First Houston United Methodist Church

The table discusses ways of reading spiritual text. Ben starts us off by diving into Ignatius of Loyola and the examen practiced by the Jesuits. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Matthew 18:3 Andy just turned 51 this week (or, as Deborah says, 612 months), and it's made him long for the days of his childhood - playing baseball in his yard and buying pizza and baseball cards with his friends. As Andy tells the story of the moneylender who forgave debts (Luke 7:40-43), and asks how we need to see the world in order to be living the way Jesus wants us to. fmhouston.com

As we continue to settle into the new normal, a questioner wonders how it’ll shape the Church. The table discuss stripping our church norms and embracing simplicity. As well as the new ways online church is changing how we practice discipleship. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Matthew 5:9 The long stretch of the quarantine has left Andy with a longing for the pieces of home... his mother's chocolate cream pie, the sounds of baseball, the things we have been confined from. Months of separation have made him see the world with different eyes. As Jesus sits on the mountainside to speak a new and powerful word, and the word is a reinterpretation of the Ten Commandments - a...

The group explore how they’ve handled difficult but necessary conversations. Donyale reminds us that sometimes the road to peace means disrupting the “peace”. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Matthew 5:6 Andy uses props to tell us about how to quench our thirst (don’t worry, you’ll be able to guess what they are), and tells us to engage in those things that Jesus did. During a crisis, the way we used to see the world gets stripped away from us. Crises show us the way to go. Our vision has elevated. Bigger things are being put in front of us. We need to rise to meet those things. fmhous...

Tension remains on high consequently fueling the growth of keyboard warriors. A questioner who’s noticed christian friends on opposite sides of the spectrum asks what it looks like to be followers of Jesus online. Donyale shares some words to defuse online courage. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Today's sermon is a conversation between Brandi and Donyale - a conversation about the Beatitudes, about justice, about how protesting is a form of mourning, about how these are hard conversations that need to be had. Matthew 5:4 - "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." fmhouston.com

Anthony joins the table as Ben hosts this weeks episode. A questioner reaches out to get clarity on what separates hope and prayer. The table discusses their practiceses talking with God and explore the limits of hope. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

A teacher with an unfairly merciful grading system teaches Andy something about grace, as he explores how the Beatitudes lift up the people least likely to be lifted up by the world. fmhouston.com

The group look at the different ways we service and give but also what it means to be humbled by receiving. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Andy talks about the story of Paul and Silas remaining in their cells when the prison crashed open - and the power to change things when you set about it the way God wants you to. fmhouston.com

In death are we healed of our illnesses or does it come with us? The table shares their insight and hope for those struggling with mental health. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health contact your mental health professional or other qualified health provider. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Acts 2:9-16 Peter has a vision of all of the animals coming towards him on a sheet, and Andy explains the meaning of the passage in narrow terms, and then in broad ones. God is talking about more than food - he was asking Peter to open up to all the world. fmhouston.com

Ben waits to surprises the group with today’s question - was it racist of God to single out the Israelites? The table discusses what Scripture tells us about why He chose the Hebrew people. Andy uses a food metaphor that has everybody questioning what kind of food they are. fmhouston.com/ama

Andy looks at the conversion of Paul on the road to Damascus, and talks about the way his own sight was changed at George Floyd's funeral this week. fmhouston.com

On today’s episode, the group takes an opportunity to have a conversation about the events happening in Houston. Donyale and Andy share their experience at George Floyd’s funeral. They reflect on the impact of these events and what it means for us as a nation. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Acts 8:26-40 Andy tells the story of Philip and the eunuch, and sees echoes of the same lessons in the hubbub of current events. fmhouston.com

The group take a moment to reflect on their experiences at the downtown march for George Floyd. Bloomed from our Ahmaud Arbery episode, today’s question searches for specific guidance on what the church can do to combat evil and what we as individuals can do. Below is more information on the book recommendations mentioned in this podcast. -Divided By Faith, by Michael Emerson -Just Mercy by Bryan...

On Pentecost Sunday, as cities across America are filled with marchers and protestors, Andy makes a call to action. "It is not acceptable to be a church hunkered down, afraid to go out and proclaim the name of Jesus." Acts 2:1-11 fmhouston.com

A non-member asks whether the Methodist church disciplines members, and if people are required to confess their sins to a pastor or another authority. It leads to a discussion of what rules the Methodist church actually has, the importance of accountability, and how pastors work to try to be someone who stands in your corner rather than punishing you. FMHouston.com/AMA

Andy speaks about “God in Real Time": God is taking care of you in the here and now, and God is going to take care of you in the future. Anything the world gives to you is going to fade away, the peace God gives to us is infinite. The Holy Spirit is a gift that shows us that fear cannot prevail. “Faith is stranger than peace, and so even though we feel the storm, the storm does not overcome us.” J...

Questions of racial justice, privilege and discipleship surface as the group breaksdown the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. They reflect on the heavy price payed for racial harmony, the work that still awaits and the steps the church can take to be the champions of love. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Donyale comes to us from her kitchen table to consider why God chooses people who don't need just minor changes, but be changed utterly. 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 fmhouston.com

We’re talking about social holiness and what John Wesley meant by it. What that it looks like today and how it differs from how we interpret God defines it. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm