Andy Talks

We look today at Galatians 1. Paul is making sure the people know two things. First, he is an apostle. He is not there on his own or of his own accord. He is there because he has been sent by God. Second, he is sent by God with a message of the Gospel, this Gospel of grace, open to all who believe. He wants them to know that anyone, even an angel, who teaches a Gospel other than this is wrong. The Gospel is beautiful. It is life. Paul wants them to know the beauty of the Gospel, no matter what!  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%201

Today, we begin looking at Galatians. This is a wonderful book, one of my favorites. Galatians deals with this question: is Jesus enough? We see the constant debate in this book: did someone have to become a Jew before becoming a Christian?  Did they have to follow the Law? What Jesus enough? Did it require more than faith to be a Christian? This is still a question that we wrestle today. Is Jesus enough? 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=Esther%209%3A18-10%3A3&version=NIVYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Esther comes to an end with the beginning of the Jewish holiday known as Purium. It is still celebrated to this day. One of my professors in seminary, a rabbi, told us that it often felt like a Jewish Halloween, with candy and scary masks representing Hamann. As this day is celebrated, the story is told over and over again. There is something powerful about telling our story. When was the last time you told your story to your children or your grandchildren? When have you told them about your salvation?  Or about what God has done for you?  Tell your story today. There’s power there! 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 c

After we left off with Haman being destroyed, we now see that the tables have turned. The people who believed that they would destroy the Jewish people now find themselves being destroyed. God has turned the tables. God has made all things right. Esther teaches us to have courage, yes. But it also teaches us to trust that God will, in His way and time, make all things right. God will always make a way. 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=Esther%208-9%3A18&version=NIVYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In our Traditional Message, Andy shares with us from John 8:12 and 9:5. As we continue our series "I Am," looking at the I Am statements of Jesus, we talk about what it means to say that Jesus is the Light of the World. How is He light in our lives and in the world? 

Today, we see how Haman’s story comes to an end. He is impaled on the very pole he had built for Mordecai. This comes to completion when Esther does the right thing.  She has courage. This got me thinking about all the times in my life when I did not have courage. When I did not do the right thing. When I blinked.  What matters is not the past when we may not have gotten it right, but what matters is now. Our mistakes don’t destroy us; they are tools that we can use in the future to have courage and do the right thing. 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/passa

We see the way that Mordecai approaches the world with humility and trust. Haman comes with pride. He assumes that he is the honored one. He assumes he is the greatest, the righteous, the one who will be lavished with praise. He is so prideful, that he doesn’t see that in his pride are the seeds of his own destruction. But Mordecai shows humility. And more than humility, he shows trust. He knows that God will deliver his people in His way and in His own choosing.  He trusts in God in all that is happening.  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=E

Today, we see Esther follow through with Mordecai’s request. She goes to the King to ask him to spare her people. But she does something unexpected. Instead of asking then, she throws a banquet. And then, at that banquet, she asks the King and Haman to come to another banquet. Why?  There’s really no good answer in scripture, and I get a couple of the reasons I read in commentaries. But to me, ultimately, it is about her being willing to follow God’s nudge or plan, even when it may be different from what she thought. Sometimes, we get so focused on our plan that we can miss God’s plan. 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. Yo

Every book of the bible has a verse that most people know it for. For Ecclesiastes, for instance, we all know the passage about time, “a time to kill, etc.”  For Esther, if you know any verses from it, you know a passage from today, “for such a time as this.”  We’ll look at what this passage means, but we’ll also look at it within its context. When we understand the greater story being told, the more we understand the power of this moment.  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=Esther%204&version=NIVYou can watch this in video form here - htt

We see Haman get a great position of great honor, yet Mordecai will not defer to Haman as Haman thinks is right. Haman is offended, and his pride is hurt. Because of this hurt pride, Haman decides not just to kill Mordecai but to destroy all the Jews. Because of his wounded pride Haman is willing to destroy so many. What relationships are destroyed, and what harm is caused because of our pride? Pride is always destructive! 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=Esther%203&version=NIVYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/b

In our Traditional message from January 19, 2025, Andy shares with us from John 6: 35-41.  In the first of our series about the "I Am statements of Jesus, we see that He is the Bread. We unpack what it means to feast on the goodness of Jesus. 

