Andy Talks

After many hard days, Paul finally made it to Rome. Here is where he will spend the rest of his days teaching, preaching, and sharing the gospel - Jesus is Lord. That is the gospel; that is Good News. Jesus is Lord.  Because of Paul and how God uses him, we see that the Good News will take hold and spread throughout all of Europe.  As Tim Keller has taught us, Christianity is the only religion whose geographic center has shifted.  Our faith is about following Jesus, that's it. And anyone who does is part of our family.  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. Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+28%3A+11-22&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Today, we see they have made it to the island of Malta. It is there, under the kindness of the residents, Paul is by the fire and bitten by a snake. This seemingly tragic incident shows God’s hand of provision and protection upon Paul.  And then as we read this story, it’s a neat thing to look at how this passage goes back to the “longer” ending of the Gospel of Mark. We see how the end of Mark and Acts 28 are very deeply connected.  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. Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+28%3A+1-10&version=NRSVUEHere's some additional info on the "longer ending" of Mark - https://www.gotquestions.org/Mark-16-9-20.htmlYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Everything that Paul told the crew would happen has happened. The ship has wrecked. They nearly died. It has been a hard journey. Paul’s words have proven true.  You know what this means?  Everyone on this ship now knows and believes that Paul is a man of God. His words have proven true. They believe him. It is important for in our lives to make sure that our walk matches our talk so that when we give witness to how good Jesus is, folks will trust and believe us, for they know our integrity. Paul’s walk and witness matched his talk. So should ours. 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. Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+27%3A+13-44&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Paul sets off to sail for Rome, and he sees early on that the trip will have troubles. Things will not go well, including the potential loss of life. And no one listens. What do we do, when we see those we love make bad choices?  What are we to do? We know that God is at work in all things, even pain and consequences. So, we pray, trusting in God to teach, protect, and guide. We trust in God, even when we see that the road ahead will be hard.  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. Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+27%3A+1-12&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In our Traditional message from November 12, 2023, Andy shares with us from James 1: 2-4.  We will have suffering. We will have a crisis of faith. But through these things and by God's grace, we are drawn closer to God and each other. We become who God is making us to be, as our trials help make our faith whole.       

Agrippa asks Paul if he is trying to make Agrippa a Christian. Paul says yes, on God’s timeline. Conversion, that’s is not up to us. Salvation, that’s in God’s hands. Our job is to be faithful, to preach, teach, and invite. But we don’t save people. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. So, today, be faithful, no matter where you find yourself. Pray for others. Pray for the Spirit to move.  Our job is to be faithful. The rest is 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. Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+26%3A+24-32&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Jesus asks Paul why does he kick against the goads.  We’ll talk about what this phrase means today. The goads were things the Romans used to keep animals and people walking on the right path.  They kept them on the road. It hurt to step on one.  There is this image today of Paul kicking against it. How often in our lives do we kick against the path God is leading us on? This only causes us needless and useless pain.  Today, we talk a little more about this concept. 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. Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+26%3A+1-23&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

When you read the Gospel and Acts, you see “King Herod” mentioned a lot.  Herod the Great, Herod Antipas.  Agrippa. Agrippa again. Who were these kings? How were they related? What did they do?  Who was really in charge? Today we are going to take a few minutes and look at who these kings were. What was their role? What did they do?  Join us as we learn about all the Herods 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. Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+25%3A+13-27&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

There is much conflict in this passage today. Festus doesn’t see anything worthy of charges against Paul.  Yet to turn him loose would bring conflict with the religious leaders.  So, here he is, stuck. Sometimes we feel like that, don’t we?  We are in conflict often. Sometimes, the only way forward is a choice that we may not want to make. Sometimes, there is no way forward, and we just have to trust. Today, if you are in conflict, take the steps that can bring peace.  And if there are no steps, trust that God is with you, in the middle of the conflictJoin 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. Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+25%3A+1-12&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Paul preaches to Felix about the Christian life. And Felix has this reaction. He’s afraid!  He’s scared of all this means and what this may look like. It reminds me of the quote about Aslan from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  Is he (Aslan, the Christ figure) safe?  No, but he is good.  Jesus is not always safe. He may scare us and call us into the things that frighten us. But we can be assured of this fact, this truth. He is always, always, always good.  We know that. He is always good. 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. Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2024%3A24-27&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In our All Saints Sunday sermon from our Traditional service, Andy shares with us from 1 John 3: 1-3. We have hope, but we don't always have certainty. But we have can have hope because hope is a person.  And that person is Jesus!

