Andy Talks

In today’s passage, the Transfiguration in Luke 9:28–36, we catch a glimpse of Jesus in his true glory, shining with majesty as Moses and Elijah stand beside him, representing the Law and the Prophets all pointing to him. Peter, overwhelmed, blurts out his idea to build shelters, but God interrupts with the heart of it all: “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him.” The disciples almost missed it...

Today is more than just a break from work; it serves as a reminder of the deeper need for both physical and spiritual rest. Scripture illustrates this truth through the story of manna in the wilderness, where God provided for His people and taught them the value of pausing to rest, and in the book of Hebrews, where we are invited to enter God’s rest by trusting in Christ rather than our own effort...

In our final sermon from our Three Simple Rules series, we look at Matthew 8:23-27. We see Jesus calm the storm. Where in our lives do we find God?  Build your life around that, and no matter the storm, we will find life.

In Luke 9:18–27, Peter rightly confesses Jesus as the Messiah, but Jesus immediately redefines what that means: the Messiah must suffer, die, and rise again, and His followers must walk the same path by denying themselves and taking up their cross daily. True discipleship isn’t about power or comfort—it’s about surrender, humility, and dying to selfishness so that we can discover real life in Chri...

In Luke 9:10–17, Jesus feeds the 5,000 with just five loaves and two fish, showing that He cares for the whole person—teaching, healing, and providing for physical needs. The disciples felt inadequate, just as we often do when faced with overwhelming problems, but Jesus didn’t ask them to solve it all; He only asked them to bring what they had and follow His instructions. That’s the heart of this...

In Luke 9:7–9, Herod is confused by Jesus, hearing rumors that He might be John the Baptist raised from the dead, Elijah, or another prophet. Unlike Matthew and Mark, Luke only gives a brief mention of John’s death, keeping the focus squarely on Jesus—which is fitting, since John’s mission was always to point people to Christ. Herod’s question, “Who is this?” is the right one, because Jesus should...

In Luke 9:1–6, Jesus gives His disciples power and authority, sending them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and heal, relying not on their own resources but on God’s provision. This passage reminds us that the kingdom isn’t a distant hope but a present reality—Jesus is Lord right now. Like the disciples, we’re called to live and proclaim that truth in our homes, communities, and workplaces, not...

In our Traditional message from August 24, 2025, Andy shares with us from Philippians 2 12-13. We are called to place ourselves in a position to experience God, and then God will do the rest.  In our disciples, we are faithful, but God does the work!

In Luke 8:40–56, we see two powerful healings woven together—Jesus restores a bleeding woman who had suffered for twelve years and raises Jairus’s twelve-year-old daughter from death. Both were marginalized and overlooked, yet Jesus saw them, touched them, and made them whole. What’s striking is that, unlike in Jewish law where uncleanness spreads, with Jesus it’s the opposite—His holiness flows o...

In Luke 8:26–39, Jesus crosses into Gentile territory—unclean, scary, “off-limits” land for a good Jewish person—and meets a man possessed by demons, living among tombs and pigs, cut off from everything. To the disciples, it was like stepping straight into a nightmare—but Jesus went right to the heart of the fear and brought peace. Just like He calmed the storm, He calmed this man’s chaos, showing...

In Luke 8:22–25, Jesus calms a storm while the disciples panic, leaving them in awe and asking, “Who is this, that even the winds and waves obey him?” That’s the heart of the story—not just the calm after the chaos, but the question of who Jesus really is. Some of us grew up seeing God mainly as mighty and holy, while others saw him mostly as close and tender—but the truth is, he’s both. He’s the...

In Luke 8:19–21, Jesus’ mother and brothers show up while He’s teaching, but instead of stopping, He says, “My family are those who hear God’s word and do it.” He isn’t rejecting His mom—He proved His love for her at the cross—but He’s redefining family to include everyone who belongs to Him. Luke keeps showing us this theme: Jesus expanding the circle, pulling in women, outsiders, and those on th...

