Andy Talks

Today, we’ll begin our time together in John’s Gospel.  John’s Gospel has a very specific purpose for us. While Matthew, Mark, and Luke answer the “who, what, when, and where” questions, John answers the “why.”  He is showing us “why” Jesus came, and his entire Gospel is written, as we see at the end of chapter 20, so that we may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah.  We’ll begin our time together in John’s Gospel by looking at his Christmas story, and it looks very different from the others we see in the Bible.  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=589631260You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In our Traditional sermon from August 4, 2024, Andy shares with us from 1 John 3: 7-8.  Jesus gives us this mission - to destroy the works of the devil. When we take the good news of Jesus with us, wherever we are, the light drives out the dark!

What does it mean to be a welcoming church? What does Jesus' Table look like? Who gets to come?  We see today that Jesus loves and invites the entire world. That means we have to as well.

When we are found in Jesus, we will be like calves, skipping out of their stalls. We will have joy.  Joy is a beautiful thing. It is not based on circumstance. That is happiness. We are happy because we have this or that. I am happy when my team wins. Joy is deeper. Joy is not found based on what we have, but joy is found in who we are, or perhaps better said, based on whose we are.  We have joy because we have Jesus and our life is found in Him. He is the source of our joy. 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=588834084You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In our reading today, we see the Lord say that those who revere Him, those who ponder Him, He sees, and remembers them. On the day of judgment, they will be His special possession. He will treasure and care for them. We need to root ourselves in that reality, that He loves and He cares for us. And we need to be reminded that our safety and protection do not come from anything in this world, but it comes only from God. He is the one who protects us. Find yourself and your provision deep in God’s goodness! 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=588834032You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Today’s reading looks at something that isn’t always fun to talk about: tithing.  This is a subject that I think has a lot to teach us, but it’s something that is often misunderstood. Today, we’ll look at the original context of what is happening in this passage, along with the spiritual reality of what it can mean for me and for you today. As I’ve heard it said before, tithing is God’s path to force us to be blessed. But not blessed in the ways that we may expect. 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=588738230You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

We are told today that the Lord will send His messenger to prepare for His coming judgment and His coming salvation. We are told to turn from our sins and return to the Lord.  When we return to God, He returns to us. The Lord is never too far. When we take a step towards Him, He comes running towards us. God's grace is always there. God’s goodness is always there. God is always there. No matter what. He is always there.  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=588692870You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Today, we see Malachi echo themes in Ezra and Nehemiah. The people need to be very careful where their allegiances lie. They are cautioned to avoid relationships that pull them away from God. That is what happened to the people before the Exile, and it is a danger in this new world. The same is true for us today. We need a variety of relationships. If we, as Christians, do not have any relationships with folks who are not Christian, how will they ever hear the good news? How will they know of Jesus if we do not tell them? We need those relationships. But, we need to stay firmly rooted in the Word and firmly rooted in Christian community. These things, they keep us focused on where God is calling us.  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.oremu

In our Traditional service on July 21, 2024, Andy shared with us from John 14: 5-6. We are an evangelical church. That label is thrown around a lot in our world. What does it mean to say that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and that no one comes to the Father but through Him?  Let's be careful to build our church only on the rock of Jesus.

Today we see the Lord remind the priests that they have lost their reverence of Him. As much as we need to know the gentleness and kindness of God, we need to understand the fact that He is “other” than us. He is different from us. He is not human.  We need the proper reverence for who God is.  As Job says at the end of His book, “I put my hand over my mouth, I have spoken much too soon.” We need to never, ever, ever lose the reverence and awe that we should have for God. For He is 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=588250259You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Today, the Lord condemns the priests for how they lead worship.  They have despised the Lord’s table by bringing sacrifices that are not worthy of the Lord. As you’ve heard it said before, I’m sure the Lord deserves our best. Now, I was raised that means our best clothing.  I still can’t go to church without a sports coat. But it means more than that. It means the posture of our hearts. It means our attitudes. It means our expectations.  Do we expect to encounter God in worship?  Do we expect to meet Him there? Are we prepared?  Have we prayed?  Do we come to worship with that expectation? The posture of our worship, in many ways, determines if we encounter God there or not. 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=588250187You can

