Andy Talks

As we begin our journey through 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and eventually Philemon, we start with the relationship between Paul and Timothy. Timothy was someone Paul mentored, taught, encouraged, and trusted—and that relationship gives us a picture of something we all need in our lives. We need people who walk beside us, people who walk ahead of us and teach us, and people who come behind us whom we...

In our Sunday sermon from September 20, 2026, we look at Matthew 6: 5-15.  We talk about what a method of prayer looks like, but we know this truth. It's not about what we say; it's about being aware of God's presence all around us. 

We finish our journey through Daniel with chapter 12, a passage that points beyond the difficult events of history toward the hope of resurrection. Daniel contains plenty of numbers, visions, kingdoms, and prophecies that can tempt us to spend our energy trying to calculate exactly when and how the end will come. But Daniel’s message points us somewhere more important: this life is not the end. Th...

In Daniel 11, we encounter war, persecution, suffering, and rulers who seem to have enormous power. But the chapter ultimately reminds us that difficult seasons are not new, and we are not the first generation to face uncertainty, injustice, or opposition. As Christians, we can learn from Scripture and from history so that we don’t become convinced that our particular cultural moment is the first...

In Daniel 10, Daniel is overwhelmed by a vision of things that are still to come. He doesn’t know how God’s plan will unfold, and neither do we always understand what God is doing in the middle of our own difficult seasons. But God gives Daniel a powerful word: “Do not fear, greatly beloved. You are safe. Be strong and courageous.” Today we reflect on the truth that whatever we are experiencing ri...

In today’s Reflections, we enter Daniel chapter 9, one of the Bible’s most challenging prophetic passages, including Daniel’s famous vision of the “seventy weeks.” Before receiving that vision, however, Daniel begins with confession, reminding us that honest prayer includes naming our failures and receiving God’s grace. As we consider the difficult prophecy that follows, we are reminded that Danie...

Today we begin Daniel chapter 8 and enter another challenging apocalyptic vision involving kingdoms, a ram, a goat, Alexander the Great, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, and the desecration and restoration of the temple. While there is plenty in Daniel 8 that can be difficult to understand, Daniel reminds us of something important: history is not random. Kingdoms rise and fall, rulers come and go, and some...

In our September 13, 2026 message, Andy shares from 2 Timothy 3:14-16 and 2 Peter 3:14-17.  What do we believe about the Bible?  What role does it play in our lives and in our church? What do we do with the hard passages?  What difference does it even make? 

In today’s Reflections, we begin Daniel chapter 7 and enter the challenging world of biblical apocalyptic literature—visions, beasts, kingdoms, judgment, and the mysterious “Son of Man.” While there are many different interpretations of the details, Daniel gives us a central truth we can hold onto: earthly kingdoms and powers are temporary, but God’s kingdom is everlasting. Daniel’s vision points...

In today’s Rooted Reflections, we finish Daniel 6 and celebrate God’s deliverance of Daniel from the lions’ den. But the story points us toward something bigger than Daniel’s rescue: his faithfulness to God also led him to seek the welfare of the foreign kingdom where he lived. Like Jeremiah’s call to Israel in exile, Daniel reminds us that following God does not mean withdrawing from the world ar...

In today’s reflection from Daniel 6:10–18, we see Daniel respond to the king’s new law with quiet, consistent faithfulness. Daniel knows the decree has been signed and understands the consequences, but he simply continues doing what he has always done: praying to God three times a day. His circumstances change, but his faithfulness doesn’t. Daniel’s example challenges us to consider whose approval...

In today’s reflection from Daniel 6:1–9, we look at the danger of flattery and the importance of having people in our lives who will lovingly tell us the truth. Darius allows himself to be convinced that he is so important that everyone should worship him, a decision that will quickly get him into trouble. In contrast, Daniel’s enemies search for any weakness or corruption they can use against him...

On this Labor Day reflection, we step away from Daniel for a moment to consider what Scripture teaches us about work and rest. Work was part of God’s good creation from the beginning—Adam was given a purpose and vocation in the Garden of Eden—but the fall brought toil, frustration, and difficulty into our work. Our work can give us purpose, dignity, and an opportunity to use the gifts God has give...

What do United Methodists believe? It really comes down to one word: Grace.  Yes, but what do we really believe about Grace?  Join us as we reflect upon Ephesians 2: 1-10 and talk about how God is always the first actor in our faith and our salvation. It's always about grace. Always. 

In today’s reflection, we finish Daniel chapter 5 and hear Daniel interpret the writing on the wall for King Belshazzar. Belshazzar offers Daniel power, prestige, and a gold chain, but Daniel makes it clear that he isn’t serving God for earthly rewards. Daniel reminds Belshazzar of what happened to Nebuchadnezzar and points out that Belshazzar knew the story but failed to humble himself before God...

In today’s reflection from Daniel 5, we look at the famous story of the writing on the wall and, more specifically, at the sacred vessels Belshazzar took from the temple and used at his feast. That leads us to think about what makes something sacred. A church building, an altar, communion vessels, or even Scripture are not holy simply because of the materials they are made from; they are sacred be...

In Daniel 4, Nebuchadnezzar finally comes to his senses after being humbled by his own pride. He had become so convinced of his own power and greatness that he forgot the most important truth: God is God, and we are not. In this reflection, we look briefly at the historical questions surrounding Nebuchadnezzar’s period of madness, but more importantly, we consider the spiritual truth at the heart...

In Daniel 4, Nebuchadnezzar has a dream warning him that his pride and confidence in his own power are leading him toward a great humbling. Daniel interprets the dream and tells the king to turn from his ways and recognize that God is sovereign, but Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t listen. A year later, he looks over Babylon and proudly declares that he has built it all by his own power and majesty—and almo...

Today we finish the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace and focus on the fourth person who appears with them in the fire. Their story reminds us that faithfulness doesn't mean we will never face difficult seasons—in fact, sometimes we can find ourselves in the fire precisely because we are trying to be faithful to God. But the promise of Scripture isn't that we...

We continue talking about the things that truly matter in our faith.  We talk in this message about one of the essential things of our Wesleyan belief: Holiness. But what is that?  Jesus tells us in Matthew: love.  The test of our faith and holiness is this: love. 

Today we continue through Daniel with the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their refusal to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue. Even when threatened with the fiery furnace, they demonstrate a remarkable faith—not simply a faith that says God will save them, but a faith that says God is able to save us, but even if he doesn’t, we will still trust him. Their story reminds us that gen...

In today’s reflection, we finish Daniel chapter 2 and look at how Daniel’s ability to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream leads him into a position of influence in Babylon. Daniel didn’t choose exile, but God placed him there and used the gifts he had given him to make a difference. In the same way, we may not always understand why God has placed us where we are, but we can trust that God can use our...

Today we continue our journey through Daniel 2 as Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s troubling dream of the great statue. While there are plenty of details we could explore about the kingdoms represented in the dream, today we step back and look at the bigger picture: God is not surprised, and kingdoms rise and fall. Babylon seemed permanent, but it wasn’t. Neither are the things in our own lives...

In today’s reflection, we continue our journey through Daniel 2 and look at Daniel’s response to a crisis with prudence and discretion. Before we speak, are there times when we need to ask, “Does this need to be said? Does it need to be said by me? Does it need to be said by me now?” We also talk about dreams, how God sometimes uses unexpected ways to speak to us, and the importance of creating en...

As we begin the book of Daniel, we enter the story of a young Jewish man living in exile in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar doesn't just take Daniel and the other young men from their homeland—he attempts to reshape their identity by changing their names, their language, their education, and even what they eat. But Daniel refuses to forget who he is. In this reflection, we explore what it means for C...