First Houston United Methodist Church

Lent is a time where people give things up to prepare their hearts for Easter. What if this year, you accepted the invitation? What if you participated in Lent? All of a sudden your faith has a way to speak to you in an even greater way. fmhouston.com

A question asking about whether brokenness is a good thing or not takes the group all over the Bible, through Old Testament and New, as they discuss the various ways God combats brokenness in the Scriptures, and what it is that he desires for us. —— Got a question? Send it to us at fmhouston.com/ama!

Mark 13:9-13 Reading today's scripture, it points out that we need to be ready to go at any moment. Because there will be a point where you're going to have to account for the kind of person that you are, and you need to be ready for that day. Who are we as Christians? Do we take ALL of the Christian life on? We either love God and love neighbor, or we don’t. fmhouston.com

The group sorts through the various ways Scripture is viewed by modern-day Christians, try to differentiate between historical events and metaphorical stories, and knock down some common misconceptions. ——— Ask us a question! fmhouston.com/ama This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

This has been a tough year financially for our congregation, for the people of our city, and for our church. But looking forward, how is the Holy Spirit going to move in the next year? How is he going to change us. Because that's what the Holy Spirit does - he makes us into more complete and sacred people. fmhouston.com

A listener asks a question that came up in their small group - how do you actually pray for your enemies? It seems awfully difficult. And how do you know what to say? Ask us a question! fmhouston.com/ama

On MLK weekend, Andy considers Dr. King's legacy, and encourages listeners to go an listen to MLK's "I Have A Dream" speech. (We've made the speech available at fmhouston.com/mlk if you'd like to do so) He also talks about the transition we are going through - as a nation, as a people, and as a church - and reminds us of where our values should always be. “If we hold on to the future, the present,...

The group discusses what led them to become pastors, and why they abandoned other avenues to head towards ministry. Plus, is it ever too old to enter full-time ministry? Then, at the group's urging, Ben shares his journey into the world of church media. fmhouston.com

When God spoke aloud after Jesus was baptized, he wasn't speaking just to His Son - he was speaking to the world, so that they could understand that God had come to live among them. fmhouston.com

A follow up to one of our earlier episodes – Episode 96: “Why Are Young People Leaving The Church?” – an actual young person writes about how relationships helped them maintain their connection to the church, and he finds that to be the magical elixir for other young people who get connected to churches. So what does the group think? There’s conversation about how to be a person who listens to que...

When Moses was trapped by the Red Sea, he had only to lift his hand, and God did the rest. Can we learn to be hand-raisers, too? fmhouston.com

As we begin to explore moments of change in the Bible, we start way back in Exodus, with Moses trapped by the Red Sea. In Moses’ moment of crisis, it is there where he discovers his faith. When Moses steps into the water and obeys the orders that God has given him, he realizes that God has provided a way. When we find ourselves in the same spot, when we step forward in faith, God provides. If we l...

Whenever she's on the road at a hotel, Donyale always makes sure to have the front desk give her a wakeup call. Because as not a morning person, it is difficult for her to arise - never mind to arise and shine. But the prophet Isaiah has given us a call to action. We have a divine summons to be active in the restoration of God’s kingdom. We are to be walking lamp stands, reflecting the glory of he...

At the end of a terrifically difficult year, Andy thinks of the people in his life who have made a difference in the world, the people who’ve been the Holy Spirit in action. People who went an extra mile to do the right thing, the things that meant so much to the people who received those acts of love. As he thinks about the story of Christmas, it is people like that who make him see the same love...

Marty is worried that we know the Christmas story so well we've forgotten just how big this story really is. fmhouston.com

Andy shares Biblical parallels between the story of Christ’s birth and a story from the Old Testament - and the story of his eventual death. As he stresses over tough decisions, he reminds us that all that matter is "is Jesus who he says he is?" fmhouston.com

For their last show of 2020, the group looks back on the lessons they learned, the things that they missed the most, and the things they've discovered how to appreciate. Ask us a question! fmhouston.com/ama

Someone who thought Christmas would be easier without all the busyness is discovering that this is a much tougher season than they expected. Andy, Marty, and Ben talk about why so many people find Christmas to be hard, how to handle this year's particular difficulties, and the way loss affects the Christmas season. fmhouston.com/ama

Andy tells the story of the “LEON” Christmas tradition that his family celebrates every year. He explains how we need to allow room for God to come in and change where we’re going. Mary doesn’t hold to one thing, she allows God to turn her life in an entirely new direction. And that’s what gives us this Christmas story. “Sometimes we get in ruts… we get established, we get focused. And if we take...

A question about whether traditional worship’s days are numbered brings out four strong opinions on the nature of worship, experiencing God in all contexts, and how we ignore church history at our own peril. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Isaiah 9:2 & 6 It's Marty's first sermon with us, and he launches us into Advent by talking about the difficulties of walking in the darkness (especially this year) and the everlasting hope that came to us in the Light of the World. fmhouston.com

Isaiah 64: 1-9 Donyale begins our Advent season by reminding us what it means to be clay in the Potter's hands. fmhouston.com

Andy tells the story of Jesus passing by a funeral, and moved by their grief, he raises the son from the dead. As we confront the difficulty of facing a holiday season without the ones we love, he shows us how we, likewise, can reach into difficult situations and turn them into something better. fmhouston.com

This commonly-asked question is quickly flipped on its head, as Ken questions the motivations of the people who most frequently ask it. Soon, it becomes a conversation about the way we cling to the church that we already have instead of becoming the new church that we need to be. Also, Andy is very excited to be “the 24th most influential United Methodist podcast.” Here’s the link so you can see w...

After another tragic loss of one of Houston's police officers, Andy talks about grief and pain, and what having a house "built on the rock" really means. fmhouston.com