Andy Talks

Today in our VBS reflections, we look at some superheroes you may not know about. The Hebrew midwives!  In this story from Exodus, they are told by Pharaoh to kill all the male babies born. But because they feared God, they stood strong and did what God wanted.  How do we know how and when to do the same?  Today we talk a little more about how we know how to be heroes like them! Join us for our da...

This week in our Reflections, we will follow along with our daily VBS stories. Today we will look at John 1: 35-51, where we see Jesus put together His team. We see Him calling His first disciples. Jesus needed a team and what they could do for the kingdom. But He also knew they would need that same team; there would come a time when they would need each other. We need a team! We need our people....

In our Traditional message from June 11, Andy shares with us from challenging verses, Ephesians 5: 21-24.  Wives submit to your husbands.  These words have been used for great harm, by many people. But when we take a look at the broader context of scripture, we see what Paul is saying not just to wives, but to all believers.   

We've spent a lot of time recently looking at James, and one of the mistakes that people can make with the Bible is to think that James and Paul disagree. So, to look at this, I wanted to take a deeper look at where Paul says we are saved by grace through faith so that no one can boast. And do you know what we see right after?  God has prepared us for good works. Paul and James agree 100%.  I...

Today in James, we see this well known, and important command.  Pray!  The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.  Or as I grew up hearing it, the prayer of the righteous availeth much.  As a child is unafraid to bring their requests to their loving parents, so should we be unafraid to bring our concerns to God boldly.  Our prayers matter. And our prayers change things!  They are effec...

In James today, we see a word about suffering.  We know that we will suffer; we even see that promise here. But we know that we do not suffer alone when we suffer because God is with us.  That suffering will produce in us endurance, which will help our faith be strong.   With Job, we see the great things that God can do. We can trust in suffering, knowing that God can bring something good out of e...

We see in James 5 a word about wealth and how we care for each other.  We are called to do right by others in all our dealings with them. We have been blessed with so much and are called to do right. But, also know that God will do right by each of us when we need His help and provision.  We do right, and God also will do right.  Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he...

James tells us today about the importance of humility. We need to approach each other with humility. Without humility, we will turn to judgment. And we need to approach God with humility. Let us not assume that we know the plans of God, and how God will work. Let us plan for the future, yes. But let us plan with humility, knowing that in the end, God is in control. Join us for our daily reflection...

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...