Andy Talks

Today is election day. I’m going to do what I always do or have done for many years. I’m going to go vote. And I am going to read Psalm 2. This Pslam has words to speak to us in moments such as this. This Psalm reminds us of this truth. The Lord is upon the throne. The nations may rage. They may plot, they may scheme, they may plan. But God is God. He is God today, on Election Day, and He will be God tomorrow. Today, vote, work for you person, and pray. But, in all things, trust. Why do the nations rage? God is God. Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/

Jesus tells us today that He is going to His Father’s home and will prepare a place for us. This is a phrase we have heard a lot through the years, and we probably heard a few sermons preached about it. But what is happening? What is Jesus talking about when He says this? Preparing a room has a specific meaning in that culture that still rings true for us today. I unpack what that means for us, but in short, our Father loves us, and our Father will take care of us. Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2014%3A%201-4&version=NIVYou can wa

In our All Saints Sunday sermon, Andy shares with us from Revelation 21:1-6. We are heading home. We aren't yet there, but God is taking us to better place. We rejoice for our saints who are already there. But we know we are going home. 

Peter says he will go with Jesus even to lay down his life. Jesus says that will not happen; in fact, quite the opposite. Peter will deny Jesus three times!  We’ll look at that story later in our readings, but today, consider this. Peter wasn’t being arrogant; I just think he thought he was stronger than he was. He was not as strong as he thought he was. We should aspire to be faithful, holy, and stand up for Jesus. But we should also understand that we are weak and frail. God understands this, and so should we. We should stand, yes. But we should stand with humility. Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s

We see Jesus give us a new command today. That we love one another. They will know that we are His disciples by our love. Now, question. Is that our love for all the world? Or our love for fellow Christians? I think the answer is yes. Both. There is Biblical evidence and commands to love all the world and to love our fellow Christians. But imagine the witness it would be the world if we Christians were to truly and totally love one another. If the world is full of fussing, why should the church also be? They will know we are Christian not by our perfect doctrine or worship but by our love for one another. Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to

Judas begins the move towards betraying Jesus. Many scholars think Judas could perhaps be trying to force Jesus to become an earthly king by betraying him. I think this could be true. But whatever the historical reality may be, there is a deeper spiritual reality. Scripture tells us that Satan enters into Judas. There is a spiritual reality at play right here. There are always deeper things at play in life, some good, like God’s presence. Some, like spiritual warfare, are more challenging. Always know that there is a spiritual reality there at all times. Let’s hold on tight to Jesus in all things. Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to

In our Traditional sermon from October 27, 2024, Andy preaches from John 12: 20-26. As a church, we have everything we need to be faithful to the great calling that God has given us. We have an abundant commitment here to move from scarcity to abundance. 

Today, Jesus washes the feed of the disciples. There are a lot of things happening here. I’ve been fascinated by what Peter says: don’t wash my feet, but then he says wash all of me. Jesus tells him that he has already had a bath. So, we spent some time talking about Jewish ritual baths. Peter refuses at first for several reasons. First, it’s tough to have your feet washed. But, second, if Jesus is washing feet, that means Peter will have to. Y’all, as hard as washing feet is, it is always when we, as Christians, can best show that amazing love of Jesus. When we wash feet, they are changed, and so are we. Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to

Today, we see Jesus say something that is echoed often in scripture and is said so many times. Jesus did not come to judge us; He came to save us. That’s true. That’s what He tells us here. He came to save us. But He also tells us there will be a judgment. In the end, He will judge, but His word will be the judge. Did we keep His word? Did we follow His command? That will be the judgment. We stand in grace, but I, and I assume all of us, want to one day give an account to God of faithfulness. There is grace, yes. But we will all give an account—one day. Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here -

We hear some famous words of Jesus today: When He is lifted up, He will draw all people to Himself. He is, of course, talking about the cross. When Jesus dies upon the cross, He is dying for all. But there is more to this as well. When we lift Him with our words, our actions, and who we are, when we lift up the name of Jesus, He will draw all people to Himself.  That’s our job, to lift up Jesus, to point to Jesus. When we do that, He will save. He will restore. He will give life. When we lift up Jesus, He draws all to Himself! Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://bible.oremus.org/?

