Andy Talks

This morning we dove back into Luke 6:20–26, where Jesus lays out blessings and woes that flip the world’s values upside down. On Friday, we looked at the big picture—how Luke’s “Sermon on the Plain” compares to Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount.” Today we focused on the heart of Jesus’ message: our Christian ethics aren’t grounded in this world—they’re grounded in eternity. Jesus says the poor, the...

As we start our new series in August, talking about the "Three Simple Rules," we take time to talk about what it means to have a rule.  We look at Deuteronomy 6:1-8 and talk about how it is, in the busyness of our lives, we build our lives around God.

This morning’s reading from Luke 6:17–26 gives us a version of Jesus’ famous teaching that’s often called the Sermon on the Plain. Like the Beatitudes in Matthew, Jesus speaks blessings over the poor, the hungry, the grieving, and the hated—but Luke also includes a set of “woes” that warn the rich, the satisfied, and the admired. The setting is different too: Luke places Jesus on level ground, whi...

This morning’s passage from Luke 6:12–16 shows us how Jesus called His apostles—but not before spending the whole night in prayer. That alone reminds us to lead with prayer when facing big decisions. From a larger group of disciples, He chose twelve very different people—like Simon the Zealot and Matthew the tax collector, who would’ve naturally been enemies. And yes, even Judas was called. Jesus...

This morning’s reading from Luke 6:1–11 shows us that faithfulness to God can sometimes challenge our routines and religious structures. The Pharisees had good intentions—they wanted to honor God by protecting the Sabbath—but over time, their focus on rules caused them to miss the heart of the Sabbath itself. Jesus reminds us that the Sabbath is a gift meant for rest, worship, and doing good. When...

This morning’s reading from Luke 5:33–39 reminds us that following Jesus means being open to new things. When questioned about why His disciples aren’t fasting like others, Jesus responds with a parable about weddings, wine, and garments. His message is clear: something new is happening, and it can’t be squeezed into old patterns. Just like you can’t patch an old coat with new fabric or pour new w...

This morning’s reading from Luke 5:27–32 reminds us that Jesus sees people not for who they’ve been, but for who they can become through grace. When He calls Levi, a tax collector, to follow Him, Levi leaves everything behind and throws a banquet—inviting Jesus and a house full of “sinners.” The religious leaders are shocked, but Jesus makes it plain: He came for the sick, not the well. That’s the...

In our last series from our summer "Road Trip" series, we look at John the Revelator. While this book can be, and is, confusing, this book reminds us of this central truth. God wins!  We are a people of hope! 

This morning’s reading from Luke 5:17–26 reminds us of the power of faithful friendship and the deeper healing Jesus offers. A paralyzed man is brought to Jesus by friends so determined they tear through a roof to reach him. Jesus, seeing their faith, forgives the man’s sins—causing a stir among religious leaders—and then heals his body to show His divine authority. This story is about more than j...

This morning’s reading from Luke 5:12–16 reminds us of both Jesus’ compassion and His commitment to prayer. A man with leprosy, desperate and untouchable by society, comes to Jesus and says, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” Jesus responds, “I do choose,” and—remarkably—touches him. That touch not only heals but restores the man’s dignity. In a world that cast him out, Jesus draws him in. An...

This morning’s passage from Luke 5:1–11 reminds us that Jesus calls imperfect people to follow Him. Peter, overwhelmed by the miracle of the great catch of fish, falls at Jesus’ feet and confesses his sinfulness. But Jesus doesn’t turn him away—instead, He calls Peter to a new purpose: to fish for people. It’s a beautiful reminder that our flaws don’t disqualify us. Following Jesus may cost us som...

Today we looked at Luke 4:38–44, where Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law, and I was struck by her immediate response—she gets up and starts serving. That’s such a beautiful image of what grace should lead to: not just comfort or rest, but loving service. Then we see Jesus stepping away to a quiet place to pray, reminding us how important it is to unplug from all the noise and just be with God. We’...

