Andy Talks

I love Thomas. I always feel the need to defend him because we identify him by his worst moment, “Doubting Thomas.” We don’t think about the brave moments before today’s text or after today’s text. We only think about this moment. As someone who has struggled with doubt at times, I resonate with Thomas. But today, he experiences Jesus. And Jesus says, stop doubting and believe. Remember that exper...

After the resurrection, the disciples gather together behind locked doors. The text tells us that they do this because they are afraid. They lock their doors out of fear. Don’t we do the same? How often in our lives do we engage the world through fear instead of faith? It is easy to turn to fear over and over again, especially when we have had trials or pain. The disciples were scared. They had re...

Today, as Jesus is raised, He speaks with Mary Magdalene. What is interesting to me about this conversation is that she doesn’t recognize Him. They are talking, and she asks Him questions, but she doesn't recognize Him. It isn’t until He calls her name that she recognizes that Jesus is with her. Perhaps she cannot see Him because the tears she is crying hide Him from her. Today, don’t let you...

We see Peter and John, after a footrace, get to the tomb. When they get there, they see wondrous signs, and they know something has happened or something significant has taken place. They just don’t know what. John believes, even though he doesn’t understand. Sometimes, we have to sit and be comfortable in the mystery. We may not understand God, but we know Him, and we know that He is good. We can...

Today in Rooted, we see Nicodemus move from darkness to light. Jesus was not finished with his story. Just like He is not finished with our story either.

Sorry for being absent last week. But we are back! We’ll pick up where we left off with John 19. Today, we see the death of Jesus. He says it is finished. He has finished His task. It is complete. This task completes the process of salvation as well. All that is required for salvation has now been done. There is nothing more that needs to be done or added. It is finished. We also talk about the be...

In our Traditional message from December 8, 2024, Andy shares with us from Luke 3: 1-6. We can have hope because God is at work. We can have peace because God is in control.

In our Traditional message from the First Sudnay of Advent, Andy shares with us from Luke 21: 25-36. We see Jesus telling us to be prepared. Look up. In this world of gray, look for green. Keep your heads up. Hope is always coming! 

Waiting is hard. I don’t like it. You don’t like it. None of us like it. But we are entering into the season of Advent, which is a season of waiting. They waited long ago for Jesus’ birth. We wait now for His return. This may feel like wasted time. It may feel pointless. But that is not so. The waiting is not wasted. Waiting, as hard as it is, teaches us to trust. Remember what we wait for. Rememb...

We see Jesus crucified today, and there’s a lot that we can unpack. We see Jesus honoring His mother by providing for her care. We see how scripture is being fulfilled. But for me, I am fascinated by “the place of the skull.” What does that mean? What is important or significant about that? Today, we’ll look at why the place where Jesus was crucified means so very much to us. Shameless plug: here’...

In our Traditional message from November 24, 2024, Andy shares with us from John 18: 33-37. We see here that Pilate didn't know what to do with Jesus because Jesus knew His kingdom was not of this world. We live with hope because we have a great home. Jesus is king.  Rejoice!

The religious leaders of the day understood that the Romans believed Caesar was a god. That is why when the people came to the Temple, they had to “change” over their money. No pagan god could be in the Temple. Yet, what do they say today? We have no king but Caesar. They did not believe this. But they chanted it to make sure Jesus went to the cross. They lost themselves. Let us be careful that we...

Jesus stands before Pilate today and is asked, are you a king? Jesus takes that conversation in another direction. He talks to Pilate about truth, to which Pilate asks, what is truth? Now, we know the answer; Jesus tells us earlier He is truth. He is the way, the truth, and life. But here’s the problem. Pilate didn’t want truth. The religious leaders didn’t want truth. Jesus is truth and He would...

Today’s reading is a bit longer because we look at what is called a “sandwich.” We see these in the Gospels, in particular. What is happening is a story is broken up into two stories, with another story in between, a sandwich. This is done to show a contrast. Today, we see Peter’s denial of Jesus broken up into 2 seconds, with Jesus before the High Priest in the middle. We see Peter, not standing...

We see one of my favorite examples of who Jesus is today. When they come to arrest Jesus, Peter draws the sword and cuts off the ear. And, if we are going to be honest, we feel like Peter sometimes, don’t we? We want to lop off some ears sometimes. Sometimes, it even feels right to do that, doesn’t it? But look at what Jesus does. He puts away the sword. I want to follow Jesus in that way. In a wo...

In our INTERSECTION message from November 17, 2024, Andy shares with us from Hebrews 10: 19-25. We can come with confidence before Jesus because of what He has done. Let us gather today and be thankful for all He has done!

Jesus prays for us today. We have seen prayers for the disciples who were there with Him, but today, He is praying for me and for you. He is praying for the church of this moment. Of all the things that He can pray for, what does He choose? Unity. He prays that we may be one. That we may be one as He and the Father are one. Unity matters to Jesus. As Christians, and particularly those of us who ar...

Today, we see Jesus continue His prayer for the church. He asks the Father not to take us out of the world but to keep us safe in it. Often in our lives, our growth doesn’t come from easy times but from hard times. God’s desire for us is not that we are happy, but God’s desire for us is that we are holy. We see Him pray for our sanctification or our holiness. But let’s remember that holiness is no...

John 17:3 is one of my favorite passages. It tells us what heaven is. Eternal life is this: knowing God and His Son, Jesus Christ, who He sent. That’s what it is. This is a future thing, yes, but it’s also a now thing.  A professor called this a not but not yet thing. We experience foretastes of heaven but not the fullness. One day, we’ll know the fullness, but not yet. So, today, in this moment,...

Jesus today makes us a promise. We will have trouble. He tells us that. But He also tells us to take heart because He has overcome this world. He has overcome all things: sin, death, tragedy, pain, hurt, loss, all of it. That’s not to say that these things aren’t real or that they won’t bring us to tears. But He promises this: those tears will turn into joy. He is overcome. Today, take that absurd...

Jesus says the Spirit will come from the Father and reveal what He has said. Any knowledge you have, from prayer, Scripture, reading, fasting, or any of the means of grace, comes from the Father, through the Son, or by the Spirit.  Everything, everything we know, is an act of the Holy Trinity. Jesus said that this will come in a time of grief, and that is often the way that it is; it is in those t...

Jesus tells His followers today that He was hated. We take some time this morning to look at what He is talking about in the original context. He is talking about how the religious leaders hated Him, and they will hate the disciples. But He is also talking about us. Following Jesus is always hard. Following the leading of the Spirit is always a challenge. Folks may not like it. They may judge us....

In our Traditional message from November 10, 2024, Andy looks at Mark 12: 38-44. We see that the widow gives sacrificially. While this is hard, giving, sacrificing, and following Jesus, is always a challenge. But it is always where life is found. 

We see that Jesus is the source of our life. He is the vine; we are branches. Our life flows from Him. Apart from Jesus, we can’t do anything at all. He is our life. When we remain in Him, we have life, and we bear fruit. What is that fruit? When we keep His commands, we love. That is the command that He has for us. Love. When we remain in the vine, that is the fruit we will bear. Shameless plug:...

We resume our time in John 14 this morning by looking at one of the most powerful of all of Jesus’ statements. He is the way, the truth, and life. No one comes to the Father but through Him. What does this mean? What does this mean for our salvation and for our works? Jesus is life. He is the way. He is the truth.  These verses should be at the heart of our faith, our doctrine, and how we are as C...