The Word from St. Andrews

Dear St Andrews Family, What does the world think of thechurch?             Judgmental?             Hateful?             Hypocritical? It’s sad, but sometimes we are. Sometimes we don’t present the world of Jesus as one of beauty and love and acceptance. What does it mean for us to be salt and light? Can we focus our attention on these ideas this week? Perhaps you can start thinking about how wemi...

This week we celebrate freedom. A freedom that was won through violence and death.  I am not talking about the American Revolution, a civil war, or democracy that won out over authoritarianism.  I am talking about a war waged against evil. A war that was won through sacrifice and death. A victor who laid down his life to bring ultimate peace.   And now Jesus says that we too are called to be peace...

Dear St. Andrews Family, Racism, sexual slavery, poverty, violence, apathy—there are some significant problems in our world. God knows this and invites you to play a role of reversal. The Beatitudes present an invitation to us to join God in humility, peace, and justice. It invites us to see and participate in another kind of life, an abundant life. A life that seems quite contrary to everything w...

Dear SABC Family, I am not poor. Between my wife and I, we have three fullypaid off vehicles and a brand new house. I don’t cry. Unless I am watching Bruce Willis saygoodbye to his daughter in “Armageddon.” And I am not meek. That’s the last things that mymasculine ego ever wants to hear. So, when Jesus says good things about the poor, themourners, and the meek (Matt 5:3-5), I am a little uncomfor...

Dear Family, We all know what “well, bless your heart!” means don’t we? It’s not exactly a blessing. Still, even though we don’t often use the word “blessing” in our everyday life, we know that it’s actually a good thing. It implies God’s favor. It calls up the idea of flourishing and thriving. That’s what this mini-series isabout—thriving, flourishing,…the future. I can’t wait to share Jesus’ vis...

Dear Family, If you could have one thing in the world, what would it be? Wealth, fame, love, praise, a friend…? Might I suggest that all of us actually want exactly the same thing? Happiness. We want to be happy. And Jesus preached a sermon to tell us how. His sermon has a lot in common with Haggai’s call to an upside-down kingdom. Because that is exactly what Jesus is inviting us into. If you wan...

Dear St. Andrews Family,I fear our vision, as parents, for our children is mediocre at best. We want to make sure that they know that God is the creator, that the Bible is true, and that they should behave better. And of course, we want them to be all that they can be, get a good job, and be happy. And this is such a weak vision.  I won’t have time to lay out all the practical things I wish I coul...

I am all for radical. I want to change the world in big and awesome ways. I want to be a man that people write a book about. But let’s be honest…it’s probably not going to happen that way. I am ordinary. Really ordinary. No offense, but most of you are too. What does it mean for those of us who won’t go rescue children in Malawi or build hospitals along the Amazon? Do we still get to change the wo...

Dear St. Andrews Family, What does it mean for us to beradical Christians today? Do we break our AC/DC records and get our Christian t-shirts out of the attic? Do we all downsize and go on a mission trip to the Amazon? Bonhoeffer said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”That’s a pretty tall order.   I wonder if the problem in Christianity isn’t that we are too demanding, but that...

“Sometimes when I talk to people about the God they don’t believe in, I find that I don’t believe in that God either.”  These words have been said similarly by many different preachers and they still ring true. I wonder if our view of God is tainted.  Do you see God as a punishing, wrathful, angry faced being? Does he seem to disagree with you on everything and judgment is paramount. Or do you see...

This church has always had a pretty amazing ministry designed for the next generation. Children, youth, college, and young adults have often thrived here. I like to think that our ministries have helped our kids not turn back when it gets hard. Our ministries are about relationships and about faith and about holding fast.  Isaac, Jacob and Joseph all had something to say to the next generation. Ea...

Dear St. Andrews Family, What do you long for? What excites you? You can probably come up with an answer or two for that, right? Hitting that ski jump at 30 miles an hour excites me. Getting that mischievous glance from your spouse across the room? Anticipating finally getting that vacation to Bermuda?   Let me change the question for a moment. Not what do you long for or what excites you, but wha...

Dear St. Andrews Family,   We don’t always find ourselves in the best circumstances. Remember that Abraham was asked to leave everything familiar, was asked to wait for a long time for a child, and he likely lost his dad in this difficult journey. I want to give you some advice from Scripture this week about lookingpast the circumstances, going forward in hope, and putting your faith in the right...