In Luke 8:16–18, Jesus says no one lights a lamp just to hide it, but to shine for everyone to see, and He warns us to pay attention to how we listen. In the context of the parable of the sower, this means when God’s Word takes root in us, it grows and bears fruit—but if we ignore it or hide it, even what we think we have will slip away. The fruit Jesus promises isn’t stuff or success, but the fru...

This morning in Luke 8:4–15, we looked at Jesus’ parable of the sower and the four kinds of soil — hard path, rocky ground, thorny weeds, and good dirt. Each one represents a different way people receive God’s word, and if we’re honest, most of us have been in more than one category over the years. The goal is to be “good dirt” — to let God’s word take root and grow by tending it daily through pra...

As we continue our series "Three Simple Rules," we look at what it means to do good. How do our simple acts of goodness make a real difference in the world? How do they help us build our lives around Jesus? 

In Luke 8:1–3, Luke alone records how women like Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna traveled with Jesus and the twelve, supporting the ministry from their own resources. These women weren’t just passive followers; they were essential leaders and the backbone of the mission, remembered by name for generations. Luke’s Gospel consistently shows Jesus valuing those on the margins and recognizing the...

In Luke 7:36–50, Jesus is at a Pharisee’s house when a woman known for her sinful reputation shows up, weeping and anointing His feet. The Pharisee is shocked that Jesus would let her touch Him, but Jesus tells a story to show that those forgiven much, love much. The Pharisee doesn’t see his need for forgiveness, so his love is small, but this woman knows how much she’s been forgiven, and her love...

In Luke 7:18–35, John the Baptist, sitting in prison and feeling forgotten, sends messengers to ask Jesus if He is truly the Messiah. Jesus responds not with rebuke but with evidence—pointing to the blind seeing, the lame walking, the deaf hearing, the dead being raised, and good news preached to the poor. Even the greatest prophet had moments of doubt, yet Jesus met him with compassion and assura...

In Luke 7:11–17, we see Jesus meet a grieving widow whose only son has died, and He is moved with compassion to raise him back to life. This miracle shows us the heart of Jesus—He sees our pain, meets us where we are, and brings hope when everything feels lost. It’s a reminder that His power and mercy aren’t just for Bible times; He still steps into our broken moments today. Like the crowd who wit...

This morning, we looked at one of my favorite stories in Luke 7, where a Roman centurion shows incredible faith by asking Jesus to heal his servant—not by coming in person, but just by speaking the word. What really stands out to me is when the centurion says, “I also am a man set under authority.” He understands how authority works, and he recognizes that Jesus is under God’s authority too. That’...

As we continue in our series "Three Simple Rules," we examine Wesley's call to the early Methodists to "Do No Harm." We may not always know the right thing to say, but we generally know what not to do. Sometimes the first step of healing is to avoid doing harm. 

This morning we wrapped up Luke 6, where Jesus gives us a clear and challenging word: if we call Him Lord, we have to actually do what He says. He uses the image of a house with a strong foundation—those who hear His words and act on them are building on rock, while those who don’t are building on sand, setting themselves up for collapse. It’s a reminder that Jesus doesn’t just want our agreement;...

This morning, we looked at Luke 6:43–45, where Jesus reminds us that our lives produce fruit based on what’s in our hearts—just like a tree produces fruit according to its kind. If we’re full of grace, love, and mercy, that’s what will flow out of us. But if bitterness or selfishness is filling our hearts, that’ll show too. I shared a bit about flying with my son today (and yes, I’m excited about...

It’s good to be back in Luke’s Gospel, and today we’re looking at Jesus’ teaching on judgment in Luke 6:37–42. We started with a little fun—Jesus never called it the “Sermon on the Plain” or “Sermon on the Mount,” and He certainly didn’t ask for red pencils! But the message is serious: we’re not called to judge, because we’re all carrying logs in our own eyes. We also talked about why karma doesn’...

This morning we looked at one of Jesus’ most challenging teachings in Luke 6:27–36—his call to love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, and be merciful just as God is merciful. It’s not easy, and I’ll be honest—I don’t like it. But Jesus wasn’t just tossing out metaphors; he meant what he said. This kind of love isn’t natural—it’s only possible through God’s grace working in us. If we’re go...