We see the story of Esther continuing to play out. Mordecai hears about a plot to assassinate the king, and he tells Esther, who in turn tells the king.  He then has these two men impaled upon poles. This may not seem like a lot happening, but see that Mordecai is involved and doing good. He tells Esther, who then tells an irrational king.  These steps don’t seem like that much, but in time, they will be the very steps that will help save God’s people. God is bringing all these little, seemingly insignificant things together.  We will see how all these things play out. God will work it all for good in the coming chapters.  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 phon

The King begins his search for a new bride today. I jokingly say that this feels a lot like our modern concept of The Batchelor. All we need are the cameras and TVs. But each woman is lavished so much, perfumes, oils, so many things. When it comes to meeting the king, they can do or take whatever they would like. Esther doesn’t do any such thing; she simply goes with what they suggest and trusts in who she is and what God has graced her with. In life, we can choose to rely upon the things of the world, or we can choose to rely upon God. Esther chose to rely upon who she is and what God has given her. Will we rely upon Jesus or rely upon 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 dail

Not every story in the Bible is given so that we know what to do sometimes; they are given to us so that we know what not to do. We see King Xerxes today, and we see how powerful he is. He is throwing grand and great festivals. He is showing his power and wealth for all to see. The last thing that he wants to show off is his wife. And she refuses to be treated as such, so he banishes her. We are called, as people and as husbands and wives, to show respect to each other. Xerxes has much, yes. But he is not living in a way that we should see to imitate as Christians. 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 pa

Remember where we started the book of Ruth? Naomi had lost everything. She lost her husband, her children, her people, everything. This book begins with having nothing. But then, we see God’s loving kindness modeled over and over again. Ruth to Naomi. Ruth to Boaz. Boaz to Ruth. And in the end, God to Naomi. God’s kindness to Naomi affects all of Israel and affects each of us to this very 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 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ruth%204%3A%2013-22&version=NIVYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In our Traditional message from January 12, 2025, Andy shares from Luke 2: 15-22. On this Baptism of the Lord Sunday, we talk about the promises we make to God in our baptism, but more importantly, we talk about the promise God makes to us.

Today, another has the chance to redeem Namoi’s property and, with that, gain Ruth as a wife. The man, first in line, does not do that. It’s interesting the scripture never names him. There’s even a funny Hebrew idiom that he is called. I’m not saying that he commits a sin, but he does not do what he could have. We focus a lot on sins of “commission” when we do things we should not do. We should also focus on the sins of “omission” when we do not do the things we should be doing. Let’s avoid evil, yes. But let’s also seek to do 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://www.biblega

Chapter three of Ruth is full of some interesting things. Threshing floors, odd routines, things just sound out of step to us.  What is happening? We see Ruth showing to Boaz that her time of grief is now over, and she would desire marriage. But not just any marriage, but marriage to him. As an older person, this is quite an unexpected gift of kindness. Once again, we see in Ruth the power of kindness, of true, empathic kindness, to change everything. 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=Ruth%203&version=NIVYou can watch this in video form h

We begin to see the power of kindness today. Boaz shows kindness to Ruth. Why? Well, first, he’s a good man. Second, he tells her that he and others have heard of the kindness that she has shown to her mother-in-law.  Ruth has left her people and has taken refuge under the wings of the God of Israel. We see kindness begin to weave its way into so many tales of redemption. Kindness is always rewarded, for it brings goodness.  It changes others, and it changes 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=Ruth%202%3A%204-34&version=NIVYou can watch

In our Traditional message from Ephiphany, Andy shares with us from Matthew 2: 1-12. We see the story of the Wise Men, but more than this, we see the first impression of who Jesus is. We see the wideness of God's mercy.