Andy Talks

We see three things that mingle together in our reading of Proverbs 23. First, we hear, do not chase wealth. Yes, work hard and be faithful. But do not just your chief resource, your time, your energy on that which doesn’t last. Second, respect the wisdom of your elders. There is much that they can teach us. Primary among that is this: there is always a future. There is always hope. Today is not the end.  Today, let’s cling tight to this wisdom, wisdom that can help us to truly live a wise and healthy life. 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=572963902You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Today as we read Proverbs 22, it made me think about one of John Wesley’s sermons, “On the Use of Money.”  If you’d like to, you can read this sermon here - https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/wesleys-sermon-use-of-money.  Wesley has much to say that is based on the teachings of Proverbs.  Money can be used for great good, but we must be careful with it, or else it may grab hold of us.  We are to earn all we can, save all we can, and give all we can. We earn and save so that we can give. That is why we have the resources and the gifts that we do so that we can give and be a blessing to others.  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=572704914You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In our Traditional message from January 21, 2024, Andy preaches from 2 Timothy 3: 16-17.  This is part of our series "Balance" on how we United Methodists do theological reflection; we talk about our primary means of knowledge and truth - Scripture. Scripture is the foundation of everything we do, know, and believe.  It is our source of all truth.  In this message, we talk about the essential role that Scripture has in our faith!If you'd like to read Andy's notes, click here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fd2c2Qn2FRftieMujzNsXxqsdRFfsuNXXsgZ03Wzbag/edit?usp=sharing

Today, we look at chapters 19-21. These chapters are full of so much good wisdom for the living of our lives. We see the importance of helping the poor in a foreshadowing of Matthew 25. We are told to deal fairly with each other. Tell the truth. Don’t gossip. And understand that we must do our part and be faithful; it is God who wins the battle, it is God who is the one who brings victory. Let’s do our part, sure. But the results are up to God!  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=572613865You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Two verses today work well to teach us a lot. First, we are told that a fool loves their own opinion but doesn’t care for wisdom. Then we are told that in life, there are those we thought were friends, but they were just playing a friend. It’s easy for us to hear the later verse and feel vindicated at the folks we thought were friends but were just playing a friend. The greater part of wisdom is not just to feel good about vindication for being wronged but to ask ourselves, when did we play the friend and were not the friend that we should have been?  May we learn and may we grow. And may we be the friends that we should be. 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=572528333You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.or

Forgiveness may be one of the hardest things for any of us to do. But it is also one of the most essential. Without it, relationships cannot endure. The folks we love the most, we’ve probably had to forgive the most.  Forgive if we can. If we can’t, work on it. And if we can’t work on it. Stay silent. If we can preserve peace, we can preserve relationships.  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=572422300You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Today, in chapter 16, we see these wise words: pride goes before destruction.  One of the greatest tools the devil has to attack us is pride. If we begin to think too much of ourselves, we begin to believe that we can’t fall or fail; it is then that the devil will have us, and it is then that we will get ourselves in real trouble. Stay humble. Understand who we are and whose we are. Stay rooted in Jesus, don’t get cocky or arrogant.  Pride will destroy us. Don’t let it into your heart or into your head. 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=571988716You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

A story is told about an old boy who tried to have all his gold put in his coffin when he died.  But here’s the thing: the gold we value so much here on earth is simply what they used to fill the potholes in heaven.  Proverbs 15 tells us that a dinner of vegetables with love is better than the house with the fatted ox with hatred. Today, what are spending our time, our energy, and our lives on? The stuff that doesn’t matter, or the relationships that do? 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=571988694You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In our Traditional sermon from January 14, 2024, Andy shares with us from Matthew 22: 34-40.  We begin talking about the beauty that is the way we do theological reflection in the United Methodist Church.  Join us over the next few weeks as we talk about Scripture, Tradition, Experience, and Reason.  Today, we talk about our method of reflection and how it helps to create balance in our lives and our faith.