Paul argues today about the power of the resurrection.  Jesus is raised.  The resurrection is real, and it changes everything.  Jesus Christ has overcome even death.  And if Jesus has overcome even death, then what do we have to be afraid of?  If a death has been defeated, then nothing in life or death can come against us.  We have nothing to fear.  Do not live a life of fear! 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. Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+24%3A+10-23&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Sometimes, we can get so comfortable in our lives that we don't want to, for we may even forget how to follow Jesus.  Today we see the religious leaders; they didn't like Jesus disrupting things.  He was messing with the way things always were.  He was calling them out of their comfort and on to being faithful.  That's hard.  We may not always want to do it.  But let us never mistake being comfortable for being alive.  Jesus calls us to faithfulness.  Not to comfort.  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. Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+23%3A23-24%3A9&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Today is Halloween.  Do you know the religious history of this day?  A lot has happened throughout church history, from Martin Luther to the celebration of our saints and those who have passed into the Church Triumphant.  After all, we are surrounded by a mighty cloud of witnesses!  So, while we may not think about it, today has some deep religious meaning!   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. Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2012%3A1-3&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Sometimes, we feel the pressure that it is all up to us. Don’t worry. God’s got this.  We see that Paul is nearly killed. There is a plan to ambush and kill Paul. But, Paul is saved, and in his saving, Paul is headed further down the road to where God wants him, in Rome, preaching. We may not always understand what is happening at the moment. It may not always make sense. But we know that God is at work, and we know that we can’t mess up the plans of God. Our job is to be faithful. We can trust that God is at work and knows what He is doing. God’s got this.  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. Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+23%3A12-22&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In our Traditional sermon from October 29, 2023, we hear the story of the widow and Elijah. She had given all that she could give, and now Elijah wanted more?  You can't get blood from a turnip. But when we look closer, we see that her call to give was actually her call to live.  When we give, we actually find life.         

We see Paul continue to be very smart.  The Lord has told him that he was to go to Rome and testify about Him. That is where all this is headed.  But before we get there, we see some internal conflict among the religious leaders. We see a fight among the Sadducees and Pharisees. But who were these people?  Who were these groups?  What did they represent?  What did they believe?  Today, we’ll look a little bit deeper at the Sadducees and Pharisees and learn who they were.  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. Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+22%3A+30+-+Acts+23%3A+11&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Paul plays his Roman citizen card today.  Paul tells the soldiers beating him that he is a citizen of Rome, and they stop what they are doing immediately. They are not allowed to do that.  Paul’s destination to Rome continues.  He is heading there, for the glory of God. It is interesting that Paul had been telling the people his testimony, telling them what God had done, but they would not listen. They would not open their ears; open their hearts. They would not listen. Today, do we listen to what God is saying? Do we listen to where God is calling? God is still speaking. We need to grace to hear.  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. Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+22%3A+22-29&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy

Paul finishes his testimony today.  He tells of how Jesus has changed him.  Jesus changes lives, y’all.  We see that Paul told all the folks all that he did, and after he was saved, folks didn’t want to believe him. They knew all that he had done, and it was hard to let go of his actions.  We should learn to forgive ourselves for our past mistakes and, in the same way, learn to forgive others of their past mistakes.  I’ll forgive you, and you forgive me. And we’ll live in God’s goodness.  Let’s remember today that Jesus changes lives.  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. Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+22%3A+6-21&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Paul gives us his background today. We see all that he has done, all he has learned from, all that has happened in his life. He was uniquely positioned to make a difference for the kingdom by bridging the gap between the Gentiles and the Jews. He had that ability because of who he was.  Today, God has you where He has you for a reason. Maybe that reason is to learn. Maybe it is to act.  Prayerfully listen to the Spirit today. He will reveal.  He will show you.  Listen, and you will learn why God has you where He has you.  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. Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+21%3A+37+-+22%3A5&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/