Jacob I loved, Esau I hated. These words from Romans are originally found in Malachi.  These are some of the hardest-to-understand words in all of the Bible. What does “hate” mean here? What does this say about who God is?  What does this mean for our faith? What about free will? Where does this all fit together? Trust me, many folks much smarter than me have tried to understand these words. While there is a mystery here (and that mystery can teach us a lot), there is a lot that we can understand and come to know in this passage, as well as in Romans 9. 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=588153360You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next… It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither.”  Today in Zechariah, we are reminded we have a better home coming. And that knowledge can make us more faithful today.  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=588071397You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Today, we see a word about idolatry in Zechariah.  The people were worshiping idols because they did not trust in God to take care of them. They worshiped the idols as a “backup” plan against the dangers of a failed harvest or  infertility.  They worshiped idols because they didn’t trust.  Without faith, it is impossible to please God.  Our faith grows when it is tested. That is the second part of this day’s reading. First, we see the punishment of idolatry. Second, we see that the Lord is going to test our faith with trials.  In the same way that silver is refined, our faith will go through trials and tests, and as we go through this, we will see our faith grow. For as hard as trials and tests can be, that is when our faith grows the most! 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 t

In our INTERSECTION service from July 14, 2024, Andy shares with us from Philippians 2: 12-13.  What does it mean to say that our church is "Wesleyan?"  Why should that even matter?

In our July 7 sermon, we continue our series "The Marks of the Church."  Orthodox or Orthodoxy is a word we hear tossed around a lot. It's an important word, and orthodox theology is one of the foundations of our church. But what exactly does that mean?

In our reading today, we see a verse that inspired one of my favorite Christian hymns, “There is a Fountain Filled with Blood.”  I know these images of “blood” are sometimes difficult for us to hear in our modern context, but we need to understand the “power in the blood” and “nothing but the blood of Jesus” can restore and save us.  Through the atonement on the cross, Jesus paid all the debt for our sins, and through the cross and the empty grave, sin, death, and the grave are forever destroyed. The Blood of Jesus conquers sin and restores life.  Know how much Jesus endured to bring you life, and know today just how loved you are. All of us lose our guilty stains, thanks to that precious fountain.  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

Sometimes, God calls us to things that do not make sense to us. These are the hard times, but these are also the times when our faith really comes alive and really grows. In Zechariah, he is called to shepherd a flock that will be slaughtered.  This makes no sense; he isn’t even paid his correct wage. We see here we have no control over whether people receive our faithfulness and grace, all we have control over is whether we give or not.  Our job is to be faithful. That’s all we control. We cannot control anyone’s response.  Just give grace, even when it doesn’t make sense. The rest is out of our hands. That right there, releasing that, that takes true faith. 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=586860539You can watch this in v

Today, we see another well-known passage: “The sheep wander for need of a shepherd.”  We see that the shepherds are not leading the sheep well at that moment. They are living for their own desires, not for the needs of the sheep.  At this point in my life, I am no longer looking for dynamic or charismatic shepherds, for even the devil has those skills. I am looking for a shepherd who has the Fruit of the Spirit. That is the shepherd who is following after God. To those of us who are shepherds, let’s make sure we are working on that. And to those who are looking for a shepherd to follow, let’s remember first what we should look 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=586583421You can watch this in video form here - https://rev

Today, we read the prophecy that we see fulfilled on Palm Sunday. Jesus, humble, riding a donkey. But we often misread this. We see this as only Jesus being humble, which He was. This wasn’t just Jesus being humble; this was also declaring who He was for all the world to see. He is declaring here that He is Messiah, that He is Lord, that He is king. Now, of course, as we see with Pilate, His kingdom is not of the world. Seeing this also teaches us how to understand the Bible. We read all the Bible through Jesus; He is the Word (John 1). We understand the Old Testament in light of the New Testament, and we interpret the passages that are harder to understand through the ones that are easier to understand.  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.