Andy Talks

In our Traditional message from June 4, 2023, Andy shares with us from Matthew 22: 36-40. It comes down to relationships, our relationship with God and neighbor. Over the next few weeks, we'll take time to look at the key relationships within our lives!

Today in James we see a phrase that has always made me curious.  To be a friend of the world is to have enmity with God. What does that mean?  Especially when we see that Jesus was a friend of sinners?  How do we follow Jesus while not being a friend of the world?  Join us as we unpack this.   Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scr...

We see in James today that when we are rooted in God's wisdom, we will find ourselves been gentle. But when we are rooted in envy, selfish ambition, and pride we will find not gentleness, but we will find divisiveness, we will find discord, we will find will not have peace at all. Today, are we gentle?  Are we rooted in the wisdom of God?  Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 sh...

In this famous passage from James, we see word for us as Christians.  How can we, out of the same mouth, praise God and curse our neighbor?  How we talk to each other and how we talk about each other matters so very much. It shows our love and care.  We must work to tame our tongues.  Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture an...

Just as a living body cannot help but to breathe, so can a living faith cannot help but to have works.  Good words are the evidence of our living faith. They do not save us, but they show that we are saved.  Our works are to our faith as our breathing is to our lives.  They show we are alive.  Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scr...

Today we see James ask us what good it is when we see a sister or brother in need, and we tell them to have their needs met, yet we do nothing about it. Our world needs Jesus. When we love and serve radically, we can point them to Jesus. Yes, we can even help save them through that radical love of Jesus.  Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little dee...

In our INTERSECTION message from Pentecost, 2023, Andy shares with us from Acts 2: 1-21.  We see that in Pentecost that God is a painting us a picture of what He longs to do. He longs to restore and rebuild.  He will restore all that sin has taken.  The Holy Spirit will restore and will bring new life.  

I believe that we've made a mistake with what faith is.  We have made faith "intellectual agreement."  We have made faith this, I believe in these facts.   James tells us today, you believe in God?  Great. Even the demons believe.  We are going to spend the next few days looking at faith and works. But first, we need to understand exactly what it is to have faith.  Join us for our d...

We worry about keeping the commands and the law of God. We want to honor God and keep His law. But do we worry; do we strive; do we truly focus on keeping what James calls the "royal law?"  Do we truly take seriously the command to love our neighbor?  Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better unders...

Today, James tells us some important things - be slow to anger.  Watch what you say.  Don't just hear the word, do the word. And true religion is this - take care of those widows and orphans.  James is full of such practical, good, honest religious advice.  Advice I need to hear. And that we all need to hear.  Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a...

Today we see a huge concept.  Every good gift comes from God. If it is in your life and is a good thing, it is from God. Everything good thing comes from Him and is a gift from God to point us to Him. In our Methodist tradition, we call these things prevenient grace, which are gifts that lead us to conversion.  Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a litt...

Today we see some real words, some really strong words about temptation and about whose fault temptation is. Spoiler - according to James, it's not the devil. It's you; it's me. We are led into temptation by our own desires. But what does this mean for our lives and for our faith? Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into S...

In our Traditional message from May 21, Andy shares with us from 1 Peter 5: 6-11. We are to cast our anxieties on Christ, because He cares for us. But, we struggle. We worry.  What should we do with our worries and fears?  Cast them to Jesus!

We see James talk to us about hard times today. But he shares something with us that we may not expect. He tells us to count it all joy when we suffer, for when we suffer, through grace, we are drawn closer to our Savior. When we are drawn closer, we will have wisdom, and strength, and a full and mature faith. Count all things joy because God is always at work. Join us for our daily reflections wi...

Today we'll begin our time together in James. This is a somewhat controversial book, though it is one of my favorites.  Who wrote it?  What is it about?  What does it mean that faith without works is dead?  Join us in the coming days as we walk through James together.  Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you...

 Today in our reading from Habakkuk, we talk about the difference between adoration, or worship, of God and thanksgiving. Both are important disciplines for our prayer and for our faith. But God is always, always worthy of worship, not because of what He has done, but because of who He is. Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scriptu...

Evil will be destroyed.  God will bring judgment. But, it is not on our time "chronos."  It is on God's time (kairos).  We don't always understand God's time. But we can trust in it, always, even when it doesn't make sense. Good will win.  Evil will be destroyed.  Maybe not when we'd like. But we can trust that God will do it.  Join us for our daily reflections w...

 Today we see the next part of God's response. The Lord is in His Holy Temple. The Lord sees. He is not blind to the evils of the world. God is God, and we are not. Amid struggles, and fears, and doubts, and so much, we feel as though God does not see and does not care. He sees. And He cares. But He is God. We need to trust, even in, and most in, difficult times. He is God. Join us for our da...

In our Sunday sermon from May 14, 2023, Andy shares with us from John 14: 23-29.  Love is what holds our families together. Love is our birthmark from God, God's love for us, and the love we have for others, it's how others know that we are His.  

Yesterday we saw Habakkuk offer his complaint to God. Today we see God respond. Through Habakuk's eyes, things are terrible. Evil abounds. It is awful. But God says this; His judgment will not be delayed. It may seem to tarry, but it does not. God does not work or operate on our time. He works on His time. We need to learn to see the long game and things as God does. Through the light of eter...

Today in Habakkuk 1, we see the prophet receive a vision from God. And do you know what this vision does?  It causes him to give voice to his complaint to God. Why do the wicked prosper?  Why do God's enemies win?  Why is there such evil in the world?  We see in Chapter 1 that we have a God who is big enough that He can handle our complaints. He can handle our questions. He wants us to bring...

What exactly is the Bible?  Who were the prophets?  What did they do? Starting tomorrow we will begin our reflections on the prophet Habakkuk.  But today we take a few minutes to talk about how the Bible "works" and who the prophets were.  Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God&apo...

In our final reflection on 2 Corinthians, we look at Paul's final words to the people. What does he leave them with?  Peace.  This town, this church, they know conflict. Paul doesn't tell them not to have conflict. He tells them to have peace. What is the difference?  Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help...

Church can be hard, y'all.  We see Paul talking about that today.  It is easy to write off church or to think that church really doesn't matter.  But it does. Church matters. And we need our church, we need our community.   Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word. Read o...

In on our Traditional message from May 7, 2023, Andy shares with us from 1 Peter 2: 2-10.  We see in this passage where our identity is found. But do we live in the truth of who we are in Jesus?  Do we live in His grace as our primary identity?