Dear St. Andrews Family, I realized over the last few years how much of mysecurity was wrapped up in my family. I fear deep down that maybe it’s also wrapped up in my bank account, my job, how many “likes” I get on FB and my abilities to play sports, talk gooder, and attract women (none of which are reasons to brag I understand). I wonder what my security is really based on.   This week I want to...

Dear St. Andrews Family, Perhaps you are one of those people who dismisses warnings easily. The aspirin bottle says to only take two without consulting a doctor, but puh-leeze, like you really consult a doctor. The cigarette pack says smoking leads to cancer, but you ignore it. You know Coke leads to obesity and diabetes, but you need your fix. I get it, I ignore a lot of warnings too.   In Hebrew...

Dear St. Andrews Family,   Maybe I shouldn’t admit this to good Christians, but a few years ago I rocked out with thousands of other people to “Pour some Sugar on Me” and “Hysteria.” Most of the people were drunk or high, but I was loving Def Leppard completely unintoxicated (because I am a goody two shoes). It was awesome. But there was a problem. My seats were so far away that I could barely see...

Dear St. Andrews Family,   It's “Give of your Best” Sunday and I have a sermon that I have shared with every church I have pastored. It’s a sermon to remind you that God is ready and He is moving, and He wants to do something with you. The text comes from I Samuel 14 about Jonathan and his armor bearer. The title is simple:               “Perhaps the Lord will work in our behalf”   We don’t kn...

Dear St. Andrews Family,  For the sake of my own ego, I like to think that I am kind of extraordinary. I mean, the Broadhurst name will go down in history. Extraordinary, yep, that’s me.   Okay, maybe not.   You know what? Abel wasn’t all that extraordinary, and he got included in the hall of faith in Hebrews 11:4. How did that happen? The answer: He did what was right. Simple, ordinary, not-all-t...

Dear St. Andrews Family, Perhaps you are one of those Christians who is very certain of their view of creation. Maybe you are convinced that it happened in 6 literal 24 days and it was created out of nothing. Fine, I get it. And that is cool with me. Hebrew 11:3 seems to say something about this, so yeah, I am going to have to say something about this too. But, the truth is, it doesn’t really say...

Dear St. Andrews Family,  I took a year off from ministry. I needed a break. Of course, I was exhausted. Of course, I was grieving. But there was more going on. Christianity was starting to really frustrate me. Not the limping Christianity. Not the authentic Christianity. But the Christianity that we tout on facebook and in pop books and in political discussions. I needed to remind myself that the...

Dear St. Andrews Family, I wonder what Jesus would think if he went to the movies. I really wonder what he would think about the movies and TV shows that revolve around his story. Would he laugh at how they portray him? I wonder what he would think about the picture you have of him. Based on movies, childhood pictures, pastor’s perspectives, and the culture that pervades our thinking, I wonder if...

Dear St. Andrews Family, It's almost funny what some peoplebelieve: dinosaurs in Scotland, Big Foots in Canada, and aliens in Area 51. Some of us believe other things that perhaps might have a more direct impact on our lives:  God wants us to die in a jihad, God offers us eternity on our own planet with virgins galore, God doesn’t care about us at all. But what do we think about Jesus? That is...

Dear St. Andrews Family, Things are going to get better. How is that for hopeful and encouraging? Things are going to get better. The kingdom of this world is diminishing as Christians live in an upside-down world. What the heckam I talking about? Well, you need to come on Sunday as we look at the ending of the book of Haggai. It talks about a shaking and a future king and a world that gets better...

Dear St. Andrews family, Eudaemonism is that ethical position that stresses that goodness, happiness, and material rewards always come from satisfactory ethical actions.   “Oh my gosh! That’s how you started this pastor? And you want me to keep reading? I nodded off in the first sentence.”   Okay, I get it. But think about it for a second. The Bible tells us all over the place that if we do the ri...

Dear Family,   Do you get discouraged? Are things not as you expected and planned? Do you look back on a time when life was just sweeter and wonder if that will ever be again?   Can I encourage you from Haggai 2? It’s a promise that God will be with Israel and I think I can say that he will be with you too. He says there that he will shake things up and that he will revive them and that things wil...