This morning we read Luke 4:31–37, where Jesus, fresh off a brutal rejection in Nazareth, walks right into another synagogue in Capernaum and keeps preaching. That really struck me—he didn’t let one bad experience shake his calling. And that’s a great reminder for us too. Sometimes we try something for God and it flops. We teach, serve, speak up—and it doesn’t go the way we hoped. But failure does...

In our Traditional sermon from July 13, Andy shares with us the story of Priscilla and Aquila.  We see in their lives the power of welcome and hospitality.  Their love changed Apollo's life and, through that, so many others!

This morning we look at Jesus’ first sermon in Luke 4, and wow—it did not go over well. At first, the hometown crowd was impressed, but when Jesus challenged their assumptions and reminded them that God’s grace extends to outsiders too, things turned ugly fast. It’s a powerful reminder that Jesus’ ministry, from the start, was Spirit-filled, bold, and deeply focused on the least and the lost. And...

This morning, we look at the temptation of Jesus in Luke 4:1–13, where Jesus faces three key temptations—comfort, power, and safety—right after His baptism and just before starting His public ministry. Each temptation challenges His mission and identity, but Jesus resists by leaning on Scripture, staying rooted in truth, and trusting the Father. The big takeaway is this: even Jesus was tempted, so...

Today we looked at the genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:23–38, and while it might seem like one of those parts of Scripture to skip, it actually tells us something really powerful. I talked about the differences between Luke’s and Matthew’s genealogies—how Matthew traces Jesus’ line back to Abraham to show He’s the fulfillment of Jewish promises, while Luke goes all the way back to Adam to show that J...

Today we look at the baptism of Jesus from Luke 3:21–22 and why baptism is such a big deal for us as Christians. No matter our denomination—Methodist, Baptist, Catholic—we may see it differently, but we all agree it's important. In my tradition as a United Methodist, baptism is a sign of God’s covenant with us, and I especially love how we include infants as part of that covenant family. I ta...

We see John the Baptist’s public ministry today, and he comes out with a strong stance - Who warned you to repent!  Not the way that I typically start off my sermons.  But John’s purpose was this: calling people to repentance.  We need to take a moment, though, and talk about what conviction and repentance are.  Conviction is when we feel bad about our sins. Repentance is when we do something abou...

Today we see Jesus as a 12-year-old boy staying behind in the temple, astonishing the teachers with his wisdom while Mary and Joseph anxiously search for him. This passage highlights the importance of steady, faithful religious practices in shaping spiritual character, as seen in Mary and Joseph’s consistent observance of Jewish customs. It reminds us that formation in faith doesn't come from...

We see two people today, Simeon and Anna, who are overcome when they see Jesus as a baby. These are people who have been waiting, most of their adult lives, to see Him. They knew the Lord was sending a Messiah, and they longed to see Him. They longed to experience Him. They longed to know Him.  How about us? Today, in our regular lives, do we long to see Jesus?  Do we long to know Jesus?  Do we lo...

We look at a passage today that I know you’ve heard preached a thousand times. We’ll look at the Christmas story as told to us by Luke. This is the one that we are probably all most familiar with.  There is so much that we can unpack today, from what the shepherds were doing to the reason for the census. In Christmas, God came near. Through Christmas, God became flesh and dwelt among us. He incarn...

We see the birth of John the Baptist today. First, we see that when he is born, people expect him to be named after his father. When Elizabeth says no, he is to be called John, but no one believes. It was only after his father agreed that he was able to speak again. But once Zechariah was able to speak, he began to prophecy and tell people what his son, John, would do. He would point others to Jes...

Today, we read Mary’s great song of praise to God, the Magnificat. After being faithful, after being encouraged, Mary now sings this song of praise. There is much for which she praises God.  She praises Him for His blessings to her.  She will be called blessed by all generations. She praises Him for His remembering of His promises to Abraham and their ancestors. And finally, she praises Him for tu...

Another great story from the first chapter of Luke. Today, we see Mary go to Elizabeth. We have this wonderful image of the unborn John the Baptist leaping in the womb in the presence of the unborn Jesus. The Spirit falls on Elizabeth, and she pronounces blessings. Blessings on Jesus and on Mary, as well as on Mary’s faith. Mary had made the right choice, had done what God required and asked. She...