In our Friday and weekend readings, we see Solomon warn us about the dangers of reacting.  We so often, out of anger, out of hurt, out of a million different things, want to act and react out of what we are feeling. Today, we are told of the importance of a peaceful mind. Reacting out of anger never helps anything. When we stay rooted in Christ, we can feel even our anger. But we can act of our peace.  But, to do this, we need to stay deeply rooted in Jesus. 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=571988676You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Today, in chapter 11, we see several verses that point to the importance of being generous.  When we give, when we are generous, we find ourselves blessed. It isn’t because it comes back to us, but when we give our wealth, our possessions, they lose their hold on us.  They begin to lose their power over us. We also understand that in our giving, our will and character are bent closer to God’s will and character.  Our generosity is a huge virtue and value for us as Christians.  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=571919196You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Today, in Proverbs 10, we see Solomon begin to give his wisdom.  Solomon was the wise king, David’s son, who built the great temple.  Solomon ruled with great wisdom.  Following this path does not mean that life will always work out perfectly, but following this wisdom just makes sense. Today’s reading can basically be summed up in this.  Tell the truth. Watch what you say. Our words have great power. They can stir up strife, or they can stir up love. It really is up to us.  Let us watch what it is that we say!  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=571838637You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In Proverbs 9, we see that two voices call out to us today: wisdom and folly. Both promise us something beautiful, life and learning and joy. But in the end, wisdom will grow us, keep us, and give us life.  Folly, temptation it promises us something good and sweet, but in the end, it will destroy us. Today, each of these voices will call to us. Which voice will we respond to? 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=571742342You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In Proverbs 8 today, we hear wisdom speak. This is an interesting passage because it comes from the perspective of wisdom. Wisdom tells us today about how to gain it, where it came from, and what a gift it is. Wisdom is seeing things through the light of eternity. We need to learn to humble ourselves, not react, but to see things through God’s lens. We are driven by this cultural moment to react to everything. Wisdom tells us not to do that. Humble yourself, and see things through the light of eternity. That is wisdom.  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=571481894You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In our Traditional sermon from January 7, 2024, Andy shares with us about the Wise Men from Matthew 2: 1-12. We see the journey they took; how it was often hard. Following after Jesus is not always easy. But when He is the north star that we follow, we find the life we seek.      

Going into the weekend, we are going to look at Proverbs 5-7.  Chapters 5 and 7 can be looked at together, giving us practical advice on resisting temptation.  Temptation is always, always, always a lie, and we need the voices of our mentors and guides to speak truth into our lives in times of temptation. Then, Chapter 6 gives us a good word on work. We are all called to work. It is good for our souls!  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=571398695 You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Proverbs tells us to keep our eyes focused on wisdom, to keep our eyes focused on what is ahead.  Yesterday, in Proverbs 3, we learned to trust in God, and He will make our paths straight.  Today, we are reminded to keep our eyes focused on Him and not allow the distractions to pull our focus.  But here’s the thing.  For most of us, our distractions may not be terrible temptations but the stuff of life.  We are reminded that our Father knows we have need of these things.  When we focus first on Him and His kingdom, we find these things are there, for our Father cares for us.  Let’s focus on the purpose of our life, not the stuff of our life.  And then we will actually find our life.  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=5712951

Today, we read what may be the most well-known passage in Proverbs, chapter 3:5-6.  Don’t trust in your own understanding.  Lean on God. Trust in Him. Acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.  Think of all the time that we spend fretting and fussing, trying to figure it all out. We are told today that if we trust in our own understanding, we will find ourselves in a mess. But when we trust in God, He leads us, He straightens our paths, and we find rest. It’s not about us figuring it all out. It’s about us submitting to Him. And when we do that, we find the life we have been looking for. 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=571222458You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Today, we see that wisdom flows from God. It is a gift from God; it is a gift from the Holy Spirit. In James, we are told that if we lack wisdom, we should ask. And God will give to all who ask. It does not come from knowledge or from living; it comes from God. Today, see wisdom. Ask for wisdom.  Ask boldly, and God will give. God will give us the grace to live out a worldview that comes from His understanding. It is His gift to us, His perspective.  That is wisdom. But we also see today that wisdom isn’t simply a head thing or a heart thing, but it is a life thing. When we have wisdom, we will make the right choice.  And that the right choice will lead to more wisdom. The choices lead to wisdom, and wisdom leads to choices. Today, let’s choose the wise past. And that choice will lead us to great wisdom, given to us by the Spirit. 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

In this new year, we will look daily at a chapter in Proverbs. There is much we can gain from this great book of wisdom. Today, we see that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all knowledge or wisdom. We talk today about what it means to fear the Lord. It is not what we may think that it is. We see when we understand what this means how very important this is.  This truth really is the beginning of all knowledge and wisdom. When we approach life with that proper fear or reverence, we see how big God is and how small we are. And yet, how loved we are. Then we can learn. Then, we can acquire wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom.  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=570272427You can watch this in video