just there's a lot, and sometimes I call it unimaginable when I'm talking to God. I'm like, God, honestly, I'm just shooting you straight. Some of this stuff is unimaginable. Like right.

SPEAKER_02 6:08

We're not supposed to know everything. I know that's the hardest part is uh being in the flesh to like grasp, is that we won't have all the answers. We just won't.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

That is true. Uh next question: what does having a relationship with Jesus actually mean in everyday life?

SPEAKER_02 6:25

It's everything, it's your chance, it's how you treat your people, it's how you your mindset is. It's you have to focus on him, or I mean, all day. All day, can all day I'm for like saying sorry to God, or like, you know what I mean? I'm apologizing, and just a con it's a constant relationship all day. It doesn't go away.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

I agree. I think we one thing that I try to work on is putting him somewhere all day. Right. Like I wake up in the morning, obviously that's the good time, right? I read I read the one year Bible, uh I do prayers, I I do a devotion. But it's like, okay, what can I do in the afternoon and what can I do in the evening to keep him present? Right. Because he's easy to forget about. And I'm I'm not saying like he you forget about him, but so what I'll do too is when I do my second workout, I make sure I do another devotional. And then at night time I try to read about it. So that's all day. Because it's kind of like you know, when we have our our small groups at church, they're great for eight weeks. But what we do in eight weeks, we typically eight weeks later we forget or stop doing. Right. Uh so I think that so I think that uh is is something that we can all work on to keep them every day. So uh tough question. What does prayer look like for you?

SPEAKER_02 7:55

I'm praying all day, Bobby. I am praying all day. I'm in my car, I'm like, God, all day long. All day. I mean, I I like I I I don't sit down and make a personal time for prayer, which I could. That's something I could work on, but I mean it's all day long.

SPEAKER_00 8:09

I'm yeah, yeah. Yeah. And I think people think that prayer is, you know, hands crossed.

SPEAKER_02 8:15

It doesn't have to be fancy.

SPEAKER_00 8:17

Eyes closed, head down, but it's just a conversation.

SPEAKER_02 8:21

It really is. I mean, it can be as small as like God like even just thinking it. Like, I mean, he hears you. He's he knows.

SPEAKER_00 8:29

Do you think so? Just thinking it too works. I think so too.

SPEAKER_02 8:32

I I I well, I don't think it works as well. I mean, you know what I mean? Like, I would rather say something, but I think he hears us all the time.

SPEAKER_00 8:40

I don't think that's oh I think so.

SPEAKER_02 8:43

I don't think he's like invading our thoughts, but I think like, you know what I mean? If you're if you're calling out to him in any way, because think of the people that can't talk or the people that are stuck in their heads like Blaze. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 8:53

That's true.

SPEAKER_02 8:53

Yeah. I always think about what Blaze prays about.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

Yeah. That would be interesting. What do you think about his omnipresence being everywhere at all times?

SPEAKER_02 9:10

I just I feel like he's with me all the time anyway, so it doesn't bother me.

SPEAKER_00 9:14

So you don't think about how does he spread himself out? How does he I'm I'm now I'm just going off script.

SPEAKER_02 9:21

That's like an answer we'll never know. Like I think he's everywhere and sees everything and it kind of makes you wonder though, like I don't know how to explain what I'm thinking in my brain. I don't know. I think he whenever you need him, I think he's around. I don't think he's like spying on. I don't think he's spying on us. I think that he he knows he already knows everything. Like he knows what what we're gonna do tomorrow, so he already knows.

SPEAKER_00 9:49

That's true. It's just thoughts that go through my head. Like, you know.

SPEAKER_02 9:54

Like is he watching me right now?

SPEAKER_00 9:55

Well, hopefully he's watching us right now since we're talking about him.

SPEAKER_02 9:58

Hi Jesus.

SPEAKER_00 9:58

Well, that's the thing, is it's all the time, right? It's not just when we want him to.

SPEAKER_02 10:03

Yeah. Um he loves us that much.

SPEAKER_00 10:06

He does. So I know you brought your guitar. Did you have an idea with it?

SPEAKER_02 10:11

You want to hear uh parting waters?

SPEAKER_00 10:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:13

Okay. I can do that.

SPEAKER_01 10:41

Can you tell me where I've been? Now did the night man find the in Cause I've been my biggest en of me won't you wake me in the morning? I think I need some sleep. Won't you come down with me? Rap me in arms, oh but please don't leave. Next time. But sometimes I need an escape, an escape from my mind. Oh, you know, I'll try to hide it, but I won't save this time. Cause I made it out, I made it out. I thank God for parting water to help me. I missed it here. Somebody please let me out. Cause these wicked games I'm playing over now. Cause I made it out, I made it out of life I thank God for parting water to help me fly I made it here and I'm finna these wicked games I'm playing a roll home now.

SPEAKER_02 13:54

Oh, we got the applause button. Ha ha.

SPEAKER_00 13:58

Yes, the applause button. Thank you so much. That was beautiful. That sounded good.

SPEAKER_02 14:02

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 14:02

Really good. They probably didn't know in the office they were getting a concert today.