We see John share a quote from Isaiah that is often mentioned in Jesus’ ministry. In Isaiah, we are told that God will keep people from hearing and seeing. Why? Why did He do this? As United Methodists and Wesleyans, we believe that God desires for everyone to be saved. What does this mean? What is happening here is this. God knows our choice, as the Bible says, those who we foreknew, He predestined (Romans 8:29-30). God knows our choices. Our choices show where we are in this. So our question today is this. Are you listening? Are you looking? Are you allowing the word of God to take root in your life? That’s what it is about. That’s why this is called rooted. May God’s word take root in our lives. Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God

In our Traditional message from October 20, 2024, Andy preaches from 2 Kings 4: 1-7. We talk about God's abundance and how we have all that we need, here, right here, to be faithful to God's call.

We read some verses today that are well-known but difficult to understand to our modern eras. Jesus says that we are to “hate” our lives. What does that mean? We are taught not to hate. To say to hate your life just doesn’t sit right with us. What we need to understand is when Jesus talks of hate, He is not talking about the emotion we so often think of, but He is talking about our priorities. We are to prioritize following Him; we are to prioritize obedience to Him. This means we place Him first. When we do that, we find the life that we are seeking: life now and life eternal. Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can re

We see Palm Sunday in John’s Gospel today. John usually does not quote a lot of the Old Testament; that is left to the other Gospels. It is significant to me that John does just that in our reading today. He pulls from the prophets to tell us that Jesus is the Messiah. He is fulfilling the role of Messiah as put forth there, but no one, disciples included, really understood what He was doing. He was showing us kingly humility. The greatest in His kingdom is the servant of all. To be great, one must serve. The first must be last. This is the way in Jesus’s kingdom. Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s pas

We see Mary anointing Jesus and Judas, and Judas tells Jesus that it is a waste. The money that was spent could have been used in more practical ways to help the poor. Now, of course, we know that Judas was lying, so we should not pay too much attention to him. But, to younger Andy, he did have a point. Should we use resources in that way? Do we really need stained glass windows? Robes? Crosses? Is that a waste of money? I’ve come to understand more the value of these things because they point us to beauty. And that beauty points us to God. Our souls cry for transcendence. We need beauty, even if, at first, it doesn't seem practical.Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflecti

We see that the religious leaders, to keep Rome out of their business, intend to kill Jesus. It’s better in their minds for Jesus, just one man, to die than for Rome to come and destroy everything. One man dies so that many can be saved. John tells us that the high priest did not know he was telling the truth. One man was going to die, and that death would save many just not in the way that he was thinking. God had other plans. What he intended for evil, God intended and did use for good. Shameless plug, here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://bible.oremus.org/?ql=595946508You can watch this in video

We see one of the most powerful moments in all the Bible, at least to me, when Jesus wept. Here’s the thing that always gets me about this passage. Jesus was late on purpose. He showed up late to Lazarus’ grave, on purpose so that He could raise Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus would only be dead for a moment. But Jesus, even knowing all this, when confronted with the reality of death, wept. We do not serve a God foreign or distant to our pain, but a God who knows our pain, who feels our pain, who understands our pain. Jesus wept. He knows and honors our hurt. Never forget that. Shameless plug, here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can rea

In our October 6, 2024 sermon, Andy shared with us from John 10:10. As a church, we are on the verge of something supernatural—something huge. Our world needs what St. Matthew's offers. God has something big in store, and He will give us all that we need to accomplish that task. We are moving from scarcity to abundance. 

After leaving Judea, Jesus decided to return after His friend Lazarus died. We will talk more about what happens next in the coming days, but this passage today shows us that Jesus is late on purpose. As they get ready to leave, the disciples are worried about what may happen. That is when Thomas says they should go with Jesus and die with Him. Thomas shows bravery and courage. So why do we remember him not as Brave Thomas but as Doubting Thomas? Let's be careful never to define ourselves or others by our worst mistakes. Shameless plug, here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://bible.oremus.org/?q

Jesus continues His back and forth with the religious leaders. Today, He tells them that if they will not believe His words, they should look at His works. Friends, that is exactly where we are today at this moment. The world does not believe our words. They simply do not. We have to be able to point to our works. They do not believe us when we talk about Jesus. We have to love like Jesus, serve like Jesus, and use our works to point to Jesus. It is imperative that our walk matches our talk Shameless plug, here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://bible.oremus.org/?ql=594891601You can watch this in vid