Andy Talks

Today, we see James’ harshest condemnation of the rich. It is easy for us to hear this passage as a condemnation of the church and all that the church has. But in James’s day, the church was poor.  It has nothing. This is actually a condemnation of those outside the church who are persecuting the church. It’s a good reminder for us to think about what is happening in this text. But this text does force us to ask this question ourselves. Are we being good stewards of all God has given 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=James%205%3A%201-6&am

In our Traditional message from April 6, 2025, Andy shares with us from 1 Corinthians 15: 20-22. All are dead through Adam, but through Christ, all can live. We are more than our failures. We can live because of Jesus!

Today is another day where Jaems feels like Proverbs. James talks to us about two things: judging others and making plans for the future. In both of these, his message is this. You are not God. How can you judge?  You are not the lawgiver.  Only God is the lawgiver. Judging is His domain, not ours.  Likewise, how can you say what tomorrow will hold?  Only God can do that.  This perspective gives us peace; it helps us. It is not all up to us. It is up to God. We just need to be faithful and trust in God for all the rest. 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/pass

James reminds me of a New Testament Proverbs. There is so much good stuff there within it.  Today, we see such good advice about lament and pain; we also are told to resist the devil, and he will flee. We are not bound up in our sins. But the main thing that we talk about is this. What does it mean to say we should not be friends with the world? Yet, at the same time, we are called to be holy. How do we stand against the world while we still love the people who make up the world? 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=James%204%3A%201-10&versi

James teaches us today that there are two types of wisdom. I struggled with thinking about this at first, as I don’t think of worldly wisdom as “wisdom” at all because I think of wisdom as thinking or seeing from God’s perspective. There are, without a doubt, worldly ways of thinking, and as we see with the fruits of the spirit versus the works of the flesh, what we are producing shows where we are rooted.  In our lives today, as we look for peace, where are we getting our wisdom?  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=James%203%3A%2013-18&ve

In our Traditional message from March 30, 2023, we look at Jesus's third temptation. This one cuts the heart of all other temptations.  Who are we? Where does our allegiance lie? We also learn this truth - temptation is always a lie.

Today, we look at one of the passages where James really goes from preaching to meddling.  He talks about the tongue. We live in an age of cell phones and social media, and we forget that the person on the other side of our online argument is someone made in the image of God. All are made in the image of God, and Jesus died for everyone. That means that how we speak to and about each other really, truly matters. Our tongue is a fire that we cannot control. But it will burn so much down. As the children’s song tells us, be careful, little mouth, what you say!  Great harm can come if we are not careful. 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 8101

Today is the section that Martin Luther did not like at all. James today tells us that faith alone does not save us but that we are saved by our works. It was his works that saved Abraham, not faith alone. Doesn’t this contradict Paul?  Didn’t Paul say the exact opposite thing in Galatians?  What does this mean?  We’ll take a few minutes to explain how Paul and James speak from the same hymnal. The key is to understand what Paul means by works and what James means by works.  James is clear, though: faith without works is dead. 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.c

James, in chapter two, continues to get all up in our business. He continues to warn us about the dangers of showing partiality.  He says that God will show His spiritual riches to the poor, but we so often dishonor them by how we treat them. This is a constant refrain from James and all across the Bible. Then he calls us to obey the royal law - love your neighbor. We are legalistic about so many things. But what if we were legalistic about love? What if love was the non-negotiable for us? What would things look like?  What if we focused on keeping the royal law? 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 pass

We return again to Matthew 4: 1-11 as we look at Jesus's temptation.  In our INTERSECTION service from March 23, 2025, Andy shares with us the great choice for Jesus. Would He trust the Father to take care of Him? We face the same choice today. 

Today’s reading is at the heart of James’ book. Today, we see what true religion looks like. It is not enough that we hear the word; we are to do the word. We talked early this week that for James, religion is not just an intellectual agreement to a collection of facts, but faith is a life submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Today, James tells us exactly what that life should look like. Today, we see true religion. 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=James%201%3A%2019-27&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://r

Today’s reading has two verses that I love so much and that can be very formative in how we think about sin and grace. First, he tells us that we are dragged into sin by our own sinful desires. Our spiritual battle is going to always start with the external. It’s always first a battle without ourselves. And then he tells us this powerful truth: if it is good and it is in our lives, it is a gift from God. It’s a gift of His grace. 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=James%201%3A%2012-18&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - h

James today hits on something that will be a constant theme for him in this book. Be careful of wealth. For us, it’s easy to think that it is a warning to someone else. And yes, there is always someone better off than each of us. But if we are reading this on our computer or mobile phone, listening to this on a podcast after having woken up in a warm bed with a roof over our head, driving our job, we are among the richest folks to have ever lived. This is not a warning for us others; it is a warning for us. Where do we find our identity? 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.bib

As we begin our time together in the book of James, we see some really vital truths. Today, we are told about the importance of trials and the value of wisdom. Our trials produce endurance, and that endurance produces maturity.  Our trials teach us so very much. We learn more from them than we do from anything.  And with wisdom, if we lack, God will give generously to 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=James%201%3A%201-8&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

We begin our time together in James by getting an overview of what it is about. Who wrote it?  What is the point?  James is a great book to read in tandem with Galatians or Ephesians, in the same way it is great to read Job in tandem with Proverbs. It gives us balance. Yes, we are saved by grace through faith so that no one can boast. But our works do matter. Our works are important. They show us what a Christian life truly is. James answers this question: What does a Christian life really look like? 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=James%20

Over the next three Sundays, we will examine Jesus's temptations more closely, each individually. Today, we examine the temptation to turn stones into bread. What was happening here? What is this temptation actually about?

In our Psalm today, David gives us words to cling to when we find ourselves in hard times. David, in his life, has had moments of great victory and moments of great trial. Today he gives us two words that we can claim in these moments. First, we can name our pain and hurt to God. Speak it, and give it to Him. Second, we can remember the times in the past when He has been there for us. With these gifts, we can stand in hard times.  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=Psalm%2031&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://re

We are going to look at a couple of Psalms between our time in Galtians and James. We’ll pay special attention to a couple of Psalms that are important with this Lenten season. Today, we look at David’s beautiful reflection on forgiveness.  This Psalm takes a walk through the journey of sin, confession, and God’s pardon of our sins. It’s a wonderful work that shows us just how important confession and forgiveness are to our faith. 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=Psalm%2032&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://re

Paul finishes his letter to the Galatians with this. Circumcision or uncircumcision, neither of these matters at all. They are not important. What is important? What matters?  The new creation. That’s what it all matters: the work of grace in our lives. That is what makes the difference; that is what it is all about.  Don’t get caught up in the things that aren’t important. Focus on what matters. Grace. 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=Galatians%206%3A%2011-18&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog

Paul always ends each letter with some basic instructions. It always feels like Proverbs to me. Today, Paul tells us to carry our own burdens and bear each other’s loads. Which is it? Are we to take care of our own needs or the needs of others?  How are we to handle this?  We see both, but how exactly does that work? 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=Galatians%206%3A%201-10&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/