SPEAKER_02 14:05

Oh, yeah. I'm gonna well, they don't know. I'm gonna start coming in here and uh singing in this room anyway. So Bobby, can I borrow the conference room, please?

SPEAKER_00 14:12

Yeah, anytime you want. That sounded great. Thank you for doing that. Thanks. Thanks for letting me do it.

unknown 14:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:17

Anything else you want to talk about with Christianity and your thoughts, beliefs, questions, opinions?

SPEAKER_02 14:23

Just that I am excited to do everything for God.

SPEAKER_00 14:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:27

Yeah. My singing and ministry and all that, I just want to I just want to praise the Lord every day.

SPEAKER_00 14:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:34

And you've got some big stuff happening.

SPEAKER_02 14:36

Yeah, God is good. I uh actually got to sing with Ryan Steve and Sandwich. You guys know that. Oh that was really cool. And uh when we did testimony last weekend, Terrain or I don't know how to say her name, Terry Ann or Ter Terrain. Sorry to saw the video and commented on it.

SPEAKER_00 14:52

Oh yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_02 14:53

Yeah, so it's just it's just cool that God keeps like I always think that oh, I have to go somewhere to get these experiences. Like I can't get these in Mowberly. And then he just brings all the opportunities, and it's just awesome. Like God is so good.

SPEAKER_00 15:07

Yeah, the Ryan Stevenson thing was really that was so cool.

SPEAKER_02 15:10

God really is so good.

SPEAKER_00 15:11

He gave me the chills. That was so awesome. Yeah, he kind of called you out of the It's like, hey, come on up, and you're like, oh I was like, me?

SPEAKER_02 15:18

Yeah, me?

unknown 15:19

What?

SPEAKER_00 15:20

Yeah, let me let me make sure I know the lyrics. I don't blame you.

SPEAKER_02 15:23

Well, the the funny thing, I prayed to God for that that moment, that like the singing eye of the storm with him, and I didn't even learn it. Like I just had this small moment in my car with God, and I was like, Man, it'd be cool if I could uh sing with him. And surely enough, he heard me and he made it happen.

SPEAKER_00 15:38

Yeah, yeah, no, that was really cool. I even if you knew all the lyrics, you probably should have taken your phone like you did and make sure that's the one.

SPEAKER_02 15:44

It's just nice to be organic and like genuinely like I'm not a super fan. I pro you know what I mean? Like, I genuinely just started learning about Ryan when um when they said he was coming.

SPEAKER_00 15:55

Yeah, really.

SPEAKER_02 15:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:56

I knew of I the storm and a couple others. I actually read his book. Did you get his book?

SPEAKER_02 16:00

No, but I need to read it.

SPEAKER_00 16:01

Yeah, yeah. I can bring you the book if you'll read it. It's a good book if you I know yeah, his testimony was powerful. Yeah, I'm not I don't I a lot of times the biographies, right, of people. And that's what his is, but it just captures you the whole time in his story, so it's really cool. You want to take a look at his book for sure.

SPEAKER_02 16:19

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 16:20

Well, I appreciate you coming on.

SPEAKER_02 16:21

Well, thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_00 16:22

Yeah, and um we are deciding if Madison wants to co-host this with me because I can use all the help I can get. People are probably tired of hearing my voice and seeing my face. So we might do that as well. Um, we're gonna try to do one podcast a week. Yeah, just keep it simple. And I think I have our next one lined up for us, but I'll wait. It might not be he he can't sing, so I don't know what he's gonna do, but we'll figure something out. We'll he might have a story to tell us that we don't know about. And I've got some other interesting people who want to come on. I've got one guy that says he's seen hell.

SPEAKER_02 17:00

I would love to hear that about that.

SPEAKER_00 17:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:02

So I I believe in all that stuff when people like uh there's too many, there's too many stories of people being like, I got to go to heaven. You know what I mean? And I came back like it's real. It's real. I I don't see how people can I'm not judging, but I just I I my brain cannot fathom that people think there's nothing.

SPEAKER_00 17:18

Right.

SPEAKER_02 17:19

Yeah, I I it makes me sad. Like I cannot my brain cannot wrap around it.

SPEAKER_00 17:24

Yeah, it's scary.

SPEAKER_02 17:26

Because I've always known uh there was God, I always believed in Jesus, like my whole life, but it's different when you step out in your faith.

SPEAKER_00 17:33

Right. Yeah, hell's a scary place. So I'm interested to hear, and he wants to get it out. He said he's he's talked to pastors and and other people and they just they don't want to hear it.

SPEAKER_02 17:43

No, I'd like to I'd like to hear it.

SPEAKER_00 17:45

Yeah, I think I want to hear it. Maybe I will probably that's maybe that'll just convict us even more. Yeah. So uh I got him and I've got a I got a gentleman that's a flat earther and he's got a lot of ideas. He might even bring his tin foil hat with him. He wants to hop on here too, so we'll get him figured out and then we'll see what happens from there. Okay. So again, appreciate you being on here.

SPEAKER_02 18:07

Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_00 18:07

Yeah. Well, guys, I appreciate you tuning in. Make sure you wherever you see this, like, subscribe, uh, comment, let us know what you like to hear. So I appreciate you guys. Robert the realist out.