First Houston United Methodist Church

Andy talks about three ways he saw the Holy Spirit at work in our church this week, one of which involved the miraculous appearance of a literal busload of Lutherans. Then he talks about Acts 4, and how Holy Spirit empowered the deeply ordinary men that Jesus had selected as his disciples. When God moves the same way in us, "we don't just see lives being changed - we see kingdoms being built." Act...

This week is ostensibly about unjust laws and how we deal with them as Christians, but that turns out to not at all be where the conversation ends up. Instead, Brandi, Juan, and Ben focus on what Jesus told us about how "the poor are always with you," the parable of the sheep and the goats, and the ways we try to make something complicated into something simple to make ourselves feel better. Plus,...

Back from his trip with the youth group to Peru, Andy talks about what it means to be changed - and how being changed, and pledging to follow Christ, requires absolutely everything. Then, as we begin communion, he holds up the bread and the cup and talks about the sacrifice that came before us that also gave absolutely everything. Matthew 6:11 fmhouston.com

In response to Attorney General Jeff Sessions' use of Romans 13 during a speech about immigration, the group fields a question about what the Bible really says about the issue, and struggles to deal with commenting on policy in difficult political times. Plus, Ben finds out he's not an Evangelical! fmhouston.com/ama

To tell the story of how Jesus gives us a light burden as we follow him, Ann tells the story of Mike and Julie, who lost their way in figuring out what a well-lived life looks like. Matthew 11:28-30 fmhouston.com

Listening to the radio while bringing his son to college, Andy ends up reflecting on the nature of the refugee, and the wanderers from whom Christianity begins: the Israelites. Then he looks forward to what being a welcoming church is, and in the middle of the New Mexico desert, he's hit hard by a reminder from God as he recognizes what that looks like in his own life. fmhouston.com

After a post-Easter crash leaves Ann exhausted, she confronts the constant busyness of her life. Eventually, she finds her way back to the story of Jeremiah, who faced down the Israelites who refused to recognize the commands of the Bible. Then, to tackle things from another angle, Bill comes down the aisle to talk about the medical necessities of rest, and the way we constantly act in a way total...

Andy, Brandi, Kaitlyn, and Ben respond to a New York Times Opinion Piece that gives faint praise to religion as a generic positive in people's lives. The group breaks down the writer's perspective, considers the actual benefits of a faith in Christ, and considers what their lives would look like without religion in them. This article was sent in by a listener - send in your questions or links to a...

Ann struggles to deal with the idea of a true Sabbath - can she go from 24/7 to 24/6? To do so, she ends up going back and facing the directions given in the Ten Commandments. fmhouston.com

Andy speaks powerfully on the incredible importance of naps while discussing just what exactly a Sabbath is - and why it's so necessary. fmhouston.com/

The group is back from Annual Conference, and gives a quick update on the goings on within our denomination and our church. Then, a question about why God blesses people who don't follow him more than he does those who do leads to a discussion of if that's true - and what God's blessing really means. fmhouston.com/ama

A chance frustrating encounter leads Andy to reconsider how he considers the Sabbath. Then he encourages everyone to go take a nap. But there is something deeper to the Sabbath. As Andy says, "God said on the cross, 'it is finished,' and there is nothing left for us to do." fmhouston.com

Brant Wallace takes to the pulpit and fights against the busyness of life - the endless cycles we put ourselves through, the constant overstacking of our schedules. What do we do when we have more to do than we can actually do? Plus, the ideal time to upload something onto YouTube. Genesis 2: 3 fmhouston.com

With the pastoral staff out of town, Ben brings in Mandy and Juan to talk about the general questions of youth group and why students leave the church. It leads into a much broader discussion of how kids sense falsehood, the cultural differences with youth in church around the world, and what it is that makes the church a place that students keep coming back to. fmhouston.com/ama

Andy talks about the various ways our words can have power, how they can have life and death, and the way we can say precisely the wrong thing. He talks about following God's instruction for controlling our words, and remembers an old friend who, time and time again, helped him to do so. Proverbs 18:21 fmhouston.com

Brandi discusses "the fiery tongue" discussed in Proverbs, which leads to a broader talk about how we should be living our lives - and what the world should expect to see in us. Proverbs 18:21 fmhouston.com

Andy, Brandi, and Ken discuss the fallout that comes after a shooting like Santa Fe, and explore the ways that we, as Christians, can respond to tragedies like this - and return to the Sermon on the Mount to see what Jesus had to say about it. fmhouston.com/ama

In the midst of an packed, joyous service, Andy takes the stage to talk about the truest meaning of Pentecost - how God created a church to bring the gospel to the world, and how God made this church to bring the gospel to this city. FMHouston.com

Ken returns from paternity leave and joins Anthony in the studio to talk about Pentecost with Andy. The three of them explore their very different backgrounds and common fears and misconceptions people have when it comes to the Holy Spirit. fmhouston.com/ama

"I hate to tell you this, church - but I'm not so convinced that we're not the religious insiders." On Mother's Day, Brandi remembers what it was like to deal with her own mother when she had been disobedient, and then goes into the story of the centurion, who had unshakable faith in what Jesus could do. She studies the healing word that Jesus give - but also the challenge that the story actually...

On Mother's Day, Ann returns to the blessing of Aaron, and what it means to actually give a blessing to someone. She ends up venturing out into the congregation to deliver a blessing to someone right there and then! Luke 24: 50-53 FMHouston.com

Today's topic is division within the church - that's church with both a big "C" and a little one - how do we pray for it, how do we avoid becoming splintered, and how do we stop from focusing on what everyone else is doing wrong? Send in your questions and your feedback! FMHouston.com/AMA

Andy looks at a story of Elijah, where God calls him out to hear him as he passed by. And just like Elijah found God in the silence, Andy helps us to find God in the same place. And because of who he is, Andy pushes us towards hearing it in the everyday - and once you hear it, doing something about it. 1 Kings 19:9-13 fmhouston.com

Andy returns, and joins Brandi and Kaitlyn in a continuation of a discussion from last week about how you decide how to interpret Scripture. But this week they face the biggest issue dividing the church - how to deal with questions about homosexuality. From the church's struggle at large, to the splitting within our own denomination, to personal encounters, each of the three work to try and explor...

Upon his return from Guatemala, a moved Andy talks about how new technology has changed our culture, but he pushes quickly past it into the powerful gift God has given to us: the power of speech. And how that gift that has given us a greater power: the ability to make change. fmhouston.com