Andy Talks

James, in chapter two, continues to get all up in our business. He continues to warn us about the dangers of showing partiality.  He says that God will show His spiritual riches to the poor, but we so often dishonor them by how we treat them. This is a constant refrain from James and all across the Bible. Then he calls us to obey the royal law - love your neighbor. We are legalistic about so many...

We return again to Matthew 4: 1-11 as we look at Jesus's temptation.  In our INTERSECTION service from March 23, 2025, Andy shares with us the great choice for Jesus. Would He trust the Father to take care of Him? We face the same choice today. 

Today’s reading is at the heart of James’ book. Today, we see what true religion looks like. It is not enough that we hear the word; we are to do the word. We talked early this week that for James, religion is not just an intellectual agreement to a collection of facts, but faith is a life submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Today, James tells us exactly what that life should look like. Tod...

Today’s reading has two verses that I love so much and that can be very formative in how we think about sin and grace. First, he tells us that we are dragged into sin by our own sinful desires. Our spiritual battle is going to always start with the external. It’s always first a battle without ourselves. And then he tells us this powerful truth: if it is good and it is in our lives, it is a gift fr...

James today hits on something that will be a constant theme for him in this book. Be careful of wealth. For us, it’s easy to think that it is a warning to someone else. And yes, there is always someone better off than each of us. But if we are reading this on our computer or mobile phone, listening to this on a podcast after having woken up in a warm bed with a roof over our head, driving our job,...

As we begin our time together in the book of James, we see some really vital truths. Today, we are told about the importance of trials and the value of wisdom. Our trials produce endurance, and that endurance produces maturity.  Our trials teach us so very much. We learn more from them than we do from anything.  And with wisdom, if we lack, God will give generously to us.  Shameless plug: here’s a...

We begin our time together in James by getting an overview of what it is about. Who wrote it?  What is the point?  James is a great book to read in tandem with Galatians or Ephesians, in the same way it is great to read Job in tandem with Proverbs. It gives us balance. Yes, we are saved by grace through faith so that no one can boast. But our works do matter. Our works are important. They show us...

Over the next three Sundays, we will examine Jesus's temptations more closely, each individually. Today, we examine the temptation to turn stones into bread. What was happening here? What is this temptation actually about?

In our Psalm today, David gives us words to cling to when we find ourselves in hard times. David, in his life, has had moments of great victory and moments of great trial. Today he gives us two words that we can claim in these moments. First, we can name our pain and hurt to God. Speak it, and give it to Him. Second, we can remember the times in the past when He has been there for us. With these g...

We are going to look at a couple of Psalms between our time in Galtians and James. We’ll pay special attention to a couple of Psalms that are important with this Lenten season. Today, we look at David’s beautiful reflection on forgiveness.  This Psalm takes a walk through the journey of sin, confession, and God’s pardon of our sins. It’s a wonderful work that shows us just how important confession...

Paul finishes his letter to the Galatians with this. Circumcision or uncircumcision, neither of these matters at all. They are not important. What is important? What matters?  The new creation. That’s what it all matters: the work of grace in our lives. That is what makes the difference; that is what it is all about.  Don’t get caught up in the things that aren’t important. Focus on what matters....

Paul always ends each letter with some basic instructions. It always feels like Proverbs to me. Today, Paul tells us to carry our own burdens and bear each other’s loads. Which is it? Are we to take care of our own needs or the needs of others?  How are we to handle this?  We see both, but how exactly does that work? Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully e...

Today, we finish our deeper examination of each Fruit. We’re going to do another day of “Fruit Inspection,” where we examine individual fruits more closely and see if these fruits are present in our lives. Today, we’ll examine gentleness and self-control. Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodistto...

In the first sermon in our Lenten series "Temptation," Andy shares with us from 1 Corinthians 10: 11-13.  We see how no temptations have ever come upon us that have not been faced before. We are not overcome by temptation, and Jesus shows us the way out! 

We continue today with our deeper look at each of the Fruit. We’re going to do another day of “Furit Inspection,” where we look more closely at individual fruits and see if these fruit are in our lives.  Today, we’ll look at peace, kindness, generosity, and faithfulness. Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - htt...

In our Ash Wednesday Sermon from March 5, 2025, we look at Matthew 6: 1-6; 16-21. Jesus tells His followers that when they fast and pray, they should do so in secret. During this Lenten season, may we spend time in secret, giving Jesus the room He needs to draw us close. 

As we return to the Fruit of the Spirit today, we’ll take time to look a little deeper at each of the Fruit. We’ll do what a pastor of mine used to call a “fruit inspection.” What do each of the fruit mean? What can we learn from them? How can we grow these fruit in our very lives?  Today, we’ll look at love, joy, and patience.  What are these fruit truly about? Shameless plug: here’s a link to Me...

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. For churches that may not be liturgical, you may be unfamiliar with this day and season. This is the beginning of the forty days leading to Easter. It is a time of repentance, of fasting, of prayer. It is a time where we give the Holy Spirit space to convict, to point out our brokenness and heal us from our sin. Today’s reflection will g...

There may not be a passage that I have meditated upon more these last few years than the Fruit of the Spirit. When I look to the people that I desire to follow, that I desire to have disciple me, now, over and over again, this is what I look for. I look for the Fruit of the Spirit. Not dynamic leadership. Not strategic thought. But the Fruit of the Spirit. Where these are, there is the spirit of G...

Over the next two days, we are going to talk about the “works of the flesh” and the “fruit of the spirit.”  One (the works) is the result of what we do, and one (the fruit) is the result of what is being produced within us. We spend time today talking about what it means when Paul speaks of “the flesh” and the difference between our sin nature and the sins that we commit. How does it all fit toget...

In the last sermon in our "I Am" series, Andy shares with us from John 15:1-5. Here, we see Jesus tell us that He is the vine. But, he also tells us this: we are the branches. And for us to live, we must abide, or be rooted, in Him, and Him alone. 

Paul really brings out his fastball today. To those who are preaching circumcision and upholding all the law, today he says he wishes they would castrate themselves. I bet you didn’t have that phrase on your Friday morning Rooted in Christ bingo card, did you?  Paul reiterates that the law doesn’t save; it doesn’t count. All that counts is faith working itself through love. That's what matter...

This is one of the most interesting passages in all the Bible. Today, Paul is going to turn a lot of things upside down. He tells us that the true children of Sarah are those saved by faith. The children of Hagar are those of us who are living by the Law. It doesn’t matter who your earthly parents are; what matters is who is your heavenly Father. Your earthly birth is not that important; it is you...

My kids and I have a running joke about the dadly statement, “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.”  All of us have either heard that from our dads, at some point, or said that as a dad. Today, Paul is wrestling with the fact the Galatians keep falling back into the old sins and mistakes of the past.  He’s just confused. Why? Why do you keep doing this? I don’t understand. Paul wants them to avoid...

Oh boy, today’s passage is chock full of great truths and things for us to meditate upon and think over. First, we see Paul’s teaching about what exactly the law is. It was given to discipline us, not to save us. Then, we see God’s perfect timing in Jesus. And finally, we talk about how we are all one in Christ, and the importance of unity, not always uniformity.  Some really